Page 84 of Fighting Salvation

“That sounds like a plan.”

“Okay. Tomorrow we’ll go do that.”

“And today?”

He lifted her so she was straddling him and whipped her shirt over her head and threw it on the floor. “Today I’m keeping my wife hostage in this bed.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, it is.”

He kissed her then and any thoughts but him flew out of her head.

Epilogue

SIX MONTHS LATER.

Walking with his hand firmly clasped in his wife’s, Bás followed Lopez, Addie, Payton, and Marinette as she was now known, into the courthouse. Novem had chosen her own name after some superhero girl in a kid’s programme. She went by Marni and it suited her, and he was just glad to see her drop Novem.

Today was the day she’d officially become Marinette Lopez and join their family. Val gripped his hand and he smiled down at her, reassuring her he was okay.

In the days after he’d come home, he and Val had toyed with the idea of adopting her themselves. When they’d discussed it with her and Lopez and Addie, she’d said she wanted to be with her sister and he had respected that. She would have an amazing life with them, and having Payton would give her something he couldn’t.

He’d explained his relationship to her and told her she’d always have a home with him no matter what. She’d even had a few sleepovers with him and Val at their new home. It was halfway between Longtown and Hereford and had two acres of land, which now housed two more dogs.

She’d retired Monty and Scout after his rescue. Val didn’t want to risk them getting hurt. Even though they were still well within the age of working dogs, they were now pets and were being used to help her train two replacements.

He gave her shit for it but he secretly adored those beasts and snuck them ribeye steaks when she wasn’t looking.

The court was full when he arrived and he choked back the emotion as every person on his team hugged Marni before she went into the court. Even Lotus had made the trip back from Russia, where she’d been spending some time grieving Rykov. His heart hurt to see her like that, but she assured him she was fine, just taking some time.

As he neared the front of the court, he stopped to hug Marni.

“Hey, Uncle Niall.”

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“Are you sad I didn’t choose you?”

He crouched to her level and took her hands in his as Val stood with her hand on his shoulder in silent support. “No, sweetheart. I want you to be happy and I know this makes you happy. I’ll always be your uncle and we,” he glanced behind him to see Duchess with Gideon, Snow with Sebastian, Fleur and baby Florence, Reaper and Lucía, Bein and Aoife, Bishop, Charlie, and their little one were standing together. Hurricane, Lotus, Watchdog and Titan were off to the side and Lotus was laughing at something Titan said, “we are all a family and we always will be.”

“All rise.”

He ushered Marni toward Addie and Lopez with a wink and took his place behind them.

The judge walked into the room and looked out over the sea of faces. “You may sit.”

The proceedings weren’t formal because a child was present and this was an adoption, not a moment of sadness. He addressed the legalities and the paperwork and before long he banged his gavel and Marni was officially a Lopez.

She beamed as she hugged her new parents and Bás made his way to Lopez and Addie. He thrust his hand at Lopez. “I can’t thank you enough.”

Lopez shook his head. “No need. From the second she walked into our house she was ours, and yours too. We love her like we do Payton and it’s our privilege to call her ours.”

Addie hugged him tight as Val hugged Marni.

“Thank you for saving my friends.”

She’d thanked him countless times but the truth was, he’d done very little. “They are certainly earning their keep.”