Page 112 of Taking Denver

I will never accept that there is that kind of darkness within me. Ranger gave me no choice but revenge that night with Wyatt, and given any other option, I’d have walked away without pulling the trigger.

I’m not a killer, and I never will be.

Ranger’s gaze flicks behind me, and his jaw twitches. “Why the fuck is Ethan at our wedding?”

I turn to look at the arched entryway. Ethan, Sebastian, Ace, and Zeke are all suited, and the latter two look like they’re at Disneyworld.

“I invited them,” I say, looking up at him, my smile innocent. “Be nice.”

A bold, possibly stupid, move, but I was worried that Ranger would have Ethan killed and use our wedding as an alibi. If Ethan is here, he’s safe.

“Be nice? Are you fucking—” His hand tightens almost painfully around my waist. “Maybe I could forgive you for inviting those idiots, but a cop, Denver?”

I twist to look again and let out a pained exhale when Archer Adler strides in after his brother. He whispers something to Sebastian, who rolls his eyes and waves him off.

“Okay, that was an accident,” I say. “I gave Sebastian a plus one, but I assumed he’d invite a date!”

Ranger releases me. “Deal with it.”

“But we’re married! Can’t we share the chores, darling?”

He snorts. “Not a chance. Good luck.”

Chapter 38

Ethan

“Ifeel like you should’ve stayed home,” Sebastian murmurs from the corner of his mouth.

I adjust my shirt cuff for the third time since getting out of the cab, as if a pristine suit will calm my nerves. It hasn’t worked so far, but I’m not a quitter. I also mustn’t be keen on having a strong heartbeat because I’m at Ranger Luxe’s wedding.

“She invited us,” I say. “It would be rude to turn her down.”

“You’re a man who agreed to help the cops spy on a known gangster.” Sebastian throws his thumb in the direction of the room. “And you’re in a room full of gangsters.”

I tug on my cuff. That’s true. But I want to see Denver, and I want to check if Axel has landed safely. I figured it was a conversation best had in person. “Denver wouldn’t have asked us to come if she thought we were in danger.”

I hope.

I haven’t slept since dropping Axel off at the airport. I also haven’t told a soul what I did, not even Sebastian, and it’s only the second secret I’ve kept from my oldest friend. The first being that Denver Luxe is unequivocally guilty.

“The people in the true crime group chat are never gonna believe me,” Ace whispers, the chandelier reflecting in his wide eyes. “This is so fucking cool.”

Sebastian slaps Ace up the back of the head. “This is not cool. This is murderers under one roof, and they’ll take one look at you and eat you.”

Ace rubs the spot Sebastian hit. “I like bad boys.”

Zeke scans the room. “Maybe I can get myself a Mafia princess. Ethan, you’re good at picking dangerous women. Point one out to me.”

I scowl. “Go and get a fucking drink.”

“I wouldn’t drink a thing from here,” Archer says as he seems to glide into the room, stopping at Sebastian’s side. “I hate that you know this woman.”

“I hate that you’re convinced she’s guilty when she’s not,” Sebastian claps back. I turn my attention to the room, my neck prickling.

“That’s why I’m the cop, and you’re not,” Archer says.

Sebastian rolls his eyes. “Your face is a cop.”

---