Darien
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MACK left early, and I planned on organizing a few things. My phone rang at just after ten. "Hey, Millie," I said, as I dropped a bowl into the dishwasher.
"Hey. I wanted to see if you had ti for lunch. I’m up your way, so thought we could et, like in an hour or so."
I glanced at the clock. "Um, yeah, that sounds good. You want to et at Tommy O’s or Beaches?"
"Ooh, Beaches. I love that place."
" too." I grinned. "I’ll see you there."
"Aweso."
Millie hung up and I called Mack. It went to voicemail, so I left him a quick ssage and then jumped in the shower.
Once dressed, I sent a quick note to my editor who had so questions on my newest manuscript and then I got Barney sorted and grabbed the keys to the BMW. Mack’s car had hands free for my phone, and let’s be honest, it was a BMW and super fun to drive. I’d just buckled my seatbelt when Mack called back. "Hey, honey."
"Hey, babe. You’re goin’ to lunch with Millie?"
"Yes." I started the car. "Is that a problem?"
"Should be fine. Where are you going?"
"Beaches."
"Okay. Keep your phone on you."
"Mack, is there sothing I should know?" I asked and pulled out of the garage.
"No, babe. Just call if anything feels off."
I sighed. "We’re in the ’Couve, honey. Nothing’s ever off. Do you want to look for sothing specific?"
He chuckled. "No. I’m just being extra overprotective."
I smiled. "Okay, Daddy. You’re allowed to be extra overprotective."
"You in my car?"
"Hells, yes, I’m in your car," I said as I exited I-5 on 14 and headed toward Columbia. "I love your car."
He chuckled. "I know you do."
I arrived at the restaurant and parked right out front. "I think we should just plan on it being my car going forward."
"We’re gonna get sothing safer once the baby cos."
"Ugh, does that an sothing bigger?"
"Not necessarily."
I smiled. "Okay, I’m here, honey."
"Have fun. Love you."
"Love you too. I’ll call you when I leave the restaurant."
"Okay. ’Bye."
I hung up and got out of the car, excited to spend so quality ti with my girl. Millie and I had been having a hard ti connecting, mostly because of her new(ish) job. She was the new comptroller for one of the largest alcohol distributors in Portland, and her hours were crazy. Our housewarming had been the first ti in months that we’d spent more than an hour together.
She was drifting away from and I didn’t know how to stop it. We were both independent, but we were also used to being in each other’s business constantly. It was a weird dynamic, but it was one I loved, and I was discovering that growing up ant we had to have real jobs and be adults, which honestly wasn’t very much fun.
Mack
I sat with Booker, Knight, and Hawk in my office at Blush and seethed. "What did Brock say?"
"He didn’t say much," Hawk admitted.
Brock Williams was Hawk’s brother-in-law, and FBI. I wasn’t happy we were pulling the law in, but Hawk felt we didn’t have a choice, and we’d stalled as long as we could.
Knight pulled out his phone. "Ace and Jax are here."
"Fuck!" I said. "I thought we had a few more hours."
"Apparently we don’t." Knight fired off a text and his brothers breezed in a few seconds later. Jaxon, Carter, and Aidan Quinn were three of six brothers, and while two chose the law, one chose marriage, and so far, two had chosen the Dogs. Luke, the middle brother, was still moving from job to job, but he’d t the Dogs on several occasions.
Jaxon took a minute to shake everyone’s hands and then the group moved into the bar area between mine and Booker’s offices.
"Brock’s lettin’ run this," Jaxon inford everyone. "But mostly because he’s keepin’ the powers that be out of this for the mont."
"What the hell does that an exactly?" Ace asked.
"The Kozlov’s are fuckin’ with everyone right now, so we’re attempting to bring them down without dragging you guys into it."
"We know who’s funneling," Jaxon said, and handed a file.
I opened it and let out a breath. "Fuck ."
Darien
Millie was pacing the little waiting area when I walked in and pulled in for a long hug. "Ohmigod, I miss you so much."
I laughed. "I miss you too, lady. I can’t believe we get to spend so ti together."
"I know. I’m up here checking on sothing for work and I have to eat, so I’m rolling everything into one."
"Nice."
"Magrew?" a hostess asked.
"That’s us," Millie said.
"Right this way."
The pretty brunette wearing khakis and a striped shirt led us to a small table right by the window. The water on the Columbia was still today and the sun was hiding behind fluffy white clouds. I loved the weather in the Pacific Northwest and Beaches was one of the best places to enjoy it.
"How are you feeling?" Millie asked once we sat down.
"Good. I’m tired and I’ve been a little nauseous, but nothing major yet. I think it helps to be able to sleep when I need to sleep."
"Ah, the life of a famous writer."
I giggled. "Not so famous yet."
"How are the wedding plans coming?"
Much to my surprise (and a little irritation that my very cocky man had been correct), I’d found the perfect dress the previous Saturday. It had been the second one I tried on and just needed to be let out a little at the bust. According to the shop, it would be done on Friday and then we could plan accordingly.
Mack and I had gone down to the courthouse on Monday for our license, and he’d set the club’s president’s wife, Susie, and a few of the club won on the task of planning the party. I was allowed to give my opinions and make choices, but I was not allowed to do any of the work.
"They’re going well, I think. Pauley’s helping to run interference. Am I picking your dress up when I get mine?"
Millie grinned. "Yes, please. It ans I won’t need to make an extra trip this week."
"No problem."
"What about the date?"
"I think we’re set for two weeks from Saturday."
"Yay," Millie said with a laugh. "That’s perfect."
We chatted comfortably for a while, the server having taken our order, and then Millie’s countenance changed within seconds.
"What’s wrong?"
Millie’s eyes darted from side-to-side and she gave a nervous and disingenuous smile. "Oh, nothing. I just thought I saw soone."
I glanced around. "Who?"
"No one. It’s fine, Darien. Seriously."
I frowned. "Is everything okay, Mill?"
"What do you an?"
"You’re acting weird. You have been for weeks."
"I have?"
I sighed. "Honey, you’ve been distant and you were jumpy at the housewarming. Mack noticed it too."
"Fucking Mack needs to mind his business."
"Wow," I breathed out.
"I’m sorry, Darien... I didn’t... shit."
I rose to my feet. "I’m going to go before I say sothing I can’t take back."
"Don’t, Darien. Please I’m sorry."
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