Pretty Little Hellion (Rocker Universe: Pretty Little #3)

Prologue

Hayat

A soft melody played through the audio system. It was a generic song, something without lyrics that all DJs have in their repertoire for wedding receptions and other occasions.

Sleepily, I laid my head on Jamie’s shoulder as we swayed to the music. It had been a long, emotion-filled day. Fuck, a long, emotion-filled month . My heart felt full but bruised after all the mayhem that had gone down recently. Autumn’s Slumber. My three rockers. Abi’s situation. Our adventure into a cartel-organized fight club to save Ali and Evan—and Bentley and Sixx too, but only because we had to. Meeting Samara Vitucci Reid. Maddie…

I mentally shook away the thought of my stepcousin, not wanting to focus on her. Funny how out of all the chaotic, life-changing events that had happened to me over the past few weeks, it was thinking of Maddie that I shied away from.

Across the room, my bestie stood with her new husband. His arm was around her waist, his fingers brushing up and down lovingly while his eyes scanned the entire reception area. Always vigilant. Always eyeing the exits, the windows, any possible entrance for danger.

His sister stood in front of Abi, the two of them talking animatedly. But even as Sammy responded with excitement to whatever my bestie was telling her, she was just as watchful as her eyes traveled around the room, assessing every person in the space as if they were all a danger. Beside her, Elias Reid watched her with open adoration. Her left hand would randomly go to her husband, almost like she was reassuring herself he was still there. As if he would be anywhere else but beside her.

It must have been a family thing because Vaughn’s brother was doing the same thing while he danced with his small, blond wife. Nova said something that made Ryan’s lips tip up for all of five seconds—a record for the short time I’d known him—before he was back to watching the crowded room, but mostly Sammy and Vaughn. As if his siblings were the real danger.

And maybe they were. There was something about the eldest and youngest Vitucci offspring that screamed Run! They brought out the fight-or-flight instinct in people, that hair raising on the back of the neck, itchy, twitchy sensation.

But they protected Abi with their lives, so I wasn’t all that concerned.

My gaze shifted to where their mother, Anya, was sitting at a table, drinking a glass of champagne. She and Aunt Emmie sat close, their heads tipped toward each other as they spoke quietly, occasionally laughing. They had greeted each other like old friends earlier, and that had freaked me out a little. All my life, my cousins and I had joked that our amazing, successful—sometimes terrifying—aunt had underworld connections.

Now, we could all see that there was some truth to that theory.

Behind the two women was the bar. Not many people had utilized it, so there wasn’t a line. Despite the majority of the guests being rock stars, most of them were straight edge. No booze. No drugs. But they had shady pasts, so life had taught them plenty of painful lessons when it came to substance abuse that had shifted over into the younger generations and remained a temptation very few in my family played chicken with.

Ky and Sparks had left me to get themselves a beer. As they sipped from their bottles, their eyes were on Jamie and me, but I couldn’t miss the way Sparks watched the room much like the Vitucci children did. His eyes would darken as they traveled around, but every time they landed back on me, they would switch to that melted-chocolate color I loved so damn much.

Cartel assassin.

I was still trying to wrap my head around that little tidbit of information I’d learned about one of my boyfriends. He’d seemed like an asshole when we first met, but he was the sweetest of my three guys. I loved how gentle he was with me. Jamie was demanding. Ky could be feral. But with me, Sparks was so damn tender.

Right then, however, I could see a little of the darkness that lingered beneath the surface. Sparks was a dangerous man, just like Vaughn and Ryan.

And that tiny sneak peek was hot as fuck.

Feeling Jamie kiss the top of my head, I straightened and gave him a slow kiss while we continued to sway to the music. I tangled my fingers in his long blond hair, getting lost in the kiss. I couldn’t get enough of him. I’d missed him, all of them, so damn much. He slid his hands from my waist to my ass, both of us forgetting where we were. He’d obviously missed me too. I could feel how much pressing into my belly, the feel of his need for me making me clench my thighs together as I squirmed against him.

“Hands!” was barked as someone passed us on the dance floor.

Jamie squeezed my ass before returning his talented hands to my waist. Breaking the kiss, he winked at me. Licking my lips, I turned to scowl at my uncle as he danced with his wife, Violet.

“Mind your business,” I grumbled. “You don’t see me growling at you when you manhandle your wife.”

Luca narrowed those swirly brown eyes on me. “Little girl—”

Jagger bumped his shoulder as he turned his wife on the dance floor. Shaw met my gaze and rolled her blue eyes at how over the top Luca was being, her dimples peeking out before she neutralized her expression.

“He’s only trying to keep the poor boy alive,” Jagger soothed, attempting to be the peacekeeper. I almost laughed. Luca wanted to throw down? It wouldn’t take two seconds before Poppy dropped him on his ass. “Harris and Jace are both plotting mayhem for your three boys, Hayat. Right, Luca?”

