Chapter One #5
The yard laughs again. But Raven’s expression softens almost painfully after that.
“And then I saw the way you loved people.” That wipes the grin off Joker’s face instantly.
“The way you protected Lexi,” she whispers.
“The way you stood beside Shadow and Blaze like their pain was yours too.” Her fingers tighten around his hands.
“The way you always put yourself between danger and the people you love without even thinking about it.”
Joker’s jaw flexes hard.
“You act like nothing touches you,” Raven says softly.
“But I see you, Joker.” That one lands deep.
Devastatingly deep. “I see the man who still carries grief like it happened yesterday,” she continues.
“The man who jokes because it’s easier than bleeding in front of people.
” Her voice trembles slightly. “And I see how hard you love despite all of it.”
Joker looks wrecked suddenly. Completely wrecked.
Raven smiles through tears. “You make me feel safe even when the entire world around us is chaos,” she says quietly. “And I promise no matter how dark life gets, you’ll never carry it alone again.”
Joker stares at her for another long second before muttering, “You’re really trying to make me cry in front of the club.”
Blaze gasps dramatically. “He admits he has emotions!”
“Shut the fuck up, Blaze.”
Raven laughs softly.
Then Joker reaches up, grips the side of her neck carefully, and pulls her against him. “I love you,” he says quietly enough that most people almost miss it.
Raven doesn’t. Her entire face softens. “I love you too,” she whispers.
Then Joker kisses her like he’s trying to pour every feeling he’s bad at saying directly into her mouth instead. Even the old guys go quiet for that one.
Jimmy’s already emotional before Allison even starts talking. The second she steps in front of him in that dress, his eyes go glassy. By the time she takes his hands, he’s blinking too much and breathing like he forgot how.
Allison laughs softly through her own tears. “Jesus, Jimmy, I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“You showed up in a wedding dress,” he chokes out. “That feels relevant.” The yard laughs, but Jimmy doesn’t look away from her once.
Allison squeezes his hands tighter. “You know, when I was younger, I used to think love was supposed to be calm. Easy. Safe in a quiet kind of way.” She smiles shakily. “Then I met you, and suddenly everything was loud and chaotic and emotional and honestly kind of insane.”
Jimmy sniffs hard. “That sounds right.”
“You wouldn’t survive five minutes without me,” he says.
“Probably not,” she admits.
“But somehow,” she continues, voice softening, “you became the safest thing in my life anyway.” That completely wrecks him. Jimmy drags a hand down his face, already crying openly now. “I hate you a little bit for making me emotional in front of all these assholes,” he mutters.
Blaze immediately yells, “Too late, VP, you’re glistening.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Allison laughs through tears and keeps going. “You love so hard, Jimmy. Your family. Your club. Me. And sometimes you act like that love makes you weak when really it’s the strongest thing about you.”
Jimmy’s mouth trembles.
“I promise,” she whispers, “that no matter how hard life gets, no matter how chaotic this club becomes, I’ll keep choosing you through all of it.”
Jimmy exhales sharply and pulls her hands to his mouth for a second before speaking.
“I spent my whole life watching my parents love each other like the world could end tomorrow,” he says roughly.
“And I always hoped someday I’d get something even half that.
” Allison’s eyes immediately fill again.
“Then you walked into Ambrosia acting all mean and pretty and way too good for me.”
The women laugh.
Allison wipes under her eyes. “I was absolutely too good for you.”
“Probably,” Jimmy agrees. “Still got you though.”
“Unfortunately.”
His expression softens completely. “You gave me a home that feels like peace,” he says quietly.
“You gave me a future I actually want to live long enough to see.” His voice breaks a little.
“And I swear to God, Allie, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you know how fucking loved you are.
” By the end, Allison’s crying too. Jimmy kisses her before Twisted can officially finish, and nobody complains.
Except Joker. “Technically illegal,” he says.
“No one asked you,” Logan replies.
Landon looks genuinely overwhelmed standing in front of Brynn. Not nervous exactly. Stunned. Like some part of him still thinks this might be a joke someone forgot to explain.
Brynn smiles up at him softly. “You okay?”
“No,” he answers honestly. “Not even a little.” That makes her laugh. Landon shakes his head slowly, staring at her like he can’t process what he’s seeing. “You picked me.”
Brynn’s expression melts immediately. “Of course I did.”
