Page 55 of Carter's #Undoing

She shrugged, pulling me down for a kiss, my arms wrapping around her and never wanting to let go. However, my business phone went off, interrupting our kiss.

“Is it important?” she asked.

I glanced at the job. “It’s a $30K. Guy has done a lot of fucked up shit.”

Serenity grabbed my phone, skimmed through the job. “I agree. Take the job.”

“What?” I asked.

“Take the job,” she said with a laugh. “I have to finish some paintings for that gallery I have coming up in New York anyway, so I’ll be busy at the cabin. Plus, you’re one of the best shooters in the business and I know you’d get his ass. The job got my vote when I read human trafficking as one of the vices.”

I watched her get up from the bed and start fluffing out her dress as if we hadn’t just had sex before talking about my next contract kill. “Can we fuck all over again?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nope. Now we must head out. There was a list of duties for both of us to do, and I have extra work since Avery has to take breaks to breastfeed those beautiful babies.”

I groaned. “Okay, if we must.” I was missing my mountain already.

* * *

Although I didn’t havemuch to compare it to, there were a lot of people at Caden and Cordelia’s wedding.

“Are you ready?” Crayson asked, nudging my side.

I shook my head. “Nah, bruh. I don’t know how you’ve been in so many of these.”

“It gets easier,” he said. “The key is to just focus on the couple and their love for each other. No one is caring so much about the bridal party.”

“Thanks, Cray. I appreciate it.”

He winked. “Anytime.”

As the music started, I could see Serenity from across the way. We were walking down the aisle together and I couldn’t wait for that part. Caden walked out first with both of his best men, Linc and Hou.

Caden looked so happy. Like nothing could ruin his day. I didn’t even know it was time for the rest of the bridal party to enter until Serenity and I met in the center and linked arms, walking down the gravel trail, ignoring the whispers I heard from folks surprised to see me in Caden’s wedding.

Serenity squeezed my arm the entire way, leaning toward me before we parted to whisper, “You did great, Golden Boy.”

I smiled, so glad I’d made her proud as I took my place in line behind Crayson. When it was time for Cordelia to walk down the aisle, my eyes made their way to Caden’s first, the smile on my brother’s face bigger than ever. I watched him for a few seconds, soaking in his happiness. Then I followed his eyes to Cordelia who looked beautiful in her princess wedding dress that seemed to fit what I knew or been told about her perfectly.

But it was Serenity who stayed on my mind as my brother exchanged vows with the woman he loved, my own mind and eyes drifting to the woman I loved.

Fortunate. I hadn’t felt that way in so long, but being here today, I felt it. Hell, I’d felt it the moment Serenity had agreed to go back to the mountains with me, but today felt different. Like another step forward for me. Forus.

Serenity’seyes darted between me and the couple, her genuine love for their union making the moment even more special for me. I still had a lot to catch up on with my brothers, but having Serenity by my side and knowing that she knew them like they were her own brothers was a lifeline I valued with every story she told me.

It was strange how you could imagine your life going a certain way, but somehow find yourself on a completely different spectrum than you’d ever imagined. I used to think I couldn’t kill a fly because even that fly had a story. Now, I’d been trained to slice a fly in half, a skill that had never even been on my radar when I was a kid.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

I was pulled from my thoughts as Caden kissed his bride, clapping and whistling along with the rest of the county. When Caden glanced back at me and Crayson, cheesing like he would never stop, I couldn’t help but smile right back because he’d found the kind of love he’d always wanted. The kind he deserved.

“That was beautiful,” Serenity said when we clasped arms to walk back down the aisle.

“It was. And Caden couldn’t stop grinning.”

Serenity smiled. “I noticed.”

The next few minutes confused the mess out of me; people began pulling Serenity and I in every which direction to chat while the photographer took photos of the happy couple. It took ten minutes for me to break free of the chaos and find a quiet place under a huge tree on Caden’s property. I took off my hat and placed it on one of the branches, taking a much-needed deep breath, but the moment didn’t last long.

---