Chapter 24
Alexander
My chest feels like it might split open from the inside. Mia’s words echo in my ears, lingering in the haze of sex and sweat and skin. I hold her close, watching the way she claims us without fear, the way she owns her choice—our choice, really—like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
In this moment, I don’t care about Jarrod.
I don’t care about what anyone else might say, or the fact that she’s so much younger than me.
None of that matters. The only thing that’s real is the woman lying tangled between us, the sound of her heartbeat, the aftershocks of pleasure still trembling in my bones.
For a moment, I wish we could stay tangled together forever.
I want to memorize every detail—the taste of her skin, the curve of her smile, the way she fits against me.
I feel lighter than I have in years. The guilt, the doubt, all of it melts away, replaced by something simple and full.
I never knew happiness could feel like this.
I want to stay like this, wrapped up in her, in them, just a little longer. But suddenly, Mia’s phone buzzes, harsh and insistent. She groans and fumbles for it, eyes narrowing at the screen. I catch a glimpse of the message—Sarah: Where are you?
“Shit,” Mia mutters, already sitting up, pushing tangled hair from her face. “I have to go. Sarah’s freaking out.”
Tyler leans over and nudges her gently. “Hey, for what it’s worth, I’m glad Sarah wants you there,” he says, his voice soft, sincere.
Mia gives a shaky little sigh and doesn’t meet his eyes. “I know. It’s just…” She hesitates, twisting her fingers in the hem of her dress. “Sometimes I think Sarah only wants me around because we’ve known each other since we were kids. Not because she really needs me now.”
She looks up at us, and I see something raw in her eyes—real fear, not the kind that goes away with a kiss or a joke.
“I’m scared,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper.
“After the wedding, once all this is over and reality catches up to us…I don’t think she’ll want to talk to me again.
Not if Jason has anything to say about it. ”
The silence stretches. Tyler sits up, reaching for her hand. Marcus moves closer too, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I touch her knee, wanting to anchor her, wanting her to know she’s not alone.
“Whatever happens,” I tell her, “you’ve got us. That doesn’t end when the wedding does.”
Mia doesn’t say anything, scrambling quickly to get back into her dress. Tyler and Marcus help her with the zipper, after which they start getting dressed themselves.
She glances at us, smoothing the fabric over her hips. “Do I look okay?” she asks.
Marcus and Tyler both give her a thumbs-up, grinning. I just smile, completely unable to hide how much I want her again already.
She laughs, rolling her eyes. “Correction—how do I not look like I was just freshly fucked?” That gets a low chuckle from all of us. She turns to the mirror, running her fingers through her hair, dabbing at her lips, tilting her head from side to side as she inspects the damage.
She’s about to step out when I stop her. “Wait—just one thing,” I say.
She freezes, eyebrows raised. I cross the room, take her gently by the waist, and kiss her, soft and unhurried. I feel her relax into me, just for a second, her hand brushing my cheek.
I pull back, meeting her eyes. “Now you’re good,” I say quietly.
She smiles—one of those rare, genuine ones that reaches all the way to her eyes—then squares her shoulders and slips out the door, leaving the three of us standing there, smiling like idiots in her wake.
The door clicks shut behind her, and for a moment, the room feels almost too quiet. Tyler flops back on the bed, running a hand through his hair. “I so wish we didn’t have to go down to the wedding right now,” he groans.
“Same,” I say, stretching out, feeling how heavy my body is. “Honestly, I could sleep the whole day.”
Marcus sits up, grinning at both of us. “Fuck, Alex, you really do love her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep past five in the morning.”
I can’t help but laugh, rubbing my eyes. “Yeah, well. She’s full of surprises.”
Tyler snorts, scrubbing a hand over his face and letting out a disbelieving laugh. “Is this crazy or what?”
“Yeah,” Marcus says, glancing between us. “How the hell are we going to make it work? What would the board think if they ever found out?”
I look at them, weighing the question in my chest, then just shake my head. “Do you care?”
Tyler doesn’t hesitate—he just grins, all teeth and trouble. “Not a bit.”
Marcus sighs, but his eyes are warm. “We love her. That’s all that matters.”
We let the truth of it settle between us, heavier and more real than anything I’ve felt in years.
But then, from the hallway, I hear voices—at first muffled, then rising, tense.
I feel my whole body tense. I throw on my shirt and move to the doorway, the others right behind me.
In the corridor, I see Jason, blocking Mia’s path, his face twisted with frustration. “Why can’t you just leave Sarah alone? Stop interfering and let us handle our own relationship. She doesn’t need you complicating things.”
Mia stands her ground, her chin up, but I see how much it stings.
Jason doesn’t back down. He just leans in, voice harsh, his words spilling out bitter and fast. “How did you do it, huh? How’d you weasel your way back into being the maid of honor?
