by SF Benson
“Agreed.” My brother removes a gun from his waistband and cocks it. “Just being prepared, Brady. We go in together and split up. If I find him first, I’ll just wound him. You finish the job.”
I nod, and we run back to the building.
It feels like an hour has passed, but I know it hasn’t been that long. I take the stairs at the end of a hallway and go up to the second floor. No stench up here. I’m about to return to the first floor when I hear a crash.
The roof.
That motherfucker would go up there. He’s probably hoping that I’ll take the bait. Fight his ass and end up falling. Not happening.
As quick as I can, I return to the first floor. Who I’m looking for is at the bottom of the stairs.
“You found him?” Elsbeth asks.
“On the roof. I need a boundary spell or something.”
“Already done. Handle your business, Alpha. I’ll find Brian’s wife.”
I nod and retrace my steps. Thoughts of Audra are on my mind. I realize Calhoun didn’t physically do anything to harm her, but the idea alone is enough for him to suffer. Nobody threatens my mate.
Calhoun is waiting in the center of the roof when I emerge from the stairwell. The moonlight glints off the steel pipe in his hand. Dumb fuck!
“Took you long enough, Pretty Boy! Guess wolves ain’t that good at tracking.”
“Anyone who has to track your foul ass needs a break for fresh air.”
Calhoun approaches with the pipe held high. “Time to get this shit over with.”
Removing my blade from its sheath, I say, “I couldn’t agree more.”
At first glance, anyone would say this fight is mismatched—Calhoun’s considerable girth against my slimmer frame. But it doesn’t take might to go up against the mental giant. Skill. Speed. Smarts. It doesn’t hurt that I have years of anger and frustration built up. We move around each other, neither of us committing to the first blow.
“Scared, Cal?”
“Shit naw. Ain’t nothing to fear from a damn Romero.”
“Then bring it and stop dancing around.”
Calhoun lunges forward and attempts to land a blow with the metal pipe. I slice at his arm, drawing blood. The action only causes him to spew profanities.
Standing tall, I wave him forward. “Come get it, asshole.”
One thing in a knife fight—you don’t attack the person holding the blade. Not unless you’re sure you can disarm him. When Calhoun makes his move, I make mine, plunging the knife into his side.
“Fuck!” He swings the pipe, and it crunches down on my left shoulder with blinding force.
A loud crack fills the air. Shit that hurts! No time for pain or weakness. Audra is counting on me.
Calhoun smiles, thinking he has the upper hand.
Footsteps move behind me. “Brady, you okay?”
Without looking at him, I tell Brian, “I’m fine. This fucker’s dying tonight.”
Laughter fills the night air, but the crack of my brother’s pistol cuts it short. The pipe clatters to the ground as Calhoun grabs his shoulder. When it’s obvious the slug isn’t going to take him down, Brian shoots again. This time Calhoun drops, clutching at his leg. It may be the easy way out, but I don’t care as long as this ass dies. I sink down beside the smelly male. Cold steel slides between his ribs, right below his chest, and finds its home. Crimson sprouts between Calhoun’s chapped lips. His mouth opens, but no words come forth. I push the blade in farther, knowing I’ve hit the right spot. I’m not aiming for his heart, but any artery leading from it. This asshole needs to die slowly. Calhoun’s eyes widen as he chokes.
“That’s for Braden,” I say through my teeth. My older brother had the same wide-eyed stare right before his life spilled onto the floor. We didn’t get to him in time, but Jackson Ryder got away with the crime.
Calhoun clutches at my arm, trying to stop the agony, but payback is a heartless, hostile bitch. Thrusting upward, I sink the blade in to the hilt. Blood, its coppery stench filling my nostrils, continues to spill from the wound.
Even if Calhoun could wrench the weapon free, it would do no good. It’s imbued with dark magic courtesy of Elsbeth. A tiny stab releases its power, and once free, no one survives a cut.
“And this…” I twist the handle for good measure. “This is for anything you may have done or thought about doing to Audra.”
