Brooke’s tears spill over completely.
Carter immediately looks distressed by that. “Oh, baby…”
She laughs shakily, shaking her head. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m trying.”
“I know.” Brooke squeezes his hands tighter and takes a steadying breath. “When I met you,” she says softly, “I thought strength meant surviving pain quietly.” Carter’s entire focus sharpens on her instantly. “I thought softness was dangerous,” she admits. “I thought needing people made you weak.” Emotion catches in her throat for a second before she forces herself through it. “But you taught me softness wasn’t weakness.”
Carter closes his eyes briefly like the words physically hit him.
Brooke steps closer. “You showed me that being cared for doesn’t make me fragile,” she whispers. “That being loved doesn’t mean being controlled. That safety can exist without fear attached to it.” Carter’s breathing goes uneven at that. “You never rushed me,” she says. “Never made me feel broken for needing time. You loved me patiently, even when I didn’t know how to love myself yet.”
The yard is dead silent now.
Brooke reaches up carefully, touching Carter’s jaw. “And somewhere along the way,” she says with a watery smile, “you became the safest place I’ve ever known.” Carter fully loses composure for a second. Not dramatically. Quietly. Like the emotion is simply too big to hide anymore. “You gave me a future I never thought I deserved,” Brooke whispers. “And I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life choosing you right back.”
Carter lets out a shaky breath and pulls her closer immediately. “I love you so fucking much,” he says against her forehead.
Brooke smiles through tears. “I love you too.”
Then Carter kisses her like he’s been waiting his whole damn life to do it.
Dom looks calmer than most of the men. At least on the surface. But Kya knows him too well now. She sees the tension in his shoulders the second she steps in front of him. Sees the way his eyes keep moving over her face like he’s trying to memorize every detail. Remy is asleep against Ana’s shoulder nearby, completely unaware his parents are getting surprise married in front of half the club. Gio stands beside Cain pretending he’s too old to care while still very obviously emotional about the entire thing.
Kya smiles softly at Dom. “You look stressed.”
“You people coordinated a secret wedding,” he replies. “That feels like a reasonable reaction.”
Kya laughs quietly.
Dom takes her hands, thumbs brushing over her knuckles automatically. The noise around them fades. “When I met you,” he says, “you were already carrying the weight of the world.” Kya’s expression softens immediately. “You had Gio depending on you. Bills. Fear. Pressure.” His jaw tightens slightly. “And you still kept going every damn day.” Emotion roughens his voice more with every word. “I don’t think you understand how much I admire that.” Kya’s eyes fill instantly. Dom shakes his head once. “You survived things that should’ve broken you. And somehow you still stayed soft with the people you love.”
Kya laughs shakily through tears. “Dom…”
He steps closer. “I swear to you,” he says quietly, “I’ll protect you, Gio, and Remy with everything I have.”
The seriousness in his voice lands heavy. Absolute. Permanent.
“You will never have to wonder if somebody’s standing between you and the world again,” he continues. “Because I will. Every fucking time.” Kya fully breaks into tears at that point. Dom immediately looks alarmed. “Why are you crying?”
She laughs harder through the tears. “Because you’re emotional and it’s weird.”
The yard laughs softly around them.
Dom mutters, “I regret speaking.”
“You absolutely do not.” He exhales hard through his nose but doesn’t deny it. Kya wipes under her eyes before speaking. “When I met you, I didn’t trust easy anymore,” she says softly. “Not with myself. Definitely not with Gio.” Her gaze flicks briefly toward her son before returning to Dom. “But you never made me feel like we were baggage.” Dom’s expression changes immediately at that. “You loved my son before you had any reason to,” she whispers. “You stepped into our lives like you were always supposed to be there.” Emotion thickens her voice. “You gave Giostability. You gave Remy a father who would burn the world down for him.” She smiles shakily. “And you gave me peace.”
Dom’s throat works hard.
Kya squeezes his hands tighter. “You already protect us with everything you have,” she says softly through tears. That one destroys him quietly. No dramatic reaction. Just visible emotion crashing straight through the composure. “You love us so fiercely,” she continues. “And somehow even with all your chaos and overprotective bullshit” the yard laughs again, “you still make me feel safer than anyone ever has.”
Dom huffs a quiet laugh. “The overprotective part is never changing.”
“I know.” Kya smiles through tears. “I don’t want it to.” His eyes shut briefly. “And I promise,” she whispers, “that no matter what comes for this club, this family, or our life… you’ll never fight through it alone.”
Dom opens his eyes and immediately pulls her into him. Hard. Like he physically needs her closer. “I love you,” he says roughly against her hair.
