28. Ryder
Devina’s eyes sparkle as she looks out the window when we pull up to the casino. I step out first and round the car to take her hand to lead her inside.
She recovered from our misunderstanding quickly, making a joke about how funny I look when I’m mad and my nostrils flare. Nothing riled her. She didn’t cower when I accused her. She owned it. She relived one of her darkest moments to make me understand, but I still didn’t know why she didn’t tell me to begin with.
Perhaps she still didn’t trust me.
Perhaps I trusted her too much, too quickly.
I may have been inside of her more nights than not, but we’re still strangers. Every time I feel like I’m making progress, she shuts me out. But tonight was different. She knew this might happen. She was prepared to share this with me, but I could tell she didn’t want to. That bothered me most.
The cameras flashed as we made our way inside. Our first public event as a couple. No one would know that not too long ago, we were having an earth-shattering marriage moment. Devina’s eyes glistened as she looked up at me adoringly. A gaze that rivals her defiance, and sends the same shiver down my back.
I could sense her pulling further away when she was telling me something that was supposed to be bringing us closer together. She’s guarded. Still. It’s driving me insane. She’s driving me insane. But tonight, I’ll let it go. Tonight I will enjoy my wife.
Cap certainly went all out for the evening. Many of the attendees from our wedding are here and scattered around the grand ballroom. We check our coats at the main door and make our way to the bar.
I take two glasses of champagne and hand one to Devina. She smiles and takes in the room.
“Ryder, great to see you,” Philippe approaches, “Devina, pleasure.”
He takes her hand in his and lifts it to his lips. If he wasn’t my younger brother, I’d have something to say about how long he stares at her.
“Hello Philippe,” she replies. Her rosy cheeks give her away. I know she’s thinking about the day she thought she was marrying him.
“Hey Ryde, I need to catch you up on some things when you have a second.”
“Sure, let me get Devina to our seats and I’ll come find you.”
I lead Devina to a table and pull out her chair. We’re greeted by a server who delivers two more flutes of champagne.
“Tell me to stay and I will.” I crouch down to her level trying to read her.
“Ryde, we are fine. I promise.” Her doe eyes don’t fool me anymore. Devina is much too skilled at keeping her emotions in check, but there are things I have to take care of.
Couples pass by and stare at my wife. I know the men want her and the women envy her. I’m not the only one who notices. Her fingers instinctively float to her wrist to pull down a sleeve that isn’t there.
This is the first time she has shown her body to the world since the fire. The body that has only been available for my eyes. I stand to shake off my tuxedo coat and drape it over her shoulders.
“I’m not cold, Ryder.” She has to fucking push me about everything. She shakes off the jacket to hang over the back of her chair.
“I didn’t ask if you were cold, sparrow,” I say as I unbutton my sleeves to roll them to my elbows displaying our matching scars.
She rolls her eyes, but I can see the shift in her demeanor.
She’s happy.
I did that.
“Five minutes, OK?” I ask once more before kissing her head and heading over to my brothers.
Passing by the bar I see an unfamiliar face. A man with bright blonde hair and ice-blue eyes is staring at my wife. A woman approaches him and breaks his gaze. Probably nothing. But I feel like I’ve seen him before.
Luca and Philippe are in the hall.
“We have some news on the Bratva,” Philippe gets right to business. “There seems to be a warehouse where they are keeping their merchandise. The problem is that everything is brought in large crates, and we can’t get eyes inside to confirm what it is.”
“First women, now this? What else do they have their fucking hands in?” Luca complains. I don’t blame him.
We have enough to do and don’t need the additional stress of cleaning up after Declan. He should be more than capable, but I suddenly sympathize with him after hearing Devina’s history straight from her beautiful lips. “I’ll get in touch with Declan and we’ll go in solo to see what’s going on.”
“Just be careful,” he says and links a map to my phone, “You’ll have to park a block or two away. They have spotters out at all times.”
“Yep, got it.” I slip my phone back in my pocket.
“So, how’s married life, brother?” Luca pats me on the back.
“Better than I thought,” I reply honestly, although I’m not sure what I anticipated it to be.
“That so? So, are you saying you aren’t going through with the plan?”