Page 62 of Royal Salvation

“Can you believe our girl is getting married?”

Reaper was standing at the bar inside the hotel where Snow was about to marry the Judge, having a drink with Duchess, Bein, Lotus, Titan, and Watchdog. Hurricane and Bishop were with Rykov, talking to the groom who looked as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Shaking his head, he glanced at Duchess who’d posed the question. She was wearing the same colour dresses as the other bridesmaids, and they all looked beautiful. Not that anyone could hold a candle to Lucía. His gut tightened with familiar pain as it always did when she slipped past the barrier he’d created for her.

He missed every single thing about her, from her smile, to her heart, to the way she’d cross her legs and tuck her ankles like the queen she was inside. He also missed the feel of her hands on him, the way she tasted when he kissed her, and the way she could make him laugh at the silliest things.

His mother’s burgers were ruined, the memory of making them with her that first time too much to bear. Every day he got up and punished his body with a brutal workout, pushing himself so that he was better, faster, more focused as if that could erase the mistakes of the past.

He’d spoken to his father and mother, as well as Caleb, and his mum and brother were helping his dad through the end of his life. The rescue to save his father, carried out by Eidolon had been straight forward. With only four men holding his father at Chess’ command, it had been an easy take down for the team. No loss of life and those men were now in custody awaiting charges. He planned to travel back to Australia in January so he could lay eyes on his mother and hug her and thank her, and just because even as old as he was, he missed her.

Chess had survived the shot from Hurricane and Reaper knew it had been a choice to shoot him in the neck not the head and which side. Hurricane had spotted the dead man’s switch and alerted him over the comms just before the shot was taken, thank God, or this would be a very different day for them all.

Chess was in a secure facility awaiting trial for kidnapping and murder and would, without doubt, go down for the rest of his life if he lived long enough to get there. He’d given them nothing more than what he’d told Lucía about Cradle and the network of sleepers they were building. It was enough though because it was a piece of the puzzle and connected to Hansen, giving them leads they hadn’t had before. It would most likely earn Chess a painful death in prison, but he didn’t have it in him to care.

Hansen, though, was a real bastard. Bás had a personal grudge with the man but nobody knew what it was, and he didn’t volunteer details which was okay. They all had their secrets.

His brow furrowed as he thought of the elaborate funeral Playboy had received and the lies told to cover up how he’d died. He knew bitterness wouldn’t do him any good, but in his book, justice hadn’t been served. He’d died easy and quick, but at least he was no longer a threat to anyone.

“You still in a funk over Lucía?”

Reaper realised it was just him and Duchess now, the others joining the groom while he’d been deep in thought. “I’m fine.”

“Are you? Because from what I can see, you’re killing yourself.”

Reaper angled a glare at his boss and a woman he respected. “No offence but didn’t you tell me to end it?”

Duchess shook her head, her dark hair brushing the tattoos she wore with pride. “No, I didn’t say that. My words were, Princess Lucía is in love with you and if I’m not very much mistaken the feeling is mutual, and if not, you need to end it right now. But it’s painfully clear that it’s mutual and you do love her.”

Reaper pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. “What do you want me to say, Duchess? That I love her more than anything in this world? That every second without her feels like I’m dying a slow, painful death? That I can’t sleep because I dream of her and then I wake up and she isn’t there?” He paced away and faced her again as she watched him carefully.

“Then why don’t you fight for her?”

“How? She’s a fucking Princess for God’s sake and her father hates my guts. I’d never come between her and the family she loves.”

“Don’t you think that’s up to her to decide?”

“It makes no difference. She’ll never see me again after I broke her damn heart and walked away for a second time.”

“Maybe.” Duchess shrugged and walked away as the bridal party began to get into position.

Reaper finished his drink and headed toward the room where Snow would marry Sebastian. Walking to the front, he took a seat beside Hurricane and behind Jack and his wife, Astrid. They exchanged pleasantries, Reaper knowing how much it would mean to Snow that Jack had come. The man had saved them all in his way, and none of them would ever be able to repay him for what he’d given them.

Sebastian caught his eye from the front where he was waiting for Snow to appear, his brow peppered with sweat and he knew the man loved Snow and would protect her with his life. Giving the man a chin lift, he acknowledged this and then all eyes moved to the back of the room as the music began to play.

He couldn’t tear his eyes from the woman who was sitting four rows back on the opposite side beside Bishop though. Lucía looked as gut-wrenchingly beautiful as he remembered, perhaps even more so. Her head turned and their eyes locked as if there was nobody else in the room but them. The air seemed to still and the pull of her almost overwhelmed him.

Their eyeline was broken as the bridesmaids walked past, little Fleur looking every inch the angel she was, followed by Val, Duchess, and Lotus. His eyes found hers again and she smiled, looking shy and unsure, an ethereal quality about the way she stood made him wonder if he hadn’t lost his damn mind and was imagining her.

Then Snow walked past, and he pulled his focus to the woman who was like a sister to him as Bás gave her away to the man who every single one of them had threatened with bodily harm if he hurt her. He may have had his doubts about Sebastian but as he looked at Snow with tears in his eyes, every single one of them vanished.

As the ceremony progressed, he kept looking back to see Lucía watching him, only to look away when he caught her. It became a game and he smiled at her the last time, and she grinned back, and it was if all his wishes came true at once.

As the ceremony finished and Snow and Seb walked back up the aisle, he lost Lucía in the crowd. When he found her, she was in the bar with Valentina and Bishop as the happy couple had photos taken in the freezing snow.

“Lucía.”

“Hello, Justice.”