“Devon, what’s going on? What are they doing?” She pointed to the odd scene on the ornate front lawn. In the middle of the expertly manicured and professionally landscaped setting stood four women, four men…and five large doghouses.
“Is it too late to pretend our flight was delayed?” Devon deadpanned.
“Yes, considering they can see us, and they’re already motioning for us to come to them.”
He sighed, resigned to accept his punishment like a man, and opened the door. “Here we go. Oh, before we get out, I’m sorry now for whatever Liz does or says.”
“Liz?”
“Shadow, get out of that car right this second.” Liz stood a few feet away with her hands on her hips, her lips in a tight, firm line, and her eyes on fire with anger.
“That’s Liz,” he replied to Elle. “Liz, sweetheart, how are you?”
“Don’t try to sweet-talk me. It didn’t work for these four, and it won’t work for you either.”
Elle watched as men emerged from the house and took their luggage inside the stately mansion. A quick glance in Devon’s direction told her to relax, as their actions must be commonplace. He laced his fingers with hers and walked toward the waiting hosts. The closer they got, the more confused Elle became.
She recognized the men from Devon’s funeral, though she didn’t know their names. Except Liz. But then, everyone in the chapel knew her name that day.
“Elle, this is Noah ‘Reaper’ Steele and his wife, Brianna.”
“Hello, nice to meet you,” she said to Brianna first and shook her hand.
“Elle, we wanted to approach you in the hospital waiting room, but it just didn’t seem like the right time. You’d been through so much already, and we didn’t want to appear to be insensitive fans. I’m so glad to meet you now.”
“Thank you. I wasn’t in the best frame of mind, so keeping your distance was probably best,” Elle chuckled.
Her gaze drifted up to Noah’s, and she reacted before she could stop herself. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted—but no words would come out. “Umm,” she stammered. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Noah offered his hand, and Elle hesitated briefly before accepting it. From the corner of her eye, she saw Devon cover the smile that split his face in two. “Very nice to meet you, Elle.”
“You’re the one who picked me up off the floor and set me in the pew,” she said while staring a little too long at his lips. “Thank you so much for doing that. I would’ve stayed on the floor had you not.”
“It was the least I could do for you.”
Devon snickered beside her and tried to hide it with a fake cough.
“Something to say, Shadow?” Reaper asked, lifting one eyebrow in challenge.
“Nope. Not a thing. Elle, this is Colton ‘Bull’ Lanier and his wife, Chaise. Noah and Chaise are brother and sister.”
Elle found herself in the same predicament when she greeted Bull and Chaise. And Devon didn’t help when he unsuccessfully tried to hide his laughter. After Bull cordially addressed Elle, he threatened Devon with, “I’m kicking your ass as soon as you’re healed. Fucker.”
Devon wore a huge, shit-eating grin when he steered Elle away from Bull and to the next couple. “This is Braxton ‘Rebel’ Reed and his wife, Heather.”
“Elle, it’s great to meet you. My condolences to you on what will happen to Shadow the second he’s healed enough to take his beating.”
She had no idea what they meant, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Rebel’s lips or his fingernails.
“Don’t pay any attention to Rebel, Elle. The heat down here fries his brain sometimes,” Devon explained. “This is Silas Steele, Noah and Chaise’s older brother.”
“Elle, I’m so glad everything turned out well for you after your ordeal. You should probably purchase big-and-tall-sized diapers for Shadow as soon as possible. He’ll need them for a while after we get through with him.”
“You too, Silas? That hurts,” Devon lied through his smiling teeth.
“And, my love, this is Liz.”
“I knew you were faking it at the funeral. Hello, sweet girl. How are you? You didn’t fool me for one minute, Shadow. I’m so sorry you have to witness this, Elle, but it’s best for us all. What you did is just unforgivable and inexcusable, Shadow. Did you have a nice flight, dear? Now that you’re here, it’s time for you to face the music.”
