Chaotic (L.O.R.D.S. #7) — Chapter no 59

FIFTY-NINE

KASH TON

y phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket, glancing at it.M

SINNY: All ready.

ME: Thanks. Be there soon.

I stand on the bal cony of the bedroom, looking over the calm ocean with a glass of scotch while she gets dressed, our conver sa‐

tion from an hour ago heavy on my mind.

“I saw you that night.”

She was here. Right in front of me and I missed her. Too busy hanging on another woman when the one of my dreams was in reach. How many times was she within arm’s length and I didn’t see her?

There were times I thought I imagined her that night on theIs‐ abella. That maybe I was fucked up from the adrenaline, al co hol, and the gum for my mo tion sickness. I told myself she didn’t exist.

That she was like a fever dream. A whirlwind of chaotic behavior that barreled into my life and then just…poof. Disappeared.

But I knew she was real. I can say it a million times, but she’ll know how much she means to me. I was telling her the truth when I said I’d give up anyone and anything for her. I’ll prove it to her.

“I’m useless…”

Our fathers made her feel that way. Evan didn’t help, but I feel like the damage was al ready done by the time she was delivered to Doll‐ house. It was just a punishment. Her father sent her there because he didn’t know what else to do with her after she al most killed her‐

self. She was no longer useful because she couldn’t have their chil‐ dren, and he didn’t want to deal with the trauma he cre ated.

My cell vibrates in my pocket again, and I pull it out to see it’s a group text, this time from Bill to my broth ers.

Package deliv ered.

Sighing, I place the phone back in my pocket. Gavin managed to get the girl to Carnage. At least something is going right.

The sound of the door to the bathroom opening and closing has me smiling. I take another sip of my drink and wait for her to tell me she’s ready.

“Kash?” comes her soft voice. She’s going to be timid after our fight. I know her mind is reeling over what I said.

“I’m your purpose.” Eve wants and tries to be in dependent, and I support that, but at the end of the day, she needs some one to con‐ trol her. I will be that man.

“Out on the bal cony,” I tell her before tipping back the glass to fin‐ ish off the scotch. Then I set it on the railing and turn around.

Eve stands at the open sliding glass door with her hands be hind her back, wearing her wedding dress. I take in the silky black mate rial.

It accentu ates her narrow waist and flares at her hips, then falls to the floor with a short train. It has a slit up her right thigh, show ing off the flaw less skin that I’ve had my hands on. The sleeves fall off her shoulders, and it dips low in the front. But not in a re vealing way. Just enough to make me want more.

Her hair is up and off her face, show casing a set of diamond studs in her ears.

This woman is going to be my Lady, and I’m going to treat her as such. An angel in everyone’s eyes and my dirty little whore in our

room.

She needs the balance.

Licking her lips, her gaze drops to my shoes, and I walk to her.

With out saying a word, I cup her face, forc ing her to meet my stare, and lower my lips to hers.

Her hands go to my hips, and she pulls me into her when I open my mouth and deepen the kiss.

I’ve always hated the idea of weddings. I feel like they’re not needed. But she deserves more. She napped on the short plane ride here, and I spent the entire time planning some thing I hope she loves. Be tween Hooke and Sin, they’ve come through for me. I couldn’t have done all this on my own with such short notice.

Pulling away, her lashes flutter open, and she looks at me with ap‐ pre hension in her eyes. “You look beau tiful, angel.”

She blushes and I love it.

“We better get going.” Taking her hand, I usher her back through the room and down the stairs to the front of the house.

Hooke bought this house a couple of years ago, and I don’t think he’s stayed one night here.

Stepping out onto the front porch, she comes to a stop when she sees a limo sitting in the circle drive. “Kash?”

“Come on.” I tug on her hand, and she rolls her eyes, giggling.

She crawls into the limo, and I get in behind her. Sitting down, I close the door and reach into the pocket of my jacket and re move the soft fabric. “I need you to wear this.”

Her eyes drop to the mate rial, and she swallows as her eyes meet mine. Nodding, she licks her red-painted lips. “Okay.”

I smile at her. No appre hension. No questions. She’s letting me have full control of her and the situ ation. I’m not going to let her

down.

“Face the door,” I tell her.

She turns the best she can, giving me her back, and I place the silk mate rial around her head and tie it gently so it doesn’t mess up her

hair.

“You may sit back.”

She sits ramrod straight, hands in her lap and her lips parted while her heavy breathing fills the limo. “Kash?”

