Page 43 of Redemption

Shep and Heidi’s wedding day arrives, and Colt paces the clubhouse. His eyes look at every woman who walks into the place, looking for the familiar blonde he hasn’t seen in weeks. Needs to see Lex.

They haven’t seen each other since she gave him her number, and the only communication since then has been the occasional message about the kids. He wants to talk to her. He wants to tell her how he feels. How sorry he is. Even though he’s still angry as hell, he misses her. She’s made her point, and it’s time to put this to rest. Over six months is long enough.

“Everyone, head on out to the back and take your seats,” Tess calls out.

Ky wraps an arm around his shoulders and leads him out to take their seats. “You’re looking kinda desperate, man.”

“There’s now way she’ll miss Shep’s wedding, right?”

“I don’t think so, but then again, who knows at this point? Something’s changed in her.”

Colt looks at the ground as Noah’s voice fills his head.You. You changed her. Because you’re an asshole.

“I think it’s a combination of everything. Becoming a mother, having two kids to keep up with, and now the other changes in life. It’s a lot for anyone,” Ky continues.

“Where’s Felicity?” If she’s here, Lex would probably be with her.

“In the wedding.”

Shep stands up at the altar, his hands shaking in front of him. If anyone in the club had money to bet on who would be the one to never take the plunge into marriage, it would be Shep. Who would have guessed a stripper would cast a spell and turn a one-night stand man into a husband?

Melanie walks down the aisle in a royal blue spaghetti strap dress, falling right below her knees with an A-line skirt, her arm wrapped with Jace’s. Her bleach blonde hair falls in curled tendrils landing right above her shoulders, and she smiles at everyone. Until she reaches Colt. Her smile turns into a sneer, and she glares at him.

It’s safe to say the women of the club still hate him.

Felicity walks out next with Ty in the same royal blue color gown but in a halter neckline with the hem falling at her feet. Her normally long, wavy dark hair wraps around a fancy clip showing off her slender shoulders.

“Ty’s next to get married. You know he follows in Shep’s footsteps with everything he does,” Ky leans over and whispers.

Colt looks around. He doesn’t see Lex slipping into the back of the crowd. His heart sinks. His wife skipped out on one of her best friend’s weddings because of him. Sighing, he slumps down and faces forward. Ky slaps his shoulder, and he turns around, expecting to see Heidi. Instead, his mouth drops open as he sees the woman he’s searched for all day.

Lex walks down the aisle with Psycho in a strapless royal blue dress that makes her eyes pop. It flairs out slightly at the hips and stops above her knees. Instead of the mess of curls he’s used to seeing on her, her hair lays straight with clips pulling the front pieces away from her face.

“Holy shit,” he whispers, his mouth suddenly dry. Besides her collarbone sticking out further than it should, she’s drop dead gorgeous. It’s like he forgot how hot his wife is.

Didn’t you?Goddamn Casey this time. They’re tag-teaming his mind fuck.

“Has she lost weight?” Ky whispers as everyone stands.

They turn to see Heidi walking down the aisle on VP’s arm, her dress beautiful but leaving very little to the imagination with more lace than solid fabric. Shep’s eyes pop as his face breaks out into a wide smile, and everyone chuckles.

“Yeah, she’s lost about, I don’t know, twenty-five pounds or so,” he whispers. “Too fucking much.”

Gunner officiates the wedding, but very little registers with Colt. His eyes refuse to leave his wife, and he only follows Ky’s lead to clap when he should, chuckle when he should, and stand when he should. Before he knows it, they’re walking down the aisle and back into the clubhouse.

“Come on, Lex,” he whispers. “Look at me. Come on, look at me.”

She walks by with Psycho, but her eyes don’t glance in his direction. In fact, she doesn’t look at anyone in the crowd. As far as he knows, she doesn’t realize he’s even there, and he feels disappointed. How has all this shit gone so far left?

Because you’re a fucking moron. Noah’s voice makes his eye twitch, but he holds his comment back. They’ll commit him if he admits to anyone he hears his dead brother.

“Did you know she was a bridesmaid?” he asks Ky as they wait for their turn to walk into the reception.

“I barely knew Felicity was a bridesmaid. She’s still fucking pissed at me, but at least I’m allowed back in the house. And she misses my cock enough that she gives me angry sex, but we aren’t what you’d call ‘talking’ right now.”

Sighing, he looks at the ground. “Shit, I’m sorry, man.”

“It’s not your fault. Well, being in this position in the first place is your fault. You know what? Fuck you, man. This isallyour fault.”

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