Chapter 58

“Wouldyou please stop glaring at everyone?” I say to Remy in a harsh whisper. It’s awkward enough that it’s just the two of us holding down a long table set for twelve people. Remy throwing murderous looks at the two gym bros a few tables over, isn’t making it any better.

“I’m not glaring at everyone. Just those guys who keep staring at you.”

I raise my eyes, watching the front door to the restaurant for anyone in our party. “I’m sure it has more to do with being Griff’s girlfriend than any interest in me.”

“Yeah, that’s even worse.” He finally flicks his gaze down and stares at the restaurant’s menu. “I thought Black Ball Cap looked like someone in Magic’s crew.”

“Ohhh, okay.” I glance at the guy wearing the black cap, but he’s poking his fork into his eggs and talking to the man across from him. Nothing about either of them looks familiar to me. “You could’ve just said that.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

I reach over and rest my hand on his forearm. “Thanks for always looking out for me.”

He slowly turns his head and stares at me. “Are you okay?”

“Well, I mean you’re still a meddling, overprotective pain in my butt. But I love you.”

“Love you too, kid.”

“Griff and I made plans to get married here in two years,” I blurt.

He chokes and sputters on his coffee. “I’m sorry, what?”

I grin at him. “He wanted to do it this weekend, but I said I’d rather wait until I can have champagne at my own wedding.”

He takes several slow, deep breaths before calmly answering, “Sounds like a plan. Am I invited?”

“I hope you’ll walk me down the aisle.”

“Yeah.” He reaches over and pats my hand. “Two years. Five years. Ten years. Whenever you want, I’m happy to do it.”

“Ten years,” I grumble, opening my menu. “I want to be done having kids by thirty-three.”

More slow, deep-breathing exercises from Remy. “Uh-huh.”

“Morning, kids,” Wrath bellows. He settles his heavy frame across from me.

“Where’s Griff?” Trinity asks me.

“Yes.” Wrath reaches for a coffee cup, turning it up for our server to fill. “Where is our little golden goose this morning?”

The Lost Kings really did bet on Griff to win.

I guess it would’ve been stupid not to.

How much money did everyone win?

Now that we have company, I can’t ask Remy about it. I should’ve done that instead of teasing him about my future wedding. But every time I think about Griff asking me to marry him, my heart flutters so hard it might fly out of my chest.

“He had some errands to run before our big goodbye breakfast,” Remy says, staring at his menu. “I think Underhill wanted to meet with him.”

“We saw Underhill early this morning,” Trinity says. “He was checking out.”

Remy tightens his hold on the menu, denting the edges of the thick cover. “He might have had a few other things to wrap up.”

“Are you guys leaving today too?” Trinity asks me.

“No. Griff didn’t get to see anything while he was training.” My lips curve. “And he promised me if he won, he’d take me sightseeing.”

“You should go to Red Rock Canyon,” Trinity suggests, resting her hand on Wrath’s wrist. “We went hiking there yesterday and it was beautiful.”

“Trin got some nice pictures at sunset,” Wrath says.

“Oh, that might be fun.” I glance at Remy, silently asking if he wants to do that.

“I gotta head back tomorrow morning. Early.” Remy snorts. “It’ll be a shock, going from Dawson’s luxury jet to flying commercial.”

“Dawson’s still around,” Wrath says. “Offered a ride to anyone who wants it. I’m not sure when he’s leaving, though.”

Remy shrugs.

I lift my gaze from my menu and catch sight of Jigsaw stealthily crouching and inching closer to Wrath’s back, silent determination written all over his face. His eyes meet mine and he presses a finger to his lips.

With careful precision, he extends one arm over Wrath’s shoulder, aiming to loop it around Wrath’s neck in a chokehold.

Seems suicidal to me.

Lightning-quick, Wrath seizes Jigsaw’s wrist in his vise-like grip without ever taking his eyes off the menu.

“What’d I tell you would happen if you tried that again?” Wrath says.

Jigsaw squirms as Wrath applies more pressure. “You’d congratulate me for my fine, stealthy skills?”

“Wrong.” Wrath releases him. “Sit the fuck down.”

Trinity bites her lip and shakes with quiet laughter.

Remy stares at Jigsaw like he’s lost his mind.

Jigsaw rubs his wrist, but he’s grinning as he sits a few chairs away from Trinity and Wrath. “Violence is our love language,” he says to me.

Wrath lets out a harsh laugh. “You could say that.”

Rooster and Shelby approach our table, holding hands. Neither of them attempts to choke anyone.

“Is Jiggy still alive?” Shelby stops and taps Wrath’s shoulder. “I warned him not to test you today.”

“Nah, we’re all good,” Wrath says.