Elle attempted to keep up with Liz’s conversation. She was terrifying and angry when she addressed Devon, then loving and grandmotherly when she spoke to Elle. Liz had carried on two entire conversations, in two distinctly different tones, without taking a single breath.
Liz picked up a small black makeup bag and retrieved two vials of fingernail polish. Her keen eyes snapped up to Devon’s and held an inherent threat. The other men smiled broadly.
Reaper’s pink leopard-print-colored lips spread across his face. Bull’s lips were white with pink, blue, and green dots covering them. Rebel’s lips had been painted with a bright, sparkling blue polish. Silas’s appeared to be black stripes on a bright orange background, until he closed his lips. Then the word “TRAITOR” could be read clearly. Their fingernails matched the colors used on their lips. And apparently, Devon was her next target.
“What’s the story behind the nail polish?” Elle finally asked.
“It goes with the doghouses. Each man out here has one. We even painted names on their specific homes. They lied to us, let us believe Shadow was dead instead of letting us in on the ruse. They didn’t trust us enough, so they had to be punished,” Liz explained. “Did you know?”
“No, I knew even less than you did. And I was mad at him for about a second, but then I remembered how hard I’d prayed to wake up from that nightmare and have him back with me. Being left out of the loop when his life was in danger didn’t seem like a big deal then. Though, I did threaten him if he ever pulls that on me again.”
“Oh.” Liz dropped the polish back into the bag, her voice flat and her eyes downcast. “I didn’t think of it that way. Maybe I should’ve talked to you before I painted these guys. You’re right. His life is more important, and we were all so thrilled to learn he was okay.”
Four large and angry men began shouting and pointing at once.
“Do you know how long we’ve been wearing this shit?”
“I actually slept all night in the fucking doghouse!”
“No way does he get out of his punishment! I’ll hold him down and paint him myself!”
“I took my punishment like a man! Now he will too!”
Liz kept talking to Elle as if a brawl weren’t about to break out in front of them. “If you’re not upset, then I’m not either. Besides, I knew it was all fake. Tracey told me before the funeral.”
All the yelling stopped cold.
“You knew?” Silas asked.
“Of course. Took you long enough to get me off the casket. I thought I’d actually get that kiss I’ve been hankering for.”
Silas glared at her, the ability to connect letters into those things they made had escaped him.
“What? What’s the problem?” Liz prompted him.
“We all took our punishment…but you knew.”
“Did you hide it from us?”
“Yes, but—”
“No buts. You knew. You hid it. You got punished. Now, imagine what I would’ve done if I hadn’t known the truth. Chew on that for a while.”
Devon leaned down and kissed Liz’s cheek, then winked. “Thanks for always having my back.”
“My pleasure, my boy. Now it’s time for us to get to know this pretty little lady.” Liz took Elle’s hand in hers and led her to the house, leaving everyone else standing on the front lawn, by their assigned doghouses, in shock. Devon watched them walk together, then realized he’d been left alone with the angry mob. He sprang into action, holding his side while he took long strides to reach Elle’s side and Liz’s protection.
Later that evening, afte
r the men had scrubbed all of the skin off their lips and removed the polish from their nails, they sat on the back deck. Steaks, chicken, and seafood cooked on the grill. The team was all together, laughing and sharing stories again as if nothing had happened. Elle felt welcomed with open arms and became instant best friends with the ladies.
Devon leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek while she talked with Brianna. She turned and looked at him thoughtfully. “What was that for?”
“Because I love you. Because I’m so glad you never gave up on me all the years I was such an idiot. Because I can’t imagine ever being happy again if I lost you. Because I finally understand why these guys can’t function without their better halves and why they’d move hell and earth to reach their loves, and God help anyone who gets in their way. Because if I had to choose between having decades to live alone undercover, or only one night, but it was with you, I’d choose you every time.”
