She shrugged. “That’s the second guy with a knife in his chest tonight. I guess I’m used to it now.”
Larkin turned toward us. “Come with me, you two.”
He led us back out of the locker and down the hall. We moved into his office, shutting the door behind us.
“Got a plan?” I asked him.
He stepped up to Janine. “I am so, so sorry, Janine,” he said. “You know I love you, and I hate what this has done to you.”
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I wanted to help. I really did.”
“Actually, there is one more thing I want to ask you to do.”
“Anything,” she said. “Anything to make all this worth it.”
He grinned and looked at me. “What about you, Clutch? Up for one more job?”
I laughed, grinning broadly. “Fuck yes I am.”
And so he told us his plan, and my smile just spread with every word he spoke.
31
Janine
I stared at myself in the mirror, the veil pushed up over my hair, and couldn’t help but laugh.
My wedding day. I never really thought this day would come, despite everything we’d gone through to get here. I wanted it to happen if at least to help save the club that had raised and protected me.
“You look amazing,” Caralee said. “Seriously. If I were a guy, I’d have such a big boner right now.”
I looked at her and laughed. “A big boner?”
“Yeah, you know, a stiffy.”
I shook my head. “Hard cock, Caralee.”
“Whatever. You make me hard.”
I laughed again and looked back in the mirror. “Yeah. I clean up okay.”
“Okay? Shit. Better than okay.”
I had to admit that I did look pretty damn good in my dress. All white with small black accents, it was the perfect biker wedding dress. It was tight along the top, making my boobs look enormous and amazing, and spread out loosely in ribbons of tulle and satin bows.
“You look way better than I did on my wedding day,” Caralee said.
“Well that’s not fair, considering you were basically forced into it.”
She laughed. “Good point.”
There was a knock on the door. Caralee walked over and answered it.
Clutch stepped inside.
I gaped at him, completely surprised. I was always shocked when I saw one of the boys dressed up, but it was especially shocking to see Clutch in a suit. And it was even more shocking that it fit him.
“Wow,” I said.
He grinned, staring at my body, his eyes roaming my length. “Same to you.”
“I can’t believe you guys are wearing suits.”
“Prez ordered it,” he grunted. “Not my thing, but we’re keeping up appearances.”
I nodded. “How’s it going out there?”
“We’re nearly ready for you. You good?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
He glanced at Caralee and then crossed the room and stopped near me.
“Careful,” I said. “My makeup.”
He smirked. “You look fucking gorgeous,” he said softly.
“Thanks.”
“You sure you want to do this?”
“I don’t have much to do.”
“True.”
I glanced down and noticed a slight bulge at his hip, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. I glanced back up at his handsome, serious face, and smiled.
“It’s my wedding day. It’s a happy day.”
He looked at me for a second and then barked a short laugh. “Yeah. That’s right, it’s a happy day.” He turned and walked back toward the door.
“When do you need us?” Caralee asked.
“Ten minutes. I’ll knock again.” He left and shut the door.
Caralee gave me a little grin. She looked cute as hell in her little bridesmaid dress, and as much as that smile annoyed me, I couldn’t be mad. “Things still weird between you two?”
“Maybe,” I said. “Maybe not.”
She laughed. “Yeah, okay. I can practically smell the tension between you two.”
“That obvious?”
“Only to people who are breathing.”
I sighed. “I guess it’s pretty messed up to want another man on my wedding day.”
Caralee joined me at the mirror. “In this instance, I think you’ll be okay.”
My mind buzzed back over my father’s plan, and I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I was nervous as hell, I had to admit, but my role in all this was pretty small.
I just had to get up there and say some words. I just had to marry a man. That was it, nothing special, nothing permanent or life-changing.
“Come on, let’s make sure you’re perfect.” Caralee started fussing with my dress and my makeup.
I couldn’t pay much attention to any of it. I knew it mattered, that appearances mattered in this, but I couldn’t really care. None of this was what I wanted, but there I was, getting married anyway.
I thought time was supposed to drag when you were nervous. But when Clutch knocked on the door again, it felt like he had just stepped out of the room.
He opened the door. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Caralee said.
He looked at me. “I’ll be with you.”
“I know.”
I walked forward, taking a deep breath, and stepped out the door, Caralee in tow.