"You want to start things off, Tiny?" Wanderer asked, honoring him by letting him speak first even though it wasn't his house.

"I heard a rumor about flesh peddlers looking to move into the area, flashing suitcases of cash to grease the wheels. I didn't pay any attention to it until I got a call from John over at our strip club, Bronze. Seems some well-dressed men with muscle and thick accents offered him a half a million to buy him out and let him run the club off the record."

"Off the record, huh?" Wanderer said.

"Yeah, they claimed they had a wealthy clientele with very specific and expensive tastes. They promised John he'd make a killing from the cut they'd give him off the top of their profit," Tiny said.

"What'd your man say?" Wanderer said.

"That it was Mayhem territory and he didn't have the authority to change the way things ran."

"They told him not for long. John asked them what they meant, and one of the man said a new world order would be coming, and if John was smart, he'd come willingly."

Murmurs went up around the room. Moose frowned. He didn't like what he was hearing.

"That's a big brass set of balls," Wanderer said.

"Normally I'd say they were blowing smoke up John's ass, trying to see if they could muscle in our territory. But the amount of money they were waving around, and the look of the men I saw on the surveillance tape tell me otherwise. Bronze is damn near in your backyard. I wondered if they approached you," Tiny said.

"Yes, but funny how they pitched another story to me. According to them, you gave your blessing and took the money. They so thoughtfully added you were looking to expand your territory, and this was an easy way to get money to do that."

Tiny snickered. "Right, 'cause I'd tell my business to some stranger."

"Exactly. Not to mention I knew better. Neither of us lets that shit go on in our territory," Wanderer said.

"What did they think would happen?" Hawk asked.

"That we'd never talk to each other," Tiny said. "They think we're stupid. That works to our advantage just as much as it pisses me off."

"Or maybe they figured it wouldn't matter because neither of us would be around much longer to do shit about it," Wanderer said.

The theory made Moose's blood run cold. It had been done before, a new group would come in, wipe out all the competition, and set up shop.

Tiny cracked his neck. "Then they picked the wrong M.C.s to fuck with, and they've sorely underestimated us. I have some feelers out now looking for information. I get the feeling these were just recon men scoping out the area and getting a feel for us. I bet the men profiting from it don't even get their hands dirty," Tiny said.

Moose's mind immediately turned to Peter and his men. Was Room 801 looking to expand?

"How do you want to handle this?" Tiny asked.

"Throw in together and take them down, let everyone know if they want to try to horn in on our territory it'll be hell to pay. How's that sound to you?" Wanderer asked.

Silence fell in the room. Moose held his breath.

"Way I see it, we don't have much of a choice." Tiny leaned forward and offered his hand to Wanderer, who took it. With that, the Eights and Mayhem redefined their relationship.

Chapter Nine.

Joey managed what she hoped would pass for a convincing smile as she entered the bridal shop for the second time to pick out bridesmaid gowns. She'd been off kilter since her mother dropped the truth about her father a few weeks ago. But she refused to let that affect Juliette's wedding planning. This was her time. Joey made a beeline for the viewing area.

"Hey." Juliette rushed forward and enveloped her in a hug.

"Hey. Am I the first to get here?" Joey asked, looking around.

"Aren't you always?" Juliette replied.

Joey laughed. "Usually, I can't help it. You know Hil's penchant for getting into trouble, and Evonne is a right on the dot kind of woman."

"Until recently," Juliette observed.

"Aaah, the mysterious Levi has loosened her up a bit. It'd be nice to actually meet him, so we could decide if we like him or not," Joey said. She kept her tone light, but the situation bothered her.

Juliette snickered. "I'm with you. But with his business often taking him out of the country, I find her claims of the timing always being off legit."

"I still don't like it one bit." Joey frowned.

"Well, don't give her a hard time. She's been pulling away lately because of the pressure."

"You noticed too?" Joey shifted her weight. "I was hoping it was just me."

"No, Hil and I were talking about it the other day when she came over on one of her self-imposed writing breaks."

Joey laughed. "Is she going crazy trying to get her new story off the ground?"

"Of course, and I'm lucky enough to live closest to her."

"Please...you love her." Joey snickered.

Juliette laughed. "I do, it's part of why we're all so certifiable. How many snags did she get us into?"

"Enough to keep us from becoming completely boring."

"Yeah, you would say that." Juliette rolled her eyes.

"Hey-"

"Y'all talking about me again? My ears are burning," Hil said.

Joey smiled at Juliette and they both burst into giggles.

"I knew it, wenches," Hil scoffed, then leaned in to hug Juliette.

"Hil, you know we love you. I'm worried though," Joey said as she accepted her hug from Hil.

"Why?" Hil leaned back.