Uncle Luca’s eyes were still that dangerous color of brown as he looked at Jamie. Years playing defense for an NFL team had made him massive. Muscles on top of muscles strained as he popped his neck. He was retired now, but he hadn’t gotten too lean. If anything, he looked like he’d added more mass. Chasing after his younger set of diabolical twins must have kept him in shape.

Jagger bumped his shoulder again, and Luca finally responded. “Yeah, totally trying to save the kid’s life.”

Violet huffed out a laugh. “Hayat, introduce us.”

I turned so I could keep my body between Luca and Jamie while I made the introductions. Jamie gave Vi and Shaw that sweet, pit-bull-puppy smile, his charm winning over my aunt and her best friend. Even Jagger was laughing with us as Jamie joked with them. My guy didn’t break a sweat as he met Luca’s gaze each time my uncle asked a question. I wondered if my mom had sent her brother over to interrogate Jamie.

Spotting her across the room, I knew that was exactly what she’d done. Her dark-brown eyes were glued to our group. Of her twin brothers, Luca was definitely the scarier one.

Lyric could easily be intimidating, with all that ink and his intense eyes. But Luca could make grown men piss themselves on the football field with just a look. Literally. During his last Super Bowl, he’d tackled one of the opposing team’s offensive players so hard, the poor man had shit his pants. There were immediate headlines of “The BM That Broke the Internet.”

Kin was right beside my mom, the two of them watching Luca and Jamie interact like this was some reality show.

Would Jamie get voted off the island?

Not fucking likely.

Jamie and Sparks wouldn’t let me down like that.

Ky…

Well, the jury was still out on him. Just because we’d made up earlier didn’t mean I was stupid enough to hand over one hundred percent trust in what we were to each other. His staying power had been tested already, and I was still feeling the whiplash of how he’d jerked around my emotions.

The moms being focused on me and my rockers was preferable to them being worried about Abi’s quickie wedding and announcing she was pregnant. If they wanted to spend time figuring out what my relationship was with Jamie, Sparks, and Ky, that was fine with me. I’d take on the burden of our moms snooping around my love life so Abi could have room to relax and bask in married life before becoming a mother.

Shifting my head back to Jamie, I met his gaze. Amusement flickered in his hazel eyes, along with a big splash of affection. I wanted to crawl into his arms and disappear with him for a few hours. As if he could read my thoughts, he dropped a kiss on my lips before forcing himself to return his attention to my family, answering another stilted question from Luca.

Jamie’s arm went around my waist as he spoke, his fingers playing with my curls.

“Time to throw the bouquet!” Abi announced, waving the beautiful white roses Vaughn had instructed Sammy to give her before the ceremony.

Feeling a moment of panic, I cringed, trying to duck so I could hide.

Soft fingers wrapped around my wrist, and I shrieked dramatically, clutching at Jamie’s hand. “Help! Please. I beg of you. Don’t make me. Jamie!”

“Stop being a big baby, ya big baby,” Abi complained, tugging me back while Jamie kept hold of my other hand.

“Hellion, I’ll save you,” Jamie vowed.

Abi tugged more firmly, determination in her blue eyes. Damn it. I couldn’t let her down, but there was no way I was catching that bouquet. It was too soon to be considering things like being the next bride. And even if I had considered marriage, which of my three boyfriends would I marry? No. I didn’t want to think about having to make a choice of who would be my husband. I loved them all, and I wouldn’t pick one over the others to be legally married to.

“It’s too late for me. Save yourself. Always remember I love you!” I cried.

Abi giggled as she dragged me over to where Sammy was herding the other unmarried women. Ali and Caprice were already there, the two of them practically hissing at each other. Muttering a curse, I moved between the two cousins before Ali threw a punch at Caprice. They were whispering heatedly. Stiff-arming Caprice, I tucked Ali under my arm and put a good five feet between the two.

Charlotte and Maddie were shoved into our group, while some of the much younger cousins bounced over, excited. Another Tainted Knights princess like Abi and her sister—and Caprice even if she was a total bitch—Charlotte was the daughter of Cash, who was one of the band’s bass players, and Amara, who managed TK for Emmie. Charlotte avoided the spotlight as much as possible, so she didn’t go out with us often, but I’d always considered her part of the family.

Emerson, Grier, and Love Bug were at the front, distracting me when I should have been paying attention. Their dads were not happy about them trying to catch the bouquet. Barrick, Jagger, and Luca were growling from the sidelines, only half teasing about murdering any piece of trash who touched their baby girls.

“Emerson, get your ass over here. Now!” Barrick barked.

“Language,” Luca growled at Barrick.

