Page 189 of Making Choices

That’s what she’d said.

It made sense then, and it makes even more sense now.

I’ve spent my life taking a backseat to Venom.

To win the heart of my duchess, I’m putting myself in the driver’s seat for once.

Here goes nothing...

Or everything.

38

LILY

As I enter the double doors to the compound, a hush descends. The head of every man swivels around to face me and my legs turn to jelly. I peer at them, my confusion at their strange reaction no doubt etched in my expression. One by one, they move out of the way, and the reason for their weirdness becomes apparent.

A makeshift altar.

Gabriel dressed in his usual three-piece suit.

Slash in black trousers, a sapphire-blue shirt, black tie, and his cut.

“Here.” Nadia thrusts a bouquet of blue orchids at me. “Your second favourite flower.”

“You knew?”

“Of course, I knew.” My best friend rolls her eyes. “Who do you think made sure he got the setup right? Who do you think was tasked with ensuring you didn’t arrive in biker slut couture?”

Her obstinate refusal to allow me to leave home until she was happy with my outfit for Isaiah’s hastily re-scheduled patchin’ in ceremony now makes sense. At the time, I thought she was bossing me around to compensate for the whirlwind of emotions she’s battling after her tell-all in front of the Shamrocks last night, but now I know better.

My best friend was, in her words, “comin’ in clutch.”

The white lace dress and the gold stilettos she picked for me are my wedding outfit.

“Thank you.”

“It’s not perfect,” Nadia warns me. She scans me from head to toe, quickly adjusts my neckline, then places the blue orchid and white jasmine flower crown that Delia passes her on my head. After chucking me under the chin, she swipes away at the tears welling in her eyes. “It’s very Slash and Cherub—I made sure of it. Didn’t want any accidental overlap detractin’ from his sweet gesture.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you stuck on repeat?” she asks.

“No. Overwhelmed, I think.”

“You are only human.” I squeeze her hand as the extent of what Slash has pulled off finally hits me. Nadia blinks back tears, then she lifts her chin. “Now, Sander’s mad as a wet cat that he couldn’t be here, but he sent reinforcements.”

“Huh?”

Before Nadia can answer, my two youngest brothers surround me. Wyatt stands proudly in his Shamrocks cut, the bottom rocker that denotes his status as a prospect a stark white when compared to the other brothers, yet he seems just as at home in it as they do.

“I’ll take the left side,” he declares.

“Whatevs,” Nate grumbles as he moves to take my right arm. “She’s right-handed, so I’ve got the best side anyways.”

“Slash gave me the rings, so you’re shit outta luck if you think you’ve got the best of anythin’.”

“Jesus Christ,” Everett interrupts their bickering. My broken brother has avoided me in the months since our argument at Slash’s, but none of the rancour of that day is present when he shoos Wyatt and Nate out of the way. “I’ll walk her. You two can lead the way, carryin’ a ring each.”

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