Page 175 of Savage Reign

I smiled at him as the first tear flowed down from my eyes to my cheek, and his fists clenched. He looked like he was trying hard not to give in to the urge to come to me.

My smile widened, the impatience in his gaze evident.

We finally made it to the altar. Maverick moved away from where he stood and came over to me.

He grabbed my hand and turned to Rachel. “I got her. Thank you.”

Rachel smiled and patted his cheek before making her way back to her seat.

Maverick led me to the front. Killian and Silas subtly stepped forward. I didn’t think it was obvious from everyone's standpoint, but it was to me. I wasn’t just marrying Maverick. I was marrying Killian and Silas as well.

I barely paid attention when the priest started talking. My mind was focused entirely on my men as the memories of us played out. From the first time I saw them at that restaurant, to that first time I let Silas kiss me in my car when he drove me back to the motel room, to that fierce kiss in the elevator with Killian, and even that first night I spent with Maverick at the hotel room. My memories with them… they weren’t all good. There were some bad ones. Some I’d much rather not relive. Like when they took me and brought me back to Chicago against my will, when I was feeling lost and scared. But as I looked at them, I realized I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

I would keep all the good, the bad, and even the worst just to have this moment with them.

“I do,” Maverick said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I waited for my cue before I uttered the same, “I do.”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss?—”

Maverick was already kissing me before the priest could finish that sentence. The crowd erupted in cheers and claps, and I moved closer to Maverick. When Maverick pulled away, Killian and Silas were surrounding us.

The four of us turned to face the crowd.

I winced when the crowd got louder and louder and became more rowdy.

A prickling sensation moved along my spine, and I suddenly felt the urge to get out of there. I didn’t know why, but my gut told me something was wrong. I turned to the brothers, about to tell them exactly that, when a loud boom sounded out.

My heart felt like it was about to lurch out of my chest.

I knew that sound.

The unmistakable sound of a gunshot. And the crowd filled with made men definitely knew that too because someone screamed, and everyone moved into action.

Men burst through the church, some I didn’t recognize, but most I did.

The remaining members of the Heartless Saints MC finally made their appearance, and leading the charge was none other than Sebastian Cline. His eyes moved about the church until he saw me there standing at the altar, and anger like I had never seen before entered his eyes.

With a yell, he began to run toward me.

I was stuck frozen, only standing there and not knowing what to do. Seeing him was like seeing Dad again. I knew my dad was dead, but for so long, I had associated them together, and suddenly, all the trauma resurfaced, leaving me immobile.

Someone pulled me out of the way before Sebastian could get to me. I looked over to see Silas was the one who grabbed and pushed me against the wall. “Stay like this, understand?”

He had already turned around before I could speak.

An already shaken Rachel was there. She grabbed my hand and held me close as Silas stood in front of us and started firing shots into the crowd. I wondered how he could tell which men were on our side and which weren’t because, right now, I couldn’t tell.

But for a moment, I thought it looked like some of the men in attendance at the church were attacking us.

Why would they do that?

The man I thought was Finley joined Silas on the podium. He had the woman with him. He pushed her toward me, and I opened my arms and grabbed her, keeping her close. She was shaking. We huddled together as Silas and Finley continued firing their shots into the crowd. The woman Finley gave us was covering her ears, tears streaming down her face. I tightened my hold around her, and she buried her face in my chest.

I could feel wetness touching my skin. Rachel met my eyes.

I didn’t know what to do.

---