Page 135 of Illicit Temptation

He nods to the nave. “Would she be anywhere else, love?”

“Balor?” I ask, looking around.

“On the roof. With his drone.” Kieran smiles.

“I think that’s everybody,” Larke says, looking smug. “Like you said, only family.”

“Wait, we’re missing—”

Just then, Riordan bursts through the door from the nave, Saoirse-Rose crying and little Matteo clutched to his leg. Behind him, another baby cries. Lachlan appears holding his fussing newborn daughter with Cillian beside him, jumping up and down.

“I want to hold the little doll,” he cries out.

“Where are you all going?” I ask, loosening Matteo from Riordan’s leg, who then starts picking the flowers off my bouquet.

“It’s a wedding, not daycare,” Lachlan quips at me. “Katya’s inside. I don’t want to ruin—”

“Don’t you dare take these precious baby girls away,” I threaten him. “I want them here. Every last one of them. Even these rambunctious and fussy little brats. They’re all mine.”

Speaking of mine... Trace appears in the vestibule. “Bleedin’ hell, I thought you took off. What’s the hold-up?”

“Waiting for my family.” I lean against Kieran’s arm.

“In case you lost count, there’s a lot of us,” Kieran says, head tilted to the crowd that is my family.

I’m the only sister, Trace will always be scrutinized, but I know he can handle it. And with grace.

“Are you sure you want to be tied to all of them?” I ask Trace, pointing at the people stuffed into pews, and eventhose standing making a tight protective circle for my nuptials.

“With coarse rope that’s on fire,” Trace says, looking down at me, and then nods to Kieran.

“Please, everyone take your seats,” Larke says.

I smile, watching Trace trek back to the altar with a grin splitting his face like he won some major prize.

That prize is me.

I glance inside and see my family sitting, waiting for me to walk down the aisle. It’s hard to believe a couple of weeks ago we were trapped in my grandparents’ house waiting to die. Because of me.

And now we’re all together. Smiling. Because of me.

Tears well up, and I get why brides cry. Looking at all the people who put aside their lives to give me these precious hours overwhelms me.

Here Comes the Brideplays and Kieran steers me down the aisle. I forget what I’m wearing. It doesn’t matter. I’ll pull an old-world tradition and wear a white ballgown at the next charity event.

It all happens so fast, the priest says a quick mass, and next, I’m wearing that same ring from three years ago. It sits next to a large diamond Trace carefully sourced to make sure it has no ties to Archer. All my brothers have replaced their wives’ jewelry.

Trace kisses me when the priest pronounces us married. We turn to face everyone and they’re all smiling brightly they clap, cheer, and whistle.

“I kind of imagined them all in the Vegas chapel when I whisked you out of there. In my mind, I knew we’d be accepted and everyone would be happy for us.” Trace leans his head against mine. “I couldn’t believe it was you I had to convince the most.”

“Just playing hard to get,” I joke and gasp hearing a haunting rendition of Mendelssohn’sWedding Marchonthe violin and cello in the back corner.

To the lovely music, we strut back down the aisle.

Outside, I get my breath, but Trace is kissing me.

“You see the problem, don’t you?” I murmur against his mouth.

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