Page 97 of Dagger

Layla turned her face toward his for a kiss before leaning forward to check on the twins in their double stroller.

Atlas’s hand reached for Sophie’s, and he rested his cheek against the top of her head.

John’s fingers squeezed my arm reassuringly.

I sighed happily.

Maybe I should’ve pulled away, but I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t want to.

It was all so romantic and good, and just for once, I wanted to be a part of something decent and clean. This family was so close and in tune with each other, and they wanted me to be involved with their lives.

Without a thought, I reached for John’s hand.

He squeezed my fingers, and his thumb brushed over mine.

Closing my eyes, I smiled, making the most of having this beautiful man close again, listening as Abe began to speak.

“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to join Kit and Kennedy in matrimony…”

Then I grinned wide, feeling like my heart would burst with love as I watched Kit Stone marry his soulmate.

Hours later, the party was loud, the booze was flowing, and Tristan, Anna, the girls, and I were on the makeshift dance floor, rocking out to ‘Come On Eileen.’

I glanced at Kennedy and Kit, who were slow dancing and making out like teenagers.

“They’ve been eating each other's faces for at least thirty minutes,” Cara yelled over the music.

“If you can’t eat face on your wedding day, when can you?” Tristan shouted back, grabbing Layla’s hand and waving them from side to side in time to the music.

The bridge of the song began, and Iris began to kick her legs out in time to them music like a slow cancan. I laughed, and joined in until the entire line of us were kicking out together.

Sophie grabbed my arm. “Look,” she said, pointing to the other side of the room.

I craned my neck and giggled as I caught sight of Abe stomping around the dance floor in time to the beat while pumping a fist in the air.

Iris’s eyes bugged out. “Abe doesn’t dance.”

The crowd began to roar their approval which must have spurred Abe on because he stomped and pumped his fist harder.

“How much has he had to drink?” Sophie called over to Iris.

“Too damned much,” she called back, her lips thinning in distaste.

I glanced over my shoulder and laughed again when I saw Sunny and Kay stomping behind Abe, copying him.

“Go on, Sunshine,” John’s deep voice bellowed across the room. “Show him how it’s done.”

Sunny took that as her cue to bust a move because she started body popping before dropping onto her little ass and spinning herself around on the floor with her hands.

The crowd shouted their delight.

“That’s it, Sunshine.” John whooped. “See?” he said to Callum O’Shea, who was standing at the bar with the officers, shooting the shit. “Told ya my Sunshine’s a gorgeous little dancer, and see my little Kady girl? She’s gonna be a pop star one day. She’s got more talent than Taylor Swift…”

His voice quietened as he turned to face the bar, still boasting about the kids.

My heart melted.

I loved the way he was with his grandchildren. He was never too busy for them and would even delay Church if one of them needed him. Family, for John, came before everything else, which was the polar opposite of how Bandit ran the club.

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