I watch the light dim in Calhoun’s eyes. He lies there unable to do anything but wait for death. Ryders aren’t the only ones who can fight dirty. They’re not the only ones who can hate either. But my animosity ends here. I won’t let it fester inside me like it did with the Ryders. It’s unnecessary and doesn’t solve anything.
Brian taps my shoulder. “It’s time to go, Alpha.”
The overwhelming silence grabs my attention. No more growling or snarling from Ryders crew. Calhoun isn’t the only life fading from this world. Remorse doesn’t find a home within me though. The Ryders chose to die when they kidnapped Audra and Tia.
Like I said, no one takes what belongs to me.
It’s time for me to free Audra.
When I heard the gunshots, my heart froze. No one has entered the room, and I hate to admit it, but I’m scared. What if Calhoun harmed Brady?
You’ll do what’s needed to avenge your mate.
I take a deep breath, seeking calm. If Calhoun is the one who took the bullet, then he’ll no longer be a threat to anyone. Heavy footsteps, moving quickly, pound the concrete. My eyes lift to find Brady standing before me.
Shame takes over. If I’d listened to his demands, if I’d done as he asked, none of this would have happened. Thankfully, Brady doesn’t judge me. He shrugs out of his jacket and wraps it around my trembling, naked shoulders.
“Ace!” he yells into the void. Brady rubs his hands up and down my gooseflesh-covered arms. “Hang tight, sugar. We’ll get you out of here.”
The Broussard alpha runs into the room. “Whatcha need?”
“Get these fucking cuffs off her.” Brady’s voice shakes with anger. Seeing that his jacket barely covers me, Brady yanks the thin blanket off the filthy mattress. He drops it around me before tearing through the enclosure searching for something to free my wrists.
The click-clack of high heels approaches. Both Ace and Brady freeze in their tracks as Elsbeth, dressed in leather, enters the room. “Allow me.”
She waves her hand in the air, and thin wisps of smoke rise from the metal bracelets. They fall to the floor with a loud clank while the band around my neck disappears. Elsbeth wiggles her fingers, and I’m fully dressed in a sweater, jeans, and my combat boots.
Stepping out of the blanket puddled at my feet, I say, “Thank you.”
“It’s just a part of my promise to the Romeros. Your sister waits outside.” Her gaze drifts to Brady. “Are we finished here?”
“Yeah.” Brady takes his jacket from me. “Thanks again, Elsbeth. As always, my family is in your debt.”
She nods to him and leaves the room with Ace.
Brady turns to me. “Are you okay?”
Rubbing my wrists, I tell him, “I am now.”
“Then let’s go.” He starts to leave.
“Wait!” The word bursts from me, and I start to shake.
Brady’s eyebrows squish together. “What? What’s wrong?”
If I don’t do this now, I’ll chicken out. If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s how much this male means to me. The thought of never seeing him again… It would have broken me.
The words rush from my mouth. “Baby, marry me.”
He stares at me like I grew an extra head. “Did I hear you right?”
Swallowing hard, I try again. This time I’ll use the right words. “I, Audra Nichelle Nevers, claim you, Brady Maxwell Romero, as my mate. Bond with me. Marry me.”
A slow smile spreads across his handsome face. Brady’s arms wrap around my waist, and he lifts me into the air. “Yes!”
“It’
s about damned time!” Another male voice says in the distance. “Good to know the only way to get Audra to do something is to lock her up.”
We both turn toward my brother. Streaks of blood cover one of his cheeks. He’s missing a few dreads too. He fought for us…for me. “You okay? How did you know?”
“That would be my doing,” says Brian, sauntering toward us with Tia at his side. Brady’s brother has a nasty gash on his forehead. “I needed his help to find you and Tia. Going up against the Ryders and their crew, I wanted to make sure we had more than enough coverage.”
My brother-in-law is going to make a great alpha one day.
“Mateo is out front with a car for you and Audra. I’m taking Tia in my ride,” Brian says.
Good, because Brady and I need a moment alone.
