by Haley Weir
"Yeah? Tell that to Destiny when she's here scraping your brain matter off my beautiful—and very expensive—hardwood floor."
Corey took a good look at Michael and showed his hand. "If you refuse to help, then I'll tell Brock that you struck a deal with me. The deal where you promised not to come after your brother or one of your friends if I captured them. Honestly, I found the whole thing quite hypocritical seeing as you were mad at him for something similar, but less...malicious."
“I didn’t say that I mourned Vanessa. I only said that I want compensation for her death.” A sly smile formed on the mouth of Commander Corey Reed. “When I capture one of your people—no matter who it is…you cannot save them.”
“Or what?”
“Or this entire town gets obliterated,” the man said simply. “I will trigger the rampage in all of your little friends until they slaughter the people of Haden Springs just like Anders McKinney did to the doctors and the soldiers at the facility.”
“Are you trying to blackmail me?” Michael asked with a grim expression. “Because that hasn’t ended well for the last people who tried.”
“No, that wasn’t my intention. But it is how low I’m willing to stoop in order to put an end to my father’s reign of terror.”
“Fine. I’ll find time to train you and turn your brain into mashed potatoes. Who knows? It might be fun watching you flop around like a fish out of water." Michael glared at him from across the couch. "But I won't protect you if that sister of yours starts asking questions."
"Don't talk to me like I'm your brother. Unlike Brock, I'm used to cleaning up my own messes," Corey hissed.
"And lately you've been cleaning up after ours as well. Don't think I'm not grateful. I'm just being cautious."
Clearly, Michael was aware of his trips into the forest. Since Destiny and Brock had been too wrapped up in each other to notice he was gone, Corey had been taking care of Logan's unit. "I've found some creative ways to get information over the years. Though I hate to think like this, we can't always help the things we get from our fathers."
***
Rain poured from the sky Destiny Collier was gripped in the tight clutches of a nightmare...
Bang! Destiny rolled off of her bed in time to avoid a bullet to the heart. She scrambled across the floor and threw open the window as a barrage of bullets pelted the wall behind her. A man’s voice shouted above the noise. “I want her dead! No one leaves this town until she’s in a body bag.”
Footsteps came down the hall just as Destiny climbed through the window. Snow melted beneath her bare feet and the cold water caused her toes to tingle as she hoisted herself onto the roof. A hand gripped her ankle and yanked her down against a solid chest. Destiny struggled. She pounded her fists into the man who held her, but only succeeded in bruising her knuckles
Another gunshot rang in her ears.
The man who held her disappeared. She looked down at her hands and found no bruises, but a gun. Destiny screamed as Brock dropped to the ground with a wet thud….
“Dezzy! Wake up.” The command in his voice forced her eyes open. She blinked away the remnants of her nightmare until Brock’s face came into focus. Her hands traced his features with jittery fingers. He was alive. Destiny hiccupped and kissed his face until he held her down against the pillows.
"What happened, love?"
"I shot you," she sniveled. "One minute I was reliving the day Logan came to town and the next I was holding a gun...I shot you."
She loved that Brock laid back down and allowed her to steal his warmth for herself. Destiny slipped her ice-cold feet into his socks and buried her hands in his shirt. "Would you still love me if I shot you?"
He kissed her forehead, laughter tickling against her hairline. "Of course. Though I think I might have to ask why I deserved it. A little context would be nice."
"Do you have to go to work today?"
"I keep telling you that I'm like Superman," he sighed. "You wouldn't tell Superman he couldn't save the world every day, would you?"
Destiny rolled her eyes. Brock Wasing was no Superman, but she understood his point. Later that day, she even brought in a few snacks for the guys at the station with Sapphire. She blushed to heaven and back as Brock walked around to introduce her to his colleagues.
Her night was spent arguing with Corey over the proper way to host Thanksgiving dinner and then staying up late waiting for her mate to return home. Brock always carried her to bed and then showered before slipping beneath the covers with her. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too."
That night, she didn't have nightmares and neither did Brock. They woke up and stared at one another until the world forced them out of bed. She searched for a job while he made coffee. Destiny hated coffee and complained about "dirty bean water" until Brock called her tea "grass and boot leather." Corey couldn't stand being around them for long and often grumbled under his breath.
Another week passed and there still weren't any jobs available. Destiny was going insane having to order new books online and then waiting forever for them to arrive. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door of their newly renovated kitchen. She didn't even choke out a proper greeting before Sapphire dragged her down the street.
All of her friends gathered around in front of a small building. They each grabbed the end of a large white tarp of some sort and yanked it down. Destiny gasped into the palm of her hand as a brand new Books & Baubles was revealed to her teary eyes. Corey kissed her cheek and pointed to an unlit sign in the window. The light came on.
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
She didn't know what to do or say except cry tears of joy. "What? How did you…? Oh my god! I can't believe this!"
Brock stepped out of the bookshop and she tackled him to the ground. He wiped her tears on his jacket and ask, "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Will you marry me?"
She tapped her chin and mimed her best thinking face. "Oh, I don't know. I might need you to kiss me a million times before I'm sure," Destiny replied.
