“Mae,” Stephen whispered as I approached. He held out his hand and I slid mine in his. I met his gaze and saw his eyes begin to shimmer with tears. “You look so so beautiful, my girl,” he rasped, fighting the lump in his throat.
My girl . . .
“Thank you.” I pulled back my hand and ran it down the lapel of his tux. “You look very handsome.”
Stephen smiled, then lowered his head. When he looked back up, he said roughly, “It is an honor for me to walk you down the aisle today, Mae. I have waited for a moment like this for too many years to count. I cannot believe we are actually here right now. It’s like a dream.” His gaze drifted over my shoulders to my sisters. “All of us. All of you looking so perfect . . .” he cleared his throat. “My brave daughters.”
“Father,” I whispered and blinked away my tears.
Stephen stilled. “Father . . .” he repeated, and this time a tear drifted down his cheek. “I will never tire of hearing that word from your lips.” He kissed me on my cheek, then threaded my arm through his. “I believe it is time. I do not want to face Styx’s wrath if we don’t get you out there and married as soon as possible. He is not a patient man when it comes to you.”
I laughed, but knew he was right. Styx would not think twice about marching in here and carrying me to the altar to speed things along if I did not hurry up.
Sia waited at the doors. “You ready, Mae?”
“Yes,” I said but then quickly held up my hand. “Just . . . one moment, please.”
I moved to the window that overlooked the yard as my sisters took their places. I discreetly looked through the glass, and I felt a wave of nervousness as I saw all the brothers in their seats. Phebe and Sapphira were beside AK, Flame, and Vike. Letti and Beauty were with Bull and Tank. I saw Ky at the altar, dressed in a white shirt and his cut . . . and then I saw him.
My heart stopped beating, my lungs stopped breathing, and my body stopped moving. Styx, my Styx . . . he was . . . he was . . . beautiful.
He stood at the altar with Pastor Ellis before him. His head was down, and he was rocking from side to side. I knew how nervous he was. His hands wrung together at his front. And then he turned to hear something Ky had said, and my breath whooshed through my parted lips.
He wore dark jeans and a black bolo tie with the Hangmen emblem embossed in the silver buckle. And then there was his cut. The top couple of buttons of his shirt were undone, showing his many tattoos and tanned skin. His dark hair was messy, exactly how I liked it. And then there were his hazel eyes, bright under his furrowed brow, his dark stubbled cheeks making his irises look even greener.
He was about to become my husband . . .
“You good, Mae?” Sia asked, and I turned to face my sisters.
“I am ready,” I said, knowing each word was true. “I am more than ready.”
Sia smiled and left through the doors. I took my place beside Stephen, behind my sisters and waited for the music to begin.
Today I would marry the boy who had pulled me from my deepest despair. Today, I would become Mrs. Mae Nash . . .
. . . at long last, I would be home.
Chapter Seven
Styx
I saw Sia emerge through the doors and give me a huge smile. She threw up her thumbs, telling me Mae was ready. I kept my hands joined together so no fucker here could see them shaking.
I would sign today. I’d fucking made peace with that shit. The pastor knew, my brothers would expect nothing else, and now all I had to do was wait for Mae to walk outta that fucking door.
Ky leaned toward me. “You shitting yourself?” I glared at him. He laughed, and I pulled at my collar. It was fucking too hot out here.
The sound of Sia clearing her throat came from the back of the yard. I looked up, as did everyone else, and some froufrou classical music started to play from the sound system. It wasn’t Nelson or Waits, but Mae had picked it, so that made it all fucking okay.
Sia opened the door. I couldn’t see in, but I didn’t have to wait long. Grace stepped out looking as cute as fuck in her little white dress. Ky smiled as his daughter began throwing white petals on the floor. She walked down the aisle like she had no fucking care in the world then ran the last few steps until she was by Ky’s side.
“Good fucking job, kid,” he said and took hold of her hand.
Lilah was next, followed by Maddie. Ky was fixed on his wife, and when I looked at Flame, the brother looked about ready to launch from his seat just to be with Madds. Bella followed, Rider and his mother, Ruth, smiling at her from the back row.