Heaven forbid Love Bug hear a single curse word. Barrick snorted out a laugh, but I wouldn’t have been against the two of them throwing down. It would be more fun to watch than trying to avoid a supposed magic bouquet that determined who would be walking down the aisle next.

Barrick was in private security with Maddie’s dad and his cousin Braxton. He used to dabble in some underground MMA fighting club back in Virginia. Supposedly, it was different from the one Abi and I had had to save our siblings from. Barrick was in shape, intimidating as fuck at times, but no other man in the room was bigger than Luca since Lyric hadn’t been able to make it down for the wedding on such short notice. I’d put all my money on my uncle if they did go a few rounds.

Luca took a step toward the kids. “Love Bug, Grier. Get your behinds back to our table. If either one of you touches that bouquet—”

“What?” Grier sassed him, blinking her pretty blue eyes up at him, not the least bit intimidated. “What will you do, Uncle Luca?”

“Yeah, Daddy,” Love giggled. “What are you going to do? Would you really be so mean as to ground us? I just want to win the pretty flowers.”

Luca grumbled something too low to reach my ears. But I noticed Jagger coughing to hide his laugh while still trying to look sternly at the girls.

“I’ll buy you all the flowers you want, princess. But if you even touch that bouquet, I’m gonna start breaking things.”

“I bet he means boys,” Grier said to her best friend. “He is going to start breaking boys. Hundred bucks, it’s Banks.”

Love Bug stuck out her tongue at Grier, but their dads didn’t need to worry. Abi had good aim, and I knew she would throw it toward me just to fuck with our dads.

“One. Two. Three!” Abi called. I lifted my gaze from Grier and Love Bug in time to see the bouquet sailing through the air right for me.

Yelping, I ducked, taking Ali with me. Fuck no, she wasn’t getting that damn thing either. Sixx didn’t need any more encouragement than he already had where Ali was concerned. Behind me, there was a commotion, the little girls jumping up and trying to grab for the bouquet.

Or so I thought.

Caprice whined when Grier and Love Bug accidentally-maybe-on-purpose bumped her out of the way. When Caprice landed on her ass right at Ali’s feet, Emerson stepped over her with a smirk and then skipped away with Love Bug and Grier, all of them giggling far too manically for it to have been a true accident. No one could convince me those three girls hadn’t planned that.

Ali burst out laughing, causing Caprice to shriek her displeasure as she got to her feet. I shifted us back a little more from the blonde on the floor, just in case Caprice got stupid and tried to lunge at Ali. It might have been fun if she attempted it. Ali was smaller, but she wouldn’t come out the loser in that catfight. But I also couldn’t let my bestie’s baby sister get in a fight at her wedding reception.

How Kassa had given birth to the world’s most annoying human, I would never understand. Unless, maybe—and it was the most probable explanation—Caprice had been switched at birth. But that theory didn’t hold water because Caprice looked too much like her mom. Jace said it was because his brother-in-law had spoiled Caprice too much. I called bullshit on that theory too. Caprice was just a major bitch.

Maybe I wouldn’t have been so irritated by her if she would just stop with the obsession she had with Sixx. He barely tolerated her for Bentley’s sake, but she was borderline crazy when it came to him. And not the fun kind of crazy, like Abi and Vaughn had going on. More like she had psychotic illusions that should be treated by a team of medical professionals. Sometimes I legit wondered if we would wake up one morning to the news that she’d killed Sixx so she could wear his skin. That would be the only way she would ever get as close to him as she wanted.

There was a moment of silence from everyone who had nothing to do with the Caprice delulu show, and I finally released Ali to see who had caught the flowers.

Maddie.

Her eyes met mine for all of two seconds before she looked over her shoulder at someone. I followed her gaze, past the many family members who had gathered around to watch. Jamie, Sparks, and Ky were at the back of the group. All three of them were grinning, drinking their beers and shaking their heads at me. Fuck, they were fun to look at, all dressed up in suits, looking sexy and deliciously expensive and just fucking perfect.

Mine .

I didn’t want to think about Maddie looking at Ky. They’d come to the wedding reception together, but Maddie was hooking up with Briscoe, who was on the other side of the room, having handled the last-minute security for the spontaneous wedding Vaughn had given Abi before her parents left for their Australian tour the following day. Maddie shouldn’t have been looking anywhere near Ky or Sparks or Jamie, damn it.

Gritting my teeth, I told myself it didn’t matter. Looking was one thing. They were hot guys. People, especially women, were going to look at them. Looking wasn’t touching. Looking didn’t mean they belonged to her.

They were mine. They loved me. I shouldn’t have been feeling jealous and all territorial.

And I definitely shouldn’t have been thinking about grabbing her by her pretty blond hair and dragging her over to Briscoe to demand he get his little fucktoy away from what was mine.