by Apryl Baker
Angel took a deep breath and turned to Becca.
“Looks like we’re going to Vegas.”
“Looks like,” Becca agreed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Vegas was…well, it was an experience.
She saw it all from the safety of the limo Nikoli arranged for the women to share as they went dress shopping. She and Angel decided just because they were getting married in Vegas, it didn’t mean they couldn’t have the wedding dress of their dreams. Lily came along too. She needed a maid of honor dress.
Nikoli rented out the premier wedding boutique in Los Vegas, and the three of them were able to shop in peace and quiet.
No crowds.
No one who would touch Lily.
And an entire staff to see to the needs of two pregnant women.
When Nikoli found out she was pregnant, he picked her up and swung her round and round, thanking her for his new nephew. That boy was crazy.
The entire Kincaid clan was near to bursting with joy when it became the announcement of not two pregnancies but four. Sara Jane was pregnant with twins, racing right behind Angel for a due date. Viktor was thrilled he was having boys. Lily was pregnant as well.
And the one thing that meant was these kids would grow up together in a tightknit family who would love and protect them. Who would teach them the real meaning of family.
Every time she thought about the family her child would be born into, she couldn’t help but remember the home she’d been born into. A home full of fear, pain, hunger, and depression. A home that wasn’t a home, but a prison of terror. Her child wouldn’t go through any of that.
And she was grateful, but she missed the one person besides Dimitri who meant anything to her, her brother. She wanted Jackson here, to walk her down the aisle, but that was impossible.
“You okay?” Lily asked. She’d chosen to sit by Becca because she knew Becca wouldn’t accidently touch her. She was very aware of Lily’s phobia because of her own.
“Yeah, just thinking about my brother. I wish he was here to walk me down the aisle.”
“Who is walking you down the aisle?”
“The same person who’s walking me down the aisle,” Angel piped in between sips of pineapple juice. Becca couldn’t stand the smell of it, but Angel drank it by the gallon.
“Who?”
“Conner.”
Lily’s mouth dropped open. “He, uh…he’s…”
“Scary?” Becca offered.
Lily nodded.
“Conner’s Conner. He’s family and a friend. He’s helped us all, and he’d do anything to keep us safe. Look at how he helped Kade and Angel retrieve…”
“Who is refusing to leave the hotel room.”
“Really?”
Angel nodded. “The hotels…”
“I get it,” Becca said. “Trust me, I get it more than anyone but Lily, but it’ll be okay.”
“Viktor promised to stay behind and stream the wedding in the room.”
“Given everything that’s happened, it’s probably for the best.”
Angel nodded, but Becca knew how sad she was.
“No more tears, ladies,” Sara Jane announced. “We’re here. We all need to get changed, and then hair and makeup, and then on to your men to claim you like the highlanders of old who rode in, swooped up the girl he wanted, and took her home forever.”
“Uh, Sara Jane…are you working on a historical romance?”
She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, it’s been in my head for days, and I forced myself to stop writing today so I could focus on y’all.”
The limo came to a stop, and the women piled out. Not one car in the small chapel lot. Nikoli had bought out the venue. She knew the men were in there, and she longed to feel Dimitri’s arms around her, to help calm her nerves, but she forced her nervousness away, rubbing her belly.
“Don’t worry, Buggy, your daddy isn’t going anywhere. He loves us.”
Sara Jane hugged her, and it helped. It was a trick that really helped to ease a panic attack. Just hug someone hard and let them feel your body heat and hear your heartbeat, and it calmed them down.
“Better?”
“Yes.”
“Ready to go get gussied up and knock our men’s socks off?”
Becca nodded and allowed Sara Jane to drag her inside through the side door and toward the room set aside for them.
~*~
Dimitri paced back and forth. He’d flipped off the Elvis poster more than once. He wanted it gone, but Becca and Angel thought it was funny and demanded he leave it alone.
“What is taking so fucking long?” he muttered to Viktor.
“Women take time to get ready, asshole.”
“Language!”
They winced when they heard their mother screech at them. Turning, Mason was behind him, his iPad aimed at them with their mother’s very angry face.
“You are in a church! No cussing.”
“Uh, Mama, I’m pretty sure this doesn’t count as a church.” Viktor took a step back when Babby appeared with her wooden spoon.
“You!” She waved it at him. “I say no bad words at church. You did same thing at Nikoli’s wedding. Don’t make me get on a death trap to come whack you!”
Viktor looked horrified, but the rest of them snickered, remembering Nik’s wedding. Poor Viktor had been trying to hush them up, but all their babushka heard was the curse words falling off his lips. He’d been stalked and whacked with that wooden spoon all day.
Thank God she was in Russia and unable to whack any of them.
“I see what you think, Dimitri. I will get on the death trap to whack some manners back in you.”
Dimitri found himself backing away from his grandmother and her wooden spoon. He half expected her to reach through the screen and whack him.
“No more booty calls for you, Dimitri. Becca is a good girl and not a booty call!”
“Mama!” Irinia Kincaid gasped. “Do not use that word.”
