More Than Miles (A Lost Kings MC Novel) (22 page)

“Let’s go in. The party hasn’t quite started yet, and your brother’s really anxious to see you.”

He meets us at the front door. We don’t say anything at first. The fierce, protective hug he sweeps me up into speaks more than any words could.

“Are you okay?” he asks against my hair.

My throat’s so tight, I can’t answer. Instead, I nod vigorously until he sets me down. I’m worried we’re making a scene in front of the club, but the four of us are the only ones in the living room.

“Where is everyone?”

“Dining room. Finishing up dinner,” Hope answers.

“Sorry.”

My brother shakes his head. “I’m just glad you’re here.” He looks past me at Axel and nods, but I still detect a bit of murder in his eyes.

Reaching behind me, I take Axel’s hand and follow my brother to the dining room.

Everyone, except Murphy, stands up and says hello. The guys neither ignore nor fuss over Axel, which is fine. Eventually, Marcel asks us to sit next to him.

“No singing,” Marcel insists when Trinity gets up to help Mariella bring in dessert.

“You’re gonna love this thing she came up with,” Wrath says to Teller.

I see why a few minutes later after everyone blatantly disregards my brother’s “no singing” rule.

“Rocky road cheesecake,” Mariella says with a wide grin. Her gaze shifts to my brother to gauge his reaction.

“Appropriate,” Z says and receives a smack from Wrath in return. It makes me laugh, because it’s true, and Z grins at me.

“That looks good. What is everyone else having?” Marcel jokes. I glance at Mariella again, who’s beaming at my brother.
Interesting
.

Trinity sets a tray of cupcakes down in front of my brother. “Whiskey-maple-bacon cupcakes.”

“Christ. You two trying to fatten me up?”

Once everyone’s on a sugar high, I peek at Hope, who raises her shoulders slightly. Now’s as good a time as any.

Under the table, I grab Axel’s hand and he squeezes me back.

“I have news.”

All eyes are on me, so I go for it. Holding up my left hand, I show off the ring and announce, “We’re getting married.”

Stunned silence falls over the table.

Murphy’s fork clatters onto his plate and everyone stops talking. When he doesn’t say or do anything except stare at me, Hope awkwardly jumps in.

“Congratulations,” she says.

Rock glances at my brother, probably giving him some subtle signal about where to bury Axel’s body.

Everyone else is slow to follow Hope’s lead and offer their congratulations.

I risk glancing up into Murphy’s eyes and almost cry from the disbelief reflecting back at me.

I’m so sorry
, I want to tell him.

“Do you have a date in mind yet?” Trinity asks.

Slowly, I tear my gaze away from Murphy to answer her question. “We were thinking after the holidays, but before spring semester starts.”

“Are you serious?” my brother asks in his low, scary, big brother tone.

Murphy’s chair scrapes against the floor and he leaves the table without another word or glance in my direction.

Axel squeezes my hand, then clears his throat and leans forward so he can see my brother. “There’s, uh, married student housing we’d like to get into. Nice apartments, right on campus, and cheap, but you have to be married to apply.”

“How romantic,” Marcel snarks. He turns his glare on me. “Outside, little sister. We need to talk.”

Axel moves to stand, and Marcel stops him with a look. “You stay put.”

I follow my brother through the kitchen and out the back door. “Are you fucking out of your mind? You’re barely eighteen!” he shouts at me.

“Don’t yell at me. Yes, I’m serious. I love him and he loves me.”

“Great, then wait until you’re finished with school.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Don’t give me this married student apartment bullshit, Heidi. Did he knock you up? Tell me now so I can put a bullet in him tonight.”

“No! And you can’t go threatening my fiancé every time I do something you disagree with.” The lie burns my tongue. I briefly consider coming clean, but he’s so furious, I’m afraid he really might shoot Axel.

“Like fuck I can’t,” he fumes.

“Everything okay?” Rock calls out.

“We’re fine, prez,” my brother answers without taking his eyes off me.

“Heidi?”

“I’m okay, Uncle Rock. Thank you.”

“What’s the fucking hurry?” Marcel asks after Rock goes back inside.

“We told you.”

“Fuck that. I’ll give you money for an apartment.”

“Axel won’t take your money. We want to do this. We want to get married now. I don’t need your permission. But I’d like you to be happy for me.”

“Well, I’m not,” he says, using his matter-of-fact big brother voice and planting his hands on his hips.

“You told me yourself, you think Axel’s a good kid.”