“No, but—” He lets out a breath and scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. “Brynn, look at you.” She blinks. “You’re beautiful and smart and good,” he says, like the words are obvious facts. “And I’m…” He gestures vaguely at himself. “This.”
From the side, Blaze mutters, “That was almost romantic until the self esteem crash.”
Landon flips him off without looking away from Brynn.
Brynn steps closer immediately. “You’re the man who stayed when things got ugly,” she says quietly.
“You’re the one who made me feel safe when I didn’t trust anyone.
You’re patient with me even when I’m difficult.
You see me when I’m struggling before I say a word.
” Landon’s throat works hard. “And honestly?” she adds with a small smile, “I kind of love that you look like you’d kill someone for inconveniencing me. ”
“I would,” he says immediately. The entire yard laughs.
Brynn shakes her head affectionately. “I know.” Then her expression softens again. “You gave me somewhere to belong,” she whispers. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life being grateful for that.”
Landon looks wrecked. When he finally speaks, his voice comes out rough. “I don’t really know how to do speeches.”
“Good,” Brynn says. “Neither do I.”
He huffs out a laugh. Then he takes both her hands carefully.
“I love you,” he says simply. “More than I knew I could love anybody.” His eyes lock on hers.
“And there is nothing on this earth I wouldn’t do for you.
” Brynn tears up immediately. Landon looks alarmed by that. “Oh fuck, are you crying?”
“Yes,” she laughs.
“Oh God.”
“Landon.”
“I’m making it worse, huh?”
“A little.”
He pulls her into him anyway, holding her like she’s the most precious thing he’s ever touched. Which she is.
Blaze is grinning before Bella even reaches him. Not normal smiling. Dangerous smiling. The kind that means he’s about to say something inappropriate in front of everyone.
Bella points at him immediately. “Behave.”
“That feels targeted.”
“It’s supposed to.”
Blaze takes her hands dramatically. “Princess, you showed up looking like this. I physically cannot behave.”
“Try harder.”
“No.” The yard laughs. Blaze looks her up and down slowly, completely unashamed. “You’re really trying to kill me in front of my whole club, huh?”
Bella rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling too hard to sell annoyance. “I’m beginning to understand why everyone threatens you constantly.”
“It’s because they’re jealous.”
“Of what?”
“You.” Bella snorts softly. Then Blaze’s expression shifts under the humor.
Still him. Still playful. But real underneath it now.
“When I met you, I thought you were gonna run screaming eventually,” he admits.
“Actually, scratch that. I thought your rich family would have me buried in a swamp somewhere.”
“That’s still possible,” Bella says thoughtfully.
“See? This is why I’m obsessed with you.
” She laughs, shaking her head. Blaze squeezes her hands gently.
“But then you stayed.” Something in his voice quiets.
“You saw exactly what I am and stayed anyway.” Bella’s expression softens immediately.
“You make me laugh when I want to lose my shit,” Blaze says.
“You make the bad days easier. And somehow you turned this” he gestures to himself, “into a man who actually thinks about forever.” Bella’s eyes shine.
“And I swear to God,” he continues, “I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure nobody ever makes you feel less than adored. ”
Bella exhales shakily, already emotional.
Then Blaze ruins it immediately. “Also, legally, this means you can’t leave me now.”
Bella gasps. “That was your plan?”
“Absolutely.”
“I want a divorce.”
“We’re not even married yet!”
“Exactly. I’m getting ahead of it.”
The yard erupts laughing again. Blaze pulls her closer by the waist. “Too late, Princess. You’re stuck with me.”
Bella smiles up at him, completely gone for him despite the dramatics. “Good,” she whispers.
Then it’s us.
The noise fades again.
Olivia stops in front of me. Close enough to touch. Close enough to breathe her in. I stare at her because I can’t stop. She smiles softly. “You okay?”
“No.” That makes her laugh quietly. I shake my head once.
“Angel…” Emotion clogs my throat unexpectedly hard.
This is worse than violence. This is exposure.
I look at her dress. Her face. The certainty in her eyes.
“This is fast.” Not because I don’t want it.
Because she deserves more than a life built in chaos and blood and rushed promises.
She steps closer immediately like she understands exactly what I mean. Not fear. Never fear. Her hands slide into mine. “Cobra.”
I swallow hard. “You sure?” There it is. The real thing. The vulnerability I’d rather survive another warehouse shootout than expose.
She doesn’t hesitate. “I’ve never been more sure.” Something inside me goes completely still. Twisted looks between us once, then nods for her to continue.