“We have police presence,” Ross reassured them. “The wedding is safe. I’ll let my dad know where I am and that he needs to keep an eye out in case she has friends.”
“Oh, she has friends. I assure you,” her father said with a sigh. “It’s like a John Wick movie out there. When I get my hands on Huisman, I’m pulling his balls off his body and shoving them down his throat. But as for this one, be careful with her. She might try to hurt herself.”
Landon and Ross nodded and walked Sosa out.
“That was weirdly kind of you.” Kala sounded disappointed. “Any particular reason why you’re playing nice with an assassin?”
Her mom moved into her dad’s space and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”
Sometimes Kala didn’t understand nuance, but Kenzie did. “She’s young and Russian and likely trained against her will.”
Very much like their mother, and her father obviously saw the parallels.
“I’ve got some intel about a couple of groups in Europe and Asiarecruiting young women for training,” Tasha explained, her eyes on the door.
“And by recruiting we mean trafficking,” Lou continued. “And there have always been rumors of a group who uses young orphans—girls from the old Eastern Bloc states and Russia—as operatives and thieves. They run a bit like a syndicate. I like to call them Black Widow groups.”
Her mom stepped back, holding her hands up. “We will deal with this later. Right now, we’re going to celebrate. Now Kala, your cousin is waiting to steam the skirt of your dress because it’s obvious you have already played around with your groomsman.”
Kala groaned and stood since she totally had and her skirt bore some wrinkles. “Fine. And we’re not doing fight club.”
“No, we’re not.” Kenzie had an announcement, too. It had been too long. She hadn’t even looked at another man since the moment she saw stupid Ben Parker, who didn’t deserve her in any way. It was past time to get right back on that horse. “Lou, let’s put on some Rhianna and talk about which Bliss boys I’ll be riding tonight.”
“Whoa.” Her father’s hands went to his ears. “That turned so fast.”
It was time for her bad bitch era to begin. Sad girl was out. Boss babe was taking over. She was done being down bad for that man. New beginnings.
She would start over. She would live for her job and her family, and have righteous sex whenever she wanted because she was giving into the spy life. Her sister’s heart condition wouldn’t let her go into the field anymore. Not for anything other than an emergency with a full backup team. So it was up to Kenzie. She was the operative now, and she had to be everything.
She would stand tall. She would take Huisman down, and she would do it in style. Ben Parker would rue the day he decided to walk away from her. He would come crawling back and she wouldn’t be there for him. She would be the queen. It was like Halsey said. If she couldn’t have love, she would take all the power and take out her enemies while enjoying herself with whatever man caught her eye.
“She’s going into what I like to call wronged queen mode,” Kala said with a nod as though she approved. “The playlists are about to get really girl powery, and we should prepare for some slutty times, my sisters.”
“I should have let the bomb take me,” her father whispered.
“It’s a good thing,” she heard her mom whisper. “She needs to let that asshole go.”
Cool. They were reaching the insult-the-guy stage. She could do that. It was like immersion therapy. She would immerse herself into the world where she hated Benjamin Parker and cursed his name and wished she’d never met him and… Oh, no…she was tearing up again.
Everyone was watching. Like they were all waiting for that tear to fall and they would know she wasn’t ready.
Kenzie sucked it the fuck up because shewasready. Ready to live again. Ready to leave Ben behind. Ready to stand in her own glory, needing no man.
“Kenzie,” a deep voice said. “I was hoping we could talk before we walk down the aisle together. If you let me walk you down the aisle…”
Ben stood in the doorway wearing the sexiest tuxedo she’d ever seen. It fit him like a glove. And his face. She’d missed his gorgeous face. He was here.
“It was supposed to be a surprise. Dare asked him to be part of the wedding party. Seth is willing to step down so you can walk with Ben,” Tasha whispered. “Unless you’re determined to make your own ménage.”
She practically tripped running to him. He was here. He was just slow. It was okay. She could deal with slowness. What she couldn’t deal with was never seeing him again.
He caught her and his face lit with the sweetest smile. “So we’re okay?”
She wrapped herself around him, feeling more at peace than she had since that moment in Nepal when she thought she’d lost him. “No, but we will be. We need to talk.”
His hands stroked over her back, and she felt him kiss her temple. “We will, but first we’ve got an aisle to walk down.”
He shifted back and the room was in motion again. Devi had stepped out of the side room and was dragging Kala back to what she called the steamer. Lou helped Tash into her shoes. Her mom took pictures and tried hard not to ruin her makeup. The aunties showed up. Grace and Avery and Serena and Erin and Eve.
