“And Heidi? She’s getting married soon, right?”
The mention of my sister stabs right through my chest. “She is.” I search for a way to move the conversation somewhere else. “Dylan’s busting his ass at Wrath’s gym, but how’s Angelina doing?”
She brightens at the mention of her children. “Angelina’s home with us for a little while.”
I can’t remember what her daughter does, so I just nod. “That’s nice.”
“Mallory,” an older woman rasps. “Where the boys at?” She grasps the edge of the bar and rakes her gaze over me.
Mallory lifts her chin toward the chapel. “At the table.”
“Why didn’t you send this one in?” She stares holes through my chest.
“Stump didn’t want to be interrupted.” Mallory waves her hand at the chapel doors. “But by all means, Doe. Go ahead.”
Such a diplomatic way to tell the old woman to fuck off. I smirk into my water glass and take another sip.
Doe shuffles closer and runs her gaze over me again. “You’re the treasurer, huh?”
“We’ve met before,” I remind her.
“You all look the same.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Treasurers or Lost Kings?”
Her wrinkled face splits into a grin and she wags a finger at me. “A wiseass, huh?”
“Always.”
“Don’t go hittin’ on Mallory, you hear me?” She jerks her head toward the chapel doors. “Anyone ever tell you the story of how your prez waltzed in here as a cocky teenager and tried to bag Mal? Right after she and Chaser got engaged.”
“Stop it, Doe,” Mallory says with more heat in her voice than I’ve ever heard from her. “That’s not quite how it happened.”
“The hell it ain’t,” Doe says, unruffled by the vice president’s ol’ lady scolding her in front of me.
My stomach turns. I’ve actually heard this story before. Then, it was a hilarious anecdote about my president acting like a dumb, horny teenager once upon a time. Now, it feels more tragic than amusing.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch red spreading over Mallory’s cheeks. “That was a lifetime ago. We’re all older and wiser now.”
Doe shrugs and slaps my shoulder before shuffling away.
“I’m sorry about that,” Mallory whispers. “I hope she doesn’t go running around telling everyone that story this weekend. I doubt Rock will appreciate it.”
“He’ll live.” I study her more closely. “In a way, it’s an interesting piece of history between our clubs.”
She snorts. “I guess you could say that.” Her gaze shifts to the kitchen doors and then the chapel again. “I knew Wrath’s wife when she was a little girl too. So in some ways, Lost Kings will always be extended family.”
Rock has always worked hard to maintain a good relationship with the Demons. I assumed it was for territory reasons but maybe they were more personal.
The doors creak open and members spill out of the chapel. I brace myself for questions from my brothers.
Like a good hostess, Mallory walks me over to Rock when he emerges, then takes off.
“Where you been, welterweight?” Wrath thumps me on the back hard enough to knock the wind out of me. Fucker. “You missed all the fun.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
He slaps me again and wanders away.