Page 45 of Room Ten: Put on a Show

I twisted to look at him in surprise.

“It’s from all of us,” he said. “If you’re going to get our names tattooed on your body, then you deserve our ring on your finger.”

With shaking hands, I opened the box to find a ring with a large purple stone surrounded by three black stones.

Merrick spoke. “We thought Troy could be your public-facing husband, since he’s not shy about dealing with people.”

Baron added, “No one needs to know Merrick and I are married to you as well. We always preferred to stay out of the spotlight anyway.”

I felt as if my heart would burst with happiness. Scrambling up onto my knees, I pulled Merrick, Baron, and Troy closer.

“Well, that’s too bad. You’re marrying a pop princess, remember? I’m going to sing high praise for my husbands to anyone who will listen.”

“Oh, God,” Merrick muttered, the tips of his ears turning red.

Troy got a sappy, lovestruck look on his face.

Baron shook his head affectionately, pinching my chin between his forefinger and thumb.

“If that’s really how you want to play it, you know we will support you, all the way.”

Troy grasped my hand and slid the ring onto my finger.

“We were also thinking,” he said. “You shouldn’t change your name.”

“What? Why?”

Merrick shrugged. “Are you really going to be Kenna Newhouse-Escott-Lancaster-Sewell? That’s one hell of a mouthful.”

“You know I’ve got the voice for it,” I countered.

“But you will always be Kenna Newhouse,” he pointed out.

“So, we want to take your name instead,” Troy said. “You worked so damn hard to make a name for yourself. And now, the whole world knows that name. It’s only fair you should keep it.”

I raised my eyebrows. Merrick, Baron, and Troy watched me expectantly, waiting for my response.

“So…we would be the Newhouse family,” I said in a small voice. I couldn’t believe this possibility was real, let alone that it was mine.

“What do you think?” Baron asked.

I turned to look up at him, my eyes misty with tears of gratitude and joy. I slid my arms around his shoulders. At one time, he had simply been my bodyguard. Now, I was engaged to him, along with Merrick, and Troy. Soon, they would be my husbands, my family.

Merrick slid his fingers into my hair, the soft, feathery pressure of his lips kissing my temple.

Troy rested his palm on my thigh, stroking my skin with his thumb.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” I whispered.

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