Operation 29 Vows and Victory #2
Rid stared toward the pasture, then back at Fox. “I am losing my mind. This is insane. How do you know these kinds of people?”
“It’s my natural charm.” Fox appeared delighted with himself. “It brings all the boys to the yard.”
Bull snorted.
“I think I’m gonna fuckin’ puke,” Dale said, chasing the statement with the last of his beer.
The helicopter landed with grace and precision.
A few minutes later, shapes emerged across the darkening grass, walking toward the lights with the kind of formation that didn’t belong at a wedding.
All four sets of Ravens flanked Steele, Tech, and Free.
He knew Tech and Free were going to be cutting it close coming from the Ravens headquarters. But what he didn’t know was that they were bringing them.
Tech, Free, and Steele were already in their groomsmen tuxes. Steele walked with them, darker than before somehow, his tux cut clean over all that danger, his expression as stoic as the men he walked with.
The Ravens men were in pale green, cream-white, caramel-brown, and black designer suits.
Unhooded.
The only sounds that could be heard were the slowing of the rotor blades, the soft chuff of nearby horses, and the low instrumental music drifting from the speakers, slow and dark enough to make it feel as if the Ravens had arrived to their own frightening soundtrack.
Even Xander was stunned, and he was the real superstar there.
God didn’t blame him.
Meridian was in black—as if he’d confused the wedding for a funeral. His suit was perfectly cut, but elegant and expensive. His dark hair was neat, expression too calm. His partner Ex was at his side, like the perfect complement to his shadow.
Beside him, the Browns moved smoothly. The Greens looked sharp and swift, all barely contained energy and assessing gazes.
Scar wore darkness like a second skin, regardless that he was wearing light colors.
Saint was in cream-white, gold-rimmed sunglasses, and a gold cross at his throat.
He held his gunmetal cane loosely in his right hand as if it was a cool ass accessory, not an aid.
“Oh wow, is that the band?” Rid asked dumbly.
Twelve heads turned slowly in his direction.
Xander laughed as he leaned into Cassidy’s arm.
Free reached them first and went straight to Hart. He’d just set his drink down before Free grabbed him by the shirtfront and kissed him. Hart cupped the back of Free’s head and kissed him back as if he hadn’t just seen him that morning.
Tech took Free’s arm and dragged him away. “Curtis first. Kissing later.”
God hugged Tech quickly as he passed. “How are you?”
Tech’s eyes were bright behind his glasses. “Exhausted. Late. Armed. Emotionally unstable. But, other than, I’m fuckin’ fabulous.”
Free hugged God too, hard and quick. “Don’t let them start without us.”
“You’re in the wedding.”
“Exactly.”
Then they were gone, rushing toward the main house where Curtis was still getting ready with his fathers and Furi.
Steele stayed behind.
One by one, the men embraced him. God held Steele a second longer than usual, feeling the shift in him. Not bad, but different.
Sharper. More focused. Like a man who’d found new purpose.
God released him. “So, how’s the Ravens treating you?”
“Intensely,” Steele rumbled.
Day’s brows rose. “That sounds ominous.”
“It is,” Steele said, but there was something that sounded almost satisfying in his rough voice.
“The Ravens program is doing a lot of good, man. The kind of good I’ve always wanted to do.
The kind I was trained for in the Marines.
The kind of ethics I worked with on your task force… just with less restrictions.”
“What they got you doing?” Ro asked.
“I’m heading up the Blacks’ shadow division.”
Micheals frowned. “Which means…”
Steele grinned wickedly. “Means if I told you, I’d have to kill ya.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Ro shoved him.
God studied him, before he gripped his shoulder. “As long as you’re good.”
Steele held his gaze. “I’m good.”
That was all God needed to hear.
If his brothers were all right, he was better than all right.
He wasn’t their leader anymore, but he’d always feel a sense of responsibility for their welfare. That habit would forever be too hard to break.
Meridian approached with the rest of his men, and God met him halfway. “Lieutenant.”
God gave him a dry look. “You came to a ranch wedding in a private helicopter.”
“It was quicker.”
“It was dramatic.”
Day came up beside God, gaze moving over Meridian and Ex. “So what’s the plan, boys? You gonna mingle, or should we warn the regular folk not to make direct eye contact?”
Meridian gave an indifferent shrug. “We know how to blend in.”
God turned and went back to the group with the Ravens trailing behind him.
Meridian already knew Fox, and Hart.
Hart shook Meridian’s hand in an extra firm grip, probably remembering the fight they’d had when Meridian had broken into his and Free’s home to steal some classified case information.
Meridan introduced his men to the large crowd that’d inched closer.
“I’m Meridian, this is my partner, Ex.”
