by Nikki Wild
Grizz waited for silence, then spoke:
“I, Sarah…”
“I, Sarah…”
“Take you, Hunter…”
“Take you, Hunter…”
“To be my husband…”
“To be my husband…”
“To love, and to cherish for eternity…”
“To love, and to cherish for eternity…”
“To honor, and to serve…”
“To honor, and to serve…”
“Through trial, victory, and defeat…”
“Through trial, victory, and defeat…”
“And to keep you beside me…”
“And to keep you beside me…”
“For as long as we both shall live.”
“For as long as we both shall live.”
At this point, I was barely holding it together. Thank God I let Kate introduce me to that expensive waterproof makeup, because otherwise I’d be the goddamn clown bride up here…
Grizz hesitated, reflecting quietly.
But we weren’t prepared for the beauty of his following words, as he interjected one last parting thought before finalizing our marriage ceremony.
“These rings,” Grizz spoke endearingly, “are a universal symbol of holy matrimony. They signify to yourselves, and to all onlookers, your constant and ever-present commitment to one another…
“But in your particular case,” he smiled slyly, “they represent so much more than that.”
Hunter and I shared a quizzical look.
Connor was stirring in my arms.
“For you see,” Grizz added, “these rings are a sign of beautiful perfection for you both. Their shape embodies your destiny together. They are a flawless icon of how, despite the odds, you both came back full circle to one another…”
I was definitely weeping now.
“…Which brings me to our grand finale.”
Hunter’s dark, formidable gaze flicked back from Grizz to me. It quickly balanced with the widest smile that has ever graced that handsome face.
Grizz placed the mic down, holding his bible as he scooped up Connor into his thick, burly arms. Our son cooed in the presence of our friend as Hunter and I faced each other, ready to take the very last step in our beautiful lives together.
His voice boomed with religious fervor.
Turns out, he never needed the mic!
“Before God, before friends and loved ones, and with the power vested in me by the Church of Universal Life, I proudly pronounce you, Hunter and Sarah Hargreaves, husband and wife.”
“Hunter, kiss your woman!”
He winked. “Make it good.”
Hunter pulled me into his arms and bent me back in front of the procession, planting upon my lips the most powerful kiss I’ve ever felt.
Everything came to a stop as I melted into his kiss…
And then cheers exploded throughout the room.
My husband pulled me back to a stand.
We stood tall, our fingers locked together. In unison, we made a powerful victory pump into the air. Our Devil’s Dragons were already on their feet, wildly applauding above the whistles and cheers.
Hunter whispered into my ear.
“Sarah… we did it, babe.”
My heart swelled. That’s right, my dearest, darling husband, I thought to myself in triumph.
We did it.
We stepped forward together with huge smiles, our future at our feet, ready for anything the world had to offer. Together, we were unstoppable.
Just like we’d always been…
Did you love Hunter? Don’t stop now. Turn the page because I’ve included a few of my bestselling novels in every Kindle edition of HUNTER! I’ve also included a bonus copy of all three previous Devil’s Dragons novels just in case you haven’t read them yet! Keep turning pages and you’ll find Saved by the Bad Boy, Pride and Pregnancy, and Taming Grizz!
For those who have already read the whole series, thank you for following on this journey with Hunter and Sarah Hargreaves. It has brought me the highest pleasure to explore their world together with you, and to visit them one last time: giving these two, so near and dear to my heart, the happiest of endings together.
You are the reason I write.
With all my love,
-Nikki Wild
Novels by Nikki Wild
The ‘Taking Beauty’ Trilogy
Taking Beauty (Taking Beauty #1)
Claiming Beauty (Taking Beauty #2)
Owning Beauty (Taking Beauty #3)
The ‘Saved by the Bad Boy’ Series
Saved by the Bad Boy (Saved by the Bad Boy #1)
Pride and Pregnancy (Saved by the Bad Boy #2)
Taming Grizz (Saved by the Bad Boy #3)
Hunter (Saved by the Bad Boy #4)
Bad Boy Mafia
Baddy (A Small Town Mafia Romance)
Bad Boy Suspense
Velocity (A Dangerous Romantic Suspense)
Bad Boy Sports
Play Dirty (A Bad Boy Football Romance)
Running Game (A Bad Boy Football Romance)
Bad Boy Fighters:
Knockout (A Bad Boy MMA Romance)
Bad Boy Bikers:
Biker Daddy (The Rogue Tide Motorcycle Club)
Malice (Hounds of Hell Motorcycle Club)
Saving Landon (A Bad Boy Biker Romance)
Roughneck (A Bad Boy Motorcycle Club Romance)
Rough Rider (Outlaw Kings Motorcycle Club)
Hard Rider (A Bad Boy Motorcycle Club Romance)
Brute (A Dogs of War Motorcycle Club Romance)
British Bad Boys:
Royal Prick (A Bad Boy British Romance)
Arrogant Brit (A Bad Boy British Sports Romance)
Rock Hard (A Bad Boy British Rockstar Romance)
Played (A Bad Boy British Romance)
London Kisses (A British Billionaire Romance)
Bad Boy Rockstars:
Illicit Behavior (A Bad Boy Rockstar Romance)
Rock Hard (A Bad Boy British Rockstar Romance)
Double Treble (A Twin Rockstar Romance)
Bad Boy Stepbrothers:
Lust (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)
Richard (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)
Pulse (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)
Bad Boy Billionaires:
Protect And Serve (A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance)
Daddy’s Princess (A Taboo Billionaire Romance)
The Proposal (A Billionaire Romance)
Pretend Married (A Sexy Billionaire Romance)
Part One
BONUS NOVEL: KNOCKOUT
A SEXY MMA SPORTS ROMANCE
My entire catalog is FREE TO READ for anyone with a Kindle Unlimited subscription! You can check out all of my sexy bad boy novels by clicking RIGHT HERE!