And then my eyes locked on the doorway. I counted. I’d counted to eight when I saw the first flash of white. I tensed, all my muscles locked tight as Mae stepped out of the door arm in arm with Stephen . . . and I felt like I’d just taken a fucking crowbar to the stomach.
Fuck, but she was perfect. Mae clutched onto both her bouquet and her father as she made her way to the top of the aisle. Then she looked up, paralyzing me with that wolf-eyed gaze. Every fucker here seemed to fade away as I saw her smile under her veil, her pink lips bright and shining through the lace. She started walking, and it took everything I had not to race down the damn aisle, rip the veil from her face and smash my lips against hers.
But I held still, just watching this bitch—the bitch who had flipped my world upside down as a kid—make her way toward me. And with every step, I saw it all in my head. I saw her crouched behind the fence, crying. I saw my defective mouth open and speak to her, her big fucking blue eyes seeming too big for her face as she looked at me, as she joined her hand with mine through the chain fence. Then her on the floor of the compound behind the dumpster, opening her eyes, lying in my arms, fucking bleeding and dying. Her watching me play Waits, me being able to speak to her again. Kissing her against the tree at McKinney State Falls, her forgiving me for freaking out over her scars, then her letting me make her mine. Getting her back from the cult, then never fucking letting her go again. Then the best of all, her telling me she was having our kid and that she would finally be my fucking wife.
All of it was there in my mind. Every fucking day I’d spent with her.
Mae stopped at the end of the aisle. Stephen kissed her on the back of her hand, fucking smiling through his tears. He then turned to me and shook my hand before moving to sit on the front row, fucking beaming at his daughters. Ky moved aside, and I held out my hand to Mae. The second her small fingers pressed against my palm, I fucking breathed.
Finally fucking breathed.
I caught a glimpse of her eyes through the veil then, before I was even asked by the pastor, I lifted it over her head, cupped her cheeks, and pressed my lips against hers. Like she did every time, she melted against me. I heard my brothers calling out and Vike’s fucking annoying voice shouting, “Ain’t at that part yet, Prez!”
But I took her mouth, not giving one shit. She was mine. I’d take her fucking pink lips if I wanted to—I owned her and she fucking owned me. When I broke away, Mae giggled against my mouth.
Pastor Ellis leaned forward, grinning. “Shall we begin?”
The pastor started talking, talking some religious bullshit I had no interest in hearing. Then it was time for the vows. We’d agreed on just the normal vows. I didn’t want a fucking fanfare. I wanted my signing to be quick and to the point. Mae had been understanding, of course. She always was.
Mae went first. Ky gave her the ring. With her hand in mine, she repeated what the pastor told her to say. “I, Salome Nash, take thee, River Nash, to be my lawfully wedded husband . . .” And I listened to her. I listened to her tell me she’d fucking stand by me in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part.
Pastor Ellis turned to me, and I felt my heart slam in my chest. I swallowed, feeling the python wrap around my throat. And it squeezed. It squeezed so fucking tight that I felt the muscles in my neck cord. Mae squeezed my hands. When I looked at her
, I realized Pastor Ellis had spoken.
“Are you okay?” Mae whispered just for us to hear. I nodded once. Then I couldn’t fucking tear my eyes away. I stared at my bitch and was fucking floored. All black hair and blue eyes and those fucking pink lips. Her dress, our kid in her stomach . . . all of it. All of her. So fucking perfect. Right here. Right now.
“Mr. Nash, your vows,” Pastor Ellis said, and Mae pulled back her hands so I could sign. But as she did, something in me snapped and I held on tight. Her brows pulled down in confusion; then she tried again. But I still didn’t let go. I knew she’d be able to feel the shaking of my hands as I gripped onto her. I knew she’d be wondering what the fuck was happening. So I looked to the pastor and nodded my head, urging her to talk. She looked lost as fuck as well, but I gave no shits. I fucking had to do it.
Meeting Mae’s confused gaze, the pastor said, “Repeat after me. I, River Nash, take thee, Salome Nash to be my lawfully wedding wife.”
Fucking dead silence followed her words. So quiet that I heard my heart beating in my ears. Heard Mae’s quickening breathing. I heard my lips parting and my harsh breath coming from my throat.
