Page 97 of Graveyards & Greed

I reached Drakos, and Ezra placed my hand in his, kissed my cheek, then stepped back. Standing there almost defiantly, I tilted my head up to stare at his beautiful, sharp face. “Do you think the line 'till death do us part' is a promise or a challenge?”

Ivan barked a laugh, and Roman shook his head.

We’d found thick, matching platinum bands with black diamond inlays. Drakos wanted something bigger and flashier for me, so he’d bought a matching band with a flawless ruby solitaire I could wear for special occasions.

Xander calmly gazed at me as if waiting for a sign. I nodded, and he began. My ears buzzed, and Drakos’s words barely registered when he pledged to be my husband. Then Xander turned to me and asked me if I would promise to love, cherish, and honor Drakos Manlius Creed as his wife. My mind snagged on his middle name. Manlius? His middle name was Manlius? How had I not known that?

Drakos squeezed my hand in warning when I paused too long before answering. “I do.”

“Then I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Xander’s lips curled.

Drakos didn't need another invitation. His hands slid around my waist, and he pulled me into him. I could taste a hint of mint and whiskey mixed with his unmistakable scent. The combination was comforting, yet erotic. My hands found their way into his thick black hair, tugging him closer.

I opened my mouth, and his tongue slid inside. The lack of oxygen finally made me pull away as the crowd began to clap and whistle. My soft pink lipstick was smeared across his mouth, and I grinned and wiped it away as he nipped my finger.

Gazing down at me, his lips curled. Reaching up, I cupped his cheek. “I love you,” I whispered.

His eyes flared, then he pulled me to him and laid his forehead on mine. “I love you too, my beautiful bride. To the depths of my black soul. Now let’s go eat cake and dance so we can peel each other out of these clothes.”

I’d been so afraid to tell him first, wondering if he would—or even could repeat those words to me. But my heart squeezed when I saw love shining in his striking blue eyes.

Smiling, I opened my mouth to reply, but a cacophony of buzzing sounded through the room. As I glanced around, my heart raced for an entirely different reason. Phones lit up and vibrated all around us. One even rang.

The timing was bad, but it could have been worse. The news could have gotten out during our ceremony.

Drakos tilted his head. “What did you do now, Killer?”

I turned to him with wide, innocent eyes. “Why do you think this has anything to do with me?”

He scanned my face. “Because you don’t look surprised, and you’re usually behind it.” Our wedding guests were surreptitiously checking their phones. The whispers grew around us, and Ivan and Fenn walked over as they eyed their screens.

Ivan started reading. “Terrance LeBaron, a known member of the OutKast MC, was killed minutes ago in a motorcycle accident. It appears a semi hit LeBaron when he was forced to change lanes by an unknown vehicle in the trucker’s blind spot. He was dragged to death when he got tangled up with the semi.”

Fenn held up his phone. “My source tells me he lost his leg, and the wheels rubbed off half his face before he died.”

I glanced around and lowered my voice. “Would it be wrong to celebrate our nuptialsandTerrance LeBaron’s death?” I asked rhetorically. “Although it’s an inconvenient time for the news to break.”

Drakos leaned close and murmured in my ear. “You’ve been busy, haven’t you?”

“Oh, my God,” I answered with fake indignation. “Do you really think I’d have time right before our weddingto plan something like that?”

He wrapped his arm around me, drawing me in and pressing his lips against my forehead. “When it keeps your family safe, you make time.”

I turned and looped my arms around his neck, kissing him again, then turning us back toward the now-boisterous crowd. “Let's go enjoy our party.”

“Only if you promise not to kill or maim anyone during the first dance.”

“You’re hilarious, and the man was in a tragic motorcycle accident. Oh, I almost forgot.” Turning toward the guests, I raised my voice. “Don’t eat more than one brownie unless you don’t want to remember the next twenty-four hours!”

Chapter 37

Drakos

I strode into Fennick Spade’s office just off the Strip a week after my wedding. Sylvie officially moved into my loft, and we’d been copulating like rabbits ever since. My insides clenched, and my cock hardened just thinking about her sucking me off that morning as she knelt on the kitchen floor, staring up at me with those slumberous dark brown eyes. Then I’d hoisted her onto the counter, stripped her and spread her thighs, then enthusiastically returned the favor.

We planned to go on a honeymoon next month, but I needed to take care of a few irritating loose ends first.

The House of Spades’ official headquarters was located in a modern glass and steel high-rise just off the Strip. The high-end finishes, plush wool carpet, and upscale modern office furniture whispered prosperity and wealth.

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