Ex gave everyone a lazy salute before he motioned over the server walking around with a tray of shrimp puffs.
Next, he nodded towards the couple dressed in brown. “This is Grace and Mirage.”
Grace inclined his head, and Mirage offered an unusually friendly smile. They were both stunningly handsome, and God realized how few people were privileged enough to see their faces.
“This is Valor and Zorion,” Meridian pointed to the ones wearing the coolest fucking shades of sage and forest green suits he’d ever seen.
Valor’s gaze swept the ranch. “This is a nice spread you got here.”
“Impressive,” Zorion said, his pale green eyes fixed on the tree line. “Do you guys see a lot of hawk species out here? I know there’s like four or five breeds native to this area.”
A woman in a fitted ranch shirt, with Abby embroidered on the right side, drew closer. “We do. We have an aviary in the west pasture.”
Zorion’s attention shifted to her.
“We mostly keep rescues. Eagles and falcons. But we’ve got a red-tailed hawk and a broad-winged too,” she said, thumbing over her shoulder. “There’s still a little time before the ceremony. I’d be happy to show you.”
“Awesome,” Zorion said.
He leaned in and whispered something to his partner, his lips close enough to brush along his jaw, before he left, following Abby.
“And this is Scar, my protégé,” Meridian said. “And his husband, Saint.”
“Don’t hold it against us that we’re wearing white to a wedding,” Saint said with a blinding smile. “Wardrobe didn’t have time to fit us for anything else.”
Fox huffed a laugh. “Um, I guess we won’t then. Welcome to the ranch.”
Dale, nosy bastard that he was, wandered closer with Rid half behind him. “Those are some unique-ass names. So how do y’all know the grooms?”
A tiny silence opened. Fox’s head snapped toward Dale as if he’d wanted to take the question and shove it back into his mouth.
Meridian regarded Dale with a grim expression and a voice as relaxed as any natural-born killer.
“We brutally murdered the men who took Curtis hostage, and Genesis was most grateful.” Meridian lifted one shoulder in a disinterested shrug. “And so here we are.”
The silence that followed was long, weird, almost socially unrecoverable.
Day broke the painful quiet first. He laughed, sharp and sudden, bending forward with one hand braced on God’s arm. Fox went next, then Genesis, and Hart before a confused circle of awkward chuckles moved around them because nobody knew what the hell else to do with an explanation like that.
Dale blinked. “Well, um...”
Rid leaned into him. “I think I need another drink.”
Dale didn’t look away from Meridian. “Me too.”
No one else asked Meridian or his men any more questions.
Saint turned his head toward the distant sound of laughing kids. “Scar.”
“Hmm?” His husband shifted toward him.
“Take me to the animals.”
“Okay.” Scar offered his arm.
The rest of the Ravens drifted toward the bar, ordering drinks, and found a table no one seemed brave enough to approach.
“Curtis is gonna go crazy when he sees them.” Genesis’s face was bright, his nerves showing in the way he kept rubbing his palms against his pants.
Fox’s smile softened. “I figured.”
“You knew?”
“I’ve been in communication with Free and Tech about improving the Hart Locator,” Fox said. “Free mentioned Meridian and the guys wanted to tag along to the wedding.”
God stared at him. “And you said yes?”
Fox shrugged. “I said why not.”
Bull sipped his beer. “At least they’re well-dressed.”
About an hour later, the ranch’s event coordinator, a woman named Bethany, walked across the field clapping her hands loudly.
“All right, everyone. It’s time! Take your seats.”
The crowd moved toward the ceremony area, a broad stretch of lawn facing the timber arch. Flowers climbed the posts, blue and white blossoms woven into greenery, with lanterns placed along the aisle. The sky had gone darker now, sunset fading into violet, the first stars beginning to show.
God stood with the guys beside the altar, lined up with Gen.
Genesis wore a black tux with a white shirt and white bow tie, looking handsome, and very panicked.
God clamped him on his shoulder and held it there. “You all right?”
Gen swallowed. “No.”
“Perfectly normal,” Day murmured around God.
Gen let out a shaky laugh. “I feel like I’m about to pass out, Cash.”
“Don’t,” Tech said from Curtis’s side of the aisle. “Because any time he talks about you guys’ wedding, it’ll start with, ‘remember when Genny saw me walking down the aisle and fainted like a soap opera widow?’”
Gen pressed his lips together. “He would say that.”
On Curtis’s side lined up behind Tech were Free, Furi, Vickie, and three of Curtis’s closest friends.
The music shifted and every head turned.
Across the pasture path, two massive Clydesdales marched forward, pulling a white carriage decorated with flowers and ribbons. The sight elicited a collective sound from the guests, something between awe and laughter.