Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) (29 page)

He was made for her.

Meeting his gaze, she shook her head again. “I refuse to hide us.”

He kissed her temple and whispered, “Just call them, baby. I’m right here.”

She nodded slowly and took the phone from him, deciding to call Rachel instead of her father. As Karson held her close, his lips at her ear, whispering how much he loved her, she listened as Rachel picked up on the second ring.

“Lacey! What the hell! Where are you? Are you okay?” she cried in relief. “Yeah, it’s her.”

Shit, she wasn’t alone. Lacey should have known better.

“I’m fine,” she answered. “My phone has been dead. I just charged it and saw all my missed calls and texts.”

“Where are you?” she asked. “Hold on, let me put you on speakerphone. Your dad and Grady are here.”

Wonderful
, she thought, but then Karson’s thumb caressed her jaw as he dusted his lips along her temple. Calmness washed over her as she leaned into him, needing the support he offered.

“Are you all right, honey?” her father asked.

“Where are you?” Grady asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered, taking in a deep breath as Karson leaned back to look at her. “I’m in Vegas,” she said slowly, meeting his gaze. “With Karson.”

“Why. The. Hell. Are. You. In. Vegas. With. Him?” Rachel said, enunciating each word.

“Please don’t tell me you’re doing what I think you are doing,” Grady begged.

“Did he drug you? Kidnap you? The cops are waiting,” Nate bellowed. “Speak, Lacey! Tell us what is going on!”

She felt Karson tense up beside her as the tears gathered in her eyes. “We got married this morning at the Chapel in the Clouds, and we are blissfully happy. I wish you guys could have been there, but we just couldn’t wait,” she said happily, trying to keep her voice light, not allowing them to know that she expected them to freak the hell out. She expected yelling, but she swore she could hear a pin drop. She even checked to make sure they hadn’t hung up, but then like she expected them to, the yelling started.

“What the hell do you mean?” Grady yelled.

“I told you not to do anything stupid or impulsive! This is stupid and impulsive!” Rachel screamed.

“No fucking way, Lacey Arielle! Are you crazy?” Her father’s voice boomed.

“No, I love him and he loves me,” she declared, but she doubted they even heard her.

“No, Lacey, you’re not thinking clearly,” Rachel insisted.

“He is a worthless piece of shit, Lacey. He doesn’t deserve someone like you!” Grady yelled. “He broke your heart once! How can you trust him again?”

“He is after your money, your business!” Nate declared, causing Karson to scoff.

“Not that I need to defend myself, but my money is yours, Lacey,” he whispered in her ear. “Everything and anything is yours.”

She met his gaze and smiled. She never once thought he was after her business or money; it had never crossed her mind. She trusted him. “That’s not true. He loves me.”

“He left before. He’ll leave again!” Rachel cried into the phone. “Please, Lacey, you are making such a mistake.”

“He left because of Dad and Grady. He told me what happened,” she said, her own eyes burning with tears at the betrayal. She should be mad at them, not ashamed of her marriage, but her family was making it seem like it was the worst thing possible, like she was an idiot or something. Didn’t they understand how much she loved him? How he was the only person she had ever truly loved and needed?

“You two are supposed to love me. Who does this to someone they love?”

“What is she talking about?” Grady asked, causing Lacey’s heart to pound harder in her chest.

“Don’t act like you didn’t know that Dad threatened Karson’s career so he’d leave. That you two have kept him away from me all these years!”

“What is she talking about?” Grady asked.

“He’s lying,” Nate said calmly. “I wouldn’t hurt you, princess. I love you.”

Lacey shook her head. “If you loved me, you would support me. I love Karson, and I’m moving to Nashville to be with him.”

“What?” Rachel and Grady yelled.

“No! I swear to God, we will fix this. Just come home. We can talk this over. I promise, Lacey, I did it for you,” Nate begged. “Don’t make any more mistakes. Just come home. To your family.”

“I don’t want that, Dad. I am happy.”

“Lacey, no, I swear to God, your mother is probably rolling over in her grave! You are throwing your life away. Come home so I can fix this,” he begged, making her blood boil.

“My mother would be proud and happy that I am doing something to make myself happy.”

“Lacey, stop. This is insane. You don’t even know this douche. He’s a whorebag, sleeps around everywhere,” Grady yelled. “He’ll probably cheat on you in a week. Don’t trust him.”

Karson rolled his eyes as Lacey said, “I trust him. We love each other.”

“No! You are making a bad decision! Come home, I’ll call and get it fixed.”

“Dad, I don’t know if you realize this, but I’m not a scared eighteen-year-old girl any longer. I am twenty-eight years old and can make my own decisions now. I choose Karson.”

“You are making the wrong choice, Lacey Arielle. This is insane. We need to talk this through.”

“No, it’s not. I love Karson; we are husband and wife. I am going to start my life with him. I just wanted to let you guys know I am okay. I love you all, and when you are ready to support us then I will be more than happy to talk to you, but I refuse to sit here and let you bash my husband.”

“Well, when you marry shit, then it’s bound to get bashed,” Grady sneered.

“This is insane. He didn’t love you enough to stay. Why do you think he does now?” her father bit out and that stung, but she ignored him because she forgave Karson for that.

“Lacey, please,” Rachel begged. “Come home.”

“I’ll be back in Chicago on Wednesday to tie up any loose ends that we can’t take care of over the phone. I also want to say bye to the boys, and I guess, figure out how we are going to run the business with me in Nashville. We’ll figure it out, but my husband will be with me, and I expect you all to treat him with respect.”

