“Oh? And what’s that?”
“Do you know anyone at city hall?”
50
Sophie
“Marriage is not just a bond between two people; it is a choice—a choice you make every single day.”
The words echoed in my mind as the thick heels of my boots resounded on the concrete steps of the basement at Midnights.
“Today, in this small room, you are promising to build a life together not built on grandeur, but on love, trust, and commitment.”
My feet came to a stop when I reached the bottom of the stairs, pausing in the hallway before me. Then, I carried myself forward into the small room I was instructed to go into.
“These vows are not simply words. They are the foundation upon which you will stand, side by side, through all of life’s seasons.”
His gaze flickered between us, a solemn pause lingering in the air. “In marriage, you will see the best and the worst ofeach other. You will walk together through light, yes—but also through the shadows that life will cast. And in those moments, your bond must hold stronger than ever. If you are ready to walk this path, knowing it will not always be easy, then exchange your vows now, with full hearts, and without fear of what lies ahead.”
I looked down at my ring, sparkling in the dim light of the small room. It wasthering. The one that had captivated me in Vegas, the one that made me realize just how hard I’d fallen for Maverick. The one that would forever remind me of his eyes, dark and eternal, like our love.
The room was quiet as Maverick and I faced each other, my hands in his as our eyes met. “Soph, you came into my life when I didn’t know I needed you. And now, I can’t picture my life without you. You know my darkness. You’ve seen the parts of me that I’ve hidden from the world, and still, you chose me. I promise to protect you with everything I have, to stand between you and the shadows. In the quiet of the night or the chaos of the day, I will be yours. I will fight for us, for this, until there’s nothing left of me. Because you’re the only light I’ve ever known, and I will never let that slip away. What I have with you is all I’ll ever need. I promise to love you in the quiet moments, in the loud ones, and in the dark ones. To honor you, to laugh with you, and when life gets harder and feels too heavy, to choose you. Always.”
Chavez sat in a room on the other side of the one-way mirror, chained to a chair, a rebel flanking each side. They were all jittery and nervous, but Chavez looked downright pathetic. He’d pissed himself who knew how many times. The smell was probably rancid. And that brought me great joy. He’d been sitting there, suffering for days, and it was all coming to an end soon.
I cleared my throat, clogged with emotions. “There’s a darkness in both of us. I see it in you, and I feel it in me. But together, we’re something else—we’re unstoppable. You’ve shown me love in ways I didn’t even know existed, and in turn, I vow my loyalty and never-ending love to you. I promise to never turn away from what haunts you, or what haunts us. I will be your strength when you have none left, and your shelter when the world threatens to tear us apart. I vow to love you, even when it’s hard, even when it hurts, because nothing can keep me from you. There is no corner too dark for us.”
Maverick stood with his hands clasped behind his back, for once not in a suit but in basic dark jeans and a black shirt. He was waiting for me.
The magistrate’s voice was low and measured, the silence in the room amplifying every word. “Marriage is not a vow to be taken lightly. It is a bond forged in both light and shadow, a commitment to stand beside each other, not just in the moments of joy but in the depths of pain, in the darkest corners of your lives. Today, you are not simply binding yourselves in love, but in sacrifice, in loyalty, in an unbreakable promise to face what others might run from.”
“Maverick, my man, what the hell is going on?” Chavez demanded, his voice wavering. I grinned diabolically behind the mirror.
Maverick’s eyes were dark as they slid over to Chavez, his face giving nothing away. “Surely you know why you’re here by now, right?” His gaze slid over to the mirror, as if beckoning me, and who was I to deny my husband?
The magistrate nodded with a small smile. “And now, by the authority vested in me by the state of New York, it is my honor to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”
My feet once again carried me forward. I pulled the door to the holding room open and slipped inside. My shoes echoedin the small space, and as I suspected, the smell was almost unbearable, but I didn’t care. My time had come.
Heads swiveled in my direction, and Chavez’s eyes widened in panic as he pulled at his restraints.
“Ah, so you know who I am?” I taunted with a cocky smirk, mirroring Maverick as I slowly walked to the front of the room to stand by him. He hadn’t seen me since we left city hall. His eyes raked over me, from my head to my toes. That look should not turn me on, but I’d come to accept that depraved part of me.
“What the fuck is Sophie Reyes doing here, Maverick?”
“Actually,” Maverick said, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. I didn’t miss how all three sets of eyes landed on it. “Her name is Sophie Mercer, so I’d be very, very careful in how you speak of my wife.”
Chavez choked, his face reddening. “W-wife?”
I gave him a cold smile. Sure, my name hadn’t been legally changed yet, but he didn’t know that. “Did he stutter?”
He gawked at me. “M-Mrs. Mercer, I’m so sorry. I mean no disrespect—”
“Just like you meant no disrespect when you killed my father in cold blood? Then proceeded to partake in sex trafficking to make a little extra cash?”
He gulped. My grin widened. “Got anything else to confess?”
Chavez started panting. “N-no ma’am. Yourpadre—Eddie was a good man. I didn’t want—”