Elle kissed his lips, lingering and savoring the moment. “We’ll never have to be apart again, my love. There’s never been a remote possibility of you losing me. No matter what happened, I’ve always loved you. And I’ll always love you, no matter what happens.”
“I’m so happy for you two,” Brianna gushed. “Have you decided on a wedding date yet?”
“No, we haven’t even talked about it yet. Devon has been healing and getting stronger. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do now that the studio closed and my movie hasn’t released yet. I don’t even know if it will release now. Nothing in my life is definite except this man beside me.”
“We’re getting married as soon as possible, and I’m keeping her chained to the bed the entire first year,” Shadow added.
The group laughed, but they didn’t doubt he’d actually try to do what he’d threatened. Silas leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you both about that.”
“About chaining my woman to the bed? Do you have a death wish?” Shadow fired back.
“No and no,” Silas replied sardonically. “I mean talk about what you’re going to do next. Steele Security is here. The studio lots are in LA. Are you moving to California? Is Elle moving to Miami? Have you thought about what you’re going to do next, Shadow?”
“Not really. I’m waiting for inspiration to hit me. Or for Elle to demand I move in with her. Or for Elle to demand to move in with me. Or for Elle to demand we move to Kansas and commute to work.”
“That’s what I thought. So I have an early wedding present for you.” Silas pulled a business card out of his wallet. “The offshore account the gang used to launder money, courtesy of the CIA for your years of valuable service to your country. You were grievously injured in the line of duty during a join CIA-DEA-ATF-FBI investigation, so you’ve been awarded hazard pay, too.”
Silas handed the card to Elle. “Since Shadow died during the investigation, the funds go to his beneficiary. As of today, that’s you. Don’t spend it all in one place.”
Elle narrowed her eyes at Silas, unsure if he was joking, before inspecting the card. “Holy shit! The motorcycle club made that much money?”
“Yes, and more, but they made it for you when they kidnapped you and killed my friend. Payback is a bitch.”
“Thank you, Silas. I don’t even know what else to say. This is incredible.” Elle showed the card to Devon and turned to him, bouncing in her seat with excitement. “Babe, I have an idea. This is perfect.”
“Let’s hear it. I’m all ears.”
“What if we split this with the other ladies, and we all executive produce the movie on our own? Buying it from the bankruptcy court will cost a lot less than trying to buy it from the studio. The royalties we’ll make on it will pay out for years.”
“That’s a great plan,” Silas interjected. “Except, each of the ladies has their own account. Not as hefty as yours, but enough.”
“Perfect. What do you think, Devon?”
“I’m with you, sugar momma.” He leaned over and kissed her.
“Do you need more executive producers?” Reaper asked and turned to Brianna with a smile.
“You have something in mind, Reap?” Shadow asked.
“Yeah. We’ve all discussed what would happen when we decided we’re coming out of the firefight and into suburban life. I see an excellent opportunity for us to get out of the security field and into the movie industry. If we buy in now, we’ll start on the ground floor with a major A-lister movie for a fraction of the cost.”
“You want to close Steele Security?” Bull asked.
“If all of you are in on this, yes. This can be our new business, and we won’t have to worry about making it home to our wives and kids in one piece,” Reaper replied.
“We’re in,” Rebel replied, hugging Heather to him. “Come on, Bull—you know it’s time to hang up your camouflage hat and ghillie suit.”
Bull turned to Chaise, silently asking her opinion. “Let’s do it, babe. A brand-new adventure for the crew.”
“All right, then. We’re in too,” Bull replied. “Let’s own this bitch and take Hollywood by storm.”
“Silas?” Reaper asked.
“I’ll be a silent partner. You can’t put my name on anything, but I’ll buy in.”
“Look what you did, darlin’,” Shadow teased Elle. “You just got me fired.”
EPILOGUE
Fall at the winery was the perfect time of year for an outdoor wedding. The sycamore trees lining the driveway from the main road to the house were in full spectacular color. The bright yellows, oranges, and reds in the surrounding oak and aspen grove mixed with the changing grapevines and provided the perfect backdrop against the still lush green grass.
