“Last time I checked he didn’t, but that mansion he lives in could be the Governor’s Palace.” Justin shrugged. “It has, what, ten bedrooms?”
“Yeah, we got lost when we stayed there last year.” Chad nodded. “Ten bedrooms, thirteen bathrooms, a pool the size of a small lake, plus a beach-side kitchen. That place is lit.”
“I think Marcus would love the beach.” Jared glanced at his husband and smiled.
“Oh, man, that would be amazing. It has been so damn cold here.” Christian leaned into Jared.
Jason shook his head. “Unfortunately, I’m too busy. Mopping up the fallout from the New York situation.”
“Thank God, that’s all I’d need, the entire family showing up on my doorstep.” Joseph gave an exaggerated shiver, tossed back the rest of his bourbon, and held out his glass toward Maliki. “I need another. I have to wear a fucking tux tomorrow.”
“We know, that’s why we’re here. Well, that and wishing you well, Mal.” Jacob lifted his glass.
“The people in this room and your spouses are the only ones Poet and I know, so we are very grateful you came. Our mothers have lost it. I swear it upset them when we capped the invitations. They had a list of over six hundred. Six hundred! Poet’s mother wanted to invite relatives she’s never met. And my mom? God, everyone she ever met would have an invitation. I’m so looking forward to Aruba. But in deference to our jobs and the people we wanted to invite, they agreed to a drastically smaller ceremony. Thank God.” He glanced at his watch. “We leave the reception in twenty-three hours.” Mal poured another drink. “To sanity, may it reign forever.”
“To sanity.” The toast echoed around the room as the door opened and platters of food arrived.
The aroma brought a rumble of dissatisfaction from his stomach. Jacob was so hungry his gut was pretty damn sure his throat had been slit. He hadn’t eaten all day and his stomach was empty… well, minus the deluge of alcohol. He made his way to the first platter that hit the table. Oh, hell yeah. Decent food. He picked up a plate and piled on the eats. Two pieces for his plate, one for his mouth. Fuck yeah, excellent food.
“Hey, Skipper.”
Stopping for a moment, Jacob glanced around with his fork halfway to his mouth before he shoved the flakey cheese puff in. “What are you two up to?” He said the words around his food.
“Want to have some fun?” Drake took a drink of his bourbon.
Uh, hell yeah! “Absolutely. But if it involves moving from this food, it will have to wait.”
“You don’t know what it is yet.” Dixon laughed and grabbed a fancy sandwich from one of the trays next to them.
“Fuck, that looks good. Okay, then tell me what you have in mind.” Jacob pulled two of the small-ass sandwiches off the tray and plopped one on his plate. He took a bite of the other and waited for one of the Wonder Twins to speak.
Drake lifted an eyebrow. “Well, it involves pranking Joseph.”
Jacob shrugged. “I’m in.” He devoured the other half of the sandwich in one bite.
Dixon took a sip of his bourbon. “Got to be honest with you, Skipper. We’re considering taking it to the next level. This could get you killed.”
“Nah, he won’t kill me.” Jacob swallowed and glanced at his brother who was speaking to Mike and Maliki. He turned back and laughed, “At least I don’t think he would. What are we doing? Switching out his tux?”
Drake shook his head. “Something so much better.”
Jacob stopped eating and smiled. “Have I told you how much I miss your devious asses?”
“Not lately, but we know.” Dixon turned his back to Joseph and company. “It will take some coordination.”
Jacob picked up his drink. “With whom?”
“Everyone here, Frank and Gabriel, maybe a few more.” Drake murmured the words. “But it will be worth it.”
He smiled and grabbed two more sandwiches, making sure Joseph was still across the room. “All right. Fill me in.”
Ten minutes later, Jacob drew a deep breath. “You’re right. He’s going to kill us.”
“You. Not us.” Dixon pointed at him.
“No, if people are dying, it will be an equal opportunity murder scene. I’ll rat you out the first chance I get.” He downed the rest of the alcohol in his glass. “All right. Operation Get Maliki and Joseph Shit-Faced is a go.”
Drake snickered, “Skipper, you have balls the size of Texas.”
“Yeah. Hopefully, my brother doesn’t cut them off, roast them, and force-feed them to me.”
“It’s all in fun, right?” Dixon shrugged. “We need this. All of us.”
Jacob laughed and lowered his voice. “And the fact that it will irritate the fuck out of Joseph is just the cherry on the top, right?”
“More like the explosion on the top,” Dixon and Drake said in unison.
Jacob blinked and shook his head. “Yeah, don’t do that again. Wait until I have more liquor.”
Chapter 2
Poet and Maliki’s Wedding Day
Ember opened the bedroom door and padded out to the living area of the luxury suite Joseph had rented. She stared at the prone form of the man she loved and shook her head. Getting just the right angle, she took a picture before opening the group text between her and the Crazy Coven, as they called themselves.
>EMBER: Is mine the only one in this condition?
She attached the picture and hit send.
Joseph snored lightly, and she eyed him as she watched bubbles pop up on her screen. Shirt rucked up to his armpits, sprawled out on his back, one leg more off the couch than on with one shoe and sock off, one shoe and sock on. His hair stuck up in angles that the best sculpting wax couldn’t achieve.
> TORI: Nope.
A picture of Jacob holding his head at a small table while his boys ate breakfast hit the group thread.
>TORI: I ordered him sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, sausage, and corn beef hash, and told the boys they needed to spend time with their dad this morning. Strangely, he hasn’t eaten a thing.
Ember snorted. She absolutely loved Tori. The woman kept her man in line.
>JASMINE: Chad and his new manager are heading to D.C. for a meeting with his lawyer. He said he nursed one drink all night. Did Jacob say anything about Aruba?
>JADE: Nic is in the shower. I think he might die in there. What the hell did they do last night? What about Aruba?
>FAITH: Jason took the boys to the airport to meet Amanda and Frank. He said something about going to Aruba.
Ember narrowed her eyes and turned her head slowly. “Joey, what did you do?”
Her husband’s eye opened slightly. “Shhhh. Dying.”
The croaking words substantiated the fact that her husband was in fact suffering. Poor Joey. “I’ve never heard of anyone dying from a hangover.”
“Wait for it.” His eye closed again. She shook her head and glanced back down at her phone.
> JOY: Mine’s in a coma. Damn men can’t hold their liquor. I want Starbucks. Hit me with room numbers and your orders.