“River, please, you don’t have to,” Mae whispered under her breath, her eyes widening as she realized what I was about to do.
What I fucking needed to do. This was Mae. Our wedding day. And I was fucking going to speak.
I tried to find the words, but all that came out was hot air. Swallowing, I ticced, my head flicking to the side—I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop those fuckers—and tried again. My fingers gripped on to Mae, and I found the ability to pathetically stutter, “I . . . I . . . R-R-R—” I closed my eyes and worked on loosening up my throat. “R-River . . . N-N-Nash.” A bead of sweat rolled down my neck. I opened my eyes, and the minute I saw Mae’s eyes shining with tears, fucking happy, proud fucking tears, I knew I had to keep going. Mae’s hands clutched onto me like she was my damn anchor. The bitch was, and she didn’t know just how much. “T-Take th-th-thee . . .” I paused, breathed, then stuttered, “S-S-Salome N-N-Nash t-t-t-to be, m-m-my lawfully w-w-w-wedded w-w-wife.” I blew out a breath like I’d just run a motherfucking marathon.
I heard a sob tear from Mae’s throat, and her arms were around my neck like a vise. “I love you,” she whispered and I fucking held her close. “I love you so much. I am so, so proud of you right now.”
I felt my throat try to close, but I would not let that fucker do it until I’d gotten through these vows. Mae stepped back, cheeks wet, as Pastor Ellis finished the last of the words.
I got through them . . . just. Then the rings were in our hands.
“I do,” Mae said and slid the black ring on my finger. I stared down at the piece of metal and knew that fucker would never be coming off.
“Do you, River Nash, take Salome to be your lawful wedded wife?”
Looking my wolf-eyed bitch right in the eyes, I opened my mouth and, without stuttering even once, said straight to Mae, “I do, babe.” The fucking smile I got from Mae could have lit up the fucking night.
“Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. River Nash!” I felt something catch in my motherfucking chest and had to cough to the clear the fucker away. Something different settled down. Fuck knew what, but I liked it. “River? You may now kiss your bride,” Pastor Ellis finished.
Before the end of her sentence had even left her mouth, I had placed my hands on Mae’s face and crushed my lips to hers. Mae moaned and fell against me. My brothers hooped and hollered, and I just took Mae’s mouth, ignoring them all. I pushed my tongue against hers and fucking held her tighter in my grip. I took and took until I pulled back to get a fucking breath. Mae’s eyes were dilated, and the tears still fell down her cheeks.
Beautiful.
“You spoke,” she whispered above the sound of everyone’s loud calls and celebratory gunshots. “You spoke, River. To me. In front of your club. Our vows.”
“Y-yeah,” I stuttered and wiped the tears away from her cheeks.
“My husband,” she said and turned her head to kiss the center of my palm. My fucking wife, I wanted to say in return, but the python was back in place and my words were gone. But for once, I didn’t give a shit. I’d spoken the ones that had needed to be said. And that was all that fucking mattered.
An arm hooked around my neck. “You fucking dick,” Ky said, but I heard the damn pride in his voice, the fucking rawness. I looked at my best friend, and he winked then shouted, “Get the fucking music on, bitches! Get the beer flowing and the fucking grill on full blast. We got a fucking wedding and the Hangmen Mute finally speaking to celebrate, motherfuckers!”
The brothers laughed and got to work. We ate, we fucking drank and, when the night closed in, Sia moved to the speakers and told all the brothers to get the hell out of the way. Mae took my hand and pulled me into the center of a makeshift circle. My brothers pissed themselves in laughter at me, but they didn’t have Mae in their arms so, as far as I was concerned, they could all fuck off.
“I-I d-d-don’t f-f-fuckin’ d-dance,” I whispered into Mae’s ear.
She laughed, the fucking high-pitched sound making my lips twitch. “Just this once, I promise,” she said when I heard familiar chords begin to play. I raised an eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I gripped her waist as Tom Waits’s “I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You” began to play.
“I had to,” Mae said in response to my expression. “It was the song you sang to me when I woke from running away. The one that I will always think of when I think of you.” She shrugged and twitched that fucking nose, destroying me where I stood. “It is us.”