“I’m right here, angel.” I take her hand in mine and signal the

driver to get going.

EVERETT The car comes to a stop, and Kashton helps me out of it since I can’t see. I strain my ears to try and get a clue as to where we are, but my pulse is racing, and my heart is pounding. I can’t hear any‐

thing over the blood rush ing in my ears. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.

“I’m go ing to carry you,” he informs me.

I laugh. “Aren’t you supposed to do that over the threshold?”

“I’m going to do it then too.” He sweeps me up off my heels and I yelp, wrapping my arms around his neck.

I inhale his scent, and my pussy clenches. My fin gers slide into his hair, scratching my nails against his scalp.

“Eve,” he warns.

“Hmm?” I hum before my lips touch his neck.

“If you keep doing that, we’ll have to push back the wedding a few

hours.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“I’m not.” His chest rumbles.

I huff and re lax in his arms. He’s planned some thing for me, and I don’t want to ruin it for him.

We slow and he sets me down on my heels, steadying me before he re moves the blind fold. “You may look now, angel.”

Doing as I’m told, I gasp at what I see. Nothing but blue ocean as far as I can see in front of us. “What?” I turn to look behind me, and I see the private marina where the car dropped us off. We’re stand‐ ing on the stern of a yacht. It looks like a dark cloud with its matte black and silver trim mings.

I wrap my hands around the railing and look down at the water.

Closing my eyes, I lis ten to the waves and take in a deep smell of the ocean. It’s the calmest I’ve ever felt.

Opening my eyes, I glance at Kashton to see he’s watching me.

“What?” I ask, unable to wipe the smile off my face. I must look like an idiot right now.

He takes my hands. “You said the first time you ever felt free was that night on theIsabella.” Giving me a soft smile, he adds, “I wanted to give you a new memory on the ocean. This day is the first of the rest of our lives. The life you deserve.”

It’s hard to swallow past the knot in my throat. I’ve never had a man care about how I feel, much less listen to what I have to say.

“It’s gorgeous.” I cup his face and lean into him. “Thank you.” I

press my lips to his, and he gently kisses me before pulling away. I

groan, wanting more, and he chuckles.

“Come on.”

I let him es cort me off the deck and down a set of stairs and through a door. It’s the owner’s suite, with a dark cherry wood plat‐ form sitting in the center. A bed rests on top of it, wrapped in black silk sheets.

The far wall is covered in thick matching drapes from floor to ceil‐ ing. Silver ro pelike cords hang down. I walk toward them and pull them open to get an ocean view. “It’s beau tiful.” It’s like a dream.

One that I’ve had before, though I know this one will end much dif‐ ferently. I al ways wondered what my life would have been like if Kashton could have helped me that night on theIsabella. Now I’ll get to know.

Kashton comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me, gen‐ tly kiss ing my cheek. “Yes, you are.” He makes me blush.

Turning in his arms, he pulls away, and I look around once more, taking in the room. Glancing to my right, I see a sitting area. It has two couches facing a coffee ta ble and two lounge chairs as well.

More windows show casing the blue water. It’s scary how calm it looks but how deadly I know it can be. That’s what Kashton re minds me of. He can be so gentle with me at times, but I know what my Spade is capable of.

There’s a knock on the door before it opens and Sin slips inside. He gives Kashton a nod, who turns to me. “I have to do a few things.

Stay here with Sin.”

“Leaving me with a babysitter?” I arch a brow.

Kashton chuckles and kisses my cheek before whispering, “I’m not letting you run away this time.” I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips when he turns to Sin and orders, “Keep her in here.”

“Yes, sir.” Sin nods as Kash sneaks out.

I stand awkwardly with my arms crossed over my chest. I’ve never been around Sin by myself before. Is it weird to see him as my adopted stepbrother? Not re ally sure what I’d call him since Bill isn’t my bio logical dad. And he didn’t adopt me.

“How is Elling ton?” I decide to ask. Might as well make small talk

while I’m here with him.

“Per fect,” he an swers, smiling.

“And the babies?”

“Also per fect.”

A silence follows. This is the time that a father would show pictures of his children. Something tells me he doesn’t want to because he knows I can’t have kids. Or maybe that’s just my inse curities talking.

“Do you have any pho tos?”

“Of course.” He doesn’t hesitate to pull out his phone and open up his camera roll. He’s beaming. “This is our son, Brexton.” It’s a pic‐ ture of a baby dressed in a blue onesie. He’s got a green pacifier in his mouth while Elli is hold ing him, looking up at the phone. Her hair is in a messy bun with a huge smile on her face.

