Page 8 of Gator (Bourbon Kings MC #1)

Sugar’s Creamery...

After watching Josie rip into George at the sheriff’s station, I headed over to Sugar’s Creamery, needing a reprieve from the drama and well, something sweet to eat.

Walking into Shug’s shop, I sighed as all the sweet deliciousness filled my nose with yummy goodness.

“Hi, Devlyn,” Fiona greeted warmly. “Sugar’s in the back if you’re here to see her.”

Fiona Mitchell-Steiner was a sweet girl who had been dealt a shitty hand in life, but the girl did what she had to and with a little bit of luck on her side, she came out on top.

A runaway teen mother, Fiona wanted a better life for her baby and gave little Charlie to Dr. Claudia, who, along with Frank Steiner, adopted the little boy.

When Frank’s grandmother, Martha Steiner, learned of the young girl, the older woman petitioned the court to adopt Fiona.

Now, a member of the Steiner Family, Fiona was loved and protected by two very stubborn brothers and a grandmother who would move heaven and earth to protect that girl.

Plus, it also helped that the Sons of Hell unofficially claimed the girl as their sister.

Shit.

Now, I felt kind of sorry for her.

Poor girl was never gonna get a damn date in this town. I mean, who in the hell would go up against the Sons of Hell and Mrs. Steiner?

A person with a death wish, that’s who! I mean, the poor sucker better have pretty big balls, or at the very least a lot of good friends to back him up.

“Thanks, Fiona.” I smiled, walking around the counter, heading for the kitchen, where I found Sugar elbows deep in cookie batter.

“Thought you were finishing up LeeAnn’s cake?”

“It’s done. I just have to assemble it, and I will do that at the lodge. So what brings you by?”

“Just got done watching Josie emasculate George.”

“Yeah, Bailey tried to get me to watch the festivities, but I’ve got to get these cookies in the oven.” Sugar chuckled, taking a good long look at me, then frowned. “But I’m guessing there is more to this visit?”

Taking a seat on the stool she kept in the kitchen, I leaned forward, rested my elbows on my knees, and sighed. “Sugar, how well do you know Wade? I mean, I know you grew up here, but he’s your cousin. Do you know him well?”

“He’s my family, Dev,” she replied, placing a tray of cookies in the oven. “I spent my summers in New Orleans with all my cousins. You know that. Why are you asking?”

“I’m pregnant.”

I didn’t know why I blurted it out, but I knew if anyone in this town could keep a secret, it was Sugar. The woman hated gossip and wanted nothing to do with it, considering how gossip almost cost her everything.

Walking over to me, Sugar placed her hand under my chin and lifted my head. “Wade’s?”

I nodded.

The next thing I knew, the sweet woman hugged me.

Like really hugged me.

Releasing me, she asked, “Have you told Wade yet?”

“No. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact I’m going to be a mom. Plus, there’s the fact that I don’t like him.”

“You don’t like the fact that he’s your equal,” Sugar stated.

“I’ve known you my whole life, Devlyn, and you like being in charge.

You are not happy unless you are bossing someone around.

But I’ve got news for you. Wade may be a pain in the ass, but underneath he’s just a big softy with a heart of gold.

That man never takes anything seriously.

How he manages the Bourbon Kings and the bar I will never know, but when the chips are down and your back is against the wall, there isn’t anyone better to have at your side.

My cousin will move mountains for those he cares about. ”

“We have nothing in common, Sugar. I barely tolerate him on a good day.”

“That’s because he’s only showing you what he shows the world.

Listen, Devlyn, Wade had a privileged life.

My auntie Marabella and uncle Skeeter spoiled him rotten.

Trust me, there were many times Auntie Marabella took a switch to Wade.

That boy could try the patience of a saint, but at the end of the day, Wade always made amends.

When Wade was sixteen, Uncle Skeeter died, and that’s when he changed.

It was like all the fun just left him, and he never took anything serious again.

Wade loved his daddy. Worshipped the ground he walked on, and when Uncle Skeeter passed, it did something to Wade.

The man you know is not the man I grew up with. ”

“How did he die?” I asked.

“A man named Eustis Coltraine shot him,” Sugar whispered.

“There’s more to that story, Sugar.”

She nodded and looked away. “Yes, there is, but it’s not my story to tell. You’re gonna have to ask Wade for the rest.”

Groaning, I asked, “What should I do, Sugar?”

“Did I ever tell you there is a curse on my family?”

