BEAR

Natasha wasn't kidding about the dress her mom picked. I go stupid as soon as she appears at the hotel with her entourage. The white dress has red decorations across the front. Natasha's skin looks like creamy perfection next to the fabric. As I recall how she said the dress was soft, my fingers tingle with the urge to enjoy a touch.

Her natural waves are shiny like an old-time actress. Her makeup is darker than usual. The black liner around her blue eyes makes her gaze seem especially hypnotic.

Meanwhile, I wear a black long-sleeved shirt, tie, jeans, and boots. Like the other Backcountry Kings here tonight, I sport my vest. I'm just a cleaned-up version of myself. Maybe that's why I feel out of my league when I see Natasha. Guys like me don't marry gorgeous, rich chicks like her.

Natasha also exudes an icy air as she moves around the room. She claims to dislike these kinds of events, yet none of her anxiety shows in her expression. This Natasha feels like a stranger.

On the opposite end of the hotel's grand ballroom, I stand with Aunt Fred, Noble, Elvis, and an annoyed Zoot. Nearby, my brothers are making quick work of the hors d"oeuvres. Siobhan and Carys sit at a table. Hunter hasn't arrived yet. The usual crew is around, but so are more than a hundred strangers. Security is everywhere. The Kovak Syndicate is out in force tonight.

Sensing I'm out of sorts, Aunt Fred nudges me and smiles. "What do you like most about Natasha?"

"She's a goofy, gorgeous nerd who wants to save the world," I mutter, angry at how my woman is out of reach.

Aunt Fred looks across the room at Natasha moving with her team from one group of people to another.

"It's just a dress, Bear."

"No, it's everything."

"It's a show people put on," Aunt Fred says and hands me at bacon wrapped piece of food. "Like when Zoot pretends he doesn't understand what's happening because he's pissed about wearing a tie."

"I don't know why I need to be here," snarls her brother-in-law. "I already have to go to the damn wedding."

Aunt Fred patiently explains, "You are family, and family attends boring events."

Though Zoot's dark eyes flash with absolute rage, he can't argue with her logic. Finally, he shrugs. "I'm getting a drink."

"Only one," Elvis insists just to fuck with his brother.

A nodding Noble adds, "Too much booze makes you soft and chatty, Zoot. No one wants to hear your bad poetry."

While the brothers taunt each other, I look at Aunt Fred in her simple green dress.

"You look beautiful," I tell her.

When Aunt Fred gives me a big smile, her warmth wraps around me until I settle down.

Except, right now, Natasha feels like someone I don't know. Days ago, she was in my bed. We fucked and even talked about baby names. When I said I didn't care, she picked truly ugly names to inspire me to give a shit. We decided to name the kid Baby Bear and moved on.

That day, as we sat outside with the kids, Natasha announced she wasn't jealous of Aneta. I offered to ghost my old friend. Natasha insisted she trusted me. I swore allegiance to her pussy above all others. She laughed so hard she made a weird noise, making me chuckle.

That's the woman I love.My Natasha plays on the swings with the kids. Back in the day, she would take Ollie to dumb kid movies when his family wouldn't go with him. I also remember how one winter, she gave the jacket off her back to a shivering mom at the women's shelter.

That Natasha is capable of loving a guy like me. The one moving around the room like a Kovak robot makes me worry I'm marrying one of her brothers.

To add to my irritation, I catch sight of Maks eyeballing me from nearby. The middle Kovak brother has a reputation for drinking too much and throwing punches too fast. In his family, he's stuck solidly between the Kovak's heir apparent and their golden child. I've never once seen Maks look genuinely happy.

Tonight, at the party is no exception. Surrounded by security, he slowly drains liquor from one glass after another. Finally, he gestures for me to approach him. I think to have him walk his ass to me. However, I sense he wants to speak privately, and Zoot will try to eavesdrop if I remain with my group.

Once I stand in front of Maks, he gestures for his security to fuck off. They move away with ease. I can't imagine spending my entire day getting bossed around by Maks Kovak.

"Do you know what a casita is?" When I only scowl at him, Maks continues, "It's a small house detached from the main one."

"Okay. I wasn't aware tonight involved any tests."

Maks smirks at my irritation. "The Syndicate will build a casita on your property to house Natasha's security."

"No."

"Would you prefer her security stay inside your house with the children and your cats?"

The final word drips with animosity. I nearly shove him for thinking ugly shit about my boys.

"Why can't her security sit in the fucking car until she goes out?"

"That's not a real question, so I'm choosing to ignore it," Maks replies dismissively as he looks around the room and then back at me. "Look, I get it. You're a simple biker with big dreams of banging my pretty sister. But if you want her to wear your ring and take your name, you've got to man up and put the effort in to keeping her alive."

"I know how to protect Natasha, and my house is secure."

Maks empties his glass and gestures for the waitress to bring him another one.

"Let me paint you a picture, O'Malley. Now, I'm assuming like all real men, you sleep bare assed. Now imagine someone breaks into your house at night. The kids are asleep. My pacifist sister rests at your side. Someone breaks into the house, and there you are with your dick swinging in the wind. How exactly are you planning on protecting them?"

