“Hola,” I reply. “Thank you again for this.”
“It is my pleasure. And thank you for all you’ve done for this village. It has only been a few short months, and yet it is like a new place, full of life.”
“This is where Reina came from. Neither of us will ever forget that.”
“You are a good man.”
“I’m trying to be.”
“You are.”
“That means a lot coming from you. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. It looks like your friends have arrived,” she says, nodding to my guys who are walking outside. “I will go check on Reina.”
She nods as she passes Aiden, Nate, Jake, and Theo on her way inside. “Hey guys. Glad you could make it.”
“We’re early, ass—oh shit, is it okay to cuss on holy ground?” Nate asks.
“You just did it, and you haven’t been struck down yet,” Aiden tells him.
“Try not to,” I tell them all.
“Anyway, as I was saying, we’re early.”
“I know. I just can’t resist messing with you.”
“Why am I not surprised by your juvenile behavior?” Kendrick says, joining us. We’ve taken him out a few times, and while I’d love to say we’ve loosened him up, he’s still a work in progress.
“Aww, Kenny, you know you love me just the way I am.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Save that for later,” Jake tells me with a smirk.
“Been there, said that, going for something new this time.”
“Maybe you’ll impress Reina enough for a trophy,” Aiden offers.
“That’s really getting old, man.” Theo tells him.
“Just because they haven’t won one, and you aren’t even in the running, is no reason to sound bitter.”
“I feel offended that I wasn’t even included in that insult,” Kenny tells him.
“There you go. Don’t take any crap from him, Doc.”
“When have I ever taken any crap from any of you?”
“True that,” Nate says, holding his hand out for a fist bump.
We laugh and joke as the other Society husbands join us along with the Griffins. When Aqeelah and Neveah walk in, I excuse myself to greet them. “Hello, friends.”
“Hello, Matt. Are you going to show us to our seats?” Aqeelah asks me.
“Sit wherever you’d like. There are no ‘sides’ here. Everyone here means something special to both of us.”
“I like that,” Nev says.
“I’m glad you approve. It looks like it’s time for me to take my place, so we’ll catch up more later, okay?”
“Of course,” Aqeelah tells me, pulling me down so she can kiss my cheek. “Thank you for including us today.”
“You are my family, and I want you with me always.”
* * *
Reina
My wedding dress is fairly simple, and just what I wanted. The strapless bodice has a little embroidery, but not much. A little more flows onto the top layer of chiffon in the full skirt, but there is nothing sleek or flashy about this gown. My long veil is trimmed with lace, and my hair is a combination of both up and down. I feel more “me” than I ever did at my other wedding.
I smile at the girls as they finish getting ready. Stella assumed I’d want them all in my favorite color, but instead I asked for them all to wear the same dress, but in their favorite color. It’s strapless, and the bottom looks like a flower. The rainbow is represented here today, and I love it. My culture is full of color, and I want my wedding to reflect that.
Everyone but me has a white bouquet to offset the colors of their dresses. Mine is blue roses with white and blue Calla lilies. I don’t know where Stella found them, and honestly they’re probably dyed, but I love them.
We all walk out together, and I take my father’s arm as we wait for our cue. The girls all walk down the aisle, and take their seats next to their husbands. It will be only Matt and I at the fountain in front, expressing our love for each other, and everyone here with us, too.
My eyes lock with his as I make my way to where he’s waiting for me. I know he’s smiling, and so am I. We’ve come so far—past the fighting, and the hurting—and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
Matt takes my hand, and we turn to our guests. I know what he’s going to say, but I’m surprised when he says it in Spanish.
“Thank you all for coming here today. You all know we’re already married. This ceremony is for us, but also for you as well. Everyone in this courtyard has touched our lives, and it’s our honor to recognize that now.”
He squeezes my hand, as he winks at me. He’s going to keep speaking in Spanish, but I’m going to switch to English. Everyone here knows some Spanish, but if he’s going to honor my heritage, I’m going to honor his as well.
“Nate and Aiden, I want to thank you for always being there for Matt no matter what. Your friendship and loyalty have meant so much to him over the years, and I’m proud to consider you my friends as well.”
“Audrey, thank you for listening when Reina’s mother told you she had been kidnapped on her way here, and thank you for kicking my butt when I got too far out of line. You’re like the big sister I never had—especially because your mom loves me so much—and we wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for you,” Matt tells her.
It’s my turn again. “Thank you, Jessica, for being the parent Matt could always count on, and for loving him as much as you love Miles. Miles, thank you for coming to Las Vegas, and helping us when we needed you. I’m so honored to be part of your family, and your life.”
“Mama, and Papa, thank you for giving me the gift of your daughter. I know I haven’t always earned your trust, or even your respect, but when you heard we were getting married, you accepted me once again. I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that your daughter is the love of my life, and I will never hurt her again.”
