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I gripped his knee as his warm breath sent chills running through me. “It’s just a meeting.” I licked my lips and turned, pressing my forehead against his. “We’ll see what happens. Besides, you’re the one we should be celebrating, Mr. Visionary Award-Winner.”
Cian’s cheeks flushed slightly, and my ovaries were about to explode at how painfully adorable he was in that moment. He didn’t like the attention, never wanted it on him, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he was brilliant at what he did, not only at making the best investment deals but also at transforming and revitalizing neglected communities through the Blackwood Group. Not to mention the development and implementation of his cutting-edge smart building technologies. He was so unbelievably smart and so focused on helping those who needed it most. How had I ever got so lucky?
“Have you thought any more about the wedding?” Orin scooped out the casserole and passed plates down the table. “I was going to get ordained online.”
“Hey.” Eros held up his hand, a scowl on his face. “I was going to do that. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Well, surprise. I’m getting ordained so I can perform the ceremony.” Orin glared at his brother and snatched the next plate out of Thora’s hand.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Thora stood up. “I’malreadyordained. I was gonna do it.”
“Guys, maybe Nova doesn’t want any of you three doing it at all?” Cian raised his eyebrow and glanced at me. “Maybe she wants a legitimate priest to do it.”
Everyone turned to look at me, and I paused mid-bite. Cian chuckled, and I kicked him under the table. “Um, I guess I hadn’t thought about that.” The puppy dog looks the three of them gave me had me sighing. “I guess you could all do it together. That would be really sweet, guys.” And it would be. Honestly, I hadn’t thought they would propose anything like that, but I had to remember they were a tight-knit group. So unlike me and my family, who were no more than strangers to me now.
“What about me?” Valik put his fork down and crossed his arms over his chest. “What if I wanted to do it, too?”
“Well”—I turned to my left and placed my hand on top of his—“actually, I thought that when the time came, you might want to walk me down the aisle.” The idea had come to me just days ago, after Valik had dropped me off at my front door. He was someone who I had grown incredibly close to very fast. Not only because of the trauma we’d both suffered at the hands of Ryzen, but because he had quickly turned into one of my best friends and I couldn’t imagine not having him around.
Valik sucked in a deep breath and gripped my hand. “Don’t make me cry, Nova.” He laughed, but I could see his eyes glisten slightly. “I would be honored to walk you down the aisle.”
“Everyone happy?” I glanced around the table, and everyone nodded. Juliet and I had already discussed that she would be my maid of honor—of course she would be. There was nobody else in the world I would give that position to. “I was thinking we would do it at Cian’s lodge? And just us. Family only, unless you really want to bring a date. Nice and small.”
Everyone clapped, and the table filled with chatter once again. My heart was heavy with love for everyone here, and I couldn’t help it when my eyes filled up with tears. This was it. My life now. Nothing else mattered except these people, and I would do anything to keep them all safe.
We talked for a while about the wedding and came up with a plan. The lodging cabins were closed for renovations anyway, since Cian was upgrading a few of the cabins. Not that it would interfere with our wedding. We would have it just before Christmas, probably the best Christmas present I could ask for. Thora got really excited when we started talking about wedding dresses and said she would make us an appointment at the perfect place tomorrow after work. After everything I had been through the last few months, I would not let any of that bad shit ruin this wedding. It was time to make new memories.
We sat around the firepit after dinner and talked some more. Orin told us about the bounty he was still chasing. He didn’t want to give too many details, but apparently he had been close to catching her in Des Moines, but she had managed to slip away. Not before she had slashed all his tires though.
A light on the rooftop of the building across from us caught my attention, and I narrowed my eyes at it. The building was about a hundred yards away with the rooftop cloaked in darkness.
Except for that light.
The light started moving erratically and then sped off to the opposite side of the roof. It was as if someone was running with a flashlight.
“Guys, what is that?” I placed my wine glass on the table and stepped closer to the railing. The light was still moving, and everyone gathered around with the same questioning expression on their face.
Cian wrapped his arms around me from behind. “That’s odd.” he murmured.
We were high on the sixtieth floor, and from this distance, most of the sounds below were muffled. But the crack that echoed in the night sky a moment later was loud and clear.
A gunshot.
*****
“I found something.” Juliet walked over.
It had been a long-ass night of tossing and turning. After the loud pop, Cian had made us all go back inside. Thirty minutes later, there had been a slew of police cruisers out front with their red and blue lights flashing. Valik had gone down to investigate, but when he got back said he couldn’t get any answers. But I had seen the way he had looked at Cian. Something was going on, and they didn’t want me to know.
Valik had been quiet the whole drive to work this morning, which was so unlike him. He was worried. I could see it all over his face.
Juliet held up her phone, and I gasped.
Security guard found dead at Mount Olympus Building.
Oh, my God. I scrolled through the article, but it had little information. Just that the guard had been doing his rounds, and when he hadn’t come back, the other security had gone looking for him. They’d found him deceased on the roof.
I fucking knew it.