Babby waved her spoon dismissively. “He needs to know we’re watching him!”
“Witch, leave the boy alone. He’s got enough to worry about without you threating him.” Ronin Kincaid took his wife’s place. “Congratulations, son. I’m happy for you, even if you’re getting married in an Elvis chapel.”
“I told you why, Papa.”
“And I told you I understood, boy. You do what you need to do to keep your woman feeling loved and safe. If that means the Elvis minister, then that’s what she’ll get.”
Dimitri blinked back sudden tears. He had no idea why the urge to cry hit him, other than his father’s absolute acceptance of Becca with all her flaws, and he loved her like his own daughter.
“This was a good idea.” Ronin nodded. “We can be there, even when we can’t. You tell Rebecca how much it means to us we were able to attend her wedding.”
“I will, Papa.”
Ronin Kincaid did something then that scared that scared the hell out of Dimitri. No one saw it but him.
He coughed, and blood trickled out of his mouth.
He wiped it away quickly.
“Papa…”
“It’s fine, son.”
He knew better, but just then the chaplain, dressed in all his Elvis finery, came in and announced the women were ready.
“Go take your place, Dimitri. It’s time to greet your new wife.”
He didn’t want to leave until his father explained what was going on, but he couldn’t do it because Rebecca was coming.
“Go, Dimitri,” Ronin said softly. “We’ll talk when you get back from your honeymoon. I promise.”
Dimitri pursed his lips but nodded instead of arguing.
Becca came first today.
But his father was going to explain that trickle of blood.
He took his place at the altar, and Mason stayed where he was so their parents could watch the wedding procession. Not that there was much of one. Viktor was back at the hotel playing babysitter. Delia ha
dn’t wanted to come either, and she was probably trying to convince her new Papa to let her watch Adventure Time. Dimitri had let her watch, not knowing she was banned from the show. Sara Jane gave him an earful. Not a mistake he’d make again.
He shook his head to clear it of those mundane thoughts.
Sara Jane and Lily walked down the aisle, smiling for all to see in their deep blue dresses. He paid no attention to them but kept his eye on the double doors instead, waiting for his woman, who was carrying his child beneath her heart, to come to him.
Finally, he was going to stamp his name all over her.
Everyone would know who she belonged to.
Hell, he might even convince her to let him tattoo his name across her back.
No, he’d best leave that idea alone. Becca wasn’t a girl for tattoos.
Finally, she appeared.
Conner stood in the middle of both women and walked them down the aisle, but Dimitri only had eyes for the woman on the left. Her dress was loose and flowy, just like her. It was also sexy as hell, and he was going to strip her out of it…no, he’d fuck her in it first to claim her, then he’d…
Kade kicked him, and he blinked.
Becca laughed from where she stood waiting for him to take her hand.
Fuck, he was in trouble.
She leaned in and whispered so only he could hear. “Get your head out of the gutter, Dimitri Sean Kincaid. We have hours yet.”
Hours?
Fuck that. As soon as the I-dos were said, they were going straight to the hotel room.
Minister Elvis cleared his throat and began the service. All his brothers were here. His parents were here, and…he glanced at Mason, who was filming. He hoped Becca’s brother would be able to watch the service. He knew how much it would mean to her, and they’d all been doing everything they could so Jackson would be able to at least be here for a few minutes via video. It was harder than it sounded.
Dimitri vaguely heard the minister and his, “We are gathered here tonight.” He fixed his gaze on Becca, who was glowing. Her brown eyes shone with a brightness he’d rarely seen, and it was all he could do to not pull her close and kiss her until she had to be to come up for air.
“Kade, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?”
Dimitri shook his head and saw his brother smile widely.
“I do.”
“Angel, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?”
It was hilarious the way the minister was saying all this in his dead-on Elvis voice.
“I do,” Angel answered.
“Thank you, moye serdtse, for giving me another chance. I promise to never hurt you again and protect you and our family with every breath I have.”
Angel was a blubbering mess. Hormones.
When Elvis turned his attention to them, Dimitri was prepared. He knew exactly what he wanted to say to his beautiful, beautiful woman.
But then she wrecked him.
“Dimitri and Becca have decided to say their own vows.” Elvis smiled at them. “Becca asked to start.”
Becca’s voice came out strong and sure.
“You asked me to marry you several times a day for almost two weeks straight, and you’ve been patient with me for over a year, but I know it hurt you. I was afraid. Afraid of getting hurt when you got tired me and my anxiety. But you never did, Dimitri. You show me every day how much you love me. You keep me safe and shielded from any storm that comes into our life.” Her hand went to her stomach. “You’ve given me a gift I never thought I’d have. Your words are my words. I want you because you’re my heart, my breath, my life. My soul, Dimitri Sean Kincaid. You are the soul that gives me a reason for being. That’s why I want to marry you. Because you love me the same way I love you.”
This time, he didn’t stop himself. He yanked her to him and held her so tight, she gasped for air. How the hell was he supposed to follow that?
Elvis cleared his throat.
“She’s not moving from where she is,” he barked at the man.
