Page 85 of The Vipers' Vow

She giggles. “Like a coming out party.”

I can’t help laughing. “Yeah, but for all four of us.” I fall silent and poke my chopsticks into a Californian roll. “It hasn’t all been easy, though, you know. I’m sure we’ve still got challenges ahead. Our families…”

I haven’t been back to see my dad yet. I keep putting it off because I don’t really want to face him. It’s impossible to know how the guys’ families are going to react to all of this as well—especially Saint and Lex’s dad. It won’t go down well to learn the twins are sharing a woman. Their dad would probably have preferred it if Saint had married Angelica.

She covers my hand with hers. “It won’t be easy, but, Vani, even when things with these men are at their worst, they’re always worth it.”

We hold each other’s gaze and smile.

“Thanks, Mackenzie.”

“Ready to get your nails done?” she asks.

I jump off my stool. “Absolutely. And after that, if we’ve got time, there’s one other place I’d like to stop by.”

35

ZANE

Iadjust the collar of my black shirt and lift my chin, for once not caring about the scar across my throat.

I’ve found a woman who loves me, and who doesn’t care about my lack of a voice. If anything, I’d say she loves me even more because of it.

The ink crawling up my neck looks good against the dark material, and my skin is tan. I’ll never be classically handsome like Saint and Lex, but I’ve scrubbed up well tonight, if I say so myself.

The party we’re throwing for Vani starts shortly. I can’t wait to see her. I love her normal style of jeans or casual dresses, but Saint gave her his card and told her to dress up for the occasion. The idea of her in a gorgeous dress makes me hurry. I’ll tell her she looks beautiful, and hope she remembers the sign from when I was with her at the MC.

I’ve been teaching her more sign language, and she’s adapting to it beautifully. My heart swells with pride every time we communicate using our hands, but the sign we use the most often is the one for love. I tell her often. I’ve never said it to a woman before, and it feels amazing that I can say it to this beautiful, sensual woman.

I splash on some aftershave, and with a last glance at myself, turn and head out of the door. We had thought about renting the college bar for the party, but there would have still been security on the door deciding who could and couldn’t enter, and who could drink, so we’re having it at the mansion. We spent all day decorating the place. Saint drove to town and bought balloons, ribbons, all sorts of fancy shit. Lex and I got the food and booze. There’s a deli in town, and they were able to provide us with some finger food. We’ve got boxes of wine, because we don’t want any bottles getting smashed or being used if a fight breaks out, which is always a risk in this place.

There are plastic cups, paper plates, and there’s even a cake. Lex sweet talked the woman who owns the bakery in town into making a cake for us that day. It saysWill You Be Ourson it, and inside she’s placed the rings.

Nerves break out in my stomach. We’re going to be asking something huge of Vani tonight, and if she says no, I’m not sure how any of us will cope.

As I approach the mansion, through the gloom of the early evening, I pause and take a moment to admire the house. Saint has fairy lights strung up outside, and I must admit it looks great. I step over the threshold and grin. The inside is even better. Damn, Saint could be an interior designer if the mafia life doesn’t work out for him.

The room is transformed. Fairy lights are strung over the fireplace and in the empty hearth. Battery operated candles flicker all around the room, casting it in a golden glow. Streamers in gold and silver hang from the ceiling, and best of all, the far wall is a glowing pattern of stars and swirling galaxies. I glance behind me to see a projector on the dresser.

Fancy, I think. I head over to Saint and sign,You did good.

He grins at me. “Think she’ll like it?”

She will love it, I reply.

“Hey, one of you, can you help me with the beer kegs?” Lex shouts from outside. “They’re heavy.”

I go and help him carry them in, and then because I’m fucking nervous, I pour myself a glass of wine from one of the boxes. I take a swig and grimace. Ugh, box wine is not the best.

“The Devils are coming to the party,” Lex tells me as we do the second beer run. “Mackenzie is bringing Vani. She took her shopping today, so I guess if they’re friends…”

I sigh and shrug. I can’t imagine being besties with the Devils. Those guys are fucking dicks, but I can be civil, for Vani.

Slowly, the house starts to fill up. There are students we know, and a few faces that aren’t familiar. We kept the invites to those we wanted here, but there are always going to be people crashing the party. So long as they don’t cause any trouble, that’s fine. The worst that might happen is a fistfight or two. We’re still on college grounds, so anything worse will be met with harsh justice.

Although, that never happened to Angelica and Jarena, at least not until we got involved. Not for the first time, I wonder if they got away with it because they were female. None of us suspected them because girls in our world aren’t supposed to behave that way, plus the dean could have assumed it was an accident that needed to be covered up. It’s a pretty dangerous blind spot to have, and I resolve to tell Dom that he needs to make sure women aren’t allowed to get away with literal murder in this place.

Speak of the Devils, two of the men who make up the gang with that nickname enter the house. They pause at the threshold as if scared they’ll turn into a pillar of salt the minute they set foot inside.

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