36. Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Sylvie
Luna fiddled with the delicate lace on my wedding dress while Alexa grinned at my reflection in the bedroom mirror. The mortuary apartment had turned into wedding prep headquarters, and my room had beauty products and shopping bags strewn on every surface. The exquisite off-white A-line dress, with a sheer bodice and intricate applique, fit me perfectly. Aida, The Firm’s personal shopper, had come through again.
“Only you would think it’s romantic to get married in the mortuary,” Alexa grinned as she stepped back.
“Yeah, if that doesn’t scream 'till death do us part,' I don't know what does.” Luna studied me as she twisted my hair into an artful partial updo. “How are you really feeling?”
“Terrified, anxious… hungry?” She smirked and slid a few bobby pins into my creation. After preparing so many bodies for open-casket funerals together, we were both good at hair and makeup, and working on a live, unmutilated person seemed easy in comparison.
Alexa picked up a garter belt with a blue ribbon and motioned to my leg. “Here’s your something blue.”
I lifted up my dress, and she knelt down and slipped the garter on over my thigh-high silk stocking. I took a few deep breaths and straightened. “Why can’t we have normal boyfriends who try to avoid commitment and marriage?”
Alexa blinked at me as she stood. “Speak for yourself. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Luna laughed in her face. “You may not want a boyfriend, but you’ve got one.” She turned to me. “But seriously, are you okay with all this? You can call it off or ask for more time. You have choices.” I wondered if Luna was thinking of her own marriage. It seemed she might still be harboring some resentment.
I caught my reflection and pondered her question. “I’m ready. Drakos might be cynical and jaded—and pushy. But he's also protective and kind, and he has this philosophical side to him. Have you ever wondered what they’d be like if they’d never been shipped off to that godforsaken school in Arizona?”
Luna nodded. “I also wonder what the three of us would be like if we’d had normal parents. Maybe we’d be worse.”
Alexa sighed. “I’d chance it. My childhood sucked.” She wasn’t wrong.
“Alright, enough of this psychoanalytical bullshit.”
We heard the front door unlock and open, and Fenn yelled down the hall. “Where’s the sacrificial virgin bride?”
“Not here, thank God,” I called back.
Fennick and Kilian walked into my room, both wearing black suits, black ties, and small white boutonnieres. They cleaned up nicely.
Fenn stopped short and stared at me, then gazed down at my dress. “Damn, Sylvie. You look… girly.”
Kilian shook his head and walked around Fenn. “What he meant to say is you look beautiful.” Then he looked around my room and winced at the mess. ”Fenn tried to tell us you’d be okay with wings and beer for refreshments. Luckily, Luigi’s is catering.”
Fenn grinned. “All is not lost. Declan ordered brownies from one of the High Grounds Dispensaries for dessert. You should probably warn people.”
Kilian glanced at my alarm clock and then studied me. “It’s time. Are you ready?”
I took a few big breaths and let them out slowly. “Yes, I believe I am.”
As we descended the stairs of the mortuary apartment, I lifted my head to breathe in the cool spring desert air and take in the brilliant blue sky and bright sun. We entered the mortuary's back door into the dimly lit hall, its shadows punctuated by the soft glow of sconces on the walls. The faint scent of roses and greenery tickled my nose. Fresh flowers weren’t uncommon in the funeral home, but this time they stood witness to a happier occasion.
Before proceeding ahead of us, Fenn grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug. “I love you, cousin, and Kilian is right. You do look beautiful.” I started tearing up and lightly slapped him on the shoulder. Kilian hugged me too, and I had to blink several times to stop from letting tears slip out.
“I love you guys too. Thank you for supporting me.”
Alexa hugged me next, then Luna sniffed and wrapped her arms around my neck. “You’re beautiful, both inside and out. Thank you for bringing us together. Drakos loves you, and even if he can be a cynical asshole sometimes, you’ll always be cherished.”
Ezra stood in the hallway, waiting to escort me down the aisle. His thick silver hair gleamed, and he also wore a black suit and tie, complete with a tasteful boutonniere. He smiled, looking both proud and wistful, his eyes deep with emotion.
Camilla stood next to him, shifting nervously in her lavender bridesmaid dress and steampunk Doc Martins. She looked miserable, but her hair was clean and softly curled, and she even wore the barest hint of makeup. My heart squeezed when I realized she’d lost her exuberant innocence and baby fat. Pulling on one of her curls, I hugged her to me. “You look—and smell—amazing. Follow Luna and Alexa down the aisle and stand next to them on the left-hand side.”
She nodded. “Thanks for the boots. You look really great.”
Ezra smiled. “You do look beautiful, sweetheart. I wish your mother could see you. What do you think? Are you ready?"
“I wish she could have been here too, and I’m as ready as I'll ever be. Is it weird that I want to get married here at the mortuary?”
“Maybe,” he chuckled. “But that isn’t bad. In fact, it’s one of the many things I love about you.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, and I smiled up at him. Luna and Alexa swung the chapel doors open to reveal the sanctuary, and we turned and walked through them. The chapel had been transformed from a house of mourning to something else entirely.