We continue to thank each other’s friends and family, and then we come to the person we both owe so much to. Matt nods at me, telling me to go first.
“Jane, I need to thank you. For starting the Society, for rescuing me from physical danger more than once, and for trusting me to lead in your stay. I’m also so grateful for your friendship, love, and advice throughout the years. We’ve had a rough year, but I know in my heart that you felt you were doing the right thing.”
“Gram, I owe you everything. You were there for me all my life, supporting me even when I didn’t deserve it. You brought Reina to me; although, I’m pretty sure you regretted that quite often over the past decade or so. You are a strong leader, and I don’t tell you enough how proud I am to be your grandson. Thank you. For everything.”
There is not a dry eye in the courtyard once we are done. We turn back to each other, and kiss. There’s no need for vows, or promises. We both believe that it’s more important for us to show each other our love. If we’ve learned anything from all we’ve gone through, it’s that words need to be proven, and love has to be shown. We do that every day.
“Are you ready for your last surprise, Mi Reina Hermosa?”
“Show me what you’ve got.”
We lead everyone down through the streets to the village below. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t Ed Sheeran standing up on the stage in the middle of the street. He smiles at me before launching into Thinking Out Loud. Tonight, Matt will kiss me under the light of a thousand real stars, and I know I’m the luckiest woman in the world.
Turn the page for a sneak peek of
Society Girls: Sierra, available January 2016!
The Beginning
Sierra
When Reina Corrigan calls and asks you to come to her office, you don’t say no. At least, I don’t, and I think I’d be hard pressed to find anyone else who’d say no to her, either. She’s intimidating as hell, even though I know she’s super cool, too. Anyway, here I am, waiting in the lobby o
f the Corrigan & Co. Foundation. Trying not to bite my nails, or fidget too much as Alex Corrigan smiles at me.
“You can go in now, Sierra,” she tells me.
“Thanks.”
I make my way down the hall and raise my hand to knock. The double doors of Reina’s office open before my hand can connect. I chuckle as I look inside, seeing my sister-in-law, Ainsley, and her friend Darcy inside the office as well as Reina and Jane Corrigan.
“Please come in, Sierra,” Reina tells me with a smile.
I walk in and take the open seat next to Darcy. “I didn’t realize this was a group thing,” I say, pulling at the bottom of my patterned blouse as I bite my lip.” I have no idea why I’m here, and I’m honestly even more confused right now than I was sitting out there waiting.
“I’m sorry for all of the secrecy, but even though you know what we really do here, what we need to discuss with you is something new, and well, pretty exciting for us.”
I do know what really goes on here. Besides the great work the Foundation does publicly, they do even more privately. The women of the Society are spies. Ten agents who go undercover, and help right the wrongs that are committed against those who can’t protect themselves. They also sometimes take on private jobs, like figuring out who’s trying to sabotage a football team. Which is how I found out about them—they saved me, my brother, and a whole football stadium full of players and fans.
Ainsley was undercover, and while Zack was pissed at her for it, I was intrigued. Since then, she’s taught me how to shoot a gun and use other weapons, how to hack into computer systems, and some other really cool things. There’s never been a guarantee that a Society position would open up, but I’m in a good position should that happen. I’m hoping it’s happening right now.
“What’s new?” I ask, trying to hide my excitement.
“As you are well aware, every woman in the Society is currently married, some are having babies, and pretty much everyone has been in the public eye recently. As a result, we’ve decided to bring in a whole new group of women, all at once for the first time, to train as agents.”
“Yes.”
“We haven’t asked you anything, my dear.” Jane reminds me with a smile.
“Oh. I just thought…I mean…why am I here?”
“So we can ask you if you want to try to become one of us,” Darcy tells me with a laugh.
“Yes. I want to. Yes.” I don’t even care that I sound like an idiot. I want this.
“It’s not going to be easy. You will have to pass ten different areas of training. Some may be easier for you than others, but all need to be mastered. There’s only pass or fail with us. We can’t have it any other way, because when we go out on missions, lives are at stake,” Reina tells me.
“I understand.”
“I’ve shown her some things already. I have faith in her,” Ainsley says.
“Thanks,” I tell her.
“We all have faith in you, Sierra. You wouldn’t be here otherwise,” Reina lets me know.
“What do I have to do?”
“For right now, nothing. I—we—want to take the time to make sure we do this right, since it’s never been done before with ten women at once. I am anticipating that it will take almost a year to get this all pulled together. During this time, keep the job you just took in Seattle, and go about your daily life almost like you normally would.”
“Almost?”
“Yes,” she tells me with a smile. “I want you to pay closer attention to what is going on around you. Both in your daily interactions, and in the news. While you may not be officially training yet, it’s going to be beneficial for you to start working on things already. Keep going to the gun range, and working on your computer skills.”
“Okay. I can do that. There’s just one thing.” It’s something I’m worried about because of what she said about why they are doing this.