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One
Bria
“Ugh, that was so cheesy,” said Kaitlyn, as she dug through her purse looking for her car keys.
“I know,” I said. “It was like, shitty comedy, meets shitty romance, meets shitty drama.”
“So... you’re saying it was a rom-com-shit-dram?”
She tried to suppress her giggles but couldn’t help herself. The way she was covering her mouth and choking back little snorts of air made me lose it too. Her laugh was contagious. It reminded me of the way we used to be when we were kids.
“You’re so dumb,” I said, struggling to keep my grin under control.
“Whatever. You know I’m funny.” She burst into another fit, and I followed suit.
By now, curious movie-goers were staring from all corners of the parking lot, probably startled by the two twenty-somethings losing their minds somewhere off in the darkness. Or maybe t
hey just wanted in on the joke…
The lock clicked, and I popped open the passenger-side door. The aroma of popcorn and butter was still thick in my nose. It had seeped into my clothes and hair.
“Take me home, driver,” I said. “I have to be to work early tomorrow.”
“Driver? You better watch your mouth, or I’ll drop you off at the bus station.” She cocked an eyebrow at me and smiled. “...Let you hang out with all the creeps who like to stay up late on a school night.”
I narrowed my eyes and smiled back. “You wouldn’t do that to your bestest friend in the whole wide world.”
Kaitlyn turned the key and the engine made a soft purring noise. It was nice to sit in her plush and reliable BMW. It was nothing like the temperamental beast I drove around town. There was a special kind of comfort that went along with not worrying over whether the car would start.
“You should quit that job, anyway.” she said. “It’s not like they’re paying you enough for all the work they give you.”
She was right. I had been with the firm for almost three years, and I hadn’t seen a single raise. My responsibilities, my workload, and even my workspace had expanded, but my pay stayed the same.
Too bad it wasn’t that simple. And for as sweet and good-hearted as she was, Kaitlyn seemed to struggle with the concepts of hard work and responsibility. She was a “trust fund baby” through and through and when you paired that with her angelic face and perfect little body, it was easy to see how she found the world at her feet.
“So, I guess that means I can move in with you?” I quipped, “Because, without that job there’s no way I’m making my rent. Let alone the electricity, the gas, my phone…”
“Okay, okay…” she said.
“The credit cards, my student loans…” I continued.
“I get it!” she yelled. Her face was apologetic, but her eyes still made the point.
“I know what you’re saying,” I said. “But, it’s just too crazy right now. When things calm down a little bit, I’ll ask for a raise.”
“You could always come work for my dad,” she said. “He would hire you in a second.”
“I really appreciate it; it’s just…”
“I know,” she said. “You like to do your own thing. I respect that, but the offer still stands.”
As the car rolled down the rain-soaked street, I let my mind wander to less stressful times. Things would have been easier if everything hadn’t fallen apart. Kevin wasn’t the best guy on the planet but he had always been there for me… Until the day he wasn’t.
It had been six months since things ended. I caught him browsing Tinder on his phone… And a quick swipe through his recent text messages told me everything I needed to know about his extra-curricular activities…
Kevin tried to tell me he could change. Unabashedly, he begged me to stay. He talked about our future together and what I would be throwing away as if he was presenting a case in the courtroom. There was talk of the time we had already invested, of how he was going to be getting a huge promotion soon, and how hard it was going to be to split up now that we had put all of the bills in both of our names. Like the fact that the fucking gym membership was a joint account would be enough to convince me to stay.
I wondered how long he’d been cheating on me, and how much that contributed to the way I’d been feeling about our relationship. It was a betrayal I could never forgive.
Kaitlyn was prattling on about some reality tv thing she was into, but I couldn’t focus on it. It didn’t matter though, because the girl barely stopped talking long enough to take a breath. She never noticed when I wasn’t listening.
I let my hips sink back into the heated seat and propped my forehead against the cold window.
“Remember Kevin?” I asked, cutting her off mid-sentence.
“Uh, yeah… you mean the Kevin who had the personality of a wet paper bag?”
“The Kevin that spent more time messing with his fantasy football stuff than he did paying attention to you?”