White and soft pastel-colored flowers were twined with greenery and draped across the benches. Breathtaking urns of roses, lilies, and hydrangeas decorated the space, and their sweet fragrance filled the chapel.
Drakos stood at the altar with his partners, all wearing black suits and ties, but Drakos also wore an exquisite charcoal brocade vest designating him as the groom. And damn , he looked positively decadent. His thick black hair was combed back, giving him a masculine, serious aura. My heart stuttered, and I paused. His piercing blue eyes found mine immediately, and he seemed to see straight through the facade of lace and satin to the girl who had once sworn never to marry.
His eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward as if silently telling me he’d chase me down if I bolted. I stilled, fighting off nerves for a few seconds, then threw my shoulders back. Drakos relaxed and his lips curled up, taking me in. Raising an eyebrow, I strode steadily down the aisle while Ezra walked beside me.
The soft murmur of guests filled the space with an expectant hum. Time seemed to stretch and warp as I walked, and the chapel felt like a strange alternate reality, where love and death intertwined like wild ivy on old gravestones.
I reached Drakos, and Ezra placed my hand in his, kissed my cheek, then stepped back. Standing there almost defiantly, I tilted my head up to stare at his beautiful, sharp face. “Do you think the line 'till death do us part' is a promise or a challenge?”
Ivan barked a laugh, and Roman shook his head.
We’d found thick, matching platinum bands with black diamond inlays. Drakos wanted something bigger and flashier for me, so he’d bought a matching band with a flawless ruby solitaire I could wear for special occasions.
Xander calmly gazed at me as if waiting for a sign. I nodded, and he began. My ears buzzed, and Drakos’s words barely registered when he pledged to be my husband. Then Xander turned to me and asked me if I would promise to love, cherish, and honor Drakos Manlius Creed as his wife. My mind snagged on his middle name. Manlius? His middle name was Manlius? How had I not known that?
Drakos squeezed my hand in warning when I paused too long before answering. “I do.”
“Then I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Xander’s lips curled.
Drakos didn't need another invitation. His hands slid around my waist, and he pulled me into him. I could taste a hint of mint and whiskey mixed with his unmistakable scent. The combination was comforting, yet erotic. My hands found their way into his thick black hair, tugging him closer.
I opened my mouth, and his tongue slid inside. The lack of oxygen finally made me pull away as the crowd began to clap and whistle. My soft pink lipstick was smeared across his mouth, and I grinned and wiped it away as he nipped my finger.
Gazing down at me, his lips curled. Reaching up, I cupped his cheek. “I love you,” I whispered.
His eyes flared, then he pulled me to him and laid his forehead on mine. “I love you too, my beautiful bride. To the depths of my black soul. Now let’s go eat cake and dance so we can peel each other out of these clothes.”
I’d been so afraid to tell him first, wondering if he would—or even could repeat those words to me. But my heart squeezed when I saw love shining in his striking blue eyes.
Smiling, I opened my mouth to reply, but a cacophony of buzzing sounded through the room. As I glanced around, my heart raced for an entirely different reason. Phones lit up and vibrated all around us. One even rang.
The timing was bad, but it could have been worse. The news could have gotten out during our ceremony.
Drakos tilted his head. “What did you do now, Killer?”
I turned to him with wide, innocent eyes. “Why do you think this has anything to do with me?”
He scanned my face. “Because you don’t look surprised, and you’re usually behind it.” Our wedding guests were surreptitiously checking their phones. The whispers grew around us, and Ivan and Fenn walked over as they eyed their screens.
Ivan started reading. “Terrance LeBaron, a known member of the OutKast MC, was killed minutes ago in a motorcycle accident. It appears a semi hit LeBaron when he was forced to change lanes by an unknown vehicle in the trucker’s blind spot. He was dragged to death when he got tangled up with the semi.”
Fenn held up his phone. “My source tells me he lost his leg, and the wheels rubbed off half his face before he died.”
I glanced around and lowered my voice. “Would it be wrong to celebrate our nuptials and Terrance LeBaron’s death?” I asked rhetorically. “Although it’s an inconvenient time for the news to break.”
Drakos leaned close and murmured in my ear. “You’ve been busy, haven’t you?”
“Oh, my God,” I answered with fake indignation. “Do you really think I’d have time right before our wedding to plan something like that?”
He wrapped his arm around me, drawing me in and pressing his lips against my forehead. “When it keeps your family safe, you make time.”
I turned and looped my arms around his neck, kissing him again, then turning us back toward the now-boisterous crowd. “Let's go enjoy our party.”
“Only if you promise not to kill or maim anyone during the first dance.”
“You’re hilarious, and the man was in a tragic motorcycle accident. Oh, I almost forgot.” Turning toward the guests, I raised my voice. “Don’t eat more than one brownie unless you don’t want to remember the next twenty-four hours!”