Page 33 of Kings Fear No One
“Excuse me, ma’am,” I interject, taking a step toward her. “But your daughter’s my wife. We’re legally married.”
Her eyes snap shut and her features pull tight. The mere idea causes her distress. It sickens her to know her daughter’s married to me.
A biker covered in tattoos. I smell of the cigarettes I’ve been smoking and haven’t trimmed my beard in over a week.
“We will be handling that situation,” Mrs. Baxter says. “She can get an annulment from Boulder.”
“She can go where she wants to go. And Teysha’s said nothing about leaving.”
“She doesn’t live here,” spits her mother. “We’re taking her home?—”
“That’s not your decision to make?—”
“Now, now,” says her grandmother suddenly. “Let’s not raise our voices in public. We can talk through this like civil adults. I hope we can all agree Teysha’s best interests are most important.”
Teysha’s shrunk half a step back. Neither woman notices. They’re too focused on me.
My objections have become an immediate inconvenience. They already had the entire situation mapped out. Show up here and take Teysha away. It didn’t even occur to them to ask her what she wanted to do.
But I’ve got my own plan, and it happens to clash with theirs.
If I have any intention of getting this marriage dissolved as quickly as possible, I need Teysha on hand to do so.
Her family’s going to have to wait.
For the time being, all they need to know is Teysha’s my wife and we don’t need their interference.
“Logan, I thank you for rescuing our baby girl,” the elder Baxter says. She’s a round woman that’s dressed up in a hat and pearls as if on her way to a nice brunch. She aims a polite smile at me like I’m a kid on the block trying to sell her lemonade. “It means so much to us that you have stepped in and helped her. But it’s best if she’s taken home where we, her family, can be there for her.”
“Teysha’s a grown woman,” I say. “I’m sure she can decide what she wants to do.”
All eyes fall on her. Mrs. Baxter and her grandmother glare expectantly. Their brows have arched to new heights.
“Well?” snaps her mother. “Use that mouth of yours. Tell him what you want.”
“Mama… we weren’t expecting you,” Teysha offers weakly. “We were in the middle of… of something.”
“Unbelievable. We were beside ourselves when you were missing. We cried tears of joy when we found out you were alive. Do you know we got in the car that instant and drove hours to come get you? What’s the matter with you?”
Teysha frowns, a soft wrinkle forming between her brows. “I don’t mean to be ungrateful. I’ve missed you, and I want to come home. But… but I’m not… I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
Mrs. Baxter’s sharp gasp sounds like she’s a breath away from passing out. She clutches at her chest and staggers a step back. It’s about as dramatic as the disgusted look on her grandmother’s face. You’d think she sucked on a lemon the way her features pucker up.
Teysha seeks out my gaze. Her eyes speak to me.
Big and expressive like I’d noticed the first night we met. We’d stood in front of the Chosen Saints and exchanged I dos. I took a glance at her, and my first thought was about how deep her eyes were. Her every emotion swimming in them. They were like portals to another world.
Teysha’s soul some philosophical prick would say.
Whether or not they’re the windows to her soul or if souls even fucking exist, I get it anyway. I can glance at the woman who is legally my wife and sense how she feels. She’s uncomfortable and overwhelmed, begging me to step in.
…because she won’t stand up to them herself.
I clear my throat and scrub my jaw. “You heard her. She’s not ready to go to Boulder.”
“It doesn’t matter if she’s ready—Boulder is where she lives!”
“Just because it’s her home address doesn’t mean it’s where she should be right now,” I say in my best attempt at a calm tone. It’s still rough and gravelly, but with forced restraint. My hand cups Teysha’s elbow to ease her closer. “How about we give you a call when she’s ready?—”
