Chapter 18
The final weeks leading up to the wedding were a whirlwind of joyous chaos,
as the estate was transformed into a bustling hub of floral deliveries and caterers,
and the excitement reached a fever pitch.
Landon's loyal security team,
men who had stood by him through the darkest and most violent days of his reign,
found themselves performing entirely new and unexpected duties.
Foss,
the hardened and intimidating head of security,
was currently tasked with coordinating the seating charts for the reception,
a job that caused him far more stress than any armed conflict ever had.
He sat at the kitchen island with a color-coded spreadsheet,
muttering curses under his breath as he tried to keep feuding politicians seated on opposite sides of the ballroom,
and Mave found the sight absolutely hilarious.
She poured him a fresh cup of dark coffee,
patting his broad shoulder sympathetically,
and thanked him for his meticulous and unwavering dedication to the event.
Foss grunted in response,
but there was a soft and undeniable fondness in his rough voice,
and he admitted that he preferred arranging centerpieces over hiding bodies any day of the week.
The men who worked for Landon had noticed the profound and miraculous change in their boss,
watching as the cold and ruthless kingpin melted into a fiercely devoted and loving partner,
and they all held a deep and unspoken respect for the woman who had caused the transformation.
They would have gladly laid down their lives to protect Mave,
not just because Landon ordered them to,
but because she treated them with genuine kindness and absolute dignity.
On the night before the wedding,
Landon gathered his closest men in the wood-paneled library,
pouring them each a glass of his most expensive and rare scotch,
and he raised his glass in a silent toast.
He did not make a long or sentimental speech,
because that was not in his nature,
but he looked each man in the eye and offered a sincere nod of deep gratitude.
They had kept him alive long enough to find his redemption,
and they had stood by his family when the world turned dark and violent,
and he wanted them to know that their loyalty would never be forgotten.
Foss raised his glass in return,
speaking for the entire room in his usual,
gruff manner,
and he told Landon that it was an honor to serve a man who finally had something worth living for.
The men drank deeply,
the fiery liquid burning smoothly down their throats,
and a comfortable and familiar silence settled over the grand library.
Upstairs,
Mave was spending her final night as an unmarried woman in June's bedroom,
the two of them wearing matching silk pajamas and eating ice cream straight from the carton,
laughing hysterically at old romantic comedies playing on the television.
It was a perfect and simple evening,
free from the heavy burdens of their respective pasts,
and filled entirely with the bright and joyful promise of tomorrow.
Mave lay in bed long after June had fallen asleep,
staring at the ceiling and listening to the quiet sounds of the massive house,
her heart beating a steady and peaceful rhythm in her chest.
Tomorrow,
she would stand in front of her friends and her chosen family,
May you like
and she would bind her life permanently to the man who owned her entire soul,
and she could not wait for the sun to finally rise.
