8
Savannah
Hadley’s squeal has all attention on her. She runs towards me with her arms wide open before engulfing me in the tightest hug known to mankind. Once she’s done squeezing me to death, she holds me at arms length and admires me.
“You are so perfect! I can’t get over how pretty you look.”
I know she’s exaggerating because my wedding dress is hardly anything special. It was the first white dress I found that was appropriate enough for a court wedding. Regardless, I squeeze her hands.
“Thank you.”
Isabelle forces Hadley to let go of me when she pulls me into a gentle hug.
“I can’t believe I have two daughters now.”
She strokes my cheek.
“My son is so lucky,”
she whispers.
Her gentleness instantly has tears in my eyes. Her presence is only a reminder that my mother isn’t celebrating this milestone with me.
“I’m the lucky one. I’m getting a family along with a wonderful husband. Thank you for supporting Hux through all of this.”
Huxley told his family I had suffered from postpartum depression, which was why I got myself hospitalised.
“Why are you making my wife-to-be cry?”
Huxley grumbles as he joins us. His arm wraps around my waist and pulls me closer.
“It should be me crying! My one and only son decided to have a court wedding! Why couldn’t you wait a little longer and plan a real wedding?”
Guilt eats at me. This wedding was only rushed for my sake. I look up at Huxley, wishing I could erase the guilt he feels for denying his mother her dream.
Hadley scoffs.
“He’s trapped a woman into marrying him. He wasn’t taking any chances,”
she teases.
He rolls his eyes. “Shut up.”
I can’t help but laugh at the childish banter between the siblings. My hand rests on his chest.
“Maybe we can plan a nicer reception party. Nothing too big, but nicer than this.”
Huxley peers down at me.
“I don’t think we’ve got time for that, sweetheart.”
His eyes convey all that his words cannot in their presence.
My hand cups his jaw, letting his facial hair tickle my skin.
“We’ll make time. No matter what plans we have, we cannot forget our family.”
When he gives a soft smile of approval, I turn back to his mum.
“I’m going to need your help. If you’re free, that is.”
Her arms are back around me again.
“Thank you.”
“What’s going on here?”
Malcom asks wearily.
“I see too many tears for such a joyous occasion.”
“Mum was just thanking Savannah for finally stripping Huxley of his virgin status.”
That earned her a shove from the groom himself, making her laugh harder.
A melodic giggle steals my attention and a grin breaks out on my face. My legs are already moving towards her. “Ellie!”
She runs into my arms and I inhale her sweet scent.
“Hi, baby.”
Uncaring about my dress, I cradle her in my arms. When I stand, I’m staring at the grey-blue eyes that have haunted me. “Hey.”
Xavier smiles at me.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you for bringing her. I really appreciate it.”
“Dress!”
Elise squeals.
I put her down and gasp at her puffy dress.
“So beautiful. Just like the girl wearing it.”
Huxley shakes Xavier’s hand.
“Thanks for coming.”
Xavier nods.
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
His gaze lingers on me.
“How are you feeling?”
I step into Huxley.
“Very well. Like a brand new person.”
Huxley’s lips press into my temple.
“In just a few minutes you will be a new person, Mrs Ray.”
My eyes playfully narrow.
“We’ve spoken about this. Mrs Ray is your mother. I will be Mrs Ray-Hayes.”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart. As long as you’re mine, I don’t care.”
Xavier clears his throat, reminding us of his presence.
“I’m thrilled for you both. May your marriage be fulfilling and ever-lasting.”
Xavier’s blue eyes burn into mine as I pull back from the kiss. The few friends around us cheer as we are declared husband and wife. Elise’s dress swirls around her as she runs to us with unsteady legs. Her soft tufts of hair flow behind her before she crashes into my legs. With a tight grip, she hugs them. The moment lasts mere seconds because she’s called back to her seat.
Xavier smiles at me, and I return one back.
“Ready?”
Huxley asks.
I nod.
“Never been more ready.”
There is a glint in his eyes that I’ve missed. He threads his fingers through mine as we leave our guests behind. The car ride is silent as we are lost in our thoughts. I didn’t expect to become a wife, but I need it.
Once we arrive at his house, he sweeps me into his arms and carries me in.
“Welcome home, Mrs Ray.”
“Mrs Huxley Ray. I like the sound of that.”
There is a troublesome glint in his eyes.
“What would you like our first act as husband and wife to be?”
I cup his face with a tenderness I didn’t think I was capable of anymore.
“You know what.”
He kisses my cheek.
“I got it.”
He carries me up the stairs into his bedroom. His long hair is pulled into his signature bun. His eyes are soft yet determined. His facial hair tickles my fingers as I trace his jaw.
“Thank you,”
I whisper.
“For what?”
“Everything.”
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
He gently places me down on the foot of his bed. He draws his curtains closed.
“Clothes on or off?”
I chuckle at the look on his handsome face.
“Would we be doing it right if our clothes were on?”
I start pulling the straps of my wedding gown down, but his rough hands stop me.
