Page 32 of My Darling Mayhem

I may have wanted to get under her skin, but this wasn’t what I had in mind. I pictured the rumble of engines outside of her house agitating her. I pictured some laughter being a little too loud, but this? Fuck, this was not what I had envisioned. It was exactly what she had said: mayhem. I was doing what she’d assumed I would, creating a dangerous environment for Cruz, and while I was in charge and knew everyone here would listen to my word, I was still being reckless by ever saying yes to Thistle.

She was right about me. Why did I even think for a second that I could be a good role model for Kane? Why did I think I could do this?

The happy buzz I was feeling had started to wane, and I wondered if I needed something stronger. I didn’t like how tight my chest felt or that my skin seemed stretched too thin like I needed to escape all this.

No, it was deeper than that. It was fear.

I was afraid Thistle would do something that would hit her fence or somehow hurt Cruz. I’d never forgive myself if either happened.

I started toward Thistle to tell him to take down the ramp when there was a commotion behind me. A few members started cat-calling and whistling.

I turned around and found Wren walking through the throng of members gathered near the sliding glass door. She gave one of my men a slight shove as he got too close, and then she continued toward me like none of this mayhem scared her at all. I took a moment to register that she’d come in through the house…which meant she probably saw all sorts of shit.

Shame crept into my stomach, settling like a rock. It was too dark to make out that shimmer in her amber eyes, but I saw her dark brows dipped in worry, her mouth flat, and her arms tucked across her chest, holding her sweater closed.

She wore sweats that hung low on her hips and flip-flops, showing her red toenails and cute feet. I liked her feet, her legs, and that hair. I wanted to let out a groan. Her hair was down, bouncing in loose curls against her back. It was so thick that all I wanted was to bury my hands in it.

Damn, how buzzed was I?

“Archer?” Her questioning tone finally hit me like an arrow as she stepped closer. Thistle waved from where he sat in the middle of the yard, and the rest of the men surrounding him burst into laughter.

I rubbed the back of my neck as I leaned toward her. “What are you doin’ here?”

Her eyes grew, as did her mouth, as if I’d said something that shocked her.

“I’m trying to figure out what the hell you’re doing here. You’re gone for a week, then suddenly you’re back and throwing a massive party, like you’re some college kid. Do you know how loud you’re being, or how many text messages have come through on the neighborhood app?”

“You miss me, Wren?” I winked at her, feeling that burning sensation return to my chest. She noticed how long I was gone. That had to mean something, right? But also, what the hell was a neighborhood app?

She leaned back with a scoff. “Doesn’t matter. Why is your club here?”

“It’s only half of my club.” I waved my hand as if that would make anything better. I hated that my voice felt too loud and not quite loud enough at the same time. She was going to notice that I wasn’t completely sober.

Wren watched the people behind us with a scowl before shaking her head.

“This is stupid, Archer. What about Kane?”

“What about him?” I snapped back.

Her mouth turned down again as if I’d silenced her with my tone. I didn’t like how her silence made me feel or how she’d seemed to curl in on herself like she’d just realized she was out of her depth.

“I just thought you were trying to get cus—” she started, but I pulled her arm until we were heading toward the side of the house where we’d be completely alone. She couldn’t talk about custody or anything Kane-related in front of my club. Not when there were a few members who would leak information to my old man.

“What the hell, Archer?”

I let her go once we were halfway to the side gate, the noise a bit more muted.

“My business regarding my brother is private, and honestly, you know shit about it…why are you trying to stir up drama?”

She spun on her heel, glaring at me, but she’d let her sweater go. My eyes immediately dropped to the way her chest heaved and her tits strained against the thin fabric of her tank top.

“Stir up drama?” Her voice cracked, her eyes roaming my face as if I’d suddenly poked a monster, and she was ready to reveal all her teeth and claws.

“At the moment, I am trying to prevent you from going to jail. I don’t know why, though, it's a complete and utter mystery to me now, but I figured you’d need a little reminder of what’s at stake. You’re right though, I don’t know shit about your situation, but it was clear to me that you were trying to do something for Kane. I don’t exactly know what, but this...” She waved her hands around. “Isn’t good for whatever you were doing for him.”

My anger flared to life, not at her but myself because she was right. I knew that even before I agreed to host this stupid party, but there was some part of me that just fucking needed a break from being the loser older brother who couldn’t seem to get ahead with the courts, and the loser neighbor who couldn’t seem to get the girl he was crushing on to give a flying shit that he was even alive.

“Again, you know nothing about my situation.”

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