Out From Under Read online

The only future problem I felt unsure about happened to be with how his ex-wife would take our sudden and unexpected nuptials. Somehow, I couldn’t see her happy about Linx being with anyone unless it was her and that was never going to happen—he’d assured me enough times, he started to sound like a broken record.

  I’d met Cassidy on a few occasions and although she wasn’t thrilled Linx was dating at all let alone me, she was pleasant and refined for someone from South Boston. The only remotely wacky thing about her were the black streaks running through her naturally blonde hair. However, dating someone and marrying someone were totally different and she struck me as the type of person likely to go postal.

  It occurred to me I hadn’t checked my phone while I’d been busy checking out dresses and shoes on my iPad. There were several texts from Talia and rather than text her back, I stepped out onto the terrace, closed the glass door, and called my cousin.

  “Hey, I was worried about you!” Talia answered without a greeting. “Marco said you ditched him and Jared—what’s that all about? I pay them very handsomely to watch your ass so just what the hell are you up to, Trista?”

  I rolled my eyes and thanked God she couldn’t see me do it. “I’m with Linx and we wanted to make love without an audience—”

  “Bullshit, Trista. You’re not at his house. I already had them check there, along with every high-priced hotel here in L.A. Must I start checking San Diego too?”

  “No, don’t bother because we aren’t in the country,” I lied smoothly. “Linx surprised me with a trip to Mexico, and no, I am not going to tell you where we are because I don’t want to be followed.”

  Talia laughed out loud. “Do you really think I am that stupid? I gave you the cell phone you have and I traced this call…let’s see…to Las Vegas, not Mexico. What are you doing in the City of Sin? You’re not old enough to drink or gamble.”

  “Linx likes to gamble—”

  “Yes, I know that. But what are you going to do while he is playing Blackjack or Three-Card Poker?”

  I began to pace. “Listen, we’re staying at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. We’re in a suite and you are on our approved list of contacts. You can reach me any time you want. We’re only going to be gone for a few days, but I promise we’ll be back by Monday afternoon. He won’t miss any studio time.”

  “I don’t give a damn about studio time, Trista. What the hell is going on with you? Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Don’t do anything you’ll live to regret.”

  I didn’t really have anything to say to a statement like that.

  Something I’d regret? I was pretty much all out of regrets. My parents were dead and so was my older brother. I should have been at Tristan and Taryn’s wedding, yet instead, their coffins were buried next to one another and now, they would never have the chance to get married.

  “I think it’s a bit late for regrets.”

  “Trista, I’m sorry. I’m pregnant and hormonal for fuck’s sake. Plus, Trey came by and he went mental when you weren’t here. What was I supposed to say? I didn’t know where you were either. I couldn’t get rid of him and when Jaden dropped by, it turned ugly,” Talia’s voice was soft. “The only reason they didn’t break out into a fist fight was because of me. Trey blames the Saints for your parents’ death—he said they were working for the club. Is that true?”

  I sighed out loud as a pair of masculine arms wrapped around my waist. “Yes, they were working for the club, but not the way you think. They were just accountants, Talia. They didn’t do anything wrong and Jonesy never had a problem with Mom and Dad working for Dizzy. There wasn’t that kind of animosity between the clubs as long as everyone knew their place.”

  “Not true.” Talia breathed into the phone. “You can’t tell anyone but the FBI was looking into your parents’ activities. They got the IRS involved. Everything except the house and your trust fund is frozen, Trista. They couldn’t touch the house because you’re on the Deed of Trust. You were the default owner if something happened to them.”

  “What? That can’t be true…”

  “That comes from both Trey and Jaden. They would know better than anyone else.” Talia sighed, sounding resigned. “Just do whatever it is you’re doing in Vegas and get your ass back to L.A., okay?”

  I nodded my head, though I knew she couldn’t see me. “Fine, I’m nodding. See you on Monday.”

  “Okay, I love you and take care of yourself.”

  “Will do. Love you too.”

  I ended the call and turned, wrapping my arms around Linx’s neck.

