Page 130 of Hard Limits

As for Elsa, she was just getting started on the road to recovery. Her leg might heal in months, but the mental scars would take much longer. She’d barely spoken on the drive to our temporary home, and she hadn’t said much more since our arrival. Those pretty emerald eyes of hers were haunted. But the agonising pain she’d suffered for months had eased, and she’d agreed to speak to the therapist Brax had found once we settled in LA, which gave me hope that, in time, she’d recover. She and Meera would both stay with Brax and me at Nyx for the first few weeks. The conversation about The Dark had been awkward. Meera already knew, and Elsa’s eyes had nearly popped out of her head when I explained the bare bones of what lurked in the basement. But they both understood that although sex was involved, Nyx was nothing like Novo’s operation. Brax provided a healthy outlet for willing participants to act on their desires, that was all. Having roommates wasn’t quite how I’d envisioned starting off married life, but Brax was being remarkably understanding about the situation.

I was getting married.

Tomorrow.

Holy shit.

“But…but how will we plan a wedding in twenty-four hours?”

“Most of the arrangements have already been made. All you have to do is pick out a white dress and whatever flowers you want.”

Meera raised her hand. “Nuh-uh. A red dress.”

Now Brax looked puzzled. “A red dress?”

“In our culture, people wear white to funerals. Red is the best colour for weddings. My mom wore a red dress when she married my dad.”

“Red symbolises purity, love, commitment, strength, and bravery,” I explained.

“Seems I have a lot to learn. You should definitely wear red.”

I reached for his hand. “We’ll make this work.”

“We will.”

“Aw, you guys… Save the sappy stuff for tomorrow, okay? Is there any more coffee?”

“Do you need a stylist?” Elsa asked, her voice soft. “Before I went travelling, I trained to do hair and make-up.”

“Brax?” I asked.

“I think we booked someone, but I can cancel.”

“No, don’t cancel,” Meera told him. “Elsa needs her hair done too. We’re gonna be bridesmaids, right?”

Of course they were. There was nobody I’d rather have beside me—an old friend and a new one. Elsa was the opposite of Meera, so quiet and reserved, but she was easy to get along with. I nodded because I couldn’t speak through the lump in my throat.

“What about the bachelorette party?” Meera asked.

A groan escaped. “We can live without a stripper.”

“Urgh, I didn’t want a stripper anyway. I was thinking of a spa day or a movie night. Or a cooking class. You totally need a cooking class. Hey, Brax, did you know she burns everything?”

“Shhh!”

Brax just gave a one-shouldered shrug. “There’s a chef downstairs.”

“He’s a keeper. Can we go to a spa? What about one of those flotation pools? Elsa could do that, right?”

“Seeing as this whole event is being organised on a tight timeline out of necessity, why don’t you go to a spa after we’ve tied the knot?” Brax suggested. “Find somewhere you like, and I’ll hire a new assistant who can make the arrangements.”

Hey, wait a second… “You’re firing me?”

“You’re going to be a doctor, my queen. You can’t do both jobs.”

Meera put both hands over her heart. “Definitely a keeper.” I absolutely knew that. “Uh, are you taking applications for the assistant position? Because I need a new job.”

“It’s yours if you want it.”

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