Page 120 of Broken By Silence
Oscar smiles, and she softens.“You’re my Siren. Whatever you want, baby, it’s yours. But yes, I want to be your husband.”
The only one left to answer is me, and I cup her face to look atme, really look at me. “As if there could ever be anything else I would ever want. I choose you on purpose every time, Lottie, and I will forever until the end of time.”
“Yes, I’ll marry you all.”
Pacheco appears, a smile on his face. “Well, I suppose congratulations are in order. I won’t be staying, but I’ll clear away the bodies for you all, and let the families know that Lorenzo is finally dealt with,” he turns to Roman, who stands and shakes Pacheco’s hand. “Can I let them know that you’ll be taking over the contracts for your father?”
“I don’t discuss business on my wedding day, but I’ll be in touch in a few weeks and we can sort it all out then. For now, let them know I’ll stick to the original arrangements for now and won’t let them down.”
Pacheco nods his head, happy with the answer. “Perfect. I expect to hear from you soon, then, and again congratulations…” he pauses. “Oh, and Lottie?”
“Yes?”
“Tell Angel I said hello.”
Dad and Mombring Peter in from the van after Pacheco keeps his promise and clears the venue of the dead guards, Tracey, and Lorenzo, too. The moment he sees her, he breaks. He rushes forward, pulling her into his arms so tight I swear she stops breathing for a second. His voice cracks against her hair. “I’m so sorry, Lottie. So sorry. I should’ve been there. I should’ve?—”
She hugs him back, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You’re here now, Dad. That’s enough.”
He pulls back, looking at her—really looking at her—and then at all of us standing there, surrounding her, battered and bloody but alive. He shakes his head, smiling through his tears. “You’re a lucky girl, Lottie. You’ve got an army.”
Roman clears his throat. “So, uh… do you mind doing us a favor, Peter?”
Peter blinks at him. “A favor?”
Oscar grins, gesturing toward the arch that’s half collapsed but still standing.“She’s already in the dress, the priest’s here, and Elijah’s dying to make it official instead of forced.”
Elijah groans, and Crew claps him on the back. “Sit this one out, husband. Let the rest of us have this.”
Elijah’s glare could kill him. “Try and stop me, and I’ll make Lorenzo’s death look merciful compared to what I’ll do to you.”
Peter laughs, wiping his eyes. “Then I guess we’re having a wedding. Come on, sweetheart. Let’s try to do this right.”
He offers her his arm, and she takes it, hesitant but smiling. They walk toward the top of the aisle, and Mom barks orders for us to get into position. The terrified priest talks with her for a moment, then returns to the aisle, a fake smile plastered on his face. I have no clue what she said to him, but I briefly heard the words “hostage” and “or else,” so I’m assuming Mom’s done what she does best and brought him to heel.
Dad and Mom move to stand to the left, but Lottie calls out from the top of the aisle. “Will,” she calls softly.
“Yes, sweetheart?” he moves then, going straight to her. “Are you having cold feet? Because just say the word and I’ll whisk you out of here, if that’s what you want.”
Lottie laughs then, a real laugh. “No, my feet are very warm, but I can’t do this without you.” She holds out her other arm for him to take. “I need both my dads to give me away.”
Mom slaps her hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes. Dad coughs, clearing his throat, his throat bobbing. “Are you sure?” When Lottie nods, he looks to Peter. “Are you ok with this?”
Peter looks to Lottie, then back to Dad. “If it’s what she wants, then that’s all I care about.”
They walk slowly down what’s left of the aisle, petals and glass crunching beneath their feet. When she reaches us—me, Roman, Crew, Oscar, and Elijah—she looks at each of us in turn, eyes shining,finally whole.
The sunlight filtersthrough the wreckage of the garden—broken chairs, shattered crystal, trampled roses—and somehow, it still feels like the most beautiful place in the world.
Lottie stands between Dad and Peter, her white dress tattered and covered in blood, but she’s radiant. There’s something untouchable in her eyes, something I’ve never seen before, and I realize she finally looks whole. When she reaches the end of the aisle, both men stop, one on each side of her, and the entire world seems to hold its breath.
Dad leans down, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. “You have always been stronger than you think, sweetheart. Don’t you ever forget that when you need to put these men in their place, and if you can’t let me know, I’ll sort them out for you.” He presses a kiss to her forehead.
Peter clears his throat, his voice breaking. “Go on, baby. Go be happy.”
They each take one of her hands and place on in Elijah’s and the other in mine. Elijah’s jaw tightens as he looks at her, like he’s barely holding himself together. His eyes move over her face, down to her trembling hand in his. “You ready for this?” he murmurs.
She nods.