Sitting in the back of the limo, for the first time in a long time, I’m nervous around Brady. I proposed, and he said yes. There’s no turning back now. The reality of what I’ve initiated has butterflies dancing through my stomach. If only I shared their joy. Maybe it’s the stink of Calhoun and his blood turning my insides?
“Hey, sugar.” Brady touches my chin and directs my gaze to him. “Getting cold feet already?”
I offer a small smile with a shrug. “Can I admit to being a little scared?”
“It scares me a bit too, but I love you enough to make the leap. To take the chance.”
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my feelings. My fear, however, doesn’t stem from the unknown with Brady. It’s the unknown with my pack that worries me. “How is this going to work? Alphas don’t marry each other. One of us has to step down.”
Brady brushes my wild hair away from my face before stroking my cheek. “We’ll deal with it later. Remember, I sit on Council. We’ll make it work.”
The nausea is worse. I cover my mouth.
Dropping his hand, Brady asks, “You okay?”
I swallow back the threatening bile. Jokingly I say, “Just a little aftermath of being in the same air space with the Ryders.”
Brady smiles. “Yeah. I’m wanting a shower too.”
I nod. “As far as you and I… We need to do this like yesterday. I don’t want to wait any longer.” In all honesty, with each passing second I’m tempted to take my words back and tell Brady I’ve changed my mind. Suddenly, the dream of a wedding with all the trimming seems too much. “I don’t need anything fancy. Just family.”
A brief laugh breaks from him before he says, “You know better than that, sugar. It’s not every day that one of us gets married. Mom will insist on a big event.”
Great. Something I’m not looking forward to.
As soon as we step through the front door, however, Brenna and Santiago attack us with smiles and hugs. Brian and Tia, the little blabbermouths, stand next to them.
“Come, come. Let me see my future daughter.” Brenna waves me forward and wraps me up in a warm embrace. “I’m so glad you’re safe. We have plans to make.”
Santiago grabs Brady. Unlike me, my future mate welcomes the gesture. Standing side by side, it’s so obvious where Brady got his looks—his mother’s smile with his father’s hair and eyes.
Stepping out of Brenna’s arms, I say, “I’d prefer a small ceremony with family and a few friends.”
“Nonsense,” says Santiago in a booming voice. Now that the curse has been lifted, he’s back to his old formidable self. “You’re marrying a Romero. Perfect timing for a wedding too. The rest of my children will be home in a few days. The Broussards already have representatives here too. It’s time for a fiesta!”
I want to hide. Is it too late for us to run off somewhere and elope?
Brenna grasps her husband’s elbow. “We need to start making the arrangements. We’ll have the ceremony on the estate. And the guest list… There are so many people to invite.”
The happy couple ignore me and go off talking about the ceremony they’re planning.
Brian waggles his eyebrows. “I call best man.”
Brady face-palms. “That’s not how this works, little brother. But, yeah, you get the job.”
“You two go talk.” Tia grabs my hand. “My sister and I have planning to do.”
Rolling my eyes, I realize I’m not going to like this. One bit.
Instead of spending the night at home with Brady, we end up sleeping at the estate—Brenna’s insistence. The sun has barely made an appearance before Tia bursts into my room.
“Time to get up, sis!”
I crack open my eyes and take stock of my sister. A wrap-around smile is plastered on her face, and she’s dressed to go out. Whatever she wants can wait until noon. I pull the cover over my head.
“Not so fast, Audra.” She yanks on the blanket. “We need to get you a wedding dress.”
“I’ll wear jeans and a button-down shirt. Put on makeup and do something with my hair.”
“Not happening.” She drags the covers off the bed. It’s a gesture I used to do when she was a pup not wanting to go to school. If she refused to budge, then came the water. Oh shit. I jump out of the bed. “I’m up.”
Tia holds the glass next to a grinning face. “Darn. I wanted you to have the full experience.”
“How about this one?” Tia pulls out a dress that should belong on some lame-ass Disney princess. Layers and layers of tulle and lace will never be worn by me. It looks like a fairy’s wand exploded.
“What did I tell you?” I’m more than ready to remind my sister about our earlier conversation. On the ride over, I told her what I would and would not tolerate. Puffed up dresses were on the long list of would-nots.
