Page 65 of Escape From Me

“Right. I guess I didn’t get the order down right. So, well…” He took my hand and slid on a ring that I was certain even my mother couldn’t criticize. But something caught my eye on the platinum band. A small little dove engraved right by the large, round diamond.

“When?” I stopped as he held another band up, this one smaller and not as fancy but still with small diamonds set into it, but it was what he showed me inside.

I read it slowly. “My little dove - Z.” I looked up at him. “When did you…? I feel awful, I don’t have anything for you.”

He slipped the ring onto my finger.

“I know a guy that owed me. I gave him the idea and he delivered. You’ve already given me you. There is nothing else.”

This time when he eased down to kiss me, it was slow and gentle and opposite of what this man stood for.

The seconds ticked by.

I heard the clearing of a female's throat and we broke apart. Miss Winnie was passing by us.

“Wife, let’s go eat,” Zeiden said like he was trying out the word just to see what it felt like. I giggled because something about it just felt so surreal.

“Sure, husband. But since I didn’t say I do, are we married?” He stopped mid-step.

“Were you going to say anything other than I do?” he asked, looking down at me.

TWENTY-SEVEN

zeiden

The six ofus walked into Enigma together. Each of us with a mask. Once upon a time, we didn’t know how to do any of this, but making something seem rare? Well, that was a key to controlling more than just a criminal world.

“No matter what, you do not leave my sight, you understand?”

I tugged her arm and pulled Daisy to face me.

This was a black-tie, limited-invite event, and I’d strategically leaked the information to just the right social media outlets, giving it the sense of mystery needed to make those invites highly coveted. Too bad our little senator had never learned the power of media.

“I understand.” She stood out in the red dress like all three women wore. All matching gowns and masks for a very important purpose. Our shirts under the tuxes were also a matching shade of blood red. It was clear who owned this place.

“But promise me one thing?” she asked, her face upturned to mine. “I get to stay and watch everything. This show and the one after.”

There was nothing I would deny her. My fingers found a happy rhythm as I stroked them over her bare arms. A little part of me hated the way this dress fit my dove, my wife.

“You look delicious in this, you know that?”

Her lips smiled, the only part of her face not obscured by the mask.

“Yeah. I know. How else would I make sure your eyes stayed only on me tonight?”

I stopped my innocent little touches and instead pulled her closer, my hand splayed over her back and itching to go lower to her ass.

“My eyes have found exactly what they want. I have no desire to ever gaze at anyone other than you, my Daisy.”

I wrapped my arm around her to pull her up to my lips. The kiss was quick and fleeting. Any moment guests would arrive, and we wanted to watch and wait for the one we needed. I put her down and paused.

“We, the three of us,” I said and looked at my brothers and nodded. They each reached into their pockets just as I did. “Keep these on, always. Life isn’t some fairy tale and we aren’t willing to take any risks. There is a tracker hidden within the pendant.”

She turned to let me put it on. The necklaces were our own designs, something much smaller than anything Cas or X had ever done before, but when they were finished? The shape was a mirrored-finish hourglass with hard edges and angles, unique, but very specific to the Spectors. Our own would know, and those that didn’t? They wouldn’t think anything but the obvious.

“A tracker?” Daisy was the only one to say anything.

“Daisy, don’t take it off.”

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