AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rolling my eyes, I pushed it into their waiting hands. “Open it and find out.”
They looked at each other, making Grey laugh behind me as one hand toyed with my wedding band, but eventually they opened it.
Two rings sat nestled in the silk, polished to a shine and untouched. I’d been waiting for the right time to give them to the rest of my men, but I’d realized earlier that was a mistake.
I should’ve done it the second Nate came back.
I should’ve given Dominic his ages ago.
Fear was a powerful motivator. It held you back from going after what you wanted.
Well, not anymore.
Nate’s eyes widened, and he turned to me, speechless. Dominic, on the other hand…
“No.”
I huffed. I knew he’d freak out the most. “Dominic.”
“No.” He shoved the box at Nate and crossed his arms like if he didn’t touch it, the ring didn’t exist.
“We aren’t saying goodbye. This isn’t over,” Dominic growled, and the others crossed their arms in agreement.
“It’s not goodbye. It’s the start of forever.”
“Then it can wait.”
“No, it can’t.”
“I don’t want this because of tomorrow, Mari. I want this because you want it. Because you want me in your life?—”
“Forever.”
Nate’s voice was so fucking soft when he said it. He’d slipped his ring out of the box while I was distracted by Dominic, twisting the metal until he saw the engraving.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “Forever.”
Dominic reached for the other ring with shaking fingers, twisting until he saw his engraving too. I saw the flare in his eyes when he read it for the first time. “Everything.”
Because he was my everything. Just like Nate. Just like Greyson.
My home. My peace. My love.
“I’m not doing this because we might die tomorrow. I’m doing it because we deserve to live. You deserve to know how much you mean to me. These are not a pity gift for the afterlife, Dominic. Not when you should’ve been wearing them all along.” He still didn’t believe me, and I crawled into his lap, taking the ring and slipping it onto his finger anyway. “I’ve had these for ages, and it’s time for you to have it. I need it on your finger tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Every time you take out an Ace, I want them to know you’re mine. That you’re doing this for me. For us. For the city and the people we love. For our family. Cash thinks that love is bullshit and people are expendable. We’re going to show him that he’s wrong. But mainly, I want you to wear it for me. Because I love you, and I want everyone to know it.” I ghosted my lips over his. “Say yes, Dominic.”
“Do I have a choice? You already put it on me.” He sounded annoyed, but his lips were twitching.
“No, you don’t. You don’t really want one, though.”
That got me a smile, and he swooped in, kissing me until he’d stolen every breath from my lungs. “Nah, I think I’m perfectly fine where I’m at. Love you, mariposa.”
“Love you too.”
With another kiss and a pat on my ass, he gave me over to Nate. I straddled his legs, giving him a peck before starting. “Nate?—”