  “Why did you tell her where we were?” he asked before he kissed my lips.

  I pulled back after our kiss ended. “She already knew. GPS tracking and what not. The phone is registered on her account. It can’t be that hard for two ex-Navy SEALs to find out direct longitude and latitude. She has no clue what we’re doing here, so who cares? We’ll be married in less than an hour.”

  He smiled and this time when he kissed me, his mouth devoured mine, and it was the absolute best feeling. His lips suckled on my bottom lip before my mouth opened and was set on fire, the kiss turning into a soul-stirring lip-lock that had me coming up for breath.

  Linx’s lips trailed down to my neck as he pushed aside the lapels of my rope to display my breasts. His fingers squeezed my nipples until they were rock hard; it was an exquisite pain, and the feel of his calloused hands on my soft breasts caused heat to spread through my skin. My whole being ached with want and need.

  His tongue replaced his fingers on my right breast, the warmth of his breath and that beautiful organ in his mouth was intoxicating. I felt light-headed from the stir of emotions and my stomach burst with the wings of butterflies. The feeling between my legs was worse because I was so turned on, I just wanted him to take me; no prerequisites, nothing but his hard cock inside me.

  As his mouth circled my nipple, sucking hard, his free hand reached between my legs and massaged my aching clit. He quickly plunged two fingers inside of me, eliciting a gasp from me at the sensation.

  The orgasm he coaxed from my body shook me to my very core and drenched his fingers in my juices. His mouth came to meet mine again and I moaned against it as his tongue forced its way between my lips, as he kissed me passionately, deeply. I stood on shaky legs as he withdrew his fingers and placed them in his mouth—fuck that was the ultimate turn on—before he grabbed me by the back of my neck and kissed me again.

  A sudden knock on the window rudely interrupted us. We both looked to see Kelly, the shopper, smiling at us though her face was flushed like she’d run a marathon.

  “How the hell did she get back inside our suite?” My heavy breathing tried to keep up with the thunderous beating of my heart.

  Linx had completely and utterly did a number on me and the worst part was I never saw it coming.

  “She’s got a card key to the room, babe.” He kissed me again quickly before he rested his head on my shoulder and stroked my back with gentle hands.

  “My clothes must be here,” I whispered to him.

  “I can’t wait to strip the dress off you later tonight,” he said to me, his mouth close to my left ear.

  We stared at one another and I could see, and feel, his desire for me. Neither of us attempted to move though the sooner we got rid of Kelly, the sooner we could get married and finally have sex.

  “Why is it so important for us to be married before we make love?” I finally wondered out loud.

  Linx leaned in to me and grabbed my face with both hands, his grip was loose. “Because you’re too good for scum like me. The only way I deserve you is if I honor you, make you truly mine. In terms of children, you can have some or none…now or ten years from now, I don’t care…I just want to be with you. To think you actually said yes…to someone like me.”

  I placed my hands on his face and looked deeply into those gorgeous, intoxicating blue eyes. “You’re not scum or trash and I am not too good for you. That perception is all in your head. T
his is serious, Linx. We are promising forever, and we may mean it now, but what if we don’t in the future?”

  “That would make me a two-time loser. I could barely handle the first failure, I can’t handle another. I will do everything humanly possible to make you happy, Trista. I will work my ass off to show you that I didn’t marry you in haste, or because I was too horny to go out and find a one night stand. I’m marrying you because at this point in my life, I want to be settled. I don’t want to sleep with numerous women…one is more than enough for me, especially with a firecracker like you.”

  I laughed out loud then. “I resent that because I am not a firecracker!”

  “Mmm, wanna bet?” his voice was seductive, enticing, and playful at the same time.

  We both stared at one another and laughed yet again before we finally gave Kelly some peace of mind and walked back inside, hand in hand.

  Chapter Sixteen

  LINX DIDN’T HAVE a single doubt in his mind that he was doing the right thing.

  The days where he slept and left women were over. A six month tour could really put a person’s life into perspective and Catholic guilt was enough to attack the most strong-willed of individuals.

