CHAPTER 5 #2
I suddenly spot Uncle Jon, along with an unusual number of our men—and women too. Even Celina is here.
My phone buzzes, snapping me out of my thoughts. It’s a text from Lisa about the women’s club, but I can’t focus on that right now. One question drowns out everything else: what on earth are they all doing here?
On the one hand, this is good. I can use it as leverage for my club. And I might only have minutes before they do whatever it is they came here to do. “So, how will you handle Colletti?” I ask. If they’re working, I will too.
Orion locks eyes with me, his gaze intense and unwavering, transfixing me in that deep, dark way only he has. “He’s a tough nut to crack,” he begins, his tone measured. “But after careful consideration, we believe we’ve found a way to shift his perspective.” He pauses, his gaze steady.
“And?” I stare at him in frustration. I hear what he’s saying, but I don’t understand.
He rises from the table, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a small black felt box. He lowers himself to one knee before me. Logan and Kai do the same, moving in perfect synchronization, each taking a box from their suit pocket and kneeling.
My genius brain finally catches up to what’s happening.
“This is crazy,” I breathe, my voice shaking.
They open the boxes simultaneously.
The bar falls into a heavy, almost eerie silence. It’s so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
Orion’s eyes remain fixed on me.
“Everything we destroy, and everything we build, it’s for you. Let this ring be a reminder that we will set the world ablaze to keep you safe. Will you stand with us, as a wife to be adored, and as a force to be reckoned with?”
“Marry us,” they all say, almost in unison.
My throat tightens. I never thought this would be possible. “The children…”
“Are already ours,” Logan reminds me. “This just makes it official.”
“The families…” I’m trying to remember all the problems that are still there. This must be a mistake. They don’t know it yet, but it’s a mistake.
“Will be stronger when we are united,” Orion finishes for me.
Tears fill my eyes, turning everything into a blurry haze.
The room seems to hold its breath. It’s so quiet, I can almost hear the rhythm of my own heartbeat, each thump echoing the whirlwind of emotions inside me.
My ever-running thoughts flood in, louder than any external sound, as if the world itself has paused, waiting for my answer.
“Listen to your heart!” I hear someone call from the crowd.
“Really?” My words are barely audible as I look at them, tears rolling down my cheeks. “You want me?”
They answer with actions instead of words.
Logan carefully lifts the ring from the box, his hand steady but his eyes full of emotion. Gently, he slides it onto my left ring finger, his touch warm and deliberate. As the ring settles into place, he meets my gaze and softly says, “To love you.”
Orion takes his ring and carefully places it on top of Logan’s, aligning it perfectly so the two fit together seamlessly. His fingers linger for a moment. Locking eyes with me, he declares, “To protect you.”
Kai takes his ring and, with a steady hand, slips it onto the same finger, sliding it atop Orion’s. A soft, unmistakable ‘click’ can be heard within the silence as the three rings lock easily into place, uniting as one. He whispers, “To fuck you.”
I smile nervously, my heart pounding as I glance down at my left hand. The engagement ring, adorned with three black diamonds, glints under the light—a symbol of their unwavering claim on me, a bond as unbreakable as the stones themselves.
“ Yes ,” I whisper. Then, louder: “Yes.”
They leap to their feet with joyous exclamations, their arms wrapping around me in an embrace so full of warmth it nearly takes my breath away.
“They won’t understand,” I say against someone’s chest.
“They don’t have to,” Orion says above me.
“ We understand,” Logan adds.
“And that’s all that matters,” Kai finishes.
A big cheer erupts as I wipe at my tears and look at the crowd.
Everyone is here, the whole syndicate celebrating with us.
Most of them must have known this was going down.
Lisa waves at me from the bar and raises her glass.
Celina is in her security stance, but she grins and nods at me.
Angelica wipes her eyes. Georgina is here too.
I turn to see Uncle Colletti, literally staring directly at my face.
“Maisy Roy. I see there isn’t a way around you.”
“The world is changing, Uncle Colletti,” I reply. “I hope you can see the beauty in all the women in it.”
“This is a conversation for another time. Congratulations on your engagement,” he says, and picks up his drink.
Kai sweeps me into his arms, spinning me in a playful circle. “You’re mine now!” his laughter rolls through his chest.
I grin up at him. “Am I? I heard it’s the other way around.”
He sets me down gently, and Orion steps close behind me, his body warm against my back, his intent clear in the way he wraps his arms around me. “Can’t wait to marry you, darling.”
Logan dips down, claiming my lips in a searing kiss that steals my breath. The sudden pop of champagne corks echoes through the air like celebratory fireworks. We all turn around and see golden bubbles cascading into crystal flutes.
Cheers and whistles erupt around us, the moment crystallizing into something magical.