Page 19 of The Silent Note

Finn gives her a dull look.

“Or not.” Cadence withers behind Dutch.

Sol frowns. “His girlfriend? Why would that scare him?”

“It’d scare him if he has a wife,” Dutch says flatly, looking at Finn for confirmation.

“A man who values sacred spaces that much values his privacy even more,” Finn says.

Viola’s jaw drops.

Cadence gives Finn a fearful look.

Sol barks out a laugh. “How did you know?”

Finn turns sharply, ignoring the question.

“Come on. Don’t hold out on us,” Sol begs, hurrying behind him.

Dutch glances at his phone. “We should move. Zane is about to bust a vein.”

“He’s right,” Cadence says. “We don’t know how long the police can stall Grey’s mom.”

The police? Mom?Did they have something to do with the police calling her today?

A thread of fear slips into my veins.

Viola squeals in excitement. “It’s go time.”

As if they’d rehearsed it, Dutch and Cadence stand on one side of the door.

Finn and Sol make a line on the other side.

They form a small aisle for me to walk through, shoulders back and eyes straight ahead.

Viola fusses with my train and veil as I take a step forward.

My fingers dig into my bouquet.

My heart pounds so hard I’m sure they can hear it.

What am I doing getting tangled up with this family?

Mom marrying Jarod Cross had nothing to do with me. It wasn’t my choice. But this is different.

Thisismy choice.

This is personal.

Do I want to be tied to these dangerous boys, these princes who are powerful enough to dig out a stranger’s darkest, deepest secrets in the span of one conversation? These kings who are ruthless enough to manipulate the police so they can move mom out of the way?

Oh, stop over-thinking. Don’t you ever have any fun, Grey?Sloane appears again, skipping alongside me as I walk forward.

Only she would class stepping into a lion’s den with viscous predators as fun.

The chapel doors creak.

Candles flicker in the dim room.

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