Haze adjusted his suit and sat on the small couch in the corner of the room. “I think y’all will figure it out when it gets to that point. G is a good dude though. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this. With you. It’s been a long ass time since we beenlocked in, Glimm, but you know me. I never change up. Loyal to a damn fault. You’re safe here. You’re safe with him. And you know I ain’t ever gonna let anything happen to you.
“Ya pops, as pissed as I was for so long at him for abandoning us, is a good dude, and he’s family. Last thing I want to do is disappoint him. It would feel too much like disappointing my own pops. You back in the family now. Never really left, for real. Get used to the princess treatment. You know how I’m comin’, and Gideon is worse. When he’s locked in with someone, he spoils the hell out of them, and you ’bout to be that nigga’s wife.”
He chuckled. His words made her mind travel to her father and the phone call.
“I talked to my dad.”
Haze grinned. “Ah, you got your phone? How’d that go?”
“It was the best. Thank you.”
He waved her off. “Ain’t nothin’. I told you we was gonna make sure he was straight. He wouldn’t be aight unless he had access to you. You know how he’s comin’ ’bout his baby girl.”
She smiled sadly. “I just wish he was here. I always envisioned him walking me down the aisle, you know?”
Haze stood and extended his arm. “I know I ain’t ya pops, but I planned on takin’ that walk with you, if you’ll have me.”
Glimmer looked at him with excitement in her eyes. Here she thought she would have to walk down the aisle by herself, but Haze was there to save her from that anxiety.
She stood and accepted his arm. “Thank you, Haze.”
“Stop thanking me.”
“No.”
He chuckled. “Come on. Let’s go get you married.”
Glimmer’s heart thumped in anticipation of this next chapter in her life.
As Gideon lookedaround the compound, he wondered if the Vicious Kings needed to add event planning to the list of ways they made money.
There had been no time to hire an event planner, but it looked like they didn’t even need to. Gideon learned last night that Glimmer’s favorite colors were pink and purple. A true girly girl. There were white flowers with pops of pink and purple. Silky ribbons and crystal decorations Gideon didn’t even know how to describe filled the space. There was informal table seating along each side of the aisle his soon-to-be-wife would soon walk down.
He waited at the alter alongside Rome, who had gotten his officiate license for this occasion, and Deuce, who was hisgroomsman. Deja and Kyomi stood on the opposite side, and everyone waited patiently for Haze and Glimmer to appear.
When they did, everything around Gideon drowned out. The people standing, the music, the murmurs of praise for his soon-to-be-wife . . . it all faded as he focused solely on Glimmer.
She was breathtaking. Her beauty literally stole his breath away. A nudge from Deuce reminded him to breathe. When Glimmer smiled at him, he almost melted right there onto the floor. Her white dress matched his white suit and tie. Her hair was pulled away from her flawless face, just like his locs were.
Glimmer’s brown skin looked like it glistened under the soft lighting. He was glad she had Haze to lean on because he could tell she walked with a slight limp. Everything in him wanted to rush to her and help her himself, but he trusted his best friend to get her down that aisle safely.
By the time she reached him, he realized his mouth was salivating. He had to clamp it shut to keep from drooling.
Haze kissed her cheek before handing her dainty hand over to Gideon and taking his stance next to him as his best man.
Gideon’s warm hand wrapped around hers, and he smiled down at her. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She blushed, which made him smile bigger.
Rome called everyone’s attention and started the ceremony, but Gideon didn’t pay any attention. He took the time to commit every part of Glimmer’s face to memory. He noticed that she seemed just as mesmerized by him as he was with her.
When it was time to exchange rings, Gideon noted the panic run across Glimmer’s face. He chuckled and whispered, “Don’t worry, I took care of it.”
Pup stepped forward with the rings. He handed the one he picked out for himself to Glimmer, and then he handed Glimmer’s wedding band to him. Gideon took that time to admire the rock on her finger. It looked perfect, and he wasproud of his choice. He had never bought a woman something so expensive before, but something told him Glimmer was worth every penny.
“Repeat after me,” Rome said to Gideon. They exchanged their standard vows, and before he knew it, Rome was ready to end the ceremony. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Gideon cut his eyes at Rome. He told that nigga to leave that part of the ceremony out. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kiss Glimmer. He just didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.