“He’s handsome,” I tell him and add, “Elli looks great.”

He swipes left and shows me the next photo of Elli sitting up in their bed, back against the head board, hold ing a baby girl dressed in a pink onesie. It has little teddy bears all over it. “This is our daugh‐

ter, An naleigh.” He smiles down at it.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Just like her momma,” he agrees.

The next one has the babies lying side by side in gliders in the liv‐ ing room. They both have mittens on their little hands.

“Congrat u lations,” I say. “I’m glad everyone is do ing great.”

“Thanks.” He places his cell in his pocket and looks at me. “How about a drink?” he offers, walk ing over to a bar back in the corner.

“Absolutely.” I run my sweaty hands down my dress. I feel a little nauseous. Unsteady.

As I make my way to him, he pours me a glass of champagne. I consider just grabbing the bottle but decide against that.

He then pours his own, and we clink our flutes together. “Here’s to the rest of your life.” He throws his back, and I stare at mine.

The rest of my life. But it’s not just my life. It’s Kashton’s too. He’s

stuck with me.

“Eve?” Sin gets my attention.

“Hmm?” I meet his stare.

“I have some thing for you.” He walks over to the bed, and I see a box lying on the black silk. He re turns, hold ing it out to me. “Bill wanted me to give it to you.”

I frown but take it with shaking hands. Opening it up, I swallow nervously, looking over the beau tiful necklace. It’s white gold, dia‐ monds, and blue sapphires. “Bill wanted me to have this?” I ask, looking up at him.

Sin nods. “Bill told me it was your mother’s, and he wanted you to have it for your wedding. He said it covers your something old, some thing borrowed, and something blue.”

A knot lodges in my throat and I can’t breathe.

“And he said you needed these for your some thing new to go with the necklace.” Pulling a box from his dress slacks, he holds it out and opens it for me. Bvlgari Divas’ Dream diamond and sapphire drop

earrings.

My skin gets hot.

“Eve? Are you okay?” Sin asks, sounding worried.

I nod, try ing to speak. “Y-yes.” I refuse to blink and let the tears fall.

He sets the box with the stun ning earrings down. “May I?” He reaches out his hand, and I let him re move the necklace that I still hold. Then I turn, giving him my back, and my eyes stare out the

windows looking at the ocean.

I don’t deserve this. Any of it.

“Done,” Sin announces, and I turn back to face him. His eyes drop to it and he gives me a big smile. “It’s beautiful.”

The door opens, and I see my husband enter. “Ready?” He smiles when he spots the necklace, which tells me he knew all about it. I’m sure he knows about the earrings as well. It’s a lot all at once, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not thankful.

“Oh.” Sin reaches into the pocket of his suit jacket and re moves his phone once more. “Photo op. Hold this for a second.” He hands me his phone, and I take it while he gets my husband a drink. Handing Kash the flute, he then takes his phone back and holds it up for a selfie.

“Se riously?” I ask with a laugh, unable to hide the smile on my face. I’ve never been this lucky. This loved. I shouldn’t be surprised by the gifts Bill gave me. He’s been this way since he saved me. But the thought that Kashton put into all of this is over whelming. In the best way.

“What?” He shrugs. “If there’s no proof, it didn’t happen.”

The three of us get into the picture, hold ing our champagne flutes, and he takes another. Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out some thing. “I al most forgot. Here you go.” He hands Kash a piece of gum. Then winks at me. “That al most ru ined the night.” Then he ex‐ its the room, down ing his drink.

“What was that about?” I ask my husband as he pops it into his mouth while I set my full glass down.

He turns to face me and places his hands on my cheeks. “I love you.”

My eyes search his and a calmness sweeps over me. Something I’ve never felt before. It…feels good. “I love you, Kash,” I tell him.

“I know technically we’re al ready mar ried, but…” He pulls back and drops down onto one knee. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “Everett Sinclair, the love of my life, will you vow to spend the rest of your life with me?” He re moves a black box that has a black ribbon wrapped around it with GRAFF written in gold let‐ ters. He unties the ribbon and opens the box to re veal an emerald cut diamond on a diamond band.

My wide eyes go to his, and that knot of emotion re turns. I blink, try ing to hold back the happy tears. I nod, biting my lip and choke out, “Y-yes.”

He slips it onto my trembling fin ger and stands. He cups my face, and I choke back a sob. “Till death do us part,” he prom ises.

“Till death do us part,” I vow.