“Yup.”

“Good, I hope it lasts a lifetime.”

“It will,” he said with a grin. “Was that what you needed to talk to me about? The party?”

She shook her head. “No, actually, I wanted to talk to you about Benji Paxton.”

His brows came together. What did the new defensive guy have anything to do with him? “Cool dude, what about him?”

“He’s a recovering alcoholic, eleven years sober.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised by that. “He seems so straitlaced.”

“Now he is, but he has one hell of a past. Though that’s not my place to tell you. And I would like to suggest that you and him room on road trips. He would be a good friend for you.”

Jordie shrugged. He could see why she would think that, but that wouldn’t work. “But I room with Karson, always have.”

“I know, but Fontaine is known to be a partier, and Karson won’t stand for Fontaine’s antics, you know? Can you try it out? For me?”

She batted her lashes at him and he laughed. He’d do just about anything for Elli and she knew that. “Sure. No problem.”

“You are awesome. Thank you,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Now, let’s get to signing some paperwork.”

Excited, Jordie leaned forward toward the contract, ready to add some more brick to the foundation he was building. Signing this contract ensured his future with the Assassins, and that meant it was time to move out of Karson’s house and get a place of his own. Now all he had to do was hope that Kacey would be on board to go with him.

Because he couldn’t leave her behind.

“You and your friends act worse than children,” Kacey accused as Karson laughed, looking down at his phone. As another notification from the “roast,” as the guys were calling it, came across her phone, she rolled her eyes. She almost wanted to tell Jordie to delete it, but if she was honest, it was sweet. Even if he did think she was stubborn. Which she was. But that wasn’t the point. He’d told the world that he loved her and that made her breathless.

Pointing at her, he said, “Shut up, this is awesome. Lucas just said that you are holding Jordie’s balls in your purse.”

She shot him a wry look as he laughed from the gut, Lacey only snickering as she shook her head. Putting the nipple on Mena’s bottle, she handed it to him. “Try to keep the laughing to a minimum. I don’t want my baby to have shaken baby syndrome.”

He scoffed, taking the bottle and kissing her cheek. “Are you reading this stuff? It’s classic.”

Walking away, he let out another gut-busting laugh and Kacey rolled her eyes. “He’s a dork.”

“That is very true,” Lacey agreed, cleaning the counter before leaning against it. “But the status is cute. It’s weird seeing you two so lovey-dovey after you almost murdered him in the living room however many weeks ago.”

Kacey shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, but it’s good, right? Like, you don’t think we are rushing it?”

Lacey shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t ask me about rushing. I married your brother after seeing him for the first time in like nine years. Not sure I’m the right person for advice on that. I mean, some people said I was crazy,” she said with a grin. “But if it helps, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Kacey smiled as she nodded. “It’s just been so perfect. Like we laugh constantly, and when we aren’t laughing, we are doing it, and when we aren’t doing it, he’s telling me he loves me. And God, Lacey, I waited so long to hear those words leave his mouth that I find myself absorbing them, just in case he stops telling me. It’s like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for all this good to just evaporate.”

Holding her gaze, Lacey said, “It will.”

Kacey’s mouth dropped open, shocked. “What the hell do you mean? Do you think we won’t last?”

Lacey shook her head. “No, Kace, I think y’all are solid, there is so much love between you two. But you have to remember, he is recovering. He is finding his footing in this thing called sobriety. His go-to was to drink when he was mad, hurt, or sad. Now he is having to find new outlets. But the thing is, he chose you to make this journey with him.”

“I know that,” Kacey agreed. “And I won’t let him do it alone.”

“Right, but with the good comes the bad. And while, yeah, it’s too good to be true right now, and you are living the life you want, it won’t last. He’s gonna hit a bad spell, and that’s when you need to worry. Because will you be able to be the rock he needs? Don’t look at me like that!” she shrieked then, and Kacey held her hands out.

“You’re freaking me out!” she accused, but Lacey shook her head. “I know all this, but you are making it seem like I can’t handle it, which is making me second-guess myself.”

“I’m just saying that when it’s sunny, it’s great. But it’s how you weather the storm. So enjoy the good now, because there’s no telling when the storm will come thundering through your life, and you’ll be left holding on with everything inside of you,” she said with more conviction. “You are so strong, Kacey, and Jordie knows this; he feeds off you and loves you something insane. And I know you love him, but my thing is, don’t overthink this. Enjoy it, love him, and when it gets bad, then you’ll be ready. But why wait for the possible impending doom? It won’t do anything but stress you out.”