“Wow, you look beautiful,” I coo, undoing Maggie’sseatbelt. She’s staying with Colette for the first time tonight, and she’s been talking about it for a week.
“We match,” she squeals, gesturing to our mother-daughter blue-and-white sundresses.
After setting her on her feet, we walk into the building holding hands.
I never imagined there would be a day I’d allow my daughter to set foot in this place. It was actually a recurrent nightmare of mine, but before things got awkward, Gabriel assured me that she’d be safe. And I trust him with her.
“Well, if it isn’t the two most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen,” Gabriel says, walking over and picking Maggie up as we step into the building.
He looks like a dream in a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt, except for the shiner on his left eye.
“I’ve missed you!” he says, hugging her tightly.
She giggles, snuggling into him. It’s only been a couple of months, but they’ve become thick as thieves.
Gabriel’s gaze runs lazily over me before he winks.
“Is that my Maggie girl!” Colette shouts from across the room.
Maggie leaps from Gabriel’s arms to run to her. “Nana!”
Colette picks her up, and they go over to Shane and Nik.
“I think she likes my mom more than me.” He laughs.
“Hell, I’m her mom, and I think she likes her more than me, too.” I grin, turning my attention from my daughter to him. “What happened to your face?”
He touches the black eye. “Fight night.”
I tilt my head to the side, a half-laugh slipping from my lips. “Isn’t that frowned upon?”
He shrugs. “No coping skills.”
The rehearsal goes off without a hitch, and we settle in for dinner. It’s kind of nice to be here all together. It’s like our family’s finally come full circle. It’s a little awkward between my mom and Shane, but I’m glad she showed up.
“We’re gonna head to our hotel. If you need anything later, call,” Denny says, leaning down to kiss my head before he walks over to my mom, who’s saying goodbye to Shane and Nik.
Not long after, Colette takes Maggie home while we clean up. I’m picking up the centerpieces when I hear shouting from outside the club.
“What the fuck,” Gabriel mutters from where he’s putting folding chairs on a rack across the room. He takes off toward the door, followed by my brother, then everyone else. As I step out the door, my blood runs cold. My dad stands near the building. Two older members blocking his way.
My heart pounds in my chest, and I can’t breathe.
Gabriel charges him. “Do you have a fucking death wish?”
He collides with my dad, shoving him to the wall with an arm to his throat and getting right in his face, his neck turning a deep crimson.
“My kid’s getting married! I deserve to be here.”
“The only place you deserve to be is in the ground!” His voice sends a chill down my spine.
My dad’s false-calm mask slips into place. “You have a lot of nerve to speak to me that way after what you did to my daughter.”
“At least I’d never hurt my own kid.”
With a malicious grin, my dad says, “Easy for you to say, you abandoned yours.”
Gabriel rears back before slamming his forehead intohis nose. Blood sprays. Before my dad can right himself, Gabriel swings, and he goes down.