“A what?” I asked, wondering where the hell she was going with this.

I watched as Sugar wiped down the counter and said, “The La Croix family curse. Blessed with unwavering beauty, descendants of the La Croix family are destined to meet the love of their lives at a young age. But with love comes heartbreak. The trials and tribulations a La Croix descendant will suffer will test the bounds of love, and only the strongest La Croix heart will win. I never understood until Eugene and I got together. When I married John Stanley and everything went to shit, it was Eugene who always stood beside me. From the very beginning, it was always him, but I refused to see what was right in front of me. Don’t let fear stop you from having the life you’re destined to have, Devlyn.

It may not be what you envisioned, but it’s a beautiful life. ”

The day of the wedding had arrived and instead of getting ready to go watch the festivities, where was I?

Hunched over the porcelain throne, praying for mercy when I heard someone banging loudly on my front door.

Ignoring whoever it was, I heaved once more, before flushing the toilet and sitting back against the wall, thinking of all kinds of devious ways to kill Gator.

It was because of him I was in my current predicament.

It was all his fault. Gator. That swamp-born, gumbo-loving, fertility-god-incarnate son of a.

.. well, you get the picture. His Cajun sperm, apparently, were Olympic-level athletes in the fertilization games.

Not one, not two, but three little parasitic hitchhikers were currently partying in my uterus, a parasitic Mardi Gras I wasn’t invited to.

“Dev!”

Groaning, I hung my head as my sister Henley let herself into my apartment.

How could I forget I gave her a damn key?

Then my stomach grumbled, and I knew the answer.

It was the parasites that Cajun infected me with.

I should have known that someone named Gator would plant a damn litter in my uterus, clearly mistaking my womb for the Louisiana bayou. If I ever saw that fucker again, I was going to rip his balls from his body and serve them up in a damn gumbo!

My stomach growled, a low rumble that sounded suspiciously like a miniature monster truck rally.

They were getting hungry again.

Apparently, growing three tiny human beings required a heck of a lot of sustenance. The image of Gator flashed through my mind and his perpetually grinning face, his ridiculously thick eyebrows, his... everything.

Rage, incandescent and pure, bloomed in my chest.

When I saw him again, his testicles would be the main course of a very special gumbo.

A revenge gumbo. With extra hot peppers.

Ooh! Serrano peppers!

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

First, I needed to figure out how to explain three unexpected additions to my sister. Then, I’d move onto Gator. Justice, and a fantastic batch of gumbo, awaited that fucker.

But in the meantime, I really, really needed a burger.

A really, really big fat juicy burger.

“Oh, there you are,” my sister said, smiling down at me as I glared up at her. “I know you’re pissed, but, Dev, we need to talk about this calmly before you go off half-cocked and do something you’ll regret.”

Henley’s voice was annoyingly level-headed, the exact opposite of how I felt.

I glared at her, my eyes narrowing. “Fuck calm, Hen! Look at the state of me! I feel like death warmed over, and it’s all because of Gator and his damn Cajun sperm!

” I gestured wildly, my hands emphasizing my frustration.

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him. One night, one stupid night, and now I’m growing a football team in here!

” I thumped my stomach for emphasis, feeling a mix of anger and disbelief.

Henley’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, her hands raised in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, I get it. This is a shock, and it’s not ideal. But we can figure this out together. We’re sisters, and I’m here for you.” Her voice softened, and I could see the concern in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm myself.

Sitting on my couch, I hunched over and whispered, “I can’t do this, Henley.

I never wanted to be a mom. I’m not like you.

I don’t have a husband. Hell, I don’t even have a boyfriend.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment. Now I’m going to have to find a house. I don’t want to buy a house!”

Kneeling before me, my sister grabbed my hands and smiled.

“Dev, you’re panicking. Take a deep breath for me.

You are the strongest person I know. You took care of me after Mom and Dad died.

You held my head above water before my website took off.

You’ve been by my side every step of the way.

And you won’t be alone. Scribe and I will help you.

As for the house, we’ve got time. I’ll call Lacey after the wedding and have her start looking for something cute that fits your personality.

We’ve got time, Dev. It’s going to be okay.

Now, why don’t you go get dressed and we can ride to the wedding together? ”

“I can’t go. He will be there. If I see his smug Cajun face, I’m liable to kill him and then you will have three more babies to raise. You go on. I’m just gonna curl up on the couch and watch some Game of Thrones .”

“Want me to bring you back a piece of cake?”

“A big one.”