Page 117 of Riding the Edge

“Pretty sure you’re not supposed to say dick while standing inside a chapel,” Enzo chimes in.

“Have you taken a good look at what’s sitting on that altar?” Anthony replies, offering Enzo a pound.

“There’s a lot of things wrong with this picture,” Lauren agrees with a laugh.

“There’s also a lot right with it,” I say, taking the five of them in.

This, all of them, it’s what was missing from my life. I reckon it was missing from Maria’s too. It’s a shame it took so long for either of us to find it but, she would love this.

“Jesus, fuck you look like the ‘Brady Bunch’,” Riggs calls, interrupting the moment. All eyes turn to him and instantly I regret dropping my gun. Making his way towards us, he crosses his arms against his chest and does a sweep of the room. “When I tell Mama Leone you were all here crying like a bunch of saps, she’s going to take a frying pan to your heads.”

“She won’t have to because I’m going to,” Lauren hisses. “Where the fuck were you?”

“Lauren,” Anthony hisses, looking at the cross.

“Fuck it, man,” Nico says. “We’re all going to hell in a handbasket, anyway. Let her drop all the f-bombs she wants.”

Rising to my feet, I start down the aisle but Lauren brushes past me throws her fist into his shoulder.

“My mother has been in surgery for hours—”

“Lauren, I told you the tire blew off his bike,” I grunt, meeting Riggs' eyes. The last thing the girl needs to know is that he was dodging bullets from the Mexican cartel while her mother went under the knife. Maria would never get the wedding she’s been dreaming of and Riggs will likely get his dick sliced.

Catching my drift, Riggs looks at Lauren.

“Kitten, I’m lucky to be alive,” he tells her. “Cut me some slack, I came straight here as soon as the tow guy fixed my wheels.”

“Wheel,” I mutter.

“Wheel,” he amends. “As in one single wheel blew off the bike.”

Jesus fuck.

“Are you okay?” she relents, touching a hand to his leather-clad shoulder.

“I can totally use a little TLC. You wanna find a supply closet and get freaky?”

“Riggs,” Lauren mutters.

“Call me the Tiger when we’re—what the fuck is that?”

Following his bulging eyes, I look at the vest and gun.

“What does it look like?” I grunt.

“It looks like you’re trying to get us all pinched,” he boasts, striding towards the altar. Pretending to make the sign of the cross, he snatches the clip and gun from the table. Loading it, he puts the safety on and shoves it into the waistband of his jeans.

“There aren’t any cops here,” Nico points out.

“I’m not worried about the cops,” Riggs hisses, reaching for my vest. Draping it over his arm, he points a finger towards the crucifix hanging over head. “I’m talking about the guy on the cross. You looking to buy us a ticket to Hell, brother?”

“This guy,” Anthony mumbles.

“Riggs,” Lauren starts.

“It ain’t too late to back out of marrying him,” I tell her.

Fuck the wedding.

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