"I have guns, dumbass."

"Just sitting out in the open with little ones around?" Maks asks, tsk-tsking my words. "I don't think so. My sister won't want you walking around the house heavily armed."

"I want to live like a normal family."

"But you aren't normal. Your marriage is a business deal between two powerful factions. Anyone who wants to show their dissatisfaction with that alliance will have an easy target. No offense, but killing you wouldn't be much of a loss. After all, you live a violent life. No, they won't go with such a weak message. Killing the kids would be too evil of a message for most enemies. That leaves my little sister with the crosshairs firmly affixed on her head. So, imagine again what you'd do if armed men busted into the house in the dead of the night while you're naked, my sister is asleep, and those kids are tucked in with Kermit and the other doll."

"Abby Cadabby," I mutter as I picture someone in my house. "How can those kids grow up normal with armed assholes always around?"

"That's not a real question coming from a man like you."

I think of my youth at the farm. Guns were everywhere. It wasn't particularly safe with little ones like Siobhan and Carys running around. Plus, several of the younger guys suffered from impulsive habits. A bad day might lead to shooting themselves or someone else. But guns were a way of our life.

I know Natasha wants to live like a normal family. She isn't built for violence. I think she'd rather take a punch than watch someone receive one. But I can't let her get hurt.

"Fine, build the casita. How much security are we talking about?"

"I want at least one person at the house at all times, even when you're not there. You live on a large property with sufficient privacy. If you didn't, we'd insist you move. However, with your property size, a security team of two or three at a time should suffice."

Shaking my head, I mutter, "The kids are going to grow up weird."

"Natasha always had someone watching her when she was little. She still went to school, had friends, fucked you at the clubhouse, and lived her life. Your kids will do fine," Maks says and drops the smug expression. "But only if we do our jobs and keep them alive."

"Are you aware of any specific threats?"

Maks scans the room before exhaling deeply. "The problem is too many people want us dead. I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for the most viable risk. We can only assume we're under threat at all times."

My gaze washes over the room, trying to separate ally from enemy. I don't even know most of the people here. That's my life now. I'm about to marry into a family with too many enemies to count.

"Even with everything we do," Maks says, "it's pure luck if we live or die."

"I'm not letting anyone hurt her."

"They could hit us at any time," Maks insists as if I'm too dumb to see the big picture. Taking his fresh drink, he admits, "I have no doubt we'll win any battle, but that doesn't mean we'll never suffer any casualties."

I think back to a time not so long ago when it was common for a member of my club to end up with a bullet in them. Pork Chop's blood brother got his throat slit at a dentist appointment. Another club brother was driven off the road and filled with lead.

The enemies who killed our people paid a heavy price. Zoot believes in taking more than what was stolen. If an enemy kills one of ours, we take a dozen of theirs. If attacking us hurts enough, most assholes won't be willing to take the shot.

But some still will try. Whether they're crazy or suicidal, they'll come at the club and Kovak Syndicate without worrying over consequences.

I've never let myself stress dying. After all, a dead man has no problems. But being a live man with a dead wife or kid isn't an existence I think I can survive.

After Maks gets his agreement on the security and casita, I walk toward Carys and Siobhan. They're looking especially pretty tonight in their black dresses. Siobhan is on the hunt for a possible man to throw herself at while her sister is mostly just nibbling at various hors d"oeuvres.

"Looking slick, Bear," Carys says as she spits out a green hors d"oeuvres. "Either my taste buds aren't working or everything tastes like butthole."

Siobhan glances at her sister, likely wanting to question the butthole-flavor thing. Fortunately, she spots Hunter arriving and ditches us.

I stand awkwardly, frowning at everyone and hiding none of my irritation. Natasha still moves from one group of people to another. Her mother's joined her. Petra is nearby, standing next to Viktor.

I start imagining how I'll feel when I join the Kovak family for holidays or even normal meals. My life's goal is to never know which fork is for the salad. I'm not looking to learn new shit at my age. Mostly, I don't like feeling judged.

My thoughts flash to Hector and Jacinda. They're so goofy and excitable. I can't imagine them turning into robots around the Kovak family. Maybe I can act like my kids and do whatever the hell I want.

Unable to shake my irritation, I stare at Natasha. Though I want to admire her beauty, I'm mostly pissed at how she's not really mine.

Suddenly, Natasha looks right at me. At first, I only see the ice princess. Then, she notices how I'm dressed. I feel her gaze soaking in my cleaned-up look. She exhales deeply and a flirty smile warms her lips. Right this moment, she hides nothing. I'm all she sees, and my Natasha is front and center.

Gesturing for me to join her group, Natasha tones down her lovestruck gaze, but it never truly goes away. I spend the next hour at her side. The people we talk to are just noise. I only see Natasha and feel her hand in mine.

All of my worriers about our future feel ridiculous now. Aunt Fred was right—as usual—and Natasha is just putting on a show for her family's allies. In the same way I'll stand behind my club's leadership and look like a barely-restrained monster, Natasha needs to play the ice-princess role.

Underneath our performances, though, we're just Bear and Natasha.