was a rock, especially considering her age.
The girl was wise beyond her years, and then some.
But my rational inner voice was doing nothing to calm my fears.
“It's time,” Dev said as he took the tequila bottle away from Preacher. It was a good thing the Prez did it because anyone else would've had to pry the bottle away. Preacher might be an Untouchable, but he was an honorary Devil's Rider, too. He showed respect to the club Prez.
I gave him a worried look. The old bastard was still standing up, thankfully. And he was showing no signs of leering at all the pretty girls. Cynthia had cured him of that from the moment he laid eyes on her. She was a good girl, and another one I considered to be my sister, even though they weren’t as active in club life. They had their church and community to keep them more than busy.
Dear God, please tell him to keep his hands off my woman, I said in a silent prayer as we took our places at the end of the dock that extended from the deck. I didn’t want him to freak her out. That was if she even showed. But no. She would be here. I looked around at the familiar faces surrounding me. So many of us Riders had gotten married here. It was a beautiful place but it was more than that. It was tradition.
And the white-haired bastard giving me a funny look was part of that tradition.
“Don’t even think about pushing me in the lake,” Preacher said, giving Mac and me a stern look.
“Don’t think about kissing the bride,” I growled at him. He gave me a sly wink and a smirk, which did nothing to calm my fears. Melissa was still an innocent in so many ways. She might freak out if he laid one on her.
Plus, I really, really wouldn’t like it.
“Salty old fuck,” I muttered, facing forward.
“Impertinent young twat,” he replied without looking at me. The best men all grinned.
Dev, Donahue, Jack, Whiskey, Call, Mac, Lucky, Drake, and Moose were all standing up here with me. Well, actually, Moose was at the end of the long line, standing just on the edge of the deck. We’d been too afraid he would capsize the floating dock if he stepped out onto it.
“Don’t worry, Nick. If he tries something, I’ll help you push him in,” Whiskey said just loud enough for Preacher to hear. The old man looked gratifyingly worried about that. Whiskey was big enough to push anyone in the lake except Jack or Moose.
The music started and a hush fell over the crowd. This was it. This was the moment that either all my dreams came crashing down around me or I got to live them out, forever. I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them just in time to see Melissa step through the sliding glass doors of the cabin.
She was here. She was going through with it. She didn’t run.
All the tension left my body in one fell swoop. I felt something else invade every pore. Every cell. Every atom.
Pride and possession.
Melissa was mine. Really and truly mine. And I couldn’t be prouder. I was never, ever going to let her go.
And holy hell, did she look good.
Brides in movies and magazines had nothing on my girl. The long dress rose just above the deck where it floated down from the bodice, gently skimming her curves. But the top, my God, the top hugged every inch of her luscious breasts, with a bit of lace above the sexy neckline to make it almost prim, but not quite.
There was no amount of lace on earth that was going to distract from her gorgeous curves.
Her hair was half up and half down, with a shoulder-length lace veil pinned to her shiny, honey-brown hair. The lace and her bouncy curls framed a face of pure beauty. She wore subtle makeup that only enhanced her porcelain skin and clear blue eyes. Eyes I could fall into. Eyes that said she was happy to be getting married. That she wanted me.
That she loved me, too.
I barely breathed as she walked serenely up the aisle toward me. She placed her hand in mine and everything snapped into place. I felt like I was complete. I felt like I was home.
“We are gathered together to celebrate the ill-conceived wedding of this delicate, beautiful flower to this complete degenerate and strain on society.”
I rolled my eyes as Preacher