  Like most in South Boston, he was both Irish and Catholic but his parents had taken Catholicism to the extreme and it showed in their children. Most became perfect little sheep, but Linx had broken away to become a depraved rock star. His twenty-two year old sister, Trinity, had dyed her pale, red hair, black and was a professional tattoo artist. She’d been talking about coming to L.A. for years but her boyfriend, Travis, and Kiki, her pit-bull, were in Seattle, so she was settled there for the time being.

  Just thinking about his sister made him realize they didn’t have any witnesses.

  Trista was still in the bedroom getting dressed while Kelly paced nervously on the phone with The Little White Chapel. She finished the call and smiled in triumph.

  “They have an opening in twenty minutes!”

  “Would this be part of your official work description if I paid you and your friend, the one who attended the concert with you last September, to be witnesses at the wedding? A thousand a piece.”

  Kelly slapped her hands against her cheeks like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. “Are you kidding me? Let me just call her. She’ll probably have to bring her asshole boyfriend. Is that okay?”

  “The more the merrier, but Nevada only requires two witnesses if I read the pamphlet correctly.”

  Kelly dialed and started speaking excitedly to her friend, but his eyes were glued on the bedroom doors as they opened. Trista came out in a beautiful cream-colored cocktail dress—she apparently had too much class to wear white, when she wasn’t a virgin—and the heels she wore emphasized her healthy olive complexion.

  He started at her perfectly pedicured feet and allowed his gaze to roam all the way up along her curves and womanly figure, perfect breasts and finally to her face. She wore a modest amount of makeup, only mascara to emphasize her bright blue eyes and red lipstick. She held a small cream clutch purse and approached him confidently, kissing him firmly on the lips.

  Linx was surprised by her boldness. “Don’t worry, it’s a revolutionary lipstick that doesn’t rub off.” To be honest, he hadn’t cared if he wore her lip color.

  Kelly ended her conversation and smiled brightly. “Okay, we’re a go. Trin is going to meet us there without Travis, thank the Lord!”

  Linx’s heart began to strum against his ribcage. “Your friend is Trinity…Carter?”

  Kelly pursed her lips. “Yes, I know she’s your sister but we’ve been friends since we both lived in Seattle. She doesn’t talk about you—she values her privacy, and yours, so very few people know she’s your sister. Just me and Travis. I dread the day those two break up; I just know he will try to take Kiki as well as run to sell anything he knows about you to that dreadful tabloid, Edge of Entertainment. I can’t stand him. He’s a loser and a fucking douchebag—excuse my language.”

  “Wait—how long have they been living here? If she accompanied you to our concert last year, why didn’t she contact me? I would have gotten you two backstage passes. And how does she feel about witnessing me get married again?” He couldn’t help the inner panic he began to experience.

  Trinity had been in Las Vegas for at least nine months and hadn’t bothered to contact him?

  “Listen, she didn’t want to worry you, Lennon.” Kelly walked closer though she kept a natural distance between them. “She’s a grown woman and she has never tried to use you or your name in any capacity to gain attention. She is just happy to see you again after so many months. She wants to do this…please, don’t turn her away.”

  “We would never do that.” Trista wrapped an arm around his waist. “I would love for your sister to be a witness to our wedding. She is the first sibling of yours I get to meet and I’m honored for her to be there.”

  Linx stared at his future bride before he looked at Kelly again. “I am anxious to see her again too and I hope she doesn’t mind the occasion or the reason why we are seeing each another.” He breathed deeply and exhaled. “Okay, you can accompany Trista and I in the limo then. Is that alright with you? I don’t want you to lose your job for doing this.”

  “Oh, I won’t. I am going to make a ton of commission and Constanze—my supervisor—isn’t like that. All she cares about is keeping the guests satisfied. As long as no one tries to molest or hurt us, we can do what we want.”

  Linx was more than ready to get the show on the road. Moments later, they all left the suite and walked down to the hotel, through the lobby, and out to the valet area where a limo waited to pick them up.