Rooster pulls out the chair next to me and Shelby drops into it, tucking her dress down around her legs. “Thank ya, Logan,” she says to him.

“God, you two are nauseating.” Jigsaw laughs.

“Don’t act ugly on our last mornin’ here,” Shelby scolds.

“That ship sailed a long time ago,” Wrath says. “Long, long ago.”

“Morning, Molly,” Shelby nudges my elbow. “You and Griff get to do any sightseeing yet?”

“Not yet.” I can’t stop my cheeks from warming. “He was worn out and just wanted to rest yesterday.”

“That did not sound like resting coming from the room across from mine,” Jigsaw says.

Remy shoots a scowl at him.

“What?” Jigsaw holds his hands up in the air. “They could’ve been playing tennis.”

I sit there rigid as a flagpole, about to melt under the table.

“Jiggy, don’t tease Molly,” Shelby warns, patting my leg.

“Apologies, Molly,” Jigsaw says in the most polite and formal tone I’ve ever heard from him. “I enjoy fucking with your brother. But it’s rude of me to involve you.”

“Oh, Lordy,” Shelby mutters.

“Can you not,” Rooster says.

Jigsaw winks at me.

Wrath flips a page of the menu. “Your own sister looked pretty cozy at Remy’s bar, Jiggy. I wouldn’t keep antagonizing him…”

Jigsaw’s cheerful expression contorts into a scowl.

Remy chuckles. “Actually, she applied for a part-time job. Thinking of hiring her. She’s got a lot of experience.”

“And she makes a mean Paloma,” Shelby adds.

“She doesn’t need a job,” Jiggy growls.

Wrath picks his head up, a wide my work here is done grin stretched across his face.

I side-eye my brother.

A server drops a basket of muffins and other breakfast pastries at each end of our table. “Will the rest of your party be joining us soon?” he asks.

“Yes,” Remy says.

Behind the server, I notice Venom and Woolly strolling into the restaurant. Venom swivels his head, slowly scanning the tables. I lift my hand, waving for them to join us.

“Hey, Molly. Remy,” Venom says. He nods to Remy and throws a glance around the table. “Where’s Griff?”

“He’ll be here soon,” Remy says.

Wrath reaches over and shakes both their hands. “Sit anywhere.”

“Since you’re the elder of the table, Wrath,” Jigsaw picks at a cinnamon roll, a devious smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, “will you be paying for breakfast this morning?”

“Spend all your money on strippers already?” Wrath deadpans.

“Where’s Ella?” Shelby asks. “I finally found someone as short as me to hang with.”

“Eraser took her on a helicopter ride over the desert,” Remy answers. “Not sure how long it lasts.”

“Nothing says romance like taking your wife on a helicopter ride with a crash rate higher than your chance of losing your keys,” Jigsaw quips.

“Well, aren’t you sunshine and unicorn farts this morning,” Shelby drawls.

Griff passes through the front door of the restaurant, his gaze landing on me first. His tense expression softens.

Three teen boys run up to him, holding out papers for him to sign and bringing out phones for selfies.

He’s patient while he talks to each kid and poses for pictures. When he finishes, he hurries to our table.

“Hey, Muffin.” He drops a quick kiss on my cheek and slides into the chair between Remy and me. He glances around the table, saying hi to everyone.

“Get what you need?” Remy asks him.

Griff bobs his head quickly, then slides his arm around my shoulders and leans in to check out my menu. “What looks good?”

I point to the French Toast à La Crème Br?lée, with vanilla cream and maple syrup. “I also kind of want to try the Lobster Eggs Benedict, but I don’t know if I like Hollandaise sauce.”

“Ask them to skip it or put it on the side,” Shelby suggests.

“Get both. If you don’t like one, I’ll eat it. I’m starving,” Griff says, rubbing his hand over my back.

“What were you doing?”

“Ah, Underhill wanted to talk to me for a minute,” he answers quickly, turning his head.

“Did Diane find you?” Venom asks. “She wants the three of us to return as mentors for season two.”

“Fuuuuck that,” Griff says.

Venom cracks up. “That was my answer.”

Woolly shrugs. “I might do it. Help those poor little lost pups. Warn them about the perils of reality television.”

“Are they paying in money or ‘exposure’?” Rooster asks.

“She didn’t get that far,” Venom says.

“Betcha they ain’t paying squat,” Shelby says. “Wouldn’t surprise me one bit.”

“You’d be a good mentor, Woolly,” Griff says. “But I don’t think they deserve you.”

Woolly shrugs. “I’ll see what she says.”

Across the table, I briefly meet Trinity’s eyes. She flashes a quick smile.

She said Underhill left this morning. So if Griff wasn’t talking to him, what was he doing?