Cronus was extra grumpy today. I don’t know what crawled up his ass to make him this way. I do know that when Maisy and Stormy left, Maisy had tears in her eyes.
I’m wearing black jeans, a nice pair I just bought, with my chain and heavy leather belt. On top, a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up my forearms. I’ve pulled all my hair back into a man bun at the back of my head.
Stormy told me she’s never been a “plan your wedding” kind of girl, but I want this to be perfect for her. I can’t wait to see what she settled on. As long as she meets me at the top of that aisle, I don’t care—as long as she’s not naked. No man is allowed to see her like that.
A knock sounds at the door, and I open it. Part of me wants it to be my brother, but I know that’s not possible. I’m shocked when I see him standing there with River and my nephew behind him.
“Cronus said you needed me,” Klay says, and I pull him into my arms.
For as long as I can remember, we’ve been there for each other. I wasn’t present when he first married River, though I know that happened at gunpoint. But when they renewed their vows, I was there.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“So, who’s the lucky lady?” he asks, and that’s when the realization truly hits me. No one can know yet, not until her file is wiped. But Cronus gave me this one consideration.
“You’ll see.” It’s all I can say. I don’t know how to tell them.
“Ready?” Cronus asks, and I nod. “Tell them everything afterward. Family should know some of it. But he deserves the truth.” Cronus nods at Klay, who raises his tattooed, pierced brow at me.
When Klay got out of the military, he joined the ATF and lived the MC life to its fullest.
River steps in and hugs me before she and Klay make their way to their seats. Cronus and I follow and move to the front of the chapel, stopping in front of a man dressed in a suit. That was the one thing Stormy demanded. She didn’t want an Elvis or an alien to marry us.
The doors at the back open, and Maisy stands there in a sheer lilac dress that reveals the mini skirt underneath. Cronus shifts next to me, and she smiles before walking down the aisle. Then I see my bride. She glances around the room, and when she spots River and Klay, she starts trembling. She’s had enough plastic surgery that at first, they don’t recognize her. But when she gets close and River realizes it’s her, River pushes my nephew into her husband’s arms and stops Stormy in the aisle.
“Oh my God,” River sobs. “Is it really you?”
Stormy nods. “You saved me.”
They hug for so long that I have to walk up behind them and carefully extricate my girl.
“Come on. We can talk afterward,” I say, and Stormy looks up at me with glossy eyes, making me fall deeper for her.
Her hair is no longer in dreads but falls in loose blond waves to her shoulders. She’s wearing a long, filmy gown in purple, lilac, and cream floral patterns, with a small train. The halter style shows off her cleavage in full display. I can’t wait to get her back to our apartment, where I can make love to her again and again.
As the clock strikes its final stroke to midnight, we say our vows.
“Do you take Atlas to be your husband?” the officiant asks her, and she looks up at me with a smile.
“I do.” She doesn’t hesitate at all.
“I do,” I say before he can finish the question, and everyone chuckles.
When we get to the kiss-the-bride part, I decide she deserves the truth.
I lean forward and take her into my arms. She wraps herself around me, and I whisper so only she can hear, “I’ve loved you for longer than I should have. I’m never letting you go.” I kiss her long and deep, our tongues entwining as mine dominates hers, and she moans into my mouth.
Someone shouts for us to get a room, and I pull back. She looks up at me and smiles, but she hasn’t said the words back yet. This is what I was worried about.
She rises onto her toes and pulls my face toward hers. “I love you too. I wanted to tell you in that hospital room it was me, but I couldn’t. I didn’t trust anyone until you.”
“I’ll always protect you,” I promise.
She nods, and we all return to the safety of the warehouse. Stormy, River, and Maisy head off together to change and talk, and I stand there, watching them go.
Chapter Thirteen
Stormy
