Page 43 of Sackett (Demented Souls #17)

S elena tugged at the hem of the blouse she wore over jeans and looked down at her ankle boots then back up to Sackett.

“Are you sure this is okay? I’m afraid I’m underdressed.”

“I’m sure. I asked if they want us dressed up.

Savage said no. He literally said come as you are.

The brothers will be just like we are every day.

Jeans, boots, t-shirt and kutte. If they want to go dressy, they’ll put a button-down shirt under their kutte.

The women will be in a variety of things, some might wear dresses, but there will be more jeans and shorts.

” He let her see he gaze skim down her body. “You will fit right in.”

She watched him a moment, trying to decide if he was being honest or just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear.

“Know what the best part will be?” His voice kept her brain from spinning out of control with what ifs.

“What?” Selena pushed her worries aside and focused on whatever Sackett was about to tell her.

“That you’ll be on my arm.” He hooked an arm around her waist and tugged her against him. She stood staring up at his face for a moment then stretched up on her toes to place a brief kiss against his lips.

She couldn’t believe the changes in her life in the last few weeks.

It was hard to believe that less than a month ago the man holding on to her had walked into her office for the first time.

Thankfully, he’d only been escorting Donna, and hadn’t been a client himself.

If he had, then she would be in one hell of an ethical quandary.

As it was, she hadn’t even had to go to court or file paperwork on Donna’s behalf, even though she’d had it prepared.

For that she was glad, because if things had turned out differently, they wouldn’t be here today.

Savage and Donna would be waiting for hearings and a divorce decree instead of celebrating their love. And having seen the two of them together, Selena had no doubt they loved each other. It was as plain as day to anyone who saw the two of them together.

Did she look at Sackett the same way Donna watched Savage?

She wasn’t sure. She didn’t think she loved him, not yet, or at least she wasn’t so lost in love as the other couple.

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

“Savage and Donna.” It wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t the entire truth. “When are we leaving?”

They’d gotten dressed at her place. Over the last week, more and more of his clothes had made their way over to her place, and she was good with it.

She loved knowing that he would be there when she woke up, even if he wasn’t home yet when she went to bed.

She hadn’t yet asked him to move in, but she didn’t want him to go back to his place.

“Any time you’re ready. They told us to be there by noon, but no one will complain if we show up early.”

She had never been to the clubhouse. And she’d only met a few of the men he called his brothers.

She was a little nervous about meeting the rest tonight.

There were things she needed to say to them all, not just Maverick.

She needed to thank them for all the work they’d done and the risks they had taken to rescue her.

“Whenever you’re ready.” She relaxed against him, enjoying the reassuring warmth of him beside her.

It was reassuring in a way she hadn’t been aware she needed.

Over the last week, Selena had found it easier to go about her daily business, to deal with clients, soon to be ex-spouses, judges and opposing teams of lawyers knowing that he would be at home, and would take care of her later.

She knew from experience that it wasn’t just knowing there was someone waiting for her.

Most of the time he wasn’t waiting. He had work and his own schedule, but despite his late hours some nights, he got up with her every morning and cooked breakfast while she got ready for work.

It wasn’t a huge thing and cooking breakfast was something she could do for herself, but it was something he did that showed he cared for her.

Selena had no doubt he cared, even if he hadn’t told her he loved her.

“Come on, sunshine. Let’s go.” He waited while she looped the long handle of her small purse over her head, so she wore it across her body then they went out to his motorcycle.

Not only was today when she would meet the men who he called family, but he was taking her on his bike for the first time.

Her stomach fluttered as she followed him out to the driveway where she’d started parking to one side so he would have enough room to park.

He gave her a helmet, then put his own on then helped her fasten hers.

All too soon they were climbing on the bike.

Selena’s heart raced as she settled in behind Sackett and wrapped her arms around him. She felt exposed and almost precarious as she perched on the seat, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on. The last thing she wanted was to fall off while he was going down the road.

To her surprise, once they were moving, she found herself relaxing.

She didn’t know if it was having him so close or that she trusted him to keep her safe, but it only took a few minutes for her to enjoy the ride.

The tug of the wind, the feeling of freedom as the world seemed to race by.

Selena let her arms around his middle loosen a bit as she laughed out loud.

Until now she’d never understood why someone would willingly climb on the back of something medical professionals called donor cycles.

But after having tried it, she couldn’t wait until Sackett could take her out again.

All too soon they pulled up a large warehouse with an even larger fenced yard surrounding it.

Selena was surprised when Sackett slowed the bike and turned into the open gate.

It only took a couple of minutes for him to back the bike into place at the end of a long line of bikes backed up to the building.

“Come on, sunshine. Let’s go inside.” He wrapped a hand around her leg just above the knee and squeezed before releasing her and letting her dismount. Sackett put the helmets with the bike, took her hand and tugged her along as he took her inside.

The interior of the warehouse wasn’t what she’d expected. Though she couldn’t have told you what that was, only that this wasn’t it. Sackett didn’t give her but a moment to take the place in before he pulled her over to a cluster of people, both men and women and started making introductions.

Selena soon lost track of names for all the new people she was meeting, even though she’d worked at trying to remember people’s names for years, she failed this time.

She didn’t know if it was the number of new faces, the weird names she had a hard time coming up with mnemonic tricks on the spot with, or that she’d been so nervous about meeting them all.

Either way, everyone was friendly and welcoming in a way she hadn’t expected, though she wasn’t sure why.

“All right everyone, time to gather ‘round.” A tall man with a shaved head and a beard that she knew she’d met, but couldn’t recall his name, called from a small, raised area in one corner.

She’d noticed the area earlier, not because of the stage, but because of the single floor to ceiling pole that stood there.

It was cleverly disguised with floral garland wrapped around it, but she had no doubt it was a stripper pole.

People started moving in that direction, a few men grabbing chairs and taking them in that direction, but most of the men and women just moved over and stood in an open semi-circle around the small stage, with a narrow path open through the middle of the semi-circle, as if they’d done this before.

“Savage, get your ass up here, unless you’ve changed your mind. If you have, you need to go upstairs and tell that woman.”

“Hell, no I haven’t changed my mind.” The groom hopped up onto the stage, rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck as if the white button-down shirt he wore under his leather vest was a little snug.

She found herself smiling at the gesture.