“Let’s begin. Got the rings or did you forget?” he asks and a rumble of laughter goes through the crowd.
I hold open the lapel of my cut and fish out the rings. Giving Katie just enough view inside to see the black handcuffs.
She gasps, her eyes wider than her bouquet.
“You didn’t.”
“Wedding night fun, Sunshine.”
She swats me with her bouquet and gives Prez a look. “Can you please get on with it before he does something to really embarrass me?”
“Good luck,” Prez says, chuckling, then he turns serious.
The rest of the ceremony is standard. I do. She does. Rings. Promises of forever.
I’m so choked up, I can barely get out my vows.
“Love you,” I rasp.
“Love you too, big shot,” she replies squeezing my hand.
“Kiss your bride.” Prez kicks my shin.
“Oh shit. Yeah. That’s the best part of all, I was just so busy staring at the most beautiful woman in the world.”
She’s laughing when I kiss her, which has always been my favorite way to do it.
The roar that goes up from the club probably traumatizes a dozen park visitors.
Over at the birthday shelter, a pack of kids start screaming just to join in.
Then Prez raises a hand, and the noise from the club brothers and their dates drops dead.
“One more piece of business,” he says, and Ace steps forward with the folded leather in his hands.
I take the cut and shake it out so Katie can see the back.
PROPERTY OF SKULL
The patch came in last week, and I’ve looked at it every day since like a damn teenager.
“Oh my heavens,” Katie whispers through tears.
Two months ago she’d have stuffed that feeling down where nobody could see it. Now she lets it out in front of a hundred people, because she knows every one of them would stand between her and anything that came for her.
“You don’t have to wear this if you don’t want to,” I tellher in a low voice, just for us. “The vows are the part that counts.”
“Max Gray,” she says sniffles. “Put my cut on me and seal the deal.”
Yes. I am the luckiest of all.
I slide it over her shoulders and she looks hotter than ever in that white dress and black leather.
The club thunders. Engines fire up in the lot, the whole park is alive with celebration.
Winford raises his beer in a toast and mouths *rated G, please.*
Anna is shooting anyway. “You two are gonna blow up the internet again!” she shouts.
