I know that, because that’s what I would fucking do if I were them. I’d say whatever needed to be said, sign whatever the fuck they wanted me to sign, and then I would do whatever I wanted, when I wanted—brother be damned.
“Then it’s settled,” Lorenzo exclaims, clapping his hands together a few times.
That must have been a signal or something, because as soon as he does it, that door opens again, and plates of food are brought out. It’s family-style spaghetti, meatballs, lasagna, stuffed shells, a chicken dish, and a gigantic salad.
If I weren’t sitting here watching the woman I want chat about and devise a contract for her life, which is dramatic, but it’s the fucking truth—because her life as she knows it is over the second she walks out of this room, and at the very most, the moment she takes her vows—but if all that weren’t the case, I would be fucking thrilled about this food.
It smells goddamn amazing.
I want it all. Every single fucking bite. But also, I can’t allow myself to relax in this situation. I can’t believe this is real. That this shit is happening. That we’re really giving this fucking group one of our own.
“The only thing I want to add is that until the wedding, Lainey stays under Vicious Reapers’ protection,” Bullet announces.
“We can do that, but our own men will be there, too,” Lorenzo says, taking a huge scoopful of lasagna and placing it on his plate.
I watch for a moment, waiting for everything to settle, but it’s Piggy who speaks next. “I think your men have done enough in this instance. Give us this time with Lainey without her feeling as if she’s got to look over her shoulder at every given second. The contracts will be signed, and there’s nothing else to be done. So it shouldn’t be an issue, right?”
Lorenzo’s gaze slides over to Paul, but neither of them speaks right away. It’s very clear to me that Lorenzo is the boss. Input is not needed from anyone else. While Bullet is our president, we get a say, a vote, and an opinion in all operations.
I don’t think that’s happening here. It’s clear it’s Lorenzo who makes the decisions, which makes me think that he is the one who gave the go-ahead to have Lainey brought here. Granted, his own son was doing some shit he wasn’t supposed to be doing, without Lorenzo’s say, but it’s a different scenario when it’s your kid versus the rest of your crew.
“I can agree to those terms. Lainey is under your protection for the next month. I’ll be taking care of the wedding details. All she needs to do is get a guest list to me and a dress.”
My blood boils in my veins. I know that my face probably appears bright red, too. The anger fills and consumes me. But what is the alternative? It’s not like I claimed her, asked her to marryme,or any of that shit.
Fuck.
I screwed the pooch big fucking time, and that is going to eat away at me for the rest of my goddamn life. I just let her go, inmore ways than one, and I hate myself for it. An instant visceral regret consumes me.
Fucking fuck.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
VIKING
Back at Lainey’s place,I’m not surprised to see that all of the women are here, along with the kids, and then the men, too. I don’t know if this many people have ever been in her place before, but she’s not engaging with anyone.
She’s sitting at her table, with a cup of tea or coffee, something in a mug in front of her, while Dakota, Millie, and Briana sit around her. They’re talking, their voices low. The other women are standing nearby, but I can really only see Lainey. She’s the only one I want to look at anyway.
She seems… despondent.
“You’re in charge of her until the wedding. Can you do that without losing her again?” Piggy asks in a growl.
Jerking my gaze away from her, I look at him. I don’t understand why the fuck he’s putting me in charge again when I clearly didn’t do the job he wanted me to do the first time. I start to tell him just that when I hear Bullet grunt behind us.
“He’s going to do it because she trusts him, and you have your own family to care for and protect. Plus a whole fuckingfull-time job. Viking works only for the club, and right now, this is his job.”
Bullet’s got that right. Sure, my job for the club is one where I’m needed, but it’s not like I’m going to get fired. I’ve just literally been reassigned. Piggy doesn’t respond immediately, but then he clears his throat and rocks back on his heels.
When he speaks, I’m not sure I actually heard him correctly. “The contract isn’t executed until she says her vows. She needs to be secure. I don’t want the Front Mob Family trying any fly shit between then and now.”
“Like?” I ask
“Like fucking her and trying to knock her up so she’s trapped and bound to them. At least if it were one of my brothers, it would be someone who would keep her close to home.”
Instead of reacting to that, I shift my attention back to Lainey, who is still at the table chatting to the other women. I don’t know if Piggy can tell how his words affected me, but they did—deeply.
I can’t help but be surprised by what he’s just said to me. I don’t think he’s telling me to knock her up by any means, but I don’t think he would kill me if I did. I shouldn’t. I should not do what I’m thinking about doing.