Page 164 of Poison Vows

King: Fuck off, Noah.

Noah: Man, I made money off of Em back in the day! We should open the ring again!

Noah: But seriously, Em has always been a goner for Ivy! He fell first and he fell harder!

George: What are you talking about now?

Noah: BOOKTOK!!! SMUT TROPES?

George: Can someone break this idiot’s code?

Noah: Isn’t it clear? My fiancée always says shit like that in the middle of night, giggling and kicking away the damn duvet while reading on her Kindle.

King: It’s smut lingo. Who doesn’t know this?

George: Anyway… how is this going to play out?

Stay out of my wife and I’s business and fuck off!

Noah: Your wife? Did this iceberg just say “MY WIFE”?!

King: Yes… go see an optician. Em, let us know where your funeral will be held.

Rolling my eyes once more, I shove my phone back into my pocket, not interested in reading this crap but for some reason, warmth blooms in my chest.

I’m married to my Angel, the troublemaker who has not always known what she wants in her life but is stubborn with her heart, even to the point of suffering.

IVY IS NOW MY WIFE!

Before God.

Before the law.

Before my family.

Before her mother and her wretched daughter and the husband I’ll dispose of later.

And before every asshole that is against our union…we are married.

The rings on our fingers are evidence of that… I’ll never remove mine.

The blessing and prayer from the priest were another confirmation, just as my mother said it should be.

Somehow, this is all that registers in my mind, my soul, and every stitch of fabric that makes up my consciousness as I get to the study.

Ripley is waiting for me. When he sees me, he bows his head slightly, and says, “Congratulations, Young Master. She’s lovely.”

I can tell he genuinely means it. Rip watched me grow up.

“She was going to marry my cousin,” I say, watching him.

“As long as you still have breath in your lungs, that was never going to happen,” Rip says without hesitation.

“You knew I was coming back?”

“The old man said it the day you left that we should prepare for your return.”

I frown slightly.

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