How do you have your hooks so deep in her?
” He’s sneering now, the anger radiating off him, desperate to make Mia flinch.
But Mia stands there, calm as ever, arms crossed, gaze steady. She doesn’t give him the satisfaction of even blinking.
Something snaps in me. I don’t even think—I just close the distance and grab Jason by the collar, slamming him against the wall hard enough to rattle a frame. He freezes, eyes wide, suddenly small. Mia just watches, silent, letting me do what she can’t.
“If you ever talk to her like that again,” I say, voice low and tight, “you’ll answer to me. Understand?”
Jason’s breath stutters, all his bravado gone. He nods, fear flickering in his eyes, and I release him, shoving him back.
He tries to recover his composure, straightening his collar and shooting me a glare that’s all venom, none of the smooth charm he wears in public. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he spits, voice shaking. “This is between me and Mia. Stay out of it.”
I don’t move. “Not a chance,” I say. “You’re not going to bully her. Not now, not ever.”
Jason’s eyes dart from me to Mia, then to the doorway where Tyler and Marcus now stand, arms crossed, blocking any easy exit. His confidence falters. “You think you’re her knights in shining armor?” he snarls, voice rising. “You’re just as bad as she is—getting involved where you don’t belong.”
“Funny,” I say, holding his stare, “I don’t see anyone else complaining. Maybe the real problem is that you can’t stand losing control.”
He tries to laugh, but it’s hollow. “You’re all so self-righteous. Like you know anything about me.”
Marcus steps up beside me, voice quiet but firm. “We know more than you think.”
Jason’s eyes flicker, and I see the panic start to bleed through. He turns on me, desperate now. “You don’t know shit. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
I take a breath, keep my voice low so only he can hear. “We know what happened to your wife. One of them, anyway. How she died. How nobody ever found proof, but nobody ever really believed you either.”
His face drains of color, mask finally slipping all the way off. He’s just a man now, and a frightened one at that.
I lean in, my voice steady, certain. “I don’t know how you did it, Jason. But I promise you—I’m going to find out.”
Jason’s face twists, eyes wild now. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” he spits. “You don’t know anything about Megan. Nothing.”
But the way he says her name, the flash of panic in his eyes, is all the confirmation I need.
I don’t let it show—I just stare him down, voice cold and steady.
“I know enough, Jason. More than you’d think.
Like what really happened that night at the lake.
Or what she told her sister, just days before.
” I’m bluffing, but I keep my gaze flat and unblinking, watching every flicker of fear.
He looks like he might break, then rallies, snarling, “You’re just fishing. You don’t have shit.”
I take a step closer, letting my voice go cold. “Not yet. But you know, police missed a lot the first time around. Funny how files disappear, how people change their statements when the right money’s involved.” I bluff, layering my words with the kind of certainty that always rattles men like him.
Jason’s jaw tightens, a muscle jumping there. “Emily—she never—” He stops, something unspoken hanging in the air. His face drains, then he laughs bitterly, but it’s the wrong sound, the wrong moment.
I don’t let on that I heard it, but I file the slip away, turning it over in my mind for later.
Marcus steps in, voice steady. “And the money, Jason? The missing funds from Sarah’s company? How’d you pull that off?”
Jason’s eyes dart between us, cornered now, his voice suddenly quiet. “You forced my hand,” he spits. “All of you. I did what I had to do. You would have done the same.”
I just watch him, not giving an inch, burning every word into my memory.
I’m still blocking Jason’s path, not willing to give him an inch.
I’ve got this little shit where I want him.
A little more pressure and he’ll break like fine china.
He’s breathing hard, but then his eyes narrow and something mean flickers across his face.
He glances from me to Marcus and Tyler, then over my shoulder toward Mia.
“Wait,” he says, voice suddenly sly, “did I just see the three of you come out of Mia’s room?” His gaze bounces between us, sharp and hungry for leverage. “Wait a minute. You guys are fucking, aren’t you? I knew it. I fucking knew it.”
He says it loud enough for anyone in the hall to hear, a nasty smirk twisting his mouth as he tries to turn the moment on its head.
I hold his gaze, not flinching, refusing to let shame or fear show. “That’s none of your business,” I say, my voice calm.
Jason laughs, triumphant for a second. “Oh, but it is. Because if you think I won’t use this—if you think I won’t ruin all of you with it—you’re even dumber than you look.”
I don’t look away, don’t let him see a crack. “Try it,” I say quietly. “See where it gets you.”
He hesitates, anger and uncertainty warring in his eyes, but he can’t quite shake the sense that this time, the power is slipping out of his hands.
Even Mia just stands there, arms folded, head high, completely unfazed by his threats. She smirks. “Bite me, Jason.”