Ball & Chain (Cut & Run 8)

Kelly repositioned the last stray chair next to Nick and sat down, and Emma perched on his knee for lack of anywhere else to sit. Ty narrowed his eyes at them.

“Emma has a degree in underwater archaeology,” Deuce provided.

“That sounds like it’d be interesting. What do you do with that?” Zane asked her.

“Not what most people do. I’m a member of a team of researchers who investigate cryptozoological anomalies, historical mysteries, and natural phenomenon.”

“Cryptozoological?” Zane repeated incredulously. “That’s . . . animals that aren’t scientifically recognized, right?”

“Like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster?” Livi asked.

Emma laughed. “Among others, yes.”

“Seriously?” Zane asked.

Emma laughed harder.

“I think it’s f**king cool, man,” Kelly said, peering through the darkness at Nick. Nick raised both eyebrows but chose to take another sip of champagne rather than comment.

“The team’s sort of on hiatus right now,” Emma admitted. “Marley, our camera specialist, came with me to film the wedding. We’re going to make a side trip and see if we can head over to Loch Ness after.”

Ty frowned. “Why are you on hiatus?”

Emma sighed. “Our expedition leader had a little disagreement with the producers of the show they’re trying to get off the ground, and then he went on strike. They’re trying to find someone to replace him so they won’t have to deal with him.”

“So you’re without a team leader?”

“Pretty much. And those are some weird resume requirements, know what I mean? Not only did he have the skills to keep us from getting maimed in the Amazon, but he also had the degrees to qualify as an expert in the fields of history and anthropology. He filled two posts despite being kind of an arrogant ass**le. Then our medic went and got pregnant, so we’re down by three spots.”

“Kelly’s a medic,” Ty told her. “And Nick’s currently being a jobless bum, plus he knows everything about history there is to know. He could lead your expeditions.”

Nick grunted.

“Really? You were both Recon like Ty, right?”

Nick shook his head, but Kelly’s eyes lit up. “What kind of expeditions are we talking about?”

“The kind with really big snakes to poke,” Emma answered, glancing sideways at Nick.

They all laughed, and Nick shook his head harder.

“I’ve been getting a little restless where I am,” Kelly admitted. “I wouldn’t mind finding out more about this.”

Ty chuckled as Emma sank her teeth in and started talking up the open positions on her team. He could see Kelly fitting in with a bunch of adventuring whackos like Emma and her crew. Nick would go nuts, though.

Deuce brought the blunt out again, leaning forward to light it. He was able to take a long drag on it before Nick reached over the fire pit and plucked it out of his mouth.

Livi laughed. “You’re being oppressed by the Man.”

“Damn it.”

Nick gave the blunt a sniff. “Medical grade?”

Deuce smirked and shrugged. “I have a bad leg.”

Nick laughed, and to Ty’s surprise he took a short hit before handing it over to Kelly. “That’s better than your other stuff,” he told Deuce.

“Tell me about it,” Deuce said, chuckling.

“How do you know about his other stuff?” Ty demanded.

Nick and Deuce both laughed at him.

“Please, you think I sucked snake venom out of his leg because he’s a nice guy?” Deuce asked. “I’m just glad he hasn’t turned over any new leaves since then.”

Ty gaped at Nick, who was snickering and sipping his champagne. “Like I don’t even know you,” Ty said to him.

Nick merely shrugged.

They passed the blunt around, Ty and Zane both refraining. Ty didn’t really have any objections to marijuana, but if he didn’t like the way a contact high felt, he knew he wouldn’t like anything stronger. He’d never tried it and didn’t intend to.

Emma passed the blunt back to Deuce and turned to Livi, her eyes shining. “I want to see your dress tomorrow. I can’t stand waiting any longer!”

Livi’s laugh was light and carefree. “I haven’t gotten to show it off to anyone yet, so I’d love that. Bring your bridesmaid dress so I can see if it’s horrible!”

“Oh, fun! I will!”

Because of the restricted guest numbers, Deuce and Livi had filled in the ranks of their wedding party with family. Livi’s brother Theo was a groomsman, and Emma was one of Livi’s bridesmaids, even though the two had never met before this week.

As they continued talking about the wedding colors and the cakes and the dresses, Kelly groaned and rubbed at his eyes.

Livi settled into the crook of Deuce’s arm, smiling kindly at Kelly. “You’ve been through this, huh?”

“I have. I’m sure this won’t be as big a disaster as mine was,” Kelly assured her.

Nick and Ty both made noises of agreement. They’d barely gotten Kelly to that wedding alive, much less gotten him out of the marriage.

“I remember the tales of that bachelor party,” Deuce said. “Which is one reason I’m not letting Ty plan mine.”

Ty grunted. “Hey, that wasn’t me. I was an innocent victim. Mostly. Sort of innocent.”

“It was me,” Nick confessed.

“I woke up the morning of my wedding on the front lawn of the church, tied up, with my tux covered in sequins they’d taken from stripper outfits.”

Nick grinned. “We Bedazzled him.”

“The minister told me I was the shiniest groom he’d ever seen.”

Nick burst out laughing, slumping further in his chair.

“It took a long damn time to collect those sequins, too,” Ty added. “We had to beg every dancer in Jacksonville.”

“Why didn’t you just buy a bag of sequins from a craft store?” Zane asked.

Ty and Nick shared a look, both of them frowning. Nick took a drink as Ty muttered, “Wow, that would have been easier.”

“Not near as fun, though,” Nick added.

“Have any of the rest of you ever been married?” Livi asked.

Zane raised his hand. Nick shook his head and took another sip of his champagne, but Ty was already snickering and pointing at him. Nick narrowed his eyes as he swallowed.