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Do I know better?She’d revisit that later.She wanted her brother to be safe.To have an easy life now after the pain he’d endured.But…
Easy might not be for him.
Her husband-to-be was already in deep talks with the rest of the Ice Breaker crew.He’d worked out a consulting gig with the FBI.Oliver had lots of dreams.Lots of plans.
So did she.
Her fingers brushed over the flowers.A bouquet of red roses.“Did you know that—pretty much everywhere around the world—a red rose is a symbol of love?”She slowly exhaled.She could hear the music playing.Almost time for her to go out.“But red also means passion.”Lark felt plenty of passion when it came to Oliver.“Desire.Victory.”They’d defeated the monster.“And joy.”Being with Oliver brought her so much joy.
If they were lucky, they’d know joy for the rest of their lives.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”Her brother tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.“We can leave him.Rush out of this place and never look back.I’d take you out.In an instant.If this isn’t what you want, I’d run with you—”
She pressed a kiss to his cheek.The silk of her gown slithered softly.“I choose him.”Simple.“He’s the man I’ll spend my life with.”What it came down to in the end?“I love him with all my heart.”
No running.No rushing out.No leaving Oliver at the altar.
Just loving him.Forever.
“Figured you’d say that.”He grimaced.“Just had to make the offer.Big brother thing, you know.”
The music grew louder.It was time.
An attendant opened the door.Lark faced forward.Her chin lifted.Together, she and Lane began to walk down the short aisle.Red rose petals had been sprinkled onto the floor.The sweet scent of flowers teased her nose.
She passed Memphis.His wife Eliza.A man named Titan Samson who’d come for the wedding—a friend of Oliver’s.More Ice Breakers.A woman named Delilah and her husband Archer—they’d come to town on a private jet.Archer had offered Oliver a whole lot of money to work with the Ice Breakers.
Victims never paid for services with the Ice Breakers.Archer Radcliffe had started bankrolling the whole operation.Afterhis wife had cleared him of an old murder suspicion.
There were a few other figures in the church, too.Theo Tutweiler.Shannon Steele.Everett Callen.
Colby Ballard.
Colby sat in the front row.He even smiled at her when she passed him.
She smiled back because…maybe he wasn’t so bad.Maybe most people weren’t.Once you looked past the masks that everyone wore.Sure, you could go around thinking the world was full of monsters.Monsterswereout there, after all.
But so were heroes.So were good people.
Her stare drifted to Oliver.
He wasn’t smiling.Too much longing filled his face.
Her brother paused with her at the end of the aisle.
Oliver just kept drinking her in.
Sighing, his best man slapped a hand on Oliver’s shoulder.“You’re supposed to go to the woman,” Midas whispered.A loud stage-whisper.
Oliver surged toward her.
“You’d better love her forever.Treat her like a queen each day of her life,” Lane said to him.Did Lanesniff?As in…an almost-cry-sniff?
“I’ll love her until I die,” Oliver promised.
“Yeah, well, don’t go doing that shit anytime soon,” Lane mumbled back.“She likes you breathing.She deserves a happy life.”
She didn’t wait for Lane to let her go.She pulled her hand from his.Reached out for Oliver.Her hand curled with his.No, that wasn’t good enough.She yanked him toward her.Kissed him before there were any vows.
