Page 128 of One Winter Knight
“Thank you. Though I don’t like it.” I made a face. Despite them being controlling, I still loved them. The idea of them cutting me off because they didn’t approve of who I mated, or being disappointed in me, was unsettling.
I just wanted them to be proud of me and love me unconditionally.
“Are you and Dusty married or just mated?” I teased.
Being married would give them the legal rights of spouses–being mated wouldn’t, because they weren't an alpha-omega pair.
Carlos and I would need to get married at some point. Hale and I had to register the bond for it to be legal. I’d be happy to marry both of them at the same time. I wanted to wear a sexy, long, gold mermaid-style dress with lots of sparkles.
Oooh, and my mother’s veil and wedding jewelry.
“I don’t think there’s a marriage license,” she replied. “Just the silliest wedding ever.”
“Do you have a problem with him calling it a publicity stunt?” I added. For some people that could hurt their feelings.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Are you going to un-bond, Dusty? You probably have legal grounds,” I added.
“That was my first thought, but there is absolutely no doubt that he holds me in the highest esteem of affections–and is willing to do just about anything to make this work.” Anxiousness filled her scent. “How am I going to make this work? Fake wedding ornot, it’s everywhere. My name is out there. My face is out there. This is an absolute disaster for an assassin.”
“You back off on jobs for a few months and take more bodyguard assignments. This doesn’t have to ruin your career. You just pivot for a bit.” It wasn’t a big deal. We weren’t going to starve if she laid low for a while.
She thought for a moment. “There’s a lot more to it than that. But I do have options.”
“You are my favorite support delta,” I assured her. “Also, now I have Carlos and Hale.”
Her eyebrows rose. “I’ll need to train them.”
“I’m going to teach Carlos to shoot,” I replied. “I can teach Hale, too.”
The door opened and Dusty appeared. “How about if we go for that walk? It’s really beautiful outside. If you want, we can even walk to the lodge and have something to eat, maybe have a few drinks at the bar. I don’t think our ski passes are good anymore, but I need to settle the bill. We should collect our stuff from our lockers, since we’re heading out tomorrow.”
“A walk sounds lovely–so does a trip to the bar. Perhaps we can sit out on the patio,” Saoirse suggested.
“That sounds good to me.” I looked over at Dusty. “Your moms will like me and Saoirse, right?”
Dusty grinned. “My moms are overwhelming, but they are also wonderful and loving people who will stuff you full of food. Carlos’ family’s going to adore you, too. What about your family? Are they going to like me?”
“My fathers support the arts. They’ll also admire your entrepreneurial spirit,” I replied. “You started a company from scratch and you’re only a couple of years older than me. That’s impressive.”
“My parents don’t like anyone. They havealliesandcolleaguesnot friends. But I don’t talk to them, so it doesn’t matter. My brother is a big fan, and he is insanely jealous of the fact that I’vemarried you, so he’ll pester you with questions,” Saoirse added.
“Is your brother an assassin, too?” Dusty sat on the bed with us.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“This isn’t going to ruin Carlos’ career right?” I worried about that a little.
“Why would it?” Dusty asked. “Lots of players pack up while they’re still playing. His career will be fine. My career will be fine, and your careers will be fine.”
Saoirse gave him a skeptical look. “I might have to work at your underwear company now that my face is out there.”
“Whatever you need.” He gave her a kiss. “Let’s get some fresh air.”
We put on clothes suitable for outside and met everyone downstairs.
Hale pulled me and Carlos to him and held us tightly, reassuring us through the bond that he cared for us.
