34. Mila
34
MILA
There was no long engagement.
Not that I had expected there to be.
We were only a few weeks away from my birthday.
But I hadn’t expected the wedding to be tomorrow.
My men only gave me a week to prepare, and it had been a busy week, even if I wasn’t the one doing the preparation. Rachel actually helped, which was great. And we had the best wedding planner money could buy. Angie Thomas was a whirlwind tornado and a lifesaver.
I didn’t have to deal with anything. All I had to do was tell her how I pictured this wedding, and she did the rest.
I would go to sleep tonight as a single woman and tomorrow night as Mrs. Tiernan.
I still couldn’t believe it. I had the wedding dress laid out on the bed. I was in my sleep clothes, which were nothing but one of my men’s shirts and my panties.
I didn’t have to worry about any of them coming in tonight. I wanted to spend the night alone. Plus, I locked my bedroom door.
Not that I thought a locked door could keep them out if they wanted to come in, but I was hoping they would give me this moment to myself.
I should probably get to sleep.
Excitement and a bit of melancholy kept me awake.
We were getting married in a church. They were Catholic, after all. I wasn’t religious, and neither was my dad, but I knew my grandfather was, so perhaps he might have approved had he been alive.
After all, the rushed wedding was because of the gift he left me.
Did he love me? Was that why he left me all of his fortune? Or did he do this to get at my parents?
I didn’t know. I’d like to think it was the former, but the truth was, I never knew the man very well.
We were expecting a packed church, even if there would be very few people I knew in attendance.
The brothers wanted to make a big fanfare out of this, hoping the news would reach Sebastian.
Security was tight, but still, anything could go wrong at any moment.
I took in a deep breath and tried to think of happy thoughts.
Grabbing the wedding dress, I moved it to the nearby recliner, climbed into bed, and turned off the lights.
It took a while for me to fall asleep, but when I finally did, I dreamed of blood.
Rachel knocked on my door early the next morning. I opened it for her, and she paused, taking me in.
“Oh, dear. Did you not sleep?”
I smiled a little at her. “For a few hours.”
She grabbed my hand. “It’s understandable that you're nervous. I was nervous about my wedding day as well.”
I smiled at the mention. Rachel was a widow, but before, she had been married to a man who she described as the love of her life.
“Come on, I will help you get ready. And I will cover the bags under your eyes with some makeup. You’ll be the glowing bride in no time.”
Three hours later, we were on our way to the church.
It was an old church on the outskirts of downtown Chicago, surrounded by nothing but trees. It was beautiful and reminded me of something out of a fairy tale. I wasn’t sure how Angie managed to secure this place in such a short time, but when the car finally pulled up to the back entrance of the church, I suddenly found myself very grateful for her.
Conor got out of the car first, taking in his surroundings. Both he and Liam had been more quiet than usual.
Liam opened the door for me, and I smiled my thanks. “Is… is everything okay?” I asked Conor.
He nodded, his eyes focused on the tree line. “Just feeling tense. I’m sure it has to do with all the guests we’ll have in attendance.”
I nodded. That made sense. His eyes softened when he turned them back to me. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
I smiled and looked down at myself. Only my hair and makeup were done. We were going to put the dress on at the church, which Liam was carrying in his arms right now.
“Thank you.”
His eyes shifted about once more, taking in his surroundings. He seemed… restless. “Hurry and get inside the church. I don’t want you outside unless you absolutely have to be, okay? And definitely not unless you have either Liam or myself with you.”
I nodded, agreeing. “Okay.”
Rachel hooked her arm through mine, and we headed inside the church, with Liam following behind with the dress. There was a small room in the back of the church that Angie had set up as a bridal room for me.
Rachel shooed Liam out as soon as he placed the dress down. He nodded at me before closing the door behind him. I had no doubt he would stay in front of it for the rest of the time it would take us to get ready.
I turned to the body-length mirror in the corner and looked at my reflection. For once, it didn’t make me want to look away.
