Page 96 of Deadlier Obsessions

Jesus. I look toward the door, but there’s still no sign of them. Also, this tie is choking me, for fuck’s sake. I pull at it again, and Sebastian grabs my hand.

“Don’t mess with it, baby, you look perfect.” If only I could fucking breathe right now. I try to pull in a full breath, but it’s like I’m only getting a tiny gasp of air each time I try.

“Is he gonna pass out?” Mav asks, his hand on my shoulder as Sebastian steps up in front of me and cups my face in his palms.

“Breathe, Gage. Everything’s going to be okay. Look at us, we’re getting to keep them forever. This is what we always wanted, so just take a deep breath, baby, and watch that door for the rest of our heart to appear.”

“That’s sappy as fuck, man,” Mav whispers, but he doesn’t argue. Breathe. Just take a breath, like it’s easy, like it happens all the time. Jesus, my hands are tingling, and I rub them together, trying again for a breath.

“Kiss him, man. Get him out of his head.” The minister makes a sound like a grunt, and we hear him step away from us, but Sebastian’s lips meet mine, and he teases me into a gentle, sweet kiss, and I grab the back of his head, wanting my tongue to win this non-existent battle with his. A million kisses with him would still never be enough. Every time is perfect.

“Jesus, get a room,” Mav mutters, and I reach back at him, accidentally hitting him in the junk with the side of my hand. “Fuck! Hands off my junk! Kinda need that for later, man.”

“At least he’s breathing again, right, baby?” Sebastian offers me one last peck against my lips, and backs up again, stroking my cheek. “Just relax, Gage. It will all go perfectly.”

“And then they’ll explain all that crazy squealing this morning, although I guess it was probably excitement, because they get to marry us,” Mav says, slapping my back and knocking me forward a half step. Prick. For once I don’t call him on it, because there are more important matters at hand.

My eyes go back to the door, to where our fucking ladies should be emerging from. They should be walking down the aisle by now, surely? Are they late? Did they change their minds? Did they run from us? Jesus fuck!

“What time is it? Are they late?”

MAV

If he asks me one more time, I swear… does he think he’s the only one shitting his pants right now? He’s right, they’re taking too fucking long, and it’s eating at me to go and find them and drag them out here to marry us. Sebastian seems way too calm, but maybe he’s just as fucked up as the two of us, but he’s putting his focus on Gage’s meltdown, hell, maybe it’s helping both of us that he’s losing his shit like this. I’d squeeze his shoulder again, but I think he bruised one of my nuts, and I’m planning to get our wives to check it for me later. Always look for the silver lining, right?

“They’re taking too long. Are you sure your watch is right?” That’s it, I’m punching him. I turn to yell at him, but he’s looking even paler than he was a minute ago. Poor bastard is about to pass out, and if he does, I’m never letting him live it down. I mean, I kinda love the guy, and Pretty Boy too, but come on. It’s not that scary.

A noise behind the door we’re all watching, more than we’d like to admit, makes me tense, and I wipe my palms on my trousers, because why the fuck are they sweating all of a sudden? It’s almost time. I check my watch, and fuck me, Gage is right, they’re four minutes behind schedule. No wonder he’s shitting a brick.

“I’m gonna go check on them,” I say, and growl at Pretty Boy as he grabs my arm.

“They’ll be here, man, just fucking chill.”

“Why does he get all the ‘breathe, baby, it’ll be okay’, and I get ‘fucking chill’? What if they’re both ill? They might have morning sickness again. They might be changing their minds. They might be running for it, while we stand here like pricks with our thumbs up our fucking asses and-”

“Why am I the only sane one right now?” Sebastian groans, rolling his eyes at me. “They’ll be here. Give them five more minutes, then the minister can go check. They’ll go nuts if we ruin the surprise of their dresses, and you know that.”

“Whyareyou the sane one? Why are you so calm and so fucking sure? We kidn… this isn’t exactly a conventional marriage, right?” I mean, we pretty much railroad them into everything, so what if they’re suddenly thinking this isn’t what they want after all? Maybe Gage isn’t as insane as he seems right now. I mean, he is, but what if he’s right?

My stomach is starting to hurt, as that door doesn’t open for long agonizing minutes, and I think I’m gonna puke. Don’t puke. Don’t be that loser. One groom freaking out is enough. Gage is doing all the crazy for us. Thing is, we don’t deserve this. We don’t deserve them, so what if this is the final retribution? Letting us stand here like fucking morons, while they run for the hills? They fucking own us now. What if that’s their revenge for everything we’ve done to them? What if they leave us? Not gonna lie, I’m starting to feel faint myself, and I can’t be the loser who passes out either. I grip Gage’s shoulder again, but this time it’s to hold me up.

Fuck it. I’m going looking for them. I take one step and that door finally fucking opens, and the violinist starts playing their chosen piece for walking down the aisle. Oh, my fucking beautiful goddesses. Is it weird that I almost fall to my fucking knees at that first sight of them?

STELLA

The lady Gage hired to be sure everything goes as planned, opens the French doors for me as the sound of violins surroundme. I loop my arm in Lucy’s, as we step outside to violinists playing Pachobel’s Canon. Live musicians. Of course. I told them all a recording was fine, because I didn’t want them to go all out when it’s just us. However, there’s something so beautiful and magical about having them here.

“Ready?” I ask her, but she only nods.

There’s a long red carpet leading to the gazebo decorated with white hanging flowers streaming down from the ceiling, and a sheer piece of material held to each side with large bouquets of white flowers. That’s not what takes my breath away. The set up is stunning, but it’s my three men that threaten to take every bit of air from my lungs.

All three of them stand in the gazebo dressed in black suits, with matching vests and dark blue ties. The suits are fitted perfectly, showcasing their strong muscles, but it’s the eyes that nearly cause my knees to buckle.

We walk slowly toward our men, when really I want to toss my flowers on the ground and run to them. The last eighteen hours away from them has felt like the longest of my life, and I know Lucy feels the same. I’ll be very happy to never spend the night away from them again. We make it to the gazebo, and Sebastian steps forward and takes both of our bouquets and sets them on a table off to the side. Gage takes my hand, and Mav takes Lucy’s, and they walk us up the red brick steps.

Gage leans down and whispers in my ear, “You look fucking stunning in that dress, Stella, but I can’t wait to rip it from your beautiful body.”

Mav clearly says something equally dirty to Lucy. The blush on her cheeks is proof of that. Sebastian takes my free hand and Lucy’s as well as we all stand facing the minister.

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