“Them the ones you got to watch. The ones with little to lose be reckless,” River commented.
We made eye contact. He had expressed his concerns about me marrying Cashlynn. Being my best friend and head of security, I typically took his opinion to heart but this wasn’t one of those times.
There was a knock on the door and Mom popped inside. “Let’s get this show on the road, boys.” She stepped inside. “Look at my handsome son.” Mom approached me with admiration in her eyes. Smiling, she lifted her hands and adjusted my tie. “There.” She grinned and stepped back, giving me a onceover.
“It’s now or never,” Dad said, stepping next to my mom, studying me as well.
My chest tightened and my tie suddenly felt tighter. The room filled with chatter but I zoned them out. In the blink of an eye my life was about to change. Not to mention I was expected to get Cashlynn pregnant soon too. My birthday was in a month and a half, and I was bringing my thirtieth in a married man starting a different life from what I was accustomed to.
____
I stood at the end of the altar waiting. Time seemed to tick by slowly as the ceremony went on. It was the most traditional wedding yet there was no love in the air; it was full of associates and close family. Cashlynn had no one but her brother, who was due to walk her down the aisle. We didn’t go through the typical things one would when it came to getting married.
The doors opened when it was time for Cashlynn to make herself present. I was lost in my head until I laid eyes on her. For the first time since she came into my life, I felt my chest grow tight and my heart exploded. My stomach dipped and my mouth grew dry.
Cashlynn had always been attractive, but since meeting her I’d only seen her in normal everyday clothes, besides the few times my personal shopper dressed her. This was the first time I saw her done up like this though. The dress she wore looked as if it was specifically made for only her. Cashlynn was small and petite and the dress complemented her size well. Her jet-black tresses were parted down the middle in spiral curls, framing her heart-shaped face. The closer she got, I saw she had makeup on too. It wasn’t anything too dramatic, but the colors were bold yet tasteful. Her lashes looked longer than normal, bringing more attention to her eyes. Her walk was slow and a bit unsteady. I was sure it was because of the heels I knew my mom forced her into.
“Damn, she cleans up nice,” Ezra muttered next to me, causing me to smirk.
A small wave of satisfaction passed through me knowing from this moment on she was mine. Possession filled me as all eyes stayed trained on her. Low whispers filled the background. It was a shock to everyone that I had chosen to take a Cavana as a wife, but the potential I saw in Cashlynn being by my side was endless. Her fiery spirit and toughness was made to be tamed by me.
Once she approached me, I saw she wasn’t happy about today in her eyes, but I ignored the daggers being shot at me.
Carson took his place next to her. The kid was obedient and quiet. He never complained and did what he was told. I wondered if he would object to this marriage but so far he hadn’t said anything.
A crooked grin formed on my mouth when I grabbed her hand. She narrowed her glare and pressed her lips tightly together.
I turned us to face the minister and nodded for him to start.
The ceremony went off without a hitch. I felt Cashlynn tense next to me a couple times but she didn’t object. She mumbled when it was her turn to speak but that didn’t bother me.
When it came down to the end and time for the kiss, I turned her to face me and she looked resistant to the gesture.
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her into me and lowered my head, connecting my lips with hers. Just like always, she was stiff and unwilling at first, but slowly fell in line.
Grinning against her lips, I nipped the bottom one and pulled back. Swiping my tongue across my lips, I winked at her then faced the crowd.
“Mrs. Tavarez, everyone!” I called out, lifting our united hands in the air.
Cheers spread through the room. There was some press inside we had on payroll to make sure nothing that wasn’t supposed to get out didn’t. They captured pictures that would more than likely get printed for tomorrow.
Leaning down, I brought my mouth to her ear. “Now you’re really mine, wife.”
She cut a look at me and snatched her hand out of mine.
Grabbing her brother’s hand she walked down the aisle swiftly, dragging him along, causing me to chuckle.
“Now it’s official. Good job, hijo.” Dad said as he approached me.
“I told you I would do what I needed to do for the family.”
“Nazai,” a deep voice called out. I looked up and saw three men approaching me, one being Zylus. Wise and Major were with him. Zylus Moran handled guns, but we also used his shipment services when it came to importing different things through his shipping company. Wise Benson oversaw the biggest gambling ring and casino in the city. All three played a large hand in the underground world and coexisted together, benefiting each other in some way.
“Zylus.” I stepped forward, shaking hands with him. I moved to the other two, also shaking hands with them. They were all around my age, already having taken over from the elders before them. My dad was the last to retire from the game, too stubborn to give up.
“When your dad said you were taking over and he was stepping up, I thought it was a lie. My pops said he’d never step down,” Wise mentioned.
Dad chuckled next to me. “All good things must come to an end. Now it’s time for the next generation to take over.” It had been over a year since the other guys stepped down and my dad refused to until I drew closer to thirty. Even though I was the youngest of us, I was more than capable of filling his shoes.
