side so he could kiss the fresh tattoo below my ear. I shuddered at the slight ache of my fresh ink, but it was a good kind of shudder.
"I saw this when you were halfway through those fucking cardboard wedding vows to Arch," Kody murmured next to my ear, his lips brushing soft kisses over the little penguin design I'd had inked into my skin. "I almost shoved that fuck out of the way so I could kiss you right then. I fucking love you, MK."
I grinned, deliriously happy with his reaction to my tattoo for him. "I love you too, my penguin," I whispered back, then let him kiss me until I was lightheaded and aching for him.
"I better let you get dressed." He brushed his thumb over my lower lip like he badly wanted to do that with his dick. "I'll call Arch and make sure he and Steele are alive."
I winced at that flippant comment. It was still too fresh after Steele had nearly died from a shot to the chest. "Please do," I muttered. "I'll be quick."
Kody left the dressing room, only opening the door far enough to slip out, then closing it firmly. I knew he would be right on the other side of the door while he made his calls. He wouldn't leave me alone right now; we were all too keyed up and paranoid to do dumb shit like that.
I hurried to unzip the dress bag left for me and found a gorgeous, floor-length ivory gown. It was almost entirely made up of intricate glass beads and soft fringing, with a silk slip underneath it all. Very on-theme for the Gatsby-era club and utterly stunning.
Grinning, I quickly stepped into it and pulled the zipper up at the back. It fit like a glove, and the shoes provided—champagne-glitter Jimmy Choo's—were exactly my size. There wasn't much I could do about my hair and makeup, so I just finger-combed the tangled pink curls and re-pinned a couple of the pins holding my braid secure.
With a shrug at my reflection, I decided I was done. Anxious nerves were already knotting my stomach, anyway. I needed to get out there and find out if my boys were okay. I needed to know everyone had made it out of that chapel safely.
I pulled the door open and found Kody leaning against the wall directly opposite, his phone to his ear and his eyes meeting mine. My brows shot up in question, and his lips curved in a half smile.
"Alright, no worries, bro," he said into the phone. "Get cleaned up, but take your time. I'm more than happy to entertain our bride alone for a while." He snickered a laugh at whatever the response was to that, then ended the call.
I let out a long breath in relief at the relaxed expression on his face. "Everything's okay?"
He nodded. "Everyone's alive that should be alive."
"Thank fuck." I closed the gap between us and threw my arms around his neck. "Fucking hell, I don't think I could handle it if one of you got shot again. We should make Kevlar part of your everyday wardrobe or something."
Kody laughed, but his arms stiffened slightly.
A cold wash of dread rolled through me. "Kodiak?" I prompted, pulling away far enough to glare at him. "No one was shot, were they?"
He winced.
"Everyone's alive," he evaded, and my panic ratcheted up even higher.
"Kody! I snapped. "Who got shot? Was it Steele? Did Steele get shot again? Oh my god, I'm gonna—"
"Steele's fine," Kody cut me off with a grin. "It was Arch." He actually started laughing. How the hell this situation was funny, I had no clue.
"Kodiak Jones, explain that in more detail, or I'm castrating you with my knife."
He cringed and cupped his junk. "I don't believe you. You enjoy my dick too much to mutilate it. But seriously, he's fine. That was him on the phone being all surly and shit about it."
I bit my lip, waves on waves of concern crashing over me. But if he was well enough to be talking to Kody on the phone...
"I promise, babe." Kody brought his hands to my face and kissed my lips gently. "Arch is fine. It was just a flesh wound on his arm. He's just pissed because it messed up one of his favorite tatts."
I rolled my eyes. "Really?" My tone was drier than a nun's nasty. "He said that?"
Kody snickered. "Not in words, but I know that's what he meant. So