Page 57 of Mocha Kisses

Rome

Ifollowafterthem,a little wary of Yana’s intentions. She did her research? I’ve met that woman before and she’s never been so fucking nasty. She’s also never disregarded my and Nova’s comfort before by showing up at 6 in the morning. I’ve never felt off as I’ve looked into those hazel eyes. I’ve never felt the darkness wafting off of her like I did just now. Something rubs me wrong as I walk into my bedroom and grab my phone, immediately dialing my brother.

“It’s early.”

I bite back the retort I want to give him. “I know but I need some fucking answers. Some weird shit is going down here and if I’m going to do this favor for you, I need to know what’s going on.” My brother remains silent which means I have a very small amount of time to ask. “Paula’s Agency—they really trying to buy some of the land here?”

He snorts and I can imagine him chuckling as he sips a glass of brandy, even at this early hour. “Seriously? They deal in loans, not land. They aren’t stupid enough to attempt something that annoying.”

“Their name is on some of the paperwork filed to buy the old forest by the wharf.” I clutch my phone to my ear, gaze darting to my open door. This poor woman has been through enough and I almost wish that itwasPaula’s Agency rather than a third party tied up in this. “Brother, tell me-”

“I won’t lie to you, Rome. They haven’t physically been in or around Spring Haven, ever, I don’t think. They send the hired hands and I’m pretty sure after me, no one’s been in that town. You find the guy yet?” My brother is a master at directing the conversation where he needs it to go but since I have my answers, I’ll let it be.

“He’s in town,” I mumble, letting out a deep breath.

“You find him, then the merchandise isn’t needed.”

A growl tears from my throat. “She’s not a fucking piece!”

“Ah, so she’s got to you? She was definitely a looker six years ago. Alright, alright. I’ll leave that alone. Just get the guy so I don’t have to come down there and do it myself.”

I know that’s more of a threat than a promise but I wouldn’t put it past him to come down here just for fun. I don’t even make it out of my room before Nova is there, waiting for me to debrief him on what I’ve found out. Of course, he would have sensed something was off about Yana too.

“Someone else is trying to buy up the land by the wharf. Paula’s Agency hasn't done much of anything with Spring Haven in six years and with Yana showing up like she did? It just all feels really weird.” I don’t believe in coincidences and with all of these instances happening one after the other? They have to be tangled together. I just don’t know how and it worries me that we might not find out until it’s too late.

Luna

Griffin’slaughterechoesthroughthe kitchen even though we only have the day to figure out how we’re going to pull off this façade. Granted, it isn’t that hard to pretend to be married to Griffin and the longer I stare at the rock on my finger, the more I want it. I wantall of them.Nova has a loose arm around Griffin’s shoulders, both of them a few shots deep with Rome sipping on some amber-colored liquid. I’m very fond of the tequila shots that Griffin keeps sliding me until my body starts feeling warm and the smile on my face becomes easier.

This isn’t exactly how I saw things going but you only live once, right?

I down my fifth shot or maybe it’s my six before shooting off the bar stool, wobbling to the right. Rome reaches for me, pulling me upright as all eyes fall on me. “We need to get married, Griffin.” The tension in the room thickens and I bark out a laugh as I see that they’re all misunderstanding my attentions. “You didn’t even ask me to marry you and I’m just supposed to pretend? We need to have a wedding.” I throw my hand toward the living room. “Right here.”

At some point, I thought tequila and then sleep was going to happen. However, Griffin and I both know that tequila turns off my inhibitions rather than puts me to bed. Hell, I think it does that for most people.

Griffin straightens up, glancing at the living room and then at me before grinning. “I agree!” He throws up his shot, some of it sloshing down the sides before he chugs it and races toward his room.

Rome and Nova are frowning, confused at our sudden excitement. I turn to my favorite café owner and clap his cheeks between my hands. “You can marry us. And you, can give me away,” I point to Nova who just shakes his head. I’m very serious about this—well, as serious as a drunk Luna can be. Griffin returns with a short white sheet and the blue dress that Nova bought for me.

He has a suit jacket in his other hand, well three of them, as he passes two to my other two men. “We’re getting married, precious.” His grin is infectious as I throw all sensibility out the door, shedding my clothes in the kitchen and slipping into the dress. Griffin slides on the jacket and then haphazardly ties the sheet around my head.

I feel like we’re still in middle school, playing dress-up as we share our first kiss and then giggle for hours afterward. Rome and Nova are still watching in a mixture of shock and amusement as Griffin tugs at Rome and drags him to the back of the living room by his bedroom. 12-year-old me is fucking ecstatic even if this moment is fake as I hold my hand out for Nova to take. He steps up beside me and holds my hand before pulling my ring off my finger. “He has to put it on, angel. You really want to do this?”

“Wouldn’t you want to marry Griffin?”

I bite my lip, wanting to take back that statement when he chuckles. “Absolutely. Let’s get you married and onto your wedding night—or would it be lunch? It’s nearly 8 in the morning. God, I have to be crazy to be doing this.”

“We all are,” I say. His blue eyes are glazed over so I know that we’re all a little under the influence as he walks me down the living room. Rome makes up a terrible speech about love and happy endings, stumbling over every other word as he ‘officiates’. When he asks for my ‘father’ to give me to my husband, Nova dips down to kiss me, not letting go until I’m panting.

“You can’t kiss your father, miss.”

“That’s my daddy!” I shout, Griffin snorting at my outburst. “You’rethe father.” I point at Rome and then step up to kiss him too, Rome wrapping an arm around my waist and bending me in half. I hook an arm around his neck as he kisses me, Griffin whining for his own kiss seconds later.

“What happened to kissing the fucking husband?”

“I volunteer as tribute,” Nova growls out before roughly grabbing Griffin by the throat and smashing their lips together. I moan as I watch them together, Rome holding onto me. Seconds later, we’re all laughing as Nova offers the ring and Griffin slides it onto my finger.

“I’d like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Solace!” Rome shouts, waving his hand to an imaginary crowd. Griffin picks me up and whirls me around, both of us stumbling to the ground and devolving into more fits of laughter. The stress relief that comes from this moment is unmatched and being held by my men is everything I need. “Just because you share his last name for a week or two won’t save you from us, Mrs. Solace.”

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