72. Camilla
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
CAMILLA
M y breath catches in my throat as I do as I’m told, my eyes fluttering closed as I lean against Kovu’s warm body.
It may be hot as sin outside, but these men love their air conditioning, and it may as well be the arctic in here. Hopefully the estate’s system can live up to this one because otherwise there might be riots.
There’s movement around me, and Kovu presses a kiss to the top of my head before he pulls away, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, alone, with my eyes closed. This better not be some kind of prank.
“Open,” Crew rumbles, and when I do, my legs give way beneath me.
In front of me are all four of my men on one knee, and nestled in Crew’s hands is a ring box housing the biggest fucking diamond I’ve ever seen in my life, and it’s not until I’m at eye level with it that I realize that it’s not just any diamond. It’s a pink one.
“Camilla, when you came into our lives, we thought we knew what happiness was. We thought we had it all figured out. But we were so wrong,” Bishop starts.
“And then you showed us what it meant to really live,” Kaos adds. “And little by little, we became better versions of ourselves.”
“You settled the beast inside me and gave me purpose other than making people bleed.” Kovu reaches out and brushes a stray tear from my cheek.
“I thought I knew what love was, Camilla, and I promised myself I would never fall again because it hurt so much to lose it. But when I held you as you said goodbye to me, I realized something. Love can hurt. It can tear your heart out and stomp on it. But in just a few short months, you had given us something we never had before. A life. Peace. Happiness.”
Tears drip down my cheeks, and I cover my mouth to catch the sob that threatens to escape my throat. This isn’t real. It can’t be real.
“Will you marry us, Camilla? Will you spend the rest of your life with us and fill our home with love and laughter and kids?” Crew’s smile is brighter than I think I’ve ever seen it, and I find myself nodding before I can think to form the words.
Because of course I’ll marry them.
Of course I’ll spend the rest of my life with them.
“Yes,” I sob. “Yes.”
They descend on me all at once, their huge bodies wrapping me up in theirs in the middle of Crew’s office floor, as they each murmur promises to me, and I know they’ll deliver on every single one.
Especially the filthy ones.
The ring finds its way onto my finger, and although it feels foreign, it also feels right. Everything about life right now feels like it’s exactly as it should be.
“Quick question?” I say through my tears. “How does one marry four men?”
“Bribe a priest,” Kovu answers immediately.
“And the city clerk,” Kaos adds.
Crew shakes his head as he presses a kiss to my forehead. “We’ll have a ceremony for all four of us, but legally you’ll marry just one of us.”
My face falls as I look at each of them. “I don’t want to choose between you.”
“You won’t have to, love,” Bishop assures me. “We’ve already decided because we knew you wouldn’t want to.”
“Oh.” I let out a breath. “So who will I legally be married to?”
“Kovu,” Crew answers with a smile, and my chest tightens as I look up at my scarred man. His wild blue eyes shine with happiness, a world away from the first time I ever stared into them.
“Okay, so when are we getting hitched?” I ask.
I don’t care that our lives won’t be conventional or what people will think of our relationship.
All I care about is starting the rest of our lives as soon as possible.
Together.