“Yeah, a
kid
. Just like you’re a
kid
. Too young to know what the fuck you’re doing.”

Tears well up and I’m pissed because I swore I wouldn’t cry. “This is happening, Marcel. You can either be there, or I’ll send you pictures later.”

“Heidi—”

“I mean it.”

He plows his fingers through his hair, and I almost feel sorry for him. “Christ, Heidi. I want what’s best for you. I want you to finish school and be able to support yourself. What about all the traveling you wanted to do?”

“Axel and I will do it together.” Although, that seems unlikely now.

“I don’t want you dependent on some guy,” he insists.

“Axel’s not
some guy
.” He’s the father of my baby. “This won’t change anything. I’m not dropping out of school. Axel wants me to finish, too.” Actually, Axel and I hadn’t talked about our plans once the baby comes.

One thing at a time.

All the fight seems to go out of him and he holds his arms open. “Come here.”

I throw myself against him. “Please be happy for me. Please?”

“I want what’s best for you, Heidi, and I don’t think this is it.”

“It is. I promise.”

I wish…I wish so badly I could convince myself that were true.

After Heidi and Marcel leave the table, things get even more uncomfortable. Rock leaves to check on them, and when he returns, he pins me with a hard stare. “Let’s have a word,” he says, pointing in the opposite direction Heidi and her brother went.

Shit. I fully expected Marcel, maybe even Murphy, to kick my ass. Not Rock.

He leads me into the war room. Never thought I’d see the inside of this room again.

We don’t sit. But he does close the door.

“Is this really what you both want?” he asks.

“Yes, sir. We were planning to get married after I graduate, but then the apartment—”

“Cut the bullshit, son. Her brother might swallow that asinine story, but I’m not.”

Fuck. Me.

I could strangle Heidi right about now. I warned her this was never going to work.

Our eyes meet and I lift my shoulders. “What do you want me to say, Rock?”

His gaze slides to the closed door. “Nothing. Fuck. You better make sure she finishes school.”

“I will.”

“And you better find a damn good job.”

“I’m trying.”

His harsh stare is so terrifying, I’m afraid to move wrong. “I know someone looking for a good mechanic. I’ll set you up with an interview.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“She plannin’ to tell her brother the truth?”

“Not tonight.”

“Fuckin’ great,” he mutters and shakes his head.

“Uh, we really are moving into an apartment on campus. You know, so it’s easier for her to get to her classes and stuff.”

“Good.” He stares at me a few seconds longer. “You’re trying to do the right thing. So that’s a start.”

I wait because I don’t think he’s finished yet.

“Warn me before she tells him, so I can at least try to keep him from killing you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You need anything, let me know. Or if Heidi needs something, she knows she can always call Hope, if she doesn’t want to tell me.”

“Uh, I think she’s already done that.”

His mouth slides into a half-smirk. “Oh, really?”

Fuck. Like I want to cause problems between Rock and his wife. I should have kept my mouth shut.

“And don’t let her go so long without calling her brother. He’s been a wreck.”

“I told her. But you know Heidi can be—”

“Headstrong. Yeah, I’m familiar with the type.” He grins and I’m able to relax because I don’t think I’m getting murdered.

Not tonight anyway.

W
e’re getting married.

Swallowing ground glass would have hurt less than hearing those words come out of Heidi’s mouth. He’s not good enough for her. No one will ever be good enough for her.

The cold night air slaps me in the face when I storm out of the clubhouse. I don’t know where to go or what to do.

My heart feels like it’s being torn out. I look down, surprised there’s no blood gushing from my chest.

She’s really gonna
marry
him? She’s eighteen for fuck’s sake. I knew she was mad about Axel leaving the club, but marriage seems like overkill just to get even.

Marcel won’t let her go through with it. I know he won’t. He can’t.

I don’t know what to do. Am I going to go back in there and beg her not to do this? Try to make her love me instead of him?

No.

Soft crunching gravel draws my gaze toward the corner of the clubhouse as two girls appear under the spotlight shining over that area. Serena and her friend Amanda. “Hey, Murphy,” Serena calls out as she tries to move faster in her ridiculously high sandals. “What’re you doing outside?” she asks when she reaches me. She wobbles and I steady her with one hand.

“Waitin’ for you.” I flash a fake-as-fuck smile to go with the lie.

Heidi’s marrying
him
, so I guess it doesn’t really fucking matter anymore
what
I do or
who
I do it with.

I raise an eyebrow and paste on a cocky smirk. “What are you ladies up to tonight?”

I survived.