“I wouldn’t piss on that asshole if he were on fire,” Grady growled. “He stole you from us.”

“No one stole anyone. I went willingly. I love him, Grady,” Lacey answered, running her nose along her husband’s.

“You are making such a mistake, Lacey. We can’t run a business long-distance; we need to be together,” Rachel cried. “Please don’t do this.”

“It’s done and I don’t regret it one bit. For once, I am actually happy, and I hope that you guys will respect that.”

“He is going to hurt you, Lacey,” Nate said, but before she could say anything, Karson took the phone from her.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Mr. Martin, but I can promise you that I will never hurt her again. I did that, and there isn’t a day that passes that I don’t regret what I did. I’m not going anywhere without her, I love her too much, and we would really like your blessing,” he said and then paused. “Again, I am sorry that you wish me to the fiery depths of hell, but I’m not going anywhere. I have your daughter, my
wife
, to make happy.”

With a grin on his face, he hung up the phone and laid it on the counter before gathering her in his arms. “That last part was more a jab and completely disrespectful on my part. Sorry about that.”

“It’s the truth, though.”

Why did he care if he disrespected them? They deserved it! They spoke so badly about him when they didn’t even know him. He was a good man, the right man for her, and even though her family treated him like the scum on their shoe, he still cared about their feelings. It was mind-blowing, but she knew it was because he loved her, and that meant the world to her.

Karson nodded. “You’re right, but still I shouldn’t—”

“You know what?” she asked, interrupting him.

“What?”

“I don’t care,” she admitted. “I have allowed them to control me my whole life. Where I went to school. What I wore. When I got new breasts. Who I loved. Everything and anything, I allowed them to have a say. I even allowed them to break my heart, but no more. I will not feel guilty for my love for you. I won’t regret this decision because I am finally happy. I don’t care that it’s going to be hell running a business that is based out of Chicago in Nashville, especially when my sister-in-law is hell-bent on bringing me home. All I care about is us and the life we are going to make.”

Brushing kisses along her bottom lip, he said, “That’s all I care about. But I just want to make you happy, and your family does make you happy when they aren’t being assholes. You need them in your life.”

“I do, but if they don’t accept you, I’ll deal. You are my happiness.”

He eyed her, his heart pounding so hard, it vibrated her own chest. “You’re mine, Lacey, always have been.”

He took her mouth with his, kissing her so hard it curled her toes against the cold marble floor. Pulling back, he kissed her nose and whispered, “It’s me and you, baby.”

“Forever,” she promised.

“Forever.”

“H
ow long is the ride?”

Karson looked back at Lacey as he opened her door. “About twenty minutes, why?”

She grinned as she crossed her legs, holding her mother’s dress close to her chest. “I gotta pee and I don’t think I can wait. Can you stuff this in while I run inside real quick?”

He leaned over and kissed her nose before taking the dress. “Sure, hurry up. My mom is waiting.”

“Always so bossy,” she teased, her eyes locked with his.

“You don’t know my mom and her impatient self. If we don’t hurry up, she’ll come after us.”

“I got you. Be right back!”

He watched as she ran off to the bathroom inside the rental car place before tucking her mother’s dress in the back along with their bags. They had been married for a whole day. One full of drama and lots of sex, but even with all the shit with her family and his own, he couldn’t help the grin that sat on his face.

He was one lucky bastard.

Leaning against the door as he waited for her, he pulled out his phone and checked his Facebook. After posting a status of wedded bliss that he was sure everyone would be disgusted by, he was about to Like a picture that Shea had posted of his hockey team of children when his phone started ringing; it was Kacey.

“Hey you,” he answered happily. Even though it was about to be a freak show once he brought Lacey home, he was excited to see his family.

“Hey! Where you guys at? You land yet?”

He rolled his eyes. “Obviously since I’m talking to you.”

She paused. “Eff off, you on your way?”

“No, waiting on my wife to pee and then we will be leaving. Just got the car packed. Everything okay?” he asked, tucking his hand in his pocket for warmth. He should sit in the car, but he wanted to help Lacey in, make sure she was settled before he got in himself. The car was running with the heat on full blast, which was good since he was freezing his balls off. Shivering in his coat, he wished he was back in Tennessee. At least there if it was cold one day, it was warm the next. In Wisconsin, though, it was just fucking cold. All the time.

“Yeah, well, Ma is driving me insane getting ready for you two. I was hoping you were almost here so I wouldn’t have to deal with her.”

“Well, if you got your own place, you wouldn’t have to,” he suggested. “I mean, what twenty-seven-year-old female wants to live with her parents? Don’t you have a girlfriend yet?”

She let out a frustrated breath as he grinned like a kid with his hand in the candy jar. It was his life mission to drive his baby sister crazy, and bringing up her sexual orientation was the newest button he had discovered that really riled her up.

“I’ve told you a billion times, I’m not gay, and I like living with our parents because there are no bills. Since I am training for the Olympics, I can’t work much. You know this. Don’t make me kick your ass in front of your new wife,” she sneered. “And for your information, I am dating a
guy
right now.”

He rolled his eyes. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure she liked guys, and it would help him out if she’d just admit that she liked women. She played harder than some men he knew and she was ball-buster; she took no shit at all. Yeah, she may date guys, but they ran off as soon as she wrestled them to the ground and made them cry uncle. She was a tomboy through and through and crazy as hell. She even had her hair in a short pixie cut because long hair got in her way, or so she told everyone. He was pretty sure she just wanted to be a guy. He had never even seen in her a dress. Like, ever. That had to mean something.