“It’s our wedding night. Let me undress you.”
Huxley’s hands move slowly as he unbuttons my dress. Every brush of his skin against mine makes me shiver. Once he’s done, he steps back and admires the view.
“You’re perfect,”
he murmurs.
The soft look in his eyes weakens my defence. I want to fall apart in his arms, but remember what this was for. I’m not going to be blindsided this time.
This time, I’ve got my eye on the whole board.
I stand taller.
“Your turn.”
Huxley undresses himself faster than he did me. We’re both naked in the middle of his bedroom within a few seconds.
“Ready?”
I swallow hard.
“He made everyone think I was crazy. He got me institutionalised. He’s the reason my mum died alone. He’s why I couldn’t be there when they laid her to rest. He snatched my chance of saying goodbye to her.”
Tears threaten to fall as I remember sitting alone in the home after being denied one day’s release to bury my mum. Xavier did everything to keep me his prisoner.
“We’re going to do this, Savannah. We’re going to get Elise back. We’re going to take him down.”
I realise how much he’s already sacrificed by marrying me. With Huxley as my husband and next of kin, Xavier can no longer make medical decisions for me.
I shake my head.
“You don’t have to do this. If you want to back out—”
Before I can finish my offer, Huxley cuts in.
“I’m not in the business of saying things I don’t mean. It’s me and you.”
I take his hand in mine and stare at the closet door.
“Us versus him. Are you ready?”
His nod is one of confidence.
“I’m in the snake’s den.”
Huxley grins at me.
“Haven’t you read a fairytale before? A true gentleman slays the dragon.”
I twist open the door and flick the lights on. Huxley pushes the clothes apart to reveal the murder board we’ve created. Every person linked to Xavier has their face on it with his face in the centre.
“He might be the dragon, but I’m the one that will do the burning.”
I step up to his picture and stare at it. A genuine smile breaks out on my face.
“Are you ready, Xavier? Because the queen is back on the board, and she’s burning your lies.”
I close my eyes and relish in the power that he stole from me.
“Not the board, sweetheart. A new game, remember?”
My fingers run over his image.
“He won’t ever see it coming. I’m going to take it all from under him. Everything he has ever built is going to come tumbling down. And one by one, I’m going to strip his lies and set fire to them.”
Huxley’s arms wrap around my waist and his chin chests on my shoulder.
“It’s good to have you home.”
I turn so I am facing him.
“It’s good to finally have a home.”
He kisses my temple, and then, like a switch, he exhales and steps back.
“We need to set some ground rules.”
He walks out of the closet and takes a seat on the bed. His eyes rake up and down my body, but his focus is elsewhere.
“I didn’t marry you as a move in this game. I married you because I love you, Savannah. I love you in ways I never could have wanted for myself. I am in this marriage for real. I need to know if you are, too.”
Climbing onto his lip, my hands run through his hair before resting on either side of his neck.
“Of course I am. I never said it to you before, but I love you, Hux. Long before I even understood that I did. This marriage is not a card in this game. I plan to be your wife until my last breath.”
His forehead rests against mine. When he speaks, there’s a desperation that makes my heart ache.
“You are mine, Savannah. I cannot live without you again.”
He takes a deep breath.
“That is why I need to put these two rules in place.”
The vulnerability we showed fades away.
“I’m listening.”
“Number one: you cannot use sex to win with him.”
When I scoff, he shakes his head.
“I mean it, Savannah. I will not tolerate adultery.”
When I told Huxley the whole truth, we skimmed over my affair with Xavier. I saw the betrayal in his eyes when he realised I was sleeping with them both. It was the only part of the story he didn’t ask questions. Instead, he asked me to spare him the details, and we never mentioned it again.
I force Huxley to look at me.
“I promise to honour our vows. I won’t let Xavier come between us.”
He’s searching for something on my face and once he’s found it, he nods his head.
“Number two: stay alive.”
Without asking, he pulls me into a kiss. His lips are feverish against mine.
My naked body is pressed against his. My fingers thread through his hair as I meet his passion. Goosebumps follow the trail of his touch across my body, but his hands don’t touch my most sensitive parts.
He breaks the kiss and tries to catch his breath.
“It’s been a long few days. We should get some sleep.”
Neither of us wants to sleep. An ache I haven’t felt in a long time throbs in my core. But there’s a deeper ache to just be with Huxley. We don’t have to worry about someone catching us or the rush to escape after sex. I want to lie in comfortable silence on our bed. I want to experience all the firsts we denied ourselves.
“Which side of the bed do you want?”
His smile feels like home.
“As long as you’re in my arms, I do not care, Mrs Ray-Hayes.”
I kiss his cheek.
“What do we do now?”
“We are going on our honeymoon tomorrow. And then we come back and fall back into normalcy, starting with work.”
I roll my eyes.
“It’s no surprise Xavier wants to keep me close by keeping me employed at XR Securities. But that helps us.”
He hums under his breath.
“From the inside, we slowly knock his walls down and watch his empire burn.”