“I…”
“The same Kevin that you said fucked like he was on horse tranquilizers? The Kevin who had booty calls in every city he visited on business?” She rolled her eyes as she spat my own words back at me.
“Well, I mean, he’s been calling me again… He wants to be with me, and he’s finally about to make partner at the firm,” I replied quietly.
“Bria! C’mon, are you serious? That guy was… just… sad. I mean, really, he-,”
She must have noticed the frustration on my face because she cut herself off.
“Listen, Kevin might have the looks and the money, but he was a capital A Asshole. You should put yourself out there before you even think about going back to him. You owe it to yourself to try because you can do WAY better.”
I wanted to defend myself but she was right. I hadn’t given the single life a fair chance, and truthfully, I needed much more than the promise of a warm body lying next to me every night.
“Oh, shoot! Stop here!” I said, as I noticed the lit neon sign in the gas station window.
“What? Why? We’re almost to your apartment.”
“They’re still open. I need to get eggs.” I said.
“Just do it tomorrow or something. Who buys their eggs at a dirty gas station, anyway?”
“C’mon, stop. I really need them. Egg-whites for breakfast every morning. That’s my new diet thing and I don’t want to break my streak.”
Kaitlyn sighed as she turned her signal on and slowed at the entrance. “I’m too good to you, you know that?” she said. “But hurry, ‘cause I’m not going in.”
“It’s fine, you don’t have to wait,” I said. “It’s only a five-minute walk from here and I could use the fresh air.”
She stared at me quizzically as we pulled up to the glass front of the building. “Are you sure you’ll be okay? Because I was joking. I don’t mind waiting.”
I threw the door open and stretched my tired legs out into the cool night air.
“Uh, I think I’ll be fine rich girl. I know this isn’t Beverly Hills, but it’s not like I live in the hood. I’ll text you when I get home.”
“Okay, you better. And don’t even think about calling ‘Mr. Limpdick’ because you know that’s not what you really want.”
I slammed the door shut with mock anger and put my hands on my hips.
She gave me the finger, then smiled and nodded toward the young guy working behind the counter inside. He had been watching our little interaction.
Kaitlyn flipped her hair and gave him a tantalizing wink before putting it in drive and disappearing into the night.
I found an adequate carton on the third try. The first one I opened was a mess of broken shell and leaking yolk. The second was simply missing two eggs. Maybe this area was a little more “hood” than I had been willing to admit.
With future breakfast in hand, I made my way to the counter. The poor kid working the register, all 145 pounds of him, could barely stand to speak, let alone make eye contact with me. Somewhere in between my amusement at the shy cashier and my efforts to fish a credit card out of my purse, another customer slipped into the store.
My brain registered the familiar “ding” that every convenience store front door makes when you walk through it, but I didn’t give it any real thought until I realized that the new arrival had made his way into line behind me.
I don’t know why I felt off about it, but I did. He had a looming presence. The air around him stunk like cheap tobacco and I could practically feel his hot breath on my neck. Was he standing really close, or was I imaging things?
The shy cashier’s hand shook like a leaf as he handed back the receipt. I realized that maybe I wasn’t the one having an effect on him as he glanced apprehensively over my shoulder.
I suddenly wanted nothing more than to get out of here.
“Anything else?” the cashier asked.
“No… Thanks.” I replied, grabbing my credit ca
rd and quickly making my way to the door.
Once outside I started to feel better. I couldn’t completely shake the feeling I had in the store, but my unease was quickly settling as I took in a breath of the cool night air. I couldn’t wait to get home and throw open the windows.
My condo was in a cute, older building on the west side of town. It sat just a couple of blocks off the main drag and backed up to a beautiful greenbelt. On quiet mornings, I could sit on my back patio and listen to the birds talk. It wasn’t the most luxurious of places, but it held a certain charm and struck the perfect balance between city and suburbs. It was one of the few things in life I was really proud of.
A quick succession of footsteps snapped me out of my condo reverie. I couldn’t be sure if they came from behind me because of the strange acoustics on the side street, but the sound was definitely made by leather slapping pavement.
I drew a sharp breath, held it, and waited. Silence. Everything inside of me suggested I should look back over my shoulder, but I couldn’t force myself to do it. My logical brain told me there was nothing to be concerned about. The footsteps were probably inconsequential. It was just someone walking to their car or letting their dog out…
But my intuition screamed DON’T LOOK BACK! THE BOOGEY MAN WILL GET YOU!
All at once I was struck by my foolishness. How could I be so stubborn to think it was a good idea to walk home this late at night? Why did I insist on telling Kaitlyn to go? Why did I leave the relative safety of a busy gas station if something didn’t feel right?
I steeled my nerves, let the breath go slowly, and walked. Any sense of safety that I was holding on to disappeared when the mysterious footsteps returned to match my own. I felt my pace quicken. It was happening almost automatically, like I was on autopilot.
I still couldn’t force myself to look back, but it didn’t matter. There was no mistaking where the steps were coming from.