Page 32 of Scotch: Unraveled

Shoot, I’m a bad girlfriend. I was so preoccupied with what had happened with Rodrick and then with everything that followed the next day, leading into last night. And if I’m being honest, this morning, too… I failed to notice a pink, puckering scar on my man.

My mood sours a little, but as the umpteenth person stops us to say “What a beautiful family you have” I let that settle me and go about enjoying my beautiful family, even if they aren’t actually mine.

The days are hot here, a good ten degrees warmer than back home. The nights are hotter. Once I’d let him inside, that was it. Now Rory’s on a mission to make up for all the years of sex we missed out on together. Every night. Every position he can think of—mostly in the bathroom or in the shower. Only when he’s actually making love to me do we do it in the bed. We’re quieter when making love so we don’t disturb the girls. It’s a wonder I can walk. This reprieve from regular life has been exactly what we needed.

On our last night on the island, we’re lying in bed. My head is resting on his chest after receiving my third orgasm of the night; he’s twisting the hair at the nape of my neck gently around a finger and rubbing up and down the length of my arm with his other hand. We’re both content and sated, but now I have to know about the newest addition to his bullet wound collection.

“What aren’t you telling me about your trip to Texas?” I ask.

His finger in my hair stills, but his hand continues to rub my arm and he sighs.

“Come on, Rory,” I say. “Why do you have a new scar on your thigh? If we’re going to be together, to make this work, I deserve to know what the hell is going on.”

“That ya do,” he says. “Mind ya, Frankie, any club business we talk about has to stay between us. Ya can’t even tell Brighton. The other old ladies will know and understand. Ya need to talk, ya talk with them.”

“So it’s bad?” I ask, laughing humorlessly. “I honestly thought the Lords were different now.”

“We are. No peddling drugs, guns, or women. We own and work legitimate businesses, but we ain’t pussies, lass.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means when there’s a problem to be handled,wehandle it,” he answers sternly, but with a hint of pride.

“And handling it sometimes means with guns?”

“Aye. Handling it sometimes means with guns. Another club has been trying to get out of the game, but their old president signed a contract with a cartel and we were brought in to negotiate the reversion of rights and separation. Things got a little heated with a group the cartel had brought in who were a bunch of backstabbers.”

“You got shot.”

“Hurt like a son of a bitch, too. But I also got a marker from the head of one of the largest cartels in Mexico because the bullet was meant for him. Since not everyone likes that we got out of the game, sometimes they try to pull us back in. Having that marker was good business.”

“The biggest dick, the man in the linen suit?” I ask.

He kisses the top of my head instead of answering.

“What if something happens to you, Rory? What am I supposed to do?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“It already did. You wereshot.” My eyes begin to prickle with tears as my nose begins to run.

“Fine. I’ve got life insurance. It’s one of the first things I did after wrapping my head around the fact that Mollie and Macie are actually mine and will be living with me forever. I’ve already added ya. Did it before I left on business. Frankie, all of ya will be taken care of. Promise.”

“I don’t want your money, you stupid Scot, I want you. Alive. Fully functioning. This whole thing scares me.”

“Scares ya? So are ya walking away then? I need to know where yar head is at.”

I swat his chest. “No, I’m not walking away. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved and those girls own my heart now, too. I’m here, but I’m allowed to be scared.”

“Yar allowed to be scared, but it’ll all work out. I plan on giving ya the MacGregor name as soon as I can convince ya of it.”

“What? Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Not asking. It’ll happen soon enough.”

Uh—soon enough? We only just got back together. That’s a conversation for a different night, though he’s given me a lot to think about. Where do I want this relationship to go? Do I want to be connected to the Lords, given their extracurriculars get people shot? My head is a straight-up mess. Instead of replying, I tilt my head up, try to forget his life scares me as much as it does, and kiss him. We lay quiet for a while until we both drift off to sleep.

Bright and early the next morning, Mollie and Macie are ready for diaper changes and breakfast. Who needs a wakeup call when you’ve got twin almost-five-month-olds in the room with you? Since we don’t want to anger the other rooms whodorequire a wakeup call, that gets us up and moving pretty darn quick. We bring them in the shower with us to clean up, get them bottles of yummy formula, pack our bags—we’re leaving with a brand-new extra bag full of souvenirs—and make our way down to the dining room for the continental breakfast.

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