Devon stood with the pastor under the canopy, waiting for Elle to make her grand entrance. While he waited, he soaked in the features around him so he wouldn’t forget a single detail. The garden area was beautifully decorated with a variety of fall-colored planters and flowers. The October air was crisp and invigorating, the slight breeze gentle enough to be comfortable in the setting sun.
The path Elle would take to him was adorned with thick grass, manicured hedges, and white marble statues. The walking bridge over the reflection pool was what sealed the deal for Elle, but the reception area was a close second. Pergolas over linen-covered tables with hanging paper lanterns and candles in glass jars on the tables completed the ambiance. Knee-high hurricane candles were staggered along the pathway and around the pool. The guest chairs were draped in matching linens, completing her dream wedding theme.
Beth, Brianna, Chaise, and Heather emerged first, escorted by Jeff, Reaper, Bull, and Rebel. When the music changed to the wedding march, Shadow craned his neck to see Elle. She’d insisted on keeping her wedding gown a secret from him and had spent the night at her parents’ house, away from him, the night before. One night away from her was more than enough. Over the past year while they’d worked the movie junkets and planned their wedding, he hadn’t spent more than a few hours apart from her. The sudden change was not welcomed or appreciated.
Then she stepped into view, escorted by her father, and he forgot every other detail. All he could see was the most beautiful woman in the world walking to him. To stand by his side. For better or for worse. Through sickness and health. Till death claimed them both, for real this time.
She wore a floor-length gown, the train extending behind her only slightly. The top was sheer, with lace appliques strategically placed to give the illusion of much less fabric. The waist tapered in to show off her figure and elegance. Her hair was curled and piled high on her head in a perfectly messy heap. Small flowers and baby’s breath were secured inside the ringlets, giving her a graceful and carefree effect.
When she reached the last row of guest chairs, she smiled at him, and pride swelled in his chest. The moment he’d always said would never happen couldn’t happen soon enough. He was marrying the love of his life. He was giving her his name. She moved closer to him, her eyes spark
ling with unshed tears of happiness.
Her father passed her hand to Devon, and she gripped his tightly. Her lifeline, her rock, her love—her everything. The demons of the past no longer plagued her because the life she’d built with Devon drove out all the wicked shadows. They lived every moment in the light, grateful for one more day together, thankful for every night in each other’s arms.
The pastor went through the usual verbiage found in a wedding, but they’d written their own vows to each other.
“Elle, I promise you will never regret agreeing to be my wife. My sole purpose in life is simultaneously to make you happy, give you more love than you’ve ever known, and fill our home with light and laughter. I promise to be the best husband, friend, confidant, and partner I can be. Your needs will come first, always. All I ask in return is that you’re my girl—forever.”
He slid the wedding band onto her finger and raised it to his lips.
“Devon, since the day I met you, you’ve owned my heart in one way or another. As a little kid, you were my hero. When I was a young adult, you were my love. Our love and relationship progressed, and you became so much more. My champion, my cheerleader, my savior, my best friend, my partner, my very heart. I promise I will be all these things and more for you. I promise to love you until my dying breath, and then take that love to the afterlife with me, where I’ll wait for you to join me again. I promise to be there when you wake in the morning and when you go to sleep at night, giving you whatever you need or want. I promise to love you and only you unconditionally for all time.”
She slid the wedding band onto his finger.
With a long, lingering kiss, they sealed their union in front of their family and friends. The bond had always been there—tried, tested, and true.
After the reception dinner, Mark turned on the lights around the dance floor and had the DJ fire up the sound system. Devon and Elle took the floor alone for their first dance as husband and wife. She melted into his arms, still eager for his embrace after having him at her beck and call for more than a solid year. She accepted and embraced she’d never grow tired of him. She’d never not want him with her.
Wicked Shadows (Steele Security Book 5) Page 29