Page 123 of Mob Bride

Nikki’s cool hands grasp my forearms and give them a squeeze before she speaks.

“Carys, we all call our husbands that. We’ve all said it louder than we intended or let it slip when we think no one’s around. I promise you when you hear our husbands call uscailín, it’s not something any of them throw around easily. It’s not something any of them called a woman before meeting the one they married. If it’s what Shane calls you, know he’s called no one else that. But the moment he did, whether or not he realized it, he decided he’d marry you.”

I try to remember when that was. I think the night we met. The night I was half-dead. The night I never wanted to leave his arms, even if I sounded ungrateful. The night I felt safe for the first time since I became an agent who goes—went—undercover.

“Thank you for explaining.” I offer a weak smile, but it brightens when Mair teases me.

“Don’t you dare tell Shane where you got these from. Better yet, don’t tell Dillan because he’ll plotz.” She opens her purse and pulls out a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs. “My guess is you both like it kinky too. I might have slipped over to a sex shop and gotten these and a few other things in a bag in my car before I went to pick up Nikki, Ally, and Tiernan.”

“And we might have stopped at another store to get a few more things before helping Mom pick out these dresses.” Nikki opens her purse and pulls out a paddle.

Ally and Tiernan giggle and dig in their purses. No wonder they’re all carrying such big ones. Ally waves a dildo before dropping it back in her purse, and Tiernan has a set of nipple and clit clamps.

“I didn’t think my bachelorette party would be in a courthouse restroom, but thank you. I—I—” I’m choking back tears. “I feel welcome.”

“You are.” Four voices chirp the same response.

“We need to hurry before Shane’s dressed and bursting in here.” I watch Mair, and it’s the most serious she’s been since I met her fifteen minutes ago.

“He’s getting dressed?”

“You think our mom and aunts would let him show up to his wedding in shorts and a t-shirt?” Ally tsks. “Hardly.”

“She talked Ronan out of insisting all the guys wear their tuxes. It is an impressive sight, which would not be low profile.” Tiernan grins. “But wait until you see them all dressed up. It’s—it’s—well, it’s about the hottest fucking thing you’ve ever seen. You’ve seen them. They’re all nearly as good looking as Seamus, so it’s?—”

“Ahem!” Ally hip checks Tiernan. “I’m married to the pretty one according to the other families.”

Tiernan shrugs unrepentantly. “Pretty is nice. Seamus is gorgeous.”

Mair snorts. “Have you seen Dillan when he’s brooding? It does things to a girl.”

“When isn’t your husband brooding?” Nikki teases her, but she looks at me and winks. “If one is good, two is better. Our husbands are the hot ones in the family.”

I glance at the door as I suck my lips in to keep from laughing. “How dressy will he be?”

“Their usual.” Four voices respond once more. It’s fucking uncanny.

“Tailored suit. Okay.” I turn back to the dresses.

“Mmm. Suit with a vest.” Nikki waggles her eyebrows at me. “If Sean looks good enough to—Well, I figured you might think something similar about Shane.”

I assess the dresses again and pick one. I slip into the stall and soon shed clothes I’d gladly never look at again and step into the dress. I come out, and the smiles on the girls’—I guess I already think of them like that, too—faces make me feel confident. Someone produces a pair of shoes that are the perfect size. I didn’t get to put my boots on until Angela tossed them at me once I was in the back of the DEA car. I’m glad to have something nice to match the dress. I stand in front of the mirror as Nikki and Ally do my makeup and hair. I don’t resemble the bedraggled woman who walked in here.

“Thank you.” I give each of them a quick hug.

“I’ll check how things are going.” Nikki heads out while we put the dresses back in the bag, and Ally and Mair put away the makeup.

“Fuck. I don’t have a ring for Shane.”

“Don’t worry about that. Da took care of it.” Ally looks like she knows way more than she’s saying.

“They’re ready.”

The girls surround me, so I can’t see much as we walk into the courtroom. It’s like some kind of choreographed show because suddenly, my dad’s next to me, and the girls are walking ahead of me. I can’t see Shane, but I see the other men lined up. From right to left, it’s Dillan, Cormac, Seamus, Finn, Sean, and then?—

Holeee mother.

The most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen is standing, smiling at me. His hair looks a little damp, like he ran a wet comb through it. He’s in a suit that proves he and his twin are identical because it fits him to a tee. I glance around, and I notice their dads and mine are in the same Kelly-green tie the guys are wearing. I hadn’t noticed before, but Dillan, Seamus, and Cormac were in coal gray suits. Now Shane and Sean are too. Ronan, Tate, and Kieran are all in a slightly lighter, more steel gray color. The nine of them with their varying shades of red hair are enough to stop traffic. I look at Breda, Saoirse, and Siobhan. Their red hair is darker than their husbands’ closer to strawberry blond. My mom’s black hair is the perfect contrast to their russet.

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