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Viv caught Evie’s eye before answering honestly. “It’s not my favorite. There’s one more I want to try on.”
She hopped down and headed for the dressing room. This time the consultant helped her strip off the dress and pulled out the other one Evie had brought in. This one was more of a champagne color. The beading over the lace appliqué made it sparkle in a way that really made you think of bubbles in a glass of champagne.
It had a high neckline, not something she normally would have gone for, but the back swung low, exposing her shoulders and spine in a way that was more flattering than she would have anticipated. Lace sleeves hugged her arms to her wrists, and the dress was fitted to her knees until it flared out into a long train.
Steeling herself, she turned toward the mirror for the first time, breath catching at her own reflection. The idea of finding something she actually liked, let alone something that made her feel like a real bride, had seemed an impossible dream. But Evie had done it.
Viv didn’t care what anyone on the other side of that door thought. She was going to get married in this dress. Smoothing her hands down over her hips, she smiled and turned for the door.
The silence when everyone saw her was so palpable her resolve faltered. Could she really go through with this dress if they all hated it? She stepped in front of the three-way mirror and gave a little twist to see the dress from all angles. Yes. She could.
“Well?" she asked when everyone simply stared.
“You look…” Sofia’s words trailed off, and Viv’s heart thumped in her chest.
“Incredible,” Julia finished.
When Viv met her mother’s eyes in the mirror, they were bright with tears. So were Sofia’s. Even her friends were dabbing at their eyes. Only Evie’s were alight with something that looked like triumph.
“That’s it,” her friend Felicity said. “That’s the one.”
Viv turned back to the mirror and smiled. At least she would get one thing she wanted on her wedding day. She was going to feel like a goddess.
ChapterSix
It had been three days since the accident, and Aidan knew Brogan was no closer to finding out who rammed the minivan. Not because it was a difficult task, but because they’d been nonstop busy with a million other things. Word of the impending alliance and wedding had skirmishes popping up all over the city.
Smaller, less powerful groups hoped this was a moment to expand their territory or take a shot at the syndicate while their attentions were elsewhere. But syndicate eyes were always watching, and Aidan had seen more field action in the last week than he had in months. It was nice to get his hands dirty again.
Plus, he didn’t mind the distraction. Anything to get that woman out of his thoughts. She’d invaded them like a nightmare, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d catch himself thinking about her soft hair or the shape of her mouth or the way her legs would feel wrapped around his waist. It was infuriating.
He was already resigned to marrying her; his brain didn’t need to torture him with thinking about her too. On top of that, he’d been reluctantly fielding questions about wedding shit all week. Tuxes and boutonnières and what did he think about the food. He didn’t give a damn about any of it. Least of all his bride and her perfect ass.
He wasn’t worried about her. He hadn’t been worrying about her. Plucking her out of that car had been about nothing other than instinct. Plain and simple. If there was something to be found, Brogan would find it and they’d deal with it. Otherwise he wanted to think about her as little as possible.
He tugged a blood-splattered shirt off over his head and debated whether it was worth saving. On a shrug, he tossed it into the laundry bin instead of the trash. The maids were usually good at getting out blood. And discreet.
He chose a fresh shirt and pulled it on, noticing Declan in the doorway when he crossed back into the bedroom, eyes glued to his phone. He glanced up when Aidan cleared his throat.
“Successful raid, I’m told.”
“No casualties. For us anyway.”
Declan nodded. “Good. Let’s go. I’ve got another assignment for you.”
His brother didn’t wait for acknowledgment or agreement before turning on his heel and taking off down the hall. Aidan rolled his eyes and grabbed his leather jacket off the back of the chair where he’d slung it, checking that his weapon was still secured to the waistband of his jeans.
He caught up with Declan on the stairs, but his brother still didn’t say where they were going even as they loaded into his Range Rover and pulled out of the driveway. They were halfway to Center City before Aidan got sick of the silence.
“Is there going to be a time in the not-so-distant future where you’ll freely offer up details for whatever you keep hauling me off to?”
Declan’s shoulders jerked like his mind had been far away, and he turned sharply to look at Aidan. “What?”
Aidan sighed. “Where the hell are we going?”
“We’ve got a supplier who keeps stepping out of line, and I want to remind him who the fuck he’s dealing with.”
“And you need me to do that? Why?" he asked at Declan’s nod.