My lips were painted a deep shade of red that stood out against my pale skin in the most flattering way, and my blonde hair was curled in loose ringlets. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had it curled like that.
I looked pretty.
I blinked, and suddenly, Rachel was standing behind me, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“You are absolutely stunning, my girl.”
I smiled.
“You are going to drive my boys crazy.”
I laughed a little. “Don’t you…?”
I looked down, not knowing how to bring it up.
“Yes?” she asked, taking my hand and turning me around to look at her.
“Don’t you think it’s… odd that I’m with them? With all three of them?”
“It’s none of my business. But if you are asking whether you’ll get any judgment from me, I’m sorry to disappoint. I’m just really happy that they’re happy for the first time in years.”
“They do look happy, don’t they?”
Was it selfish of me not to think about that until now? It shouldn’t just be my happiness that mattered.
Rachel nodded. “They look happy. Maverick doesn’t look so serious all the time. Killian doesn’t look like he hates the world and everyone in it. And Silas finally looks like he has found his worth. His purpose. That he’s not just aimlessly walking around in life, waiting for his brothers’ orders.”
I looked down at our hands. I hadn’t really thought about that.
“Thank you,” I said to her. I never knew she could be my biggest ally, but she was. “And if… if it’s okay with you, will you walk me down the aisle?”
“Oh, sweetheart. Nothing would make me happier.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks then, and I shot her a stern look. “Don’t cry. If you do, I’ll cry, and I don’t want to ruin the pretty makeup you put on me.”
She gave me a watery laugh. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”
I shook my head, laughing a little. “No, we wouldn't want that.”
This was going to be a happy day. The last thing I needed was tears.
I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as Rachel, Angie, and I stood behind the closed doors leading to the church. Angie was listening to something in her headphones before she turned to me. “Ready?”
“As ready as I ever will be.”
She smiled tightly. I didn’t think she would relax until the day was over.
“Okay.” She looked away from me and spoke into her headphones. “Cue the music.”
The familiar tunes of “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds came on instead of the traditional “Wedding March.”
Rachel let out a small gasp. Her grip on my arm tightened just marginally.
“Are you ready?” she asked me.
I nodded. I couldn’t speak. Angie said something else, and then the doors opened. My heart nearly dropped at the sight of all the people in attendance. All the people I didn’t know.
“Rachel?” I said softly.
“Yes?”
“Will you hold on tight to me until we get there?”
“Of course,” she answered, with no hesitation.
I smiled a little and began to walk down the aisle. I tried to ignore all the strange faces of people looking at us, offering artificial smiles and hidden sinister stares. I knew this wedding wasn’t exactly a normal one. I would have preferred something much more intimate, but this was about putting on a show for the brothers’ men. And later, they would make the announcement about taking over Stocken Isle.
It would be a show of strength and ensure their men stayed loyal, no matter what.
I blinked, my eyes straying off to the side. They stayed focused on a rough-looking man with short blond hair shaved near his scalp. He was as wide as Silas and nearly as tall as Maverick. I didn’t know why I couldn’t look away from him until he flashed me a smile.
He had Silas’ smile.
So this man was related to my men?
The elusive cousin, Finley?
On one side of him was an older man who looked just like him. I assumed this was his dad.
The uncle looked as I had expected the mob boss of Las Vegas to look. Mean and greedy.
I hated the way his eyes glinted as he took me in.
I looked at the person on the other side of Finley. A small woman with dark, almost black hair, tan skin, and big brown eyes. She was tucked close to Finley’s side. She seemed almost skittish. I offered a slight smile when our eyes met, not knowing why I suddenly felt like protecting the woman with everything that I could.
Perhaps because she reminded me of how I had looked while still living under my father’s thumb, only… meeker.
We walked further up the aisle, and I finally bravely looked up front.
My breath caught at the sight of them.
Tears welled in my eyes.
They were in identical black suits. Black shirts. A red tie stood out against the black, as well as the red rose that was pinned near each lapel. Maverick stood next to the priest, and he was looking at me with what could only be described as possessiveness. His eyes tracked my every movement as though he feared I might disappear on him. I wanted to yell that I wasn’t going anywhere.
