Page 82 of Made For Ruin

TWENTY

MARCUS

I scanthe crowded reception hall, my eyes automatically tracking movement and assessing potential threats. But there's nothing to see except happy guests, twirling on the dance floor or gathered in laughing clusters around the bar.

One of Reign's security guys materializes at my elbow. "Ruins, it's time for a shift change."

I nod curtly. "Copy that."

I slip out of the reception hall and into the quiet hallway. The thump of bass from the band fades as the door clicks shut behind me. I roll my neck, hearing vertebrae pop.

Walking slowly down the corridor, I reflect on how smoothly the day has gone, all things considered.

Reign's security plan proved, as usual, to be more than adequate.

Between their team and Enzo's goons, everything has been calm despite the different players in the room. Enzo walked Lorena down the aisle earlier and has been on his best behavior all evening. Axel's band is playing the reception, crooning a slow love song. Lainey and Ruby are twirling around on the dance floor, having a great time.

I should feel relieved. But I can't shake this restless energy thrumming through me.

Weddings are a reminder of everything I've spent my life avoiding. The vulnerability. The intimacy. The promise of forever. It goes against every instinct ingrained in me by years of military service and even more years of keeping people at arm's length.

Except, every time I think of Lainey, something inside me shifts.

I can't help but imagine what it would be like if she were mine. If I were the one spinning her around the dance floor, holding her close. If it was our wedding that brought this crowd together.

The thought doesn't fill me with the usual dread. Instead, there's a yearning, an ache in my chest that grows with every beat of the music.

Throughout the ceremony, I couldn't take my eyes off the bride and groom. But in my mind, it was Lainey walking down the aisle toward me. It was her hand I was sliding the ring onto, her lips I was kissing to seal our vows.

I never thought I'd want that. A wife, a marriage, a future that didn't revolve around the next mission. But Lainey changed everything.

She's gotten under my skin in a way no one else has. Made me question everything I thought I knew about love and commitment.

I think of the small velvet box tucked away in my dresser back home. The one I bought on a whim a few weeks ago, my gut telling me it was the right move even as my head screamed at me to run.

We haven't talked about marriage. Not yet.

But deep down, I know she's the one. My one. The only woman I want to wake up next to every morning and fall asleep holding every night. The one I want to grow old with me.

The music changes, shifting into a slower tempo as Axel's band takes a break. I can hear the chatter in the reception hall get louder as people leave the dance floor to refresh their drinks.

I'm about to head back in when I see Lainey walking down the hallway.

The dim hallway lighting casts a soft glow across her face, making her blue eyes sparkle. Her blonde hair is coming loose from its braid, tendrils framing her face. She looks ethereal, almost too beautiful to be real.

"Hey you," she says softly when she reaches me. "I was just coming to find you."

I cock an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What for?"

She shrugs one shoulder, and a coy smile plays on her lips. "Maybe I missed you."

I reach out and tug her to me.

"Missed me, huh? Even though you've been having a grand old time dancing the night away?"

She loops her arms around my neck. "It'd be more fun if I could dance with you."

I hum low in my throat. "Probably not a good idea, sweetheart. I've got two left feet."

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