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She glanced at me and frowned slightly at my own hair. I brushed it quickly and plaited it. That was all I had time for, before Mannix told me she was waiting for me. It was better than the freshly fucked look I'd had before that.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You looked flushed."
I glanced over her shoulder. The mirror showed my cheeks were pink, brow crinkled, and a slightly wide-eyed expression.
"I'm fine. Just… excited for you." So my hair didn't look freshly fucked, but my face did.
She didn't look like she believed me, but she patted her hair and smiled. "I think we've kept Leo waiting for long enough. We wouldn't want him to think I've changed my mind."
"Yeah, wouldn't want that." I looked away from my reflection and followed her down the stairs in heels so tall I needed to hold onto the bannister to keep from toppling the rest of the way. No one could accuse my mother of choosing practical footwear.
She gave me a nervous smile at the bottom of the stairs, and blew out a breath through pursed lips.
"You've got this," I said, because it seemed like the thing to say.
That earned me a grateful smile, and a nod. "I know, I just can't believe the day here. It feels like I've waited…" She shook her head.
"You haven't changed your mind have you?" I asked teasingly.
"Of course not," she laughed, slightly higher than normal. "Let's do this."
One of the staff hovered, holding a bouquet of flowers in each hand. She handed the smaller one to me, the bigger to Mum.
Red and white roses. They reminded me of blood on pale skin.
A thick green ribbon wound around the stems and poured down my hand, the exact shade of my dress. Whatever else might be said about Leo, he could pick a good shade of green. Thank fuck there was no risk of me dying while wearing pink. It's the little things.
I nodded my thanks and she hurried away. Lucky her, she could escape this chaos.
From hidden speakers out near the pool, music started to play. Some cheesy love song by Mum's favourite singer.
For some reason, she'd said no to my suggestion to walk down the aisle to something by Bliss n Eso. Something about not liking their music. There was no accounting for taste. Especially since she also said no to Wolf Venom, Abbie Hart and Blazing Violet.
"You walk in first," she reminded me. I hadn't even noticed I stopped on the threshold. She must have assumed I was nervous, because she didn't look concerned.
We'd rehearsed all this, but that seemed like years ago. My whole world changed since this morning, much less yesterday when we ran through every step of the ceremony. Did she know I ran away and the guys brought me back? If I didn't know better, I'd think she was oblivious.
"Right." I gripped the flowers and tried not to grimace at the sticky slickness between my thighs. Ice was right, I was going to feel him there during the whole ceremony. It was equal parts hot and messy. Hopefully no one would wonder too much at my expression. I was just as hopeful the trickle wouldn't reach my feet.
I took a breath and started to walk slowly up the aisle towards Leo and Mannix.
Their faces were expressionless, until Leo saw Mum. Then his face melted into an adoring smile.
If there was anything I was sure of right now, it was that he loved my mother. Honestly, that wasn't a whole lot of consolation, since he was potentially an accessory to at least one murder. Fucked up was putting it mildly.
I dropped my gaze and looked at the long, red carpet I walked up. I couldn't meet Mannix's eyes. Not now. If I did, I might forget I needed answers from him. One heated look and I'd be lost. His all over again. I couldn't let him get to me that easily.
I reached the end of the carpet and stepped aside to let the bride stand beside her groom.
The ceremony itself passed in a blur. I only half listened. Most of the time, I kept my eyes down. Once in a while I glanced up at Mannix, or Ice, who sat in the front row.
Every time I did, they were looking at me. Ice with a smug expression, Mannix with an intense one.
I resisted the urge to speak out when the celebrant asked if anyone objected, but it was a close-run thing. I was sorely tempted to interrupt and demand answers instead.
I bit my tongue, literally, to keep from saying anything.
This would be over soon enough, I told myself over and over.
