Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 181808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 909(@200wpm)___ 727(@250wpm)___ 606(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 909(@200wpm)___ 727(@250wpm)___ 606(@300wpm)
He shut the door after she got inside, then went to the other door. Starting the car, he pulled out of the parking lot.
She looked at him when he didn’t head in the direction of their home. “Where are we going?”
“I thought we’d go to the park and have a picnic.”
Three Weeks Later…
Placing an arm around Winter’s shoulders, Viper handed her a glass of champagne. He took a sip of his own champagne and smiled as the newly married couple danced, holding their son between them.
“It was nice of Reaper’s in-laws to allow us to have Moon and Larissa’s wedding reception here.”
“They offered when Reaper told them we couldn’t find a big enough space to have a party where both of the clubs could fit. The only other option was the state park,” he joked as he continued to watch the couple.
A tap on his cheek had Viper turning his gaze to her.
“Be careful; he’ll catch you gloating,” she warned. “You’re looking too proud of yourself. Just don’t forget it was my idea.”
“It was your idea to bring the girls to the club to set Moon up with one of them. May I remind you that you tried to set him up with the wrong one?”
“Because Lana was the one staring at him as if he were an ice cream cone on the hottest day of the year. I led the horse to the water. It wasn’t my fault Larissa took a drink before Lana could.”
“Need I remind you that I was the one who gave Jonas the security tapes so he could slice out the parts where the women were there? I was also the one who had to convince the other brothers to go along with acting like Moon was making the whole thing up. Hell, the only reason I was able to convince them was because none of them wanted to go through another Christmas with Moon constantly whining about not having a family to share Christmas with like everyone else. I’ve never seen a man wanting to be in a relationship so badly, and then, when a woman gets serious about him, he sabotages it so they end up breaking up with him. The problem is he enjoyed the fucking chase more than the relationships.”
“No, the problem was that women fell for him too easily,” Winter disagreed. “They didn’t make Moon work for it. My girl keeps Moon on his toes.”
“Yes, she does,” Viper had to agree with that assessment. “Moon and Shade have a bet going which woman will give them a heart attack first.”
“Hmm … I might need to put a couple hundred on that bet. Who has higher odds?”
Viper laughed. “Last I heard, it was dead even.”
Winter burst out laughing at his pun.
Tightening his arm around her, Viper couldn’t help but press a kiss to Winter’s parted lips.
“What’s that for?”
“For not being Lily or Larissa.”
“You’re forgetting I’ve given you your fair share of nightmares.”
“Shh … I don’t like to think about it. You want to dance?”
“Yes, I do.”
Setting their glasses down on the picnic table, they walked to where lights had been hung on the trees to create a magical glow for the dancing couples.
“You think you’ll ever break and tell Moon we played matchmakers?” Humor glinted in her eyes as he pulled her close, swaying along with Foreigner singing “I Want to Know what Love Is.”
Viper watched as Moon and Larissa’s mother traded skank faces at each other behind Larissa’s back. “I’m not sure us playing cupid will be appreciated by everyone.”
Strolling among the wedding guests, Silas unintentionally listened to all the conversations going on. When he was younger, being around so many people would have sent him into excruciating pain, as if his mind was about to blow into a million fragments. As he grew older, he had learned to lower the volume of the voices to a manageable level. Then, if he chose, tune into those he wanted to listen to. He had also learned the hard way to stay away from huge crowds.
He found a darkened spot under a tree a distance from the party but was still able to watch the festivities, and his eyes caught on the wedding couple. Making a slight gesture with his hand, he sent the evening breeze in Moon’s direction.
Relax. Be happy. Your son is safe. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. After repeating the thought a couple more times, Silas released the wind to go on its wayward journey.
Desolate, he watched the guests for a few more minutes, thinking over the last few months. His eyes went to his family members, seeing the same regret and self-reproach in them as he was suffering from not everyone having the same happy ending as Moon and Larissa had been blessed with.
They had learned a harsh lesson when Greer had his stroke. He had been walking a tightrope by warning Moon because the child’s fate was in Moon’s hands. If they had interfered in saving a life that was meant to be taken, the repercussions would be severe. They would have lost one of their own. He and his brothers had kept Ginny and Gavin in the dark until it was too late for their interference.