“You’re worried about being in the spotlight.”
“Yes. There have been some new stories on our family, and while I’m not a household name, there are people who know who I am.” That just comes with the territory when your brother’s a football god.
“We’re actually thinking we can use it to our advantage. Just like with Ainsley, Darcy, Audrey, and me, you’ll be invited places that we need to get into. Other times, we’ll teach you how to disguise yourself to blend in.”
“That’s a relief.”
“You wouldn’t be here if Reina thought there’d be a problem,” Jane tells me.
“So when the year is up, what happens?”
“It may be less than a year, but when the time comes, you’ll move into an apartment in our building, and start training. Darcy will be mentoring you, and while you’ll have some free time, most of your days and nights will be spent trying to pass your classes.”
“You’re mentoring me, Darce?” I ask.
“Yes. When you let me hide out with you last year, you told me you wanted to be one of us, and also that you didn’t want it to be because I was kicked out. You impressed me, and I want the chance to help you through this. I won’t go easy on you, but I’ll support you however I can.”
“I didn’t think I could be impartial,” Ainsley explains, looking worried.
“It’s fine,” I tell her. “I can’t wait to work with all of you, and I’m glad to have Darcy as my mentor. I won’t fail. I promise”
I mean it. Failure is not an option for me. I want to be a part of the Society more than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life. Yes, I went to college, and I’ve been working in an auction house for the last couple of years, but I’ve never felt like that was my calling. This—the Society—is what I’ve wanted since I knew it existed. No matter what they throw at me, I’ll pass these classes. I have to.
* * *
One year later
Sierra
It’s finally here. Day one of my training in the Society. Today we’re getting all of our security clearances, filling out forms, receiving our class schedules, and moving into our apartments. It feels a little like college again, but more intense. There are four other girls with me in the elevator that’s descending to the bowels of the Corrigan & Co. building. I don’t recognize any of them, but I smile at them, and they smile back.
Stepping off the elevator, I hear a yell, and then I’m enveloped in a hug. By no less than a princess. “Hi Jen,” I tell her with a laugh.
“I’m so glad to see you, Si.”
Jenysis is Darcy’s husband’s cousin. He gave up his kingdom for her, and Jen’s dad took over as king, making her a princess. She was a Lady before, I think. All I know is that I’m as glad to see her as she is to see me. We met over a year ago, and we’ve stayed in contact. Of course, neither of us could tell the other we were being recruited.
“You too.”
“I didn’t realize I was walking into a sorority house,” a bitchy looking blonde says with a sneer on her face.
“So not a sorority girl,” I say, glaring right back at her. “Not that it’s really any of your business.”
“Actually, anything that goes on with one of you will be important to all of you,” Reina says, walking in with a scowl on her face, and her girls at her back. “The bond you form with one another is just as important as the training you’ll be receiving. You’ll have to depend on each other, and trust each other, while you’re on missions. And during training, it will be the support and help from your friends that will help you get through this training. I’ve leaned on these nine women more than I ever thought I would, and they all know I’d do the same for them. Sisterhood is paramount to us. We would never hurt, or betray each other, and we expect you all to feel the same way about each other. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s get started.”
Darcy comes over and gives me a hug before leading me to her office. I take a seat, and she motions to a packet on the table in front of me.
“This has everything yo
u need to know for right now in it. Someone from Ainsley’s team will be by to do your hand and retina scans. Those will get you into the elevators and our rooms here, as well as your apartment. Chloe Griffin took your color choices and style into consideration, and created an apartment for you that I think you’ll love. Your place isn’t as big as ours, but if you pass, you’ll be moved to a custom place like ours on a higher floor.”
“I’m sure the apartment will be perfect.” Hell, I’d live in a box if it meant I could work here.
She nods, and then looks serious. “We have to go over the results of the tests we had you take last month.”
“Okay.”
“You scored high in technology, weapons, sparring, fashion, and research. You did okay in analysis, etiquette, science, and blending. Languages is where it looks like we may have a problem.”
“I took Spanish in high school. I still remember most of it.”
“I know. That helps a little, but you’re going to need to master at least three other languages, and once of them has to be complex. I think you’ll be fine with French, and Italian for two of them. For the other one, you can choose between Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Turkish, or Russian.”
“Do I have to decide now?” I ask, panicking. I knew training wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t expect a big obstacle so soon.
“Not right now, but Reina will want to know what you choose by the end of the week so she can plan out your studies.”
“Reina is teaching languages?”
“Yes. She’s fluent in pretty much every language on the planet.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I know. She’s all that, and a bag of chips. No pressure for the rest of us.”
“What are you teaching?”
“You can’t laugh.”
“Okay,” I tell her with a shrug. I know she used to be a cat burglar, so I’m guessing it’s blending.
Society Weddings (Corrigan & Co. Book 11) Page 11