Vengeance Aside (Wanted Men 0.5)(59)

Lukas climbed out of the driver’s side of an extravagant car he’d told Dale was a Pagani Huayra. She’d never heard of the brand before much less seen or ridden in one. He and Maksim had spent some time discussing the make as Maksim also had one back in New York.

“They won’t offer one,” she murmured as they walked along the flowerbed, “but don’t you dare accept an invite into the house.” She heard two engines shut down behind them. A motorcycle being driven by Milan was parked at the curb in front of Lukas’s car. The Land Rover carrying Adam and Yasha was parked behind them.

The sight of a blue bicycle laying between her dad’s Toyota and the garage had Dale stalling, the years falling away. She looked to the side, between the houses, and almost expected to see him lope around the corner, his black hair sweeping into his eyes, his mouth turned down in a frown that he’d worn as naturally as any other body part.

“Dale?”

Her chest compressed when the space between the houses remained empty. “Yeah. Sorry. The bike…it…rattled me.” She grabbed Lukas’s hand, linking their fingers, and started moving again, faster than before.

He stopped her. “Why did it rattle you?”

“I’ll tell you later.” She pulled.

All six-three of him stood there as if he’d grown roots out of his feet. “Tell me now.”

She put her back to the house and grabbed the open sides of his midnight-blue suit jacket. She gave them a jerk that made their bodies bump together then hugged up to his solid support and stayed. “They’re going to be looking out the window behind us. I don’t want to be here, Lukas, so if we could move this along, I’d appreciate it.”

“Why, Dale?”

As her nape tightened and the feeling of being observed grew, so too did her urgency to get her shit and scram. “Let me tell you later. Please,” she hissed. “I’ll even make you a deal. How about, uh, I’ll get the full-length white dress with the beadwork instead of the shorter plain cream one I could tell you didn’t like. ‘Kay? Deal?” She put her hand into his. “Squeeze to shake.”

He bent and kissed her on the mouth as he squeezed. “Deal. But with the veil.”

“Fuuuck me,” she groaned against his lips. “Fine. The veil. I’m going to look so stupid standing on your veranda in that contraption.”

“It’s our veranda. And you’re going to look as if you should be walking down a runway, and you know it. Now take a breath and let me meet this dickhead who told his impressionable daughter her opinions didn’t matter.”

She blinked. “You remember that?”

His mouth went crooked. “It’s only been a few days since you told me, so, yeah, I remember.”

She went up and kissed him. “In case I forget to tell you later, you’re pretty great.”

He smiled and finally let her drag him to the door. She knocked.

“What the fuck is that?”

“What.”

He had a look of angry disbelief on his face. “Where’s your key? I thought this was your home.”

She brought her head back and looked at the half-moon window. “His new wife asked for it when I moved out.”

Dale thought she heard him mutter fucking bitch, but she couldn’t say for sure because the door was pulled open. Her dad stood there with the wife behind his left shoulder, her dark hair the same box shade as her husbands. When they saw Lukas, Dale’s dad frowned, and Ursula’s eyes went round, a gross, almost covetous smile forming on her face.

“Dale?”

Why did he always say her name as if he had to confirm it was her and not some imposter? “Hey, Dad. I’m here…” Should she mention the permission he’d granted on Saturday? “For the things you were holding for me.” That was vague enough.

“What things?” Ursula asked.

Her husband ignored her, but it didn’t come naturally. “Didn’t you take them when you left on Sunday?”

Lukas stiffened next to her.

Dale bit back a sigh. “I didn’t show Saturday night, so, no, I didn’t have the chance to get them.” Seeing Ursula’s smile slip as she glared at the back of her husband’s head, Dale nodded at the closet. “If you could give me my bag, we’ll let you get back to your evening.”

Lukas’s hand came sailing out to hang between them all. “Mr. Vaner, I’m Lukas Zavrazin, Dale’s fiancé.”

Dale gritted her teeth. She’d wanted him here for support—he’d refused to let her come on her own—but she’d had no intention of introducing him.

Her dad didn’t hide his surprise as he warily shook Lukas’s hand. “Fiancé.” He looked at her. “Things with Levi just ended. How have you moved on so fast?”

The censure in his tone wasn’t appreciated. “His name was Liam, Dad. And, really? You’re going to stand here and attempt to lecture me on fidelity?” she asked bluntly while glancing at Ursula and wondering how long it would be before she was the other woman. “Can I have my bag, please?”

He kept his eyes away from Lukas—didn’t attempt any conversation to get to know the man his daughter was marrying—and stepped back. He bumped into Ursula and had to work his way around her to open the closet because the nosey idiot barely moved.