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“We haven’t told anyone yet,” Sunshine says.
His eyes search hers for a long moment, a hint of pain in his eyes, before he nods his head, swiping his fingers across his mouth.
“My lips are sealed.”
He looks at me one last time, and I see it there, the final piece of his acceptance of how things are settling inside of him. When he looks back over to his son, tension leaves his shoulders as if he’s relieved in some way. He knows she’s going to be taken care of. He knows that his son is safe with me. He can focus on his own recovery, knowing that we won’t poison Ryder against him. He also has to know that I’ll go to the ends of the earth to protect Ryder from him if need be as well.
“And for the other birthday boy,” Stormy says, handing Legacy an envelope.
“We said appropriate gifts only,” Hound says, his eyes locked on the golden envelope in Legacy’s hand. “My kids are here.”
Someone whispers that it’s from Hale-ish, the sex club in Denver. A wave of laughter fills the air around us, and I commend Hound for being a man who takes his wife, Kincaid’s daughter, there sometimes, and is also protective of what his kids are exposed to.
“It’s a gift card to that new steak place out on the highway,” Legacy says, holding up the certificate as proof while shoving the other thing in the envelope into his pocket while glaring at Stormy.
They’d asked everyone to chip in, but I was just told a cash amount not what the money was buying. I was honestly just relieved I didn’t have to figure something out to get him.
“We ate there last week,” Ryder says with a wide grin. “The nuggets are delicious.”
The child looks from the book in Jamie’s lap back to Legacy.
“Do you like trucks?”
Another wave of laughter fills the room, at the implication the six-year-old wants to trade his book for nuggets.
With the attention off of him, I watch as Legacy walks toward Stormy, no doubt to give him a hard time for putting him on the spot in front of everyone. As close as I’ve gotten to everyone and my willingness to speak my mind, Legacy is very respectful of boundaries and doesn’t want to give any of the OGs a reason to change their opinion of him. The fact that Kincaid, Shadow, Dominic, Kid, Snatch, and Itchy are all in attendance today has to have him rattled.
The gift card falls from his hand as he freezes in the middle of the floor.
I follow his gaze to see a girl standing there.
“Devyn?”
“Emmett,” she says.
I move Sunshine from my lap because I noticed the older man standing beside her. He doesn’t look impressed at all as his eyes dart around the room, judgment evident on his face.
Jesus, if he got himself tangled up with an underage girl, he’s got more problems than being embarrassed about a gift card to a sex club.
“Messy,” Gigi whispers, but there’s a giddiness in her voice that tells me she’s a little excited right now.
“Who is that?” Legacy asks, pointing at the man.
I expect her to say her father.
“This is the man who’s going to marry us.”
“Marry us?” Legacy asks, tilting his head in confusion.
“Is she pregnant?” Sunshine asks. “She looks awful young.”
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“Hi,” Kincaid says, stepping forward with his hand out. “I’m Kincaid, and you are?”
“My best friend’s little sister,” Legacy answers, his voice sounding a little dazed.
I narrow my eyes, because, honestly, I sort of thought I was his best friend.
Gigi squeals, but when I look over at her, Hound is whispering to her softly. I recognize the look in her eyes and the way she’s chewing on her lip. That man may have four kids with the woman but he’s got his hands full with her alone.
“You told me that if you turned thirty and weren’t married, you’d marry me.” She holds up a beat-up book as if it proves what she’s saying. “Happy birthday, by the way.”
“That makes you, what, eighteen now?”
Her smile never falters. “And three months.”
“You were a child when I made that promise.”
“Dad?” Gigi says, and I can tell by her tone she’s switching gears and is no longer happy about the drama, but concerned about the girl and what may have happened to her.
“It wasn’t like that,” Legacy is quick to say, his eyes shifting to others in the room.
“You promised Vaughan,” she says, a little of her bravado falling away.
“That’s not fair,” Legacy says. “I’m not going to marry you.”
“Next!” Stormy says, stepping forward as if he’s staking a claim like he would on some damn piece of free furniture offered on social media.
“Maybe we should take this into another room?” Kincaid says, his voice full of authority.
