Page 246 of Redeemed

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Haven is sitting in my lap at the dining room table when Xander and Lucas get back from their run. I stopped making her eat on the floor sometime in mid-winter. Our dynamic hasn’t changed much, but it’s not twenty-four-seven anymore. Besides, I’d much rather have her sitting in my lap.

“Water?” Xander calls to Lucas.

“God, please. I’m so thirsty, I could drink an entire lake.”

“Morning, you two,” Xander says with a grin. He walks past before he freezes and does a double-take. His eyes are fixed on Haven’s left hand. “Colton, what the hell did you do?”

“Exactly what it looks like.”

Lucas chokes on air. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“It was either this or marry Delilah in under two weeks.”

“Fucking hell,” Xander mutters under his breath.

“They didn’t know?” Haven asks in disbelief.

“Of course we didn’t know!” Lucas exclaims.

“Again, angel.” I kiss her temple. “I was hoping for an actual wedding, not one in a courthouse.”

“Mark is gonna be pissed,” Xander says.

“Oh, he is. Already ordered me to initiate the divorce.”

Haven goes stiff in my lap, so I squeeze her reassuringly.

Frowning, Lucas sits across from us. “He’s going to retaliate.”

“He already tried to kick me from the Rooks, but I reminded him of the consequences that would ensue, so we should be good there. Our graduation party is coming up. We just need to ensure we have the rest of the people on the list on our side, and then we can enact our plan.”

“List?” Haven asks.

“Should we be talking about this in front of her?” Xander asks.

“I explained everything to her this morning.”

Neither of them seem too pissed about that. I think we all knew it was coming.

“It’s a list of Rooks who have power in the organization and have shown some form of dislike for things Mark has done,” Lucas explains. “We need their influence. Well, we want it, anyway.”

“It’s a safeguard,” I continue. “I’ve put in a lot of work to express my values to all Rooks of any level. They know what I stand for, and it’s what they want. We just have to be cautious.”

Haven’s eyes turn pleading as she glances between the three of us. “Please. I don’t want you to die.”

Xander grins. “Oh, don’t you worry, doll. You can’t get rid of us that easily.”

Xander

Thedaypassesbyquickly. I’m still a little ticked that Colton married Haven without even telling me and Luc, but it’s not like one of us would’ve married her. The only person I’ll ever marry is Luc, and if he ever tries to marry someone else, things will get pretty damn bloody.

By the time evening comes around, we’ve all had a decent day together. Finals are coming up, and we’re all feeling the pressure. We decide to try to wind down our usual way: a movie and ice cream before bed.

“Can I have chocolate chip cookie dough?” Haven asks.

“Of course.” Colton scoops it into her bowl. “That good?”

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