“Plain. Simple. Boring.” Tia rolls her eyes and continues going through the racks. She’s been searching for over an hour.
The sales lady—a very patient human—walks over with another dress. “This one might be more your style.”
She places the lace dress with a deep V-neckline and full, bell-shaped sleeves on the hook. Tia’s eyes widen as she runs a hand over the long train and tiny buttons up the back.
“Not bad,” I say.
“Not bad?” Tia exclaims. “Try it on. Please.”
I take the dress into the fitting room. Slipping out of my jeans, I think about this whole ordeal. In two days, the rest of the Romero family will be in Falls Creek. Onlookers will pack the meeting house eager to see Brady and me tie the knot. If it had been left up to me, we would have gone to the courthouse and had a simple ceremony. Celebrate the moment at Balls Up with a few friends and family. Easy peasy.
“Hurry up!” my sister shouts. “I want to see it!”
Looking in the mirror, I’m surprised. I turn to the side, pleased with how it fits. I hate to say it, but this is it. Maybe I’ll let Tia talk me into a pair of heels.
The dressing room door swings open before I’m ready. Tia gasps. Her hands cover her mouth, and she’s hopping around like a little kid. “Oh my, Audra! You’re so beautiful. That’s the dress! Brady’s going to love it.”
Her excitement stretches the smile already on my face. Who knew that a dress could make someone so happy?
It’s not the dress. It’s what it represents, silly.
Tia twists my hair up and secures it with a clip from her hair. “Subtle makeup and a pair of strappy sandals are all that’s needed. Oh, and Mom’s earrings will be the something old. You can borrow the handkerchief I used when I got married.”
“No. Not the traditional crap,” I plead.
“Yes. For once, you’re going all girly and not breaking any rules. Let Brady have something drool-worthy to look at on the big day.”
I’m going to kill my sister. We’ll bury her in one of those big puffy dresses and make her spend the afterlife looking like a nightmare.
An hour later, we’ve purchased my dress, undergarments made for torture—although Tia claimed Brady will appreciate the view—and shoes along with two more similar-styled dresses in light pink (the color my sister chose for the wedding) without the train. Tia call
ed Brenna to check on the floral arrangements. Blood red roses with baby’s breath (I got to choose that one) will make up my bouquet. The caterers have been contacted. All my favorite foods—an odd mix of Jamaican and Spanish dishes—will be served buffet-style. I turned down the elegant appetizers and six-course dinner Tia wanted.
Tia hangs up with Brady’s mom and faces me. “I think we’re going to pull this off.”
“Are we going home now?” I ask as I pull my Jeep into traffic. Although I’m exhausted and hungry, I still need to stop by the bar.
“What about music? You have to have a favorite song to walk down the aisle to.”
“Brady’s taking care of it.” Music is his thing. Just turn it on, and I’ll do whatever’s needed—walk, march, or bachata. It doesn’t matter to me. As long as it gets me down the aisle.
My sister taps her fingers on her leg. “Who’s giving you away?”
“Greg.” I spoke to him this morning. I was shocked when he agreed so readily. “Are you worried about anything else?”
Tia waves her hand at me, dismissing the thought. “I’m not worrying. It’s called planning, my dear sister. Later this afternoon, there’s a fitting appointment.”
“What fitting?”
Tia laughs. “For our dresses, silly. We have to make sure they fit right. Briannon sent her measurements for hers. It’ll be us and Mama Romero.”
Mama Romero?
I sure hope to hell Brady’s mom doesn’t expect me to call her that. She’s always been Brenna to me. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, I rub the other one across the back of my neck. “This is beyond a small wedding, right?”
“Would you really deprive Mama Romero of this? If it were up to her, she’d make Brian and me go through a second ceremony just so she can attend.”
“There’s a thought.”
“Not even a threat.” Tia wiggles her left hand in front of her face, admiring her sparkling black diamond and gold ring. My brother-in-law has good taste. “I’d gladly marry him all over again.”
“Really?” I’ve never heard my sister mention anything about her feelings for Brian.
