Chapter 27
Rhylan
For their tests, our wives were assigned targets that were typically low-profile criminals. As thrilled as I was for our marriage, I wasn’t in a hurry for Dakota to receive hers; the small chance that this would all blow up in my face kept running through my head.
“Glad to hear that my boy Rhylan finally managed to lasso his bride. About damn time, kid.” Trent was the first to congratulate me on the news when I returned to Kerosene after taking a few nights off.
When I left, Dakota was still arguing with her sister over the idea of an arranged marriage.
Not buying into the idea, Tiffany was fighting tooth and nail for her freedom.
Convincing her to agree to the idea without exposing any information regarding the MUR wasn’t easy, but my girl’s heart was in the right place by at least trying.
“Speaking of bride… I’ve got a favor to ask.” I’d been avoiding this conversation with Trent. A two-for-one wedding was not what I expected when I planned my proposal, but now I had to figure out a way to help before Tiffany turned into collateral damage.
“Anything for you, kid.” He slung an arm over my shoulder as we walked from the lounge to the bar, taking seats across from Silas while he finished washing lipstick from the last of the glassware.
“I need you to marry Dakota’s little sister...” Trent was never one to beat around the bush; it always pissed him off when Silas pulled that kind of crap for the fuck of it, so I had to shoot my shot, and I shot straight.
“Whoa, hold up, anything but that. This cowboy rides solo for a reason and… little? Do I really come across as a man who’d rob a cradle? Play babysitter?”
“Now that you mention it—”
“Shut the fuck up, Silas,” Trent snapped with a growl, glaring in his direction from across the counter. “That was one time, and she said she was thirty-four.”
“Maybe in bra size. That girl was clearly in her late twenties at best.”
“Look, I know this isn’t an ideal situation for anyone involved, but Dakota and her sister are close; always have been.
The secrets of the society are bound to come up, and she doesn’t want to risk destroying the closest relationship she has, and neither do I.
Not when I know I can prevent it with your help. ”
“Fuck, I’ll marry her if she’s anything like your wife. Have a little spitfire of my own. I saw her the night they both came in. She’s fuckin’ hot.” Silas chimed in, crossing his arms over his chest with a bold grin.
“The ball’s in your court, Trent.” I shrugged my shoulders, giving him one last chance to accept my offer before throwing it to Silas as a last-ditch effort.
They were the only two I’d ever trust to protect Tiffany and treat her well, which is what made the decision easy from the start, and I bet either one of them would fall for her in time.
The only reason I chose Trent was because he was single out of pure fear of falling for a woman and then losing her to the test, like Leighton lost Chloe.
He never intended to spend the rest of his life as a bachelor, and if this worked out before Dakota’s target was assigned, they could possibly take it together with both of us assisting.
After a few minutes of silent contemplation and a slight territorial glare at Silas, Trent blew out a sigh with his answer.
“Alright, I’ll do it… But on one condition.
” Standing from the bar, Trent shoved his right hand into his jeans, tipping his hat with the left till we saw eye to eye.
“I wanna meet her first. I’m not about to marry a woman whom I, one, don’t know, and two, will spend the rest of her life resenting me for it. ”
“No woman in her right mind would ever resent a man who fucks her like a God.”
“Silas…” The clear warning in his tone told me that Trent was done with his shit for the evening. “Just shut the fuck up and go home already.”
After giving up a sarcastic two-fingered salute, Silas leaped over the wide counter with a power slide and happily strolled into the back, leaving Trent and me to finish our discussion without his unsolicited commentary.
“As I was saying, I’m not going to make the poor girl miserable for the rest of her life just because her sister wants someone to share her secrets with–” Trent was tough and intimidating as fuck when provoked, but he had a heart of gold, the best a man could have this side of the Mason Dixon.
“But if this is what she wants, what she chooses, then I’ll treat her right regardless of our circumstances. ”
“The plan isn’t set in stone, at least not yet.
Dakota is still working on convincing her that this would be the best option for their future.
Hopefully, we’ll know in the next few days.
” If we didn’t, they’d definitely be tested individually, and I wasn’t sure how Tiffany would fare on her own.
“She won’t force Tiffany into anything against her will.
If she’d rather Dakota never tell her anything about her life behind closed doors, then she will make it work. ”
“You really think your girl can keep her lips sealed if Tiffany chooses not to do this?”
I sure as fuck hoped so…