Bracken shrugged. “Just curious.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“Curiosity can get you killed.”
“I’m not a cat. I’m a wolf.”
“We can’t all be special.” She went back to her phone, dismissing him. The enforcer actually smiled. Then again, he wasn’t a guy who was easily offended.
Shaya spoke to Piper, who was tapping her long, red-painted nails on the table. “Did Harley tell you she’s going to buy the club she was working at?”
“You are? Good.” Piper flicked back her dark, blue-highlighted hair. “It’s smart to branch out.”
Shaya smirked at Nick. “See, told ya.” He just grunted.
“How are your plans coming along for the club?” Derren asked Harley.
“Fine,” Harley replied. Just thinking about the club made her smile. She was excited to go back there and get everything ready. “Ally’s been a big help.”
Indie leaned back in her seat, arms folded. “Will it need refurbishing?”
“Nothing major,” replied Harley. “I like it as it is; there are just a few things that need fixing or altering, which I can—”
“You’re not stepping a foot into the club until all the security measures are in place,” Jesse firmly stated. Her brow slid up, but he said, “I’m serious, Harley. It’s true that a lot of premises belonging to packs don’t have much trouble with the extremists now that The Movement hunts them. But I’m not taking risks with your safety.” The. End.
Harley frowned at him. “Dude, I’m not Kim—your forcefulness does not turn me on.” Not all the time anyway. “It just makes me want to hit you. Hard.”
Shaya chuckled. “I can imagine how hard it must be for you to be with Jesse. I mean, I’m submissive and Nick is extremely dominant. But it works for us because he’s not designed to deal with dominant females. Jesse’s not cut out for it either, but I honestly don’t think a submissive female could handle him without feeling crushed.”
“I agree,” said Ally. She spoke to Harley, “You deal with him the way Jesse has to be dealt with.”
Roni nodded. “Firmly, brusquely, but not coldly.”
Jesse sighed. “I’m right here.”
Shaya waved a dismissive hand his way, which made him snort.
Watching Jazz play with a Rubik’s Cube, Ally said, “Wow, she’s good at that.”
Harley nodded. “Jazz is a mechanic. She likes to take things apart, especially when she’s bored, so she has to be closely watched. Boredom makes her crazy.”
“Crazy?” repeated Roni. “Really?”
Harley understood her disbelief. Jazz was cute and tiny and looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. No one ever saw Jazz’s temper coming.
Indie pointed from Harley to Jesse. “So you two are fully imprinted now?”
“Yep,” said Harley.
“And he makes you happy?” said Piper. There was a “he’d better make you happy” note in her tone.
Harley smiled. “When he’s not making me want to remove his spleen with my bare hands, sure.” Of course, if he’d just develop some caution lights . . .
“You guys have to have a ceremony and a party,” said Marcus.
“A party?” echoed Nick.
Marcus frowned at him. “You don’t have to say it like it’s a dirty word. They’re fully mated now. They have the right to celebrate that.”
Nick snorted. “The only reason you’re pushing for a party is that there’ll be a buffet.”
Marcus raised a brow. “Um, hello, we have three really good cooks in our pack. Having all their cooking combined into one buffet is a luxury we should indulge in as often as we can. How can you not see that?”
Nick stared at him. Then he waved an impatient hand. “I can’t deal with you. I really don’t know how Roni does.”
With an expression of mock hurt, Marcus put a hand over his heart. “Is that any way to treat your brother-in-law?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care.”
“Hey,” complained Roni playfully. “Leave my mate alone.”
“Then find some way to control him,” said Nick.
Roni arched a brow. “What, like you control your mate? The same mate who goes patrolling the border with her shotgun?”
Shaya gaped at the female enforcer. “How do you know about that?”
Nick glared at his mate. “You patrol the border? Dammit, Shay, you’re not an enforcer.”
“No, but I’m Alpha female, and if I want to guard my territory I damn well will.”
“Do I have to confiscate the shotgun?” Nick growled.
“Only if you want to be stabbed in your sleep.”
Jazz turned to Harley and quietly said, “Your Alpha’s a little crazy, isn’t she?”
Harley snorted. “And you’re not?”
“Only when I’m bored. That doesn’t count.”
And Harley could see that her cousin genuinely believed that. Whatever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Two months later
Harley’s breath caught in her throat as ice-cold water drenched her; she felt the shock and chill all the way to her bones. “You bastard!”
“It’s just a little water.” Jesse chuckled, his water gun still trained on her.