Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 101(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 101(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Meeting Mae’s confused gaze, the pastor said, “Repeat after me. I, River Nash, take thee, Salome Nash to be my lawfully wedding wife.”
Fucking dead silence followed her words. So quiet that I heard my heart beating in my ears. Heard Mae’s quickening breathing. I heard my lips parting and my harsh breath coming from my throat.
“River, please, you don’t have to,” Mae whispered under her breath, her eyes widening as she realized what I was about to do.
What I fucking needed to do. This was Mae. Our wedding day. And I was fucking going to speak.
I tried to find the words, but all that came out was hot air. Swallowing, I ticced, my head flicking to the side—I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop those fuckers—and tried again. My fingers gripped on to Mae, and I found the ability to pathetically stutter, “I . . . I . . . R-R-R—” I closed my eyes and worked on loosening up my throat. “R-River . . . N-N-Nash.” A bead of sweat rolled down my neck. I opened my eyes, and the minute I saw Mae’s eyes shining with tears, fucking happy, proud fucking tears, I knew I had to keep going. Mae’s hands clutched onto me like she was my damn anchor. The bitch was, and she didn’t know just how much. “T-Take th-th-thee . . .” I paused, breathed, then stuttered, “S-S-Salome N-N-Nash t-t-t-to be, m-m-my lawfully w-w-w-wedded w-w-wife.” I blew out a breath like I’d just run a motherfucking marathon.
I heard a sob tear from Mae’s throat, and her arms were around my neck like a vise. “I love you,” she whispered and I fucking held her close. “I love you so much. I am so, so proud of you right now.”
I felt my throat try to close, but I would not let that fucker do it until I’d gotten through these vows. Mae stepped back, cheeks wet, as Pastor Ellis finished the last of the words.
I got through them . . . just. Then the rings were in our hands.
“I do,” Mae said and slid the black ring on my finger. I stared down at the piece of metal and knew that fucker would never be coming off.
“Do you, River Nash, take Salome to be your lawful wedded wife?”
Looking my wolf-eyed bitch right in the eyes, I opened my mouth and, without stuttering even once, said straight to Mae, “I do, babe.” The fucking smile I got from Mae could have lit up the fucking night.
“Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. River Nash!” I felt something catch in my motherfucking chest and had to cough to the clear the fucker away. Something different settled down. Fuck knew what, but I liked it. “River? You may now kiss your bride,” Pastor Ellis finished.
Before the end of her sentence had even left her mouth, I had placed my hands on Mae’s face and crushed my lips to hers. Mae moaned and fell against me. My brothers hooped and hollered, and I just took Mae’s mouth, ignoring them all. I pushed my tongue against hers and fucking held her tighter in my grip. I took and took until I pulled back to get a fucking breath. Mae’s eyes were dilated, and the tears still fell down her cheeks.
Beautiful.
“You spoke,” she whispered above the sound of everyone’s loud calls and celebratory gunshots. “You spoke, River. To me. In front of your club. Our vows.”
“Y-yeah,” I stuttered and wiped the tears away from her cheeks.
“My husband,” she said and turned her head to kiss the center of my palm. My fucking wife, I wanted to say in return, but the python was back in place and my words were gone. But for once, I didn’t give a shit. I’d spoken the ones that had needed to be said. And that was all that fucking mattered.
An arm hooked around my neck. “You fucking dick,” Ky said, but I heard the damn pride in his voice, the fucking rawness. I looked at my best friend, and he winked then shouted, “Get the fucking music on, bitches! Get the beer flowing and the fucking grill on full blast. We got a fucking wedding and the Hangmen Mute finally speaking to celebrate, motherfuckers!”
The brothers laughed and got to work. We ate, we fucking drank and, when the night closed in, Sia moved to the speakers and told all the brothers to get the hell out of the way. Mae took my hand and pulled me into the center of a makeshift circle. My brothers pissed themselves in laughter at me, but they didn’t have Mae in their arms so, as far as I was concerned, they could all fuck off.
“I-I d-d-don’t f-f-fuckin’ d-dance,” I whispered into Mae’s ear.