Page 63 of Haden

Ryder growls, “Emilia told us what happened before we sent them all upstairs.”

I continue pacing. I’m going to wear a hole in the rug. It’s probably a hundred years old. Too bad.

Dallas clears his throat. “The sheriff believed the license to be a fraud. He took Winters into custody. He’ll contact the authorities in Nevada and turn him over to them.”

Brody rubs his forehead. “I hate this. It could happen to any of us. Emilia isn’t a target because she’s a woman. The reverse could happen at any time. The world has just as many crazy, greedy women as men in it. All someone has to do is show up with some cockamamie tale and upset our lives.”

I look around at them, all of us with furrowed brows and firm expressions. After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I say, “Thank you.”

Ryder frowns. “For what? We’re family. You don’t have to thank us. We’re a unit. We have each other’s backs. Always.”

Tiago nods. “He’s right.”

I draw in another deep breath. I need to be calmer when I go upstairs. I’m sure Emilia is freaking the fuck out, and I want her to see me as supportive and loving. Not the crazed lunatic I currently feel like inside.

I meet the gazes of the men who truly will be my legal family as soon as I marry Emilia. “I mean, thank you for not doubting her. I appreciate no one wondering out loud if it’s possible. She told me it is not; I believe her.”

Brody smirks. “Emilia? Drunk? Not a chance. She doesn’t even like drinking. There’s no way she would let a stranger get her sloshed and end up married.”

Dallas nods. “He’s right. Besides,” he smirks, “she’s only had eyes for you for four years. Not a chance in hell she would have glanced at another man long enough to have been able to so much as describe him. Flirting? Never. If it comes down to it, we can always contact her friends to confirm the events. If a lawyer or judge needs witnesses. But I doubt it will happen. It won’t take much research to verify the license is a fraud.”

I turn to Brody and give him a man hug. “I should go upstairs.”

“We all should,” he agrees. “I’m sure the women are anxious.”

We exit the room, wasting no time taking the steps at the front of the mansion. Seconds later, I enter the room I’ve been sharing with my girl before closing and locking the door behind me.

As I expected, Emilia is pacing. She’s no longer wearing the dress. Now she has one of my T-shirts on. That fact calms me. I secretly love finding her in my clothes. It’s sexy.

She rushes over and wraps her arms around me.

I lift her off the floor and hold her close against me, kissing her neck. “It’s okay, baby.”

“Is he gone?”

“Yes. The sheriff picked him up. He’ll spend the night in jail. In the morning, Sheriff Johnston will contact the authorities in Nevada.”

“Thank you for believing me.”

I carry her to the bed and set her on the edge before grabbing a chair and dropping onto my ass in front of her. “Emilia, listen to me, baby.”

She nods, biting her bottom lip.

“You’re mine.”

She sniffles, nodding again.

“Let me tell you my thought process, okay?”

“Yes, Sir,” she murmurs.

“First of all, I knew there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell you were married and simply hadn’t told me. That meant either you didn’t know you were married or he was lying. Neither of those possibilities would be your fault, so I didn’t for one moment blame you.”

“But—”

I hold up a hand. “Jitterbug, I was suspicious from the moment that man opened his mouth. He kept arguing that you’d been drunk. I’ve never seen you drink, and Brody and Dallas haven’t either. Could you have gotten drunk one night in Vegas? Of course. Millions of people who don’t drink have been inebriated at one time or another, half of them in Vegas,” I say, keeping my tone light.

“Haden…”