"Someone wants to be punished."
The group of people behind them gasped. Destiny kissed her mate and said, "Of course I'll marry you."
He carried her into the bookshop and showed her around. "It'll be hard to find more authentic eighteenth century furniture."
"I'm fine with whatever comes next, as long as we're together."
Sapphire and the others came into the new shop pretending to be disgruntled customers or health inspectors. Dorian gave everyone a good laugh when he did an overly dramatic cockney accent. They even humored her by drinking a cup of tea in the new sitting room.
"Thank you. I know times have been difficult, but we pulled through yet again."
She learned that Brock had asked their friends for help putting everything together for her and that everyone contributed to the cost. Brock waited until they got home to give Destiny the engagement ring. "I can't wait until you're my wife."
"Would you like to be Mr. Reed or Mr. Collier?" She asked with another of her strange expressions on her face. Brock swatted her on the bottom, but she purred loudly in retaliation. After all, was it really a punishment if she enjoyed it?
"You'll take my name."
"But I've always been Destiny Collier."
"And I've always been Brock Wasting." He countered. "What's your point?"
"There isn't one. I'm just waiting for you to help me break in the new bookshop." She glanced suggestively. "There are surfaces that we haven't gotten dirty yet."
Destiny knew she was playing a dangerous game, but she also knew her husband-to-be was more than capable of handling the trouble she caused. "No. I'm taking you upstairs." Destiny was swept into her mate's arms and escorted deep into the unforgotten realm of her fantasies.
And just to show her appreciation for her prospective husband’s god-like bedroom skills, she sent a text to the agency. Destiny laughed when she read it out loud, earning a p
articularly charming smolder from her beloved.
BROCK, your match has invited you on a date to YOUR OWN WEDDING. To accept this date, please reply ‘YES’ to this message. If you wish to reject this offer, we will be more than happy to match you with a new candidate.
He imitated her thinking face and accepted the date. A few seconds later, Destiny got a phone call from Lori. “You two are absolutely ridiculous. Do you have any idea how childish it is to send your fiancé an invitation to their own wedding?"
"I'm just hurt it was sent in a text," Brock quipped. Destiny bit his arm in retaliation, which didn't faze him in the slightest. "I have to go, Lori. My new wife has gone rabid."
Chapter Twenty-Four
"I want you to be my best man," Brock said the second he walked out of the elevator. Michael gave him a quizzical look from behind a pair of sunglasses. He pointed to one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Please. It would mean the world to me if we could put our differences behind us for one day."
"Why me? Why not Anders or Dorian?"
"Because you're my brother, Michael."
"When has that ever meant anything to us?" His brother asked. "I learned a long time ago that blood didn't mean the same thing as family."
Brock had expected this. "Well, Destiny and Corey have proven that blood is more than biology. They were able to find their way back into one another's lives and somehow make things work despite the odds."
He knew deep down that Michael wanted to settle their differences, but Brock recognized their father's stubbornness in his brother as well. Brock was tired of fighting. He was tired of letting someone that had hurt them so much over the years control his life. "Look at what they lost. If they can come back from that, then so can we.”
“If you’d open your eyes and see past your own bullshit, you might learn a thing or two about the people in your life. But I guess that's something you and Dad always had in common—” Michael’s words ended with a lip-splitting punch to the face.
Brock’s chest heaved up and down as he breathed through his nose.
Michael unfolded the silk handkerchief from his pocket and spit out the blood that filled his mouth. Their father had always been a touchy subject, but one that was never entirely avoidable. Brock couldn’t stand the sight of his brother in that moment. He knew Michael only wanted what was best for him and had always tried to provide, but there were times when he pushed until Brock could take no more.
“I hate that bastard just as much as you do,” Brock yelled. “You took a lot of pain for me, Michael, and I’ll always be grateful that I’m alive because of you. But don’t ever think that I had it easy in that house.”
“You might not have had it easy, but you sure as hell never had to clean up after your own messes,” Michael snapped back. “And it’s not like you have to this time either. Don’t worry, little brother, even if we don’t speak to one another ever again…I’ll make sure Corey Reed isn’t your problem anymore.”
He shook his head and dropped the invitation onto the desk. “I meant what I said. It would mean the world to me if my big brother was there for my wedding.”
With that, Brock turned to leave. Michael caught him by the arm and spun him around. Brock dodged the punch before it landed, but Michael hit him with two jabs to the ribs. His knees buckled as his brother stood over him like a titan from mythology.
“You and the others are finding love and getting married while Corey and I are stuck working in the trenches,” Michael sneered. “But he’s no better. Every single last one of you always needs something from me. Hell, this whole damn world seems to need something from me.”
“Fine. Don’t come.”
“Did you really expect that I would want to show up to your wedding? At least Destiny tries her best not to be like her father, but you...I’ve never seen a more selfish man in my life, Brock. But you still get everything you want in the end. The girl, the job, the new brother, the new house...”