I slowly walked over to them, my eyes moving over to Killian.
His dark brown eyes shone in satisfaction at the sight of me, like he had been waiting for this day his whole life. What a whimsical thought. He wasn’t smiling, but then, I hadn’t expected him to. He looked… perfect.
He was perfect.
Silas stood at the end by Killian, and my easygoing man, for once, didn’t look so easygoing. He looked serious and so devastatingly handsome, my heart hurt just looking at him.
I smiled at him as the first tear flowed down from my eyes to my cheek, and his fists clenched. He looked like he was trying hard not to give in to the urge to come to me.
My smile widened, the impatience in his gaze evident.
We finally made it to the altar. Maverick moved away from where he stood and came over to me.
He grabbed my hand and turned to Rachel. “I got her. Thank you.”
Rachel smiled and patted his cheek before making her way back to her seat.
Maverick led me to the front. Killian and Silas subtly stepped forward. I didn’t think it was obvious from everyone's standpoint, but it was to me. I wasn’t just marrying Maverick. I was marrying Killian and Silas as well.
I barely paid attention when the priest started talking. My mind was focused entirely on my men as the memories of us played out. From the first time I saw them at that restaurant, to that first time I let Silas kiss me in my car when he drove me back to the motel room, to that fierce kiss in the elevator with Killian, and even that first night I spent with Maverick at the hotel room. My memories with them… they weren’t all good. There were some bad ones. Some I’d much rather not relive. Like when they took me and brought me back to Chicago against my will, when I was feeling lost and scared. But as I looked at them, I realized I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
I would keep all the good, the bad, and even the worst just to have this moment with them.
“I do,” Maverick said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I waited for my cue before I uttered the same, “I do.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss?—”
Maverick was already kissing me before the priest could finish that sentence. The crowd erupted in cheers and claps, and I moved closer to Maverick. When Maverick pulled away, Killian and Silas were surrounding us.
The four of us turned to face the crowd.
I winced when the crowd got louder and louder and became more rowdy.
A prickling sensation moved along my spine, and I suddenly felt the urge to get out of there. I didn’t know why, but my gut told me something was wrong. I turned to the brothers, about to tell them exactly that, when a loud boom sounded out.
My heart felt like it was about to lurch out of my chest.
I knew that sound.
The unmistakable sound of a gunshot. And the crowd filled with made men definitely knew that too because someone screamed, and everyone moved into action.
Men burst through the church, some I didn’t recognize, but most I did.
The remaining members of the Heartless Saints MC finally made their appearance, and leading the charge was none other than Sebastian Cline. His eyes moved about the church until he saw me there standing at the altar, and anger like I had never seen before entered his eyes.
With a yell, he began to run toward me.
I was stuck frozen, only standing there and not knowing what to do. Seeing him was like seeing Dad again. I knew my dad was dead, but for so long, I had associated them together, and suddenly, all the trauma resurfaced, leaving me immobile.
Someone pulled me out of the way before Sebastian could get to me. I looked over to see Silas was the one who grabbed and pushed me against the wall. “Stay like this, understand?”
He had already turned around before I could speak.
An already shaken Rachel was there. She grabbed my hand and held me close as Silas stood in front of us and started firing shots into the crowd. I wondered how he could tell which men were on our side and which weren’t because, right now, I couldn’t tell.
But for a moment, I thought it looked like some of the men in attendance at the church were attacking us.
Why would they do that?
The man I thought was Finley joined Silas on the podium. He had the woman with him. He pushed her toward me, and I opened my arms and grabbed her, keeping her close. She was shaking. We huddled together as Silas and Finley continued firing their shots into the crowd. The woman Finley gave us was covering her ears, tears streaming down her face. I tightened my hold around her, and she buried her face in my chest.
I could feel wetness touching my skin. Rachel met my eyes.
I didn’t know what to do.
I really didn’t. God, I hoped we made it out of here alive.