  He helped Trista in first before he aided Kelly with a careful hand and they drove off to The Little White Chapel.

  Trinity was waiting for them out front in a midnight blue lace dress that looked more appropriate for clubbing than a wedding. The moment she saw him, she ran to her brother and hugged him. Her hair was still black and complimented blue-green eyes, the same color as their father’s. His father had been the one with the pale ginger hair and aquamarine eyes while their mother was a brunette with natural sandy highlights and cornflower blue eyes. They were a striking couple and all their children were a beautiful amalgamation of both parents, except Trinity and himself. She was a female version of their father and he was a male version of their mother.

  “How are you, big brother? The occasion is a bit on the formal side but better to see you now than not at all. Are you going to introduce me to your bride?” She embraced him before she kissed his cheek.

  “Well, communication works both ways, Trinity. Why didn’t you tell me you moved to Las Vegas?” he questioned after they separated.

  “Trista Lennon,” his soon-to-be wife said before Trinity embraced her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

  “Oh wow, you’re gorgeous. Has Cassidy met you yet? Wait, your last name Lennon? Don’t tell me… you’re Irish and from South Boston.”

  “Uh, yes and no. My dad grew up in Dorchester but yes, he is—sorry, was—Irish Catholic. My mother was Creole, her family was originally from Louisiana—although she, too, grew up in the Beacon Hill area of Boston—but…they’re both deceased.”

  “Timothy Lennon is dead? My God, when did this happen? I am so very sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.” Trista looked away. “It happened this past January and…I’m still not comfortable talking about it yet.”

  “I can understand that. I’m sorry I brought it up—I didn’t mean to upset you.” Trinity smiled with a look of nostalgia. “Yeah, the Lennon Family is pretty well known, since they are one of the biggest criminal syndicates in Boston. Mom was in love with Callum Lennon, Tim’s brother, but you know how it is. Our father just stepped in and swept my mother off her feet. I can’t believe Mr. Lennon is dead and…you’re his daughter?”

  Trista nodded. “Well, he is and yes, I’m his daughter. My parents were good people but…they were at the wrong
place at the wrong time.”

  “Well, good luck with this one,” Trinity announced with a swift change of the subject. “He’s a good man but he’s stubborn as hell and never forgets a thing, so don’t say anything you don’t mean. He is bound to throw it back in your face when you have a disagreement.”

  Linx sighed loudly. “Can we make our way to the fucking chapel? I would like to marry Trista sometime this decade. I swear to fucking God this has been the longest night of my life!”

  They all walked into the Little White Chapel and handed over the marriage license to the young, all-business woman. An older woman came in with an older gentleman at her side. They also acted as witnesses, though it would be Trinity and Kelly who would sign as the official witnesses to the wedding.

  Their vows were basic and when the rings were presented, Linx was prepared. They both had simple platinum bands purchased at Tiffany & Co located in Caesars Palace—courtesy of Kelly—an hour before the ceremony.

  The minister finally said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  Linx took the opportunity to lip lock with Trista, holding her tightly and not wanting to let her go. Kelly and Trinity clapped before Kelly pulled out a professional Nikon camera and began to take photos of them.

  Suddenly his bride was surrounded by Trinity and Kelly, who were telling her they had to have a girl’s night out before they left Vegas.

  He smiled, hoping she didn’t feel too overwhelmed. This was nothing compared to the circus their marriage would cause when the press got wind of what they’d done.

  Less than fifteen minutes later, all four prepared to leave the chapel. Unfortunately, several different teams of paparazzi had surrounded the chapel and were furiously taking photos.

  “Linx!” one of the paparazzo called, “Who’s your bride and is it true she’s connected to the notorious Demon’s Bastards motorcycle gang?”

  He rolled his eyes and pulled Trista closer to him. “Listen, guys, I know you have to do your job but please give my new wife and I some semblance of privacy. Her name is Trista Lennon-Carter, she’s legal and her parents are deceased along with her older brother. She is the daughter of two accountants and there is nothing unsavory about her past what so ever. Now if you’ll excuse us, please let us have our space.”