Page 75 of Vows of Ruin

We round the van together, Hugo barreling ahead of us to Max. Max switches to German without missing a beat, commanding him to sit. The dog obeys instantly, tail thumping the dirt.

Max looks up as we join him. “Maura, this is my wife, Wrenley.”

Maura’s eyes flick between the three of us, me, Max, Wrenley, sharp as glass but with a flicker of mischief. She leans toward Wrecker in a stage whisper that carries just fine. “His wife? She was just kissing the giant.”

That gets giggles out of Wrenley and Daisy, and I can’t help smirking.

“Yes, ma’am,” Wrenley says, perfectly unapologetic. “They are both my husbands.”

Maura tips her head back and lets out something in Italian, rich and rolling, that has Wrecker groaning. Daisy leans toward Wrenley and whispers the translation with a grin. “She said, Good God, that’s incredible.”

Wrenley’s eyes go wide before she laughs softly, shaking her head.

“Zia,” Wrecker warns, sighing like he’s been through this before.

Maura just shrugs, hands up. “What? I’m only saying, she’s young and beautiful, why not have the most fun you can get.”

Wrecker shakes his head and waves them toward the porch. “Come on, let’s get the girls settled into the houses.”

From the steps, Maura calls out. “There is food in all the kitchens! You and your friends will come back to the main house for dinner!”

That gets Elias and Riot perking up like kids on Christmas morning.

Margot mutters under her breath. “Food and sex… It’s all these boys care about.”

Max just smirks at her without denying it, and I catch Wrenley trying to hide her grin as we follow everyone toward the guest houses.

The settling process takes a while, and the girls are skittish, but there is an underlying excitement about them. I keep an eye on Daisy, being the youngest, she’s not clinging quite as tight to Wrecker as before, but there’s a hesitation in her every step.

I walk over to the porch of the small house, finding Elias already digging through his bag for something. “Give me an extra burner.”

He arches a brow but doesn’t ask why, just pulls one out and hands it over. “Loaded and clean. Knock yourself out.”

I start programming numbers into it as I walk over to where Daisy’s standing with Wrecker and Wrenley.

“Here,” I say, holding it out to her. “This has Wrecker’s number and Wrenley’s number programmed in. You text them anytime day or night if you need something. Got it?”

She smiles, it's small but real. “Thanks.”

Wrecker claps my shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”

Wrenley just slips her hand into mine and gives it a firm squeeze, no words, just that silent exchange that says she knows exactly why I did it.

The dining room feels lived-in, with worn wood floors, mismatched chairs, and a table big enough to hold the kind of conversations you can’t have anywhere else. The food smells like home, roasted meat, fresh bread, and something rich Maura’s been tending to on the stove all day.

It’s easy here. Comfortable. We’re all talking over one another, trading jabs, laughing at the way Riot and Elias bicker like they’ve been married twenty years, until Maura sets her fork down and says. “So, I have questions.”

The table quiets instantly.

She looks right at me. “How does it work?”

Wrecker groans. “Oh God. Here we go.”

“Shut up,” Maura says without turning her head. “I want to know.”

I lean back, smirking. “Wrenley met Max first. They were married first.” I glance at her, and she’s already smiling at me like she knows where I’m going. “But I fell in love the moment I set eyes on her.”

She tilts her head slightly, eyes warm, but doesn’t say a word. Just let me hang myself in front of the family.