I yanked her closer and felt her head tuck into my neck. And then I sang. I sang the words that had brought her back to me, made her fucking mine. And I sang every word until the end. As the music changed from Waits to Garth Brooks, I said, “I w-want you home n-now.”
Mae met my eyes, nodded, and kissed me on my lips. “I want that too. I want to make love to you as man and wife. As Mr. and Mrs. Nash.”
So we left.
And I was gonna make her mine.
*****
I held Mae’s hand as we walked to the cabin. My thumb kept brushing against her wedding ring, and I couldn’t describe the fucking feeling that settled in my chest when it did. When I looked up, Mae was watching me, her pink lips pursed. “You like it as much as I do?” she asked, batting those huge black lashes of hers.
I lunged forward and lifted her in my arms. Mae squealed and laughed when I approached the door. “Beauty told me about this tradition,” she said as I opened the door to the cabin and stepped over the threshold with her in my arms. I leaned down and kissed her mouth. “I like it,” she added when I pulled back.
Bitch was killing me.
I took her straight to the bedroom and lowered her feet to the floor. Mae’s hand was on my chest, running over my Hangmen Texas tie. “I really like you like this, all dressed up. You look so handsome that I lost my breath when I saw you.”
Bitch was really killing me.
I crashed my mouth to hers and led us backward until Mae’s legs hit the end of the bed. She carefully lowered herself down, and I drew back. With Mae’s wolf eyes leaden, I shucked off my cut and tie. I ripped open the shirt she loved so much and tossed it to the ground.
Mae’s cheeks filled with red, and it took all I had not to just throw her back on the bed and fuck her. Something inside of me needed my dick in her immediately. Needed to make her Mae Nash. Needed to make her officially my old lady once and for fucking all.
“And now the jeans,” Mae said and I had to clench my jaw to hold myself back. I raised my eyebrows, and she hooked her lips up in a fucking sexy smile.
I snapped the buttons of my jeans and kicked them off my legs. My hand fisted my hard-as-fuck cock, and I walked toward her. Her chest was rising up and down as her breathing cam
e faster. Her tits pushed against her dress then, making me groan out loud, her hand covered my hand on my cock. Her left hand with my ring on her finger. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the damn sight.
“Mae,” I growled then stepped back and freed our hands. She didn’t have her veil on now. Just that dress and, as much as I loved her in it, I fucking wanted it off. I lifted Mae from the bed and placed her before me. “F-fuckin love you,” I said and closed my eyes when her mouth hit my chest and her tongue flicked over my tattoos. Her hands ran down my sides until they crossed over the front, brushing over my hard cock.
I spun Mae around, finding the long line of buttons on her dress. I snapped them open, one by one, careful not to just lose my shit and rip the fucker off in pieces. When I reached the bottom, I spread the material and pushed it off her arms. I ran my mouth up her bare shoulders and neck, where her hair was tied up. Mae gasped and bumps broke out on her skin.
“Styx,” she whispered as I dragged the material off her hips until it reached the floor. She turned around, and I had to move the fuck back when I saw white lace covering her pussy and white stockings on her legs. “Fuck, b-bitch,” I rasped and my fingers ran over the waistband of the panties.
“I wore them for you,” she said quietly; then she leaned against my chest. Her full tits—now much bigger from being knocked up—pressed against my skin. The tip of my dick ran against her stomach, and I clutched the lace panties in my fists. I pulled, not giving two shits that I ripped them clean off. “Styx!” she said in shock. I ran my fingers along her pussy and over her clit. The minute I did her words faded into a long groan. “They c-come off.” I stepped back and pointed to the stockings and garters. “B-But they st-stay the fuck o-on.”
“Yes,” she said, lips swollen and nipples fat. I lifted her in my arms, smashing my lips to hers. Mae’s fingers gripped my hair as I lowered her onto the bed and climbed on top of her. Her stomach was so big now that she normally rode me or I took her from behind, but tonight . . . “I wanna f-fucking s-see your face,” I said and reached for the pillow. I tucked it under Mae’s back, raising her hips. I hooked her legs over my arms; then I ducked my head, spread her pussy lips, and licked from her hole to her clit.