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Adam pulled him close to his chest, his eyes filled with the same worries as mine. Without another word, we turned and left the house that held nothing but violence and pain behind.
47
GAGE
My fingers fumbled the tie, sweaty and uncoordinated like I was back in bootcamp and it was my first day at the firing range.
“Damnit,” I cursed when it dropped to the floor. “Why do I even have to wear this thing?”
“Because Mom said that we’d look handsome and she wants a nice picture of us all dressed up.”
I turned and leveled a not so serious stink eye at the six-year-old lying on the floor while he played a handheld video game. There was an open bag of Skittles next to his elbow and every so often he’d pause his game to shove a few in his mouth.
“Yeah, well, don’t be so high and mighty. Yours is a clip on.” I smiled at him and he smiled back. Kid was a smartass but I loved the hell out of him.
“What’s the hold up?” Roe burst through the doors, wearing a Bluetooth earpiece and holding a clipboard. Mia and I hadn’t been engaged five minutes when he’d declared he was going to be our wedding planner.
“We are five minutes from go time and I’m short one groom and one best man. And while I’d be happy to step into the best man spot, I don’t think that Sam is cool with polygamy.”
“What’s polygamy?” Miles asked.
I slapped the back of Roe’s head and made a mental note to make him bleed the next time we sparred. At least he had the decency to wince.
“It’s where you have more than one best friend,” I told him. Miles looked at me, turning over my explanation in his head.
“Like if Garth is my best friend but Daisy is also my best friend?” Roe barked a laugh but I’d had practice and learned from Mia how to keep a straight face in front of our son.
“Yup, you finished with that level yet?” The distraction worked and his head was once again buried in his game.
I refocused on the tie but after another minute of battling, I crumpled the damn thing in my fist and threw it onto the chair where my jacket was waiting.
Roe’s eyebrow raised and I shrugged. “Somehow, I don’t think she’ll mind. Ready, little man?”
Miles jumped to his feet and I slid my arms into my jacket. One last glance in the mirror and I was ready.
* * *
“I knewyou wouldn’t wear the tie.” Mia’s warm fingers traced the tattoos on my throat where my collar hung open.
“I tried, angel, I really did.” She giggled, her dress lifting as I spun her in a circle. “Have I told you how fucking beautiful you look?”
Mia was a stunner in jeans and a t-shirt but my heart had stopped beating when the doors opened, revealing her dressed in white. Her shoulders were bare, the top of the dress dipping down and teasing me with the hint of cleavage. She looked like a princess with the poofy skirt and I couldn’t wait to crawl under all those layers to unwrap what was underneath.
I lifted her hand and kissed the band on her finger, not a princess, my queen. She rested her cheek against my chest and I held her tight while we swayed. The song that was playing wasn’t one I knew and the beat was faster than we were moving but I didn’t care, I could stay like this forever.
My mind drifted as the songs changed and I thought about how close I’d come to losing this. I’d driven like a bat out of hell to get to her and I’d almost died when I burst through that door to find Avery coming at her.
There was no hesitation when I’d pulled the trigger and no guilt from taking his life. I hadn’t lost a minute of sleep over it.
We’d ridden with Miles to the hospital. When he’d woken up, he’d told us that the ‘bad man’ had convinced Miles to come with him by threatening Mia. Then he’d given him a Benadryl that’d knocked him out, thankfully other than that he’d been fine. And Mia and I were grateful he hadn’t seen or heard what went down in that house.
We’d taken a few months to heal. Everyone understood that we needed time alone together. Gemma had assured Mia that her job would be waiting for her and Gray practically kicked me out of the office, telling me not to come back until I was ready.
Mia had taken us to visit Angie’s grave, something that she’d never felt safe doing before. She talked about her all the time, happy memories and stories that made her laugh. Avery had lied about telling Miles he was his father, another blessing. Mia wasn’t ready to share the whole story with him yet, but when the day came, I’d be by her side supporting her, supporting them.
Even though I’d fought it, I had known for a long time that Mia was it for me. I’d been hers from the moment I saw her. When I’d asked her to marry me over coffee and pancakes, she’d cried for an hour, happy tears that I kissed away.
With Mia in my arms, my eyes searched out Miles and I smiled when I saw him at one of the tables showing Daisy James how to play his video game as they shared the bag of Skittles.