Brock tried to calm his anger. He didn’t want to fall victim to his brother’s goading anymore, but it was so hard not to slam his fist into that arrogant face whenever Michael got this way. “I might be like him, but so are you. How long have you sat up in your tower and watched this town fall apart bring by brick? How many fires have you admired from a distance as they swallow half the forest? He might not have done the same actions, but he made destroying beautiful things his hobby just like you did.”
“Get out.”
“Seriously,” Brock began. “What happened to you? When I got back from Sector A...when I paid the price for my actions for once, I thought things would be different.”
“Are you finished? I have work to do.”
“Yeah...I’m done.” Brock hated how long it took for the elevator to arrive. He rode it all the way down to the parking garage and then headed home. Destiny was at the door with a cup of coffee for him when he walked through the door. She sensed his distress immediately and did her best to ease his anger.
“I know it’s hard to see right now, but your brother loves you.”
“He doesn’t understand me at all,” Brock sighed. “Seeing you with Corey inspired me to try harder, but there’s no talking to Michael. Everything has to be on his time and he has to be the one with the brilliant solution.”
“Then let him do it on his time. Don’t force something that’s meant to happen naturally. You’re brother will come around eventually, you just have to make sure that you’re there for him when he does.”
Brock tugged the end of her sweater until she stood between his legs. He rested his head on her chest. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I think we both got lucky,” she said. “Not a lot of people find a love like this, Brock. Look at our friends. They were hand-picked by fate and yet they still have problems that ordinary couples have. I’m glad ours happened in the beginning.”
“Let’s hope we don’t have anymore fights like that. I don’t like feeling like a troll.”
***
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the banquet hall, casting luminous shapes upon the polished oak floors. Circular tables draped in white cloth filled half of the large space to seat their guests. Soft orchestral music played the classics and Father Ripply sat in the corner to go over his words for the ceremony.
There was no mother of the bride to help her get ready for the wedding and no father to walk her down the aisle, but the family she had created here in Haden Springs was good enough for Destiny. Tilly helped with the wedding planning while Jenny sewed the dress. Sapphire provided catering for the entire wedding weekend while Lori and her husband gifted them with a honeymoon for when the Hydra problem was taken care of. Corey was dressed in an immaculate suit, looking bright eyed and ready. “Did our mother look like you?” he asked.
Destiny stared at herself in the mirror, marveling at the way the silver threading added a unique element to the dress. Her eyes caught his in the reflection and she nodded. “We both look like her. Sometimes I wish I had a photograph so that I could show you.” She touched the lace on the bodice of the dress and wondered how much money Jenny had paid for the fabric. Destiny couldn’t help but feel indebted to her friends after everything they had done for her.
Though they had their difficult moments, everyone pulled together when it mattered. Corey pulled her hair away from her face and braided it the way he had done for her when she was little. "You remember?"
"No," he replied sadly. "I did it because it felt natural. I wish I could remember for you, Des. I really do, but it's hard sometimes."
"Don't push yourself too hard, Corey. A lot has changed for you. I'm just glad to have you in my life."
She took a few more minutes to stare at her reflection before they heard a knock on the door. Corey took her arm and walked her through the hall, pretending to trip on her dress a little just to see her smile. Destiny felt the warmth of the lights on her face as the door opened. Her eyes locked on the man of her dreams and refused t
o look away.
Brock looked breathless at the end of the aisle. His eyes began to brim with tears as she slowly walked toward him. An overly hormonal Sapphire blew her nose in a handkerchief, Tilly hid her tears behind a well-placed hand, and Jenny stood as her maid of honor. Lori let out a sniffle or two as well. But when the bride and groom faced one another to say their vows, there wasn't a dry eye in the banquet hall. Father Ripply spoke above the quiet chatter and subtle cries. “If any of you has a reason as to why these two should not be married today, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Eerie silence fell upon the room, but the doors to the banquet hall opened with a clatter. Michael Adair stomped toward Brock and Destiny and stood in the empty spot beside Dorian reserved for the best man. Destiny smiled at Brock and held his hand when he could no longer hold back his tears. She mouthed the words, “I love you” as the priest continued.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Brock yanked Destiny against his chest and dipped her low before planting a long, sweet kiss on her lips. Her smile brightened when they were announced as husband and wife. The rest of the night was filled with childish antics from the men and bitter gossip from the ladies. Destiny wiped frosting on her husband’s face before he whispered filthy promises in her air about what he would like to do with the rest of the wedding cake. She scrunched her nose and said, “Crumbs on sheets aren’t sexy.”
“You’ll change your mind by morning.”
***
Brock carried his slightly intoxicated, heavily flirty bride over the threshold of their construction-in-progress home. For the entire ride home, she insisted on twirling her finger in his beard and kissing his neck. He found the whole thing alarmingly adorable and impossibly erotic. “Settle down so I can take this dress off of you.”
She wiggled out of his arms at the bottom of the stairs and unhooked the back of her dress. Brock was surprised by how easily she was able to shimmy out of the gown, but his jaw hit the floor when he saw what was underneath. Destiny shot him a coy look over her shoulder. “Jenny says what’s beneath the gown is just as important as the dress itself,” she purred. “Do you agree, my King?”