“That’s fine. But you need to let her finish her vows.”
Grudgingly, he loosened his hold enough for her to look up at him.
“I promise to love, honor, and cherish you every day for the rest of our lives, Dimitri.”
“Fuck, baby, you’ve gone and done it.”
“What’s that?” she whispered.
“You’ve ruined me for every other woman on the planet. If you leave me, I’ll never survive.”
“I’ll never leave you, D. Besides, no one else would put up with you and your crazy, finicky stomach.”
“Dimitri, do you want to say your vows now?” Elvis asked, snickering.
Fucker needed to stop laughing.
“I remember the first day I saw you in the library. You had on this green shirt that was way too big on you and jean capris. Your hair was in some kind of braid, and you were so busy looking at books, you didn’t notice me come up behind you. I didn’t understand then what pulled my feet to you. Hell, I didn’t understand it until I thought you might die and it hit me all at once. Souls recognize each other. You’re my other half, and while my eighteen-year-old self didn’t realize it, I understood you were important. It’s why I bugged you every day. It’s why I had to talk to you first thing every morning and every night before I went to bed. For ten years, we did that dance. We’re not done dancing baby, but our souls aren’t reaching out trying to connect anymore. We’re whole again. I love you, Rebecca Joyce Rhodes, and I promise to love you, to protect you, to cherish you, and to try not to be such a Neanderthal every single day for the rest of our lives.”
He ignored the minister and swept his mouth over hers in the gentlest kiss he’d ever bestowed upon any woman.
“I love you, Krasivaya. Thank you for marrying me and giving me the most precious gift in the world. Not only your heart, but the gift of our daughter.”
“A girl?” she whispered, desperately trying not to bawl.
“Yes, it’s a girl with her mommy’s beautiful brown eyes. I made up my mind last night. She’s going to be a daddy’s girl, and you can teach her how to kick the little shits right in the balls when they mess with her.”
“Dimitri!”
They all heard his mother’s shout.
“Sorry, Mama.”
The minister laughed. “We’ve heard worse. Now, Dimitri, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to…”
“I do,” he interrupted the preacher. “Becca, do you take me as your husband?”
“I do.”
Dimitri stared pointedly at Elvis, who laughed harder, but he took the hint.
“I know pronounce you both husbands and wives. You may kiss your brides.”
“Finally,” Becca muttered and melted against him when his lips crashed onto hers. He kissed her until she had no air left.
“I love you, Krasivaya.”
“I love you too, Dimitri.”
They turned to face the family, and Becca gasped. She ripped herself away from Dimitri and ran straight at Mason.
He was holding up a tablet with a man sitting in a chair, the biggest grin on his face Dimitri had ever seen. He was also the spitting image of his wife.
Jackson Rhodes.
At least they’d given him clothes to wear instead of an orange jumpsuit.
“Hey, little bird.”
“I can’t believe it.” Becca brushed tears away. “How…”
“You can thank Conner. I’m not sure what he did, but I got to watch the whole ceremony. I’m so proud of you, little bird.”
Tears streamed down her face. She hadn’t seen her brother in almost three years. Her finger traced the outline of his face. She missed him so much.
“Hey, now, no tears. Old ladies don’t cry. They take names and kick ass.”
“I just miss you so much.”
“I know, Becca. I miss you too. I love you, little bird. You take care of my nephew until I can get to you. I’m getting out in a few months. Good behavior.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Didn’t want to say anything until I was sure it was a done deal, but I’ll see you soon, little bird. Congratulations.” His eyes shifted behind her, and his face hardened. She knew it was Dimitri.
“You hurt her or my nephew, and you’re dead.”
“Niece,” Dimitri corrected him. “And I won’t. I’ve never hurt her once in almost eleven years. I’ll take care of her and our daughter. I swear it.”
“You better, fucker, because I know how to hide the body.”
Dimitri understood the threat, and he also understood it wasn’t an idle one. This man would carry through on his promise.
“Jackson,” Becca frowned, “it’s my wedding day. No threatening my husband.”
Jack laughed. “I have to go, little bird. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The video cut off, and she burst into tears.
Dimitri looked over at Mason, alarmed as sobs shook his wife. He pulled her into his arms and tried his best to calm her. If he’d known she’d react like this, he wouldn’t have suggested trying to get a live feed for her brother.
“Don’t cry, Becca. It cuts me. Please don’t.”
“I’m just so happy,” she wailed. “That meant more to me than anything else you could have done.” She stuck a hand out, and he had no idea what to do with it, but his brother did. Conner wrapped his around hers and leaned in close.
“We all love you too, sestra. Welcome to the family.”
Becca cried harder.
“Hormones,” Kade whispered in his ear. “Get used to it, brat. She’s going to be bursting into tears at the drop of a hat for the next few months.”
Angel kicked her husband. Hard.
“So, hormones, huh? I’ll show you hormones. No wedding night sex for you.”
“What?” Kade looked up alarmed. “We need to discuss this…”
Dimitri laughed and picked Becca up, leaving his brother bickering with his wife. He’d be alarmed too if Becca said that to him.