"Because you beat Evonne here, which means hell surely must've frozen over." Joey saidas they all laughed.

"Do I even want to know?" Evonne asked, appearing a few moments later.

Joey shook her head.

"We were all marveling over the fact that Hil beat you here," Juliette said.

"Ahh. Well, I'm on time, so she was early...which is rather shocking. How did that happen, Hil?" Evonne said.

"You guys are awful. Maybe I happened to be in the area already," Hil said.

"Come on, guys, let's meet up with Lisa," Juliette said, offering her arms. They all linked arms with one another and marched toward the viewing area like a choreographed dance team.

"My pretty-in-pink bride and entourage." Lisa grinned as she walked over in a pair of black designer heels. This particular black suit fit her like a glove and outdid the one she'd worn previously.

Joey couldn't help but marvel at her sense of fashion and tolerance for torture. The very thought of heels over two inches made her wince.

Lisa air-kissed Juliette's cheeks and took her hands. "Tell me what we're looking for today, Juliette."

"Something white with a bit of a vintage feel," Juliette said.

"Okay, what length were you thinking?" Lisa asked.

"Tea length, maybe a little shorter," Juliette said.

Lisa nodded. "Now, when you say vintage are we talking cut, materials or both?"

"Cut, and maybe hints of details from the 'fifties and 'sixties."

"Okay, that will go wonderful with your gown. I have a few in mind, so if you want to take a seat, I'll get the mimosas coming and you two ladies can come with me." Lisa waved the girls toward her as she walked them to the back, her long legs eating up the carpet.

Joey sat down beside Juliette.

"I'm glad we're by ourselves. You've seemed off the past week," Juliette said.

"What do you mean?" Joey said. Shit. I guess I wasn't hiding it as well as I thought.

"You've been distracted and abnormally quiet. Do you need to talk about anything?"

"Asks the woman who needs to plan a wedding in less than six months. I'm supposed to be helping you."

"Are you purposely subject dodging?" Juliette accused.

"No." Joey sighed. "I'm not ready to voice it aloud yet. I'm still wrapping my head around it."

Juliette frowned. "I won't press you because I know it won't do me any good and it'll put a wedge between us, but I'm here anytime day or night." Juliette squeezed Joey's hand. "I couldn't have made it through the past few months without you guys. I thought when Peter died, it would be over, but it brought all the memories I worked so hard to get over back full force." Juliette shuddered. "So when I say I'm here for you whatever you need, whenever you need it, I mean that."

"I know. Thank you for that." Joey patted her hand.

"Of course."

"I present to you, your bridesmaids." Lisa walked out and gestured toward the hallway.

Evonne and Hil appeared in tea-length lacy numbers with flower accents.

"No, that's too much lace." Juliette shook her head.

"So you want something a bit simpler?" Lisa said.

"Yes, but I love the cut," Juliette offered.

"Okay, we'll be back."

"How weird is this? I feel like we're judging a beauty contest." Joey shook her head.

"It's coming together well though," Juliette said.

"That's true. We're actually ahead of schedule."

"Thank you again for being my maid of honor, Joey. I couldn't do all of this without you and the other girls."

"We're happy to help. You're the first of us to get married."

"Not the last though." Juliette nudged her shoulder.

Joey snorted. "Oh no, I don't even know if marriage is for me. I didn't grow up seeing it as commonplace. It's a binding contract that can sour easily if not properly managed." And once he finds out who my father is? Moose will probably drop me like a hot potato.

"You make it sound like a business investment." Juliette frowned. "I thought you wanted kids."

"I do, but you don't need marriage for that, just a commitment to one another and the children," Joey said.

Juliette opened her mouth, shut it and curved the corners of her mouth down. "You have a point."

"I think the second time will be the charm," Lisa piped in.

Evonne and Hil walked out in simple white sheaths with clean lines and a band around their waists. The bodice had a splash of lace detail you didn't quite notice until you were close enough, or the light struck it just so. It was a case of love at first sight. Juliette rose from the padded bench excited. "This is the style!"

"That was easy." Lisa grinned. "Now we just need to pick shoes, and then we can move on to you, Ms. Maid of Honor."

Oh joy.

"I want them to be pink," Juliette informed her. "A subtle way to tie them to me and give a little pop."

The sparkle in Juliette's eyes and the certainty in her voice made Joey smile. Juliette struggled for a while after Peter's death. But now she'd regained herself and then some. As unlikely as he seemed, Shooter had been great for her. Not even her overprotective mother could continue to deny that. Watching Ms. Irene eat crow was pleasing. She'd always been overpowering, filling Juliette's head with so many expectations she'd been bogged down and constantly guilty that her wants would lead to major disappointment. With Shooter on the scene, that would never happen again.