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Luckily, I called in a few favors among the Owed. I say favors… I reached out to those in my book, those in my ledgers, those who wouldn’t want their secrets getting out, and I asked for one of my own. I didn’t want anyone interfering with my wedding to Loni tonight, but if it all went off without a hitch like I planned, I would be bringing her home with me.

She would already be out of sorts, planning on marrying one groom, going home with a different one. At the very least, I wanted her to have some sense of familiarity. While Peter Dougherty was at the wedding—a visible prop to remind Loni why she was going through with it—I had eight men remove every trace of the woman who had been staying with him.

I left her SUV parked in his driveway for the moment, but everything else? It’s in a spare bedroom because, well, let’s just say that I’m not necessarily the optimistic sort. More pragmatic than anything, and I’m not playing for just one night.

I’m playing for keeps.

Forever.

And if that means our marriage starts like so many of the Order’s arranged marriages, so be it. I expect it, though that doesn’t mean I won’t at leasttryto put her at ease. After all, shedid just watch me kill a man. I don’t blame her at all for being wary.

Especially since she’s Loni, and as much as I’m addicted to this woman, I know I’ve fucked this all up since the beginning. Hopefully, this is a new one, and we can start over.

Huh. Maybe I have a bit of a silly optimistic streak after all…

I wait until she glances away from the mirror to break the silence. “If you want to take a shower before we go to bed, I can help you out of that dress.”

I was going for gentle. Fuck. Do I even know how to be gentle? Probably not since, the moment I make the genuine offer, clarity finds its way to her eyes. I hear the words again, and I can only guess how she interpreted them.

I basically just said I’d help her strip so that she could freshen up before we got to bed together.

And that’s exactly how she understood it.

Her eyes go wide as she steps away from me, moving toward the living room. “Bed? Oh, no, no. I’m not sleeping with you, Adrian. Not again. Never again.”

I make a non-committal sound to that. Oh, I have every intention of getting this woman under me as soon as possible. Is that tonight? Probably not. Not even I am that big of a dick to try and convince her to fuck me after the day she’s had.

At least, that was my plan… until she nibbles on her bottom lip and she has my complete attention.

Then she sighs before saying, “I have to be honest with you. I have a boyfriend,” and that’s all I’m thinking about right now.

I grit my teeth, giving nothing away.

Boyfriend.

She’s full of shit. I would know if she was seeing someone, and if it got serious, I’d end it. I always have. She’s only throwing this in my face because she thinks that might get me to release her from being my bride, but if so? She’s dead wrong.

Besides, Loni dating someone didn’t stop me from fucking her before. Why would she think it would stop me now when her boyfriend is fictional?

Still, the reminder stings. I know damn well she only agreed to date Desmond to make me jealous, and if it worked… if that’s part of the reason I looked forward to having to pull the trigger myself when Nicholas Reed flaked on me… well, us Hellers do tend to hold a grudge.

I pause a moment, then flick a curl from out of my eyes. “Not anymore you don’t,” I tell her, letting her have her fantasy. “You’re my wife now. I’m your husband. There won’t be anyone else for either of us anymore.”

She frowns. “No Used?”

“No Used,” is my firm response.

That surprises her, but she recovers quickly. “What about you? To marry me today the way you did… you were still available? No Offering in ten years?”

I know what she’s really asking me. Unfortunately for Loni, she hasn’t been stalking me over the years. She doesn’t know the history of my love life like the way that I obsess over hers. I don’t fault her for wondering, though I am irrationally pleased that she cares enough to ask.

“None,” I assure her.

“What about Haven?”

I should’ve known that was coming. One of the last times we were together, she made it a point to remind me that Haven Smith was meant to be my Offering. I let her believe that because I was too worried that I’d scare Loni off by making it clear that I would have her or I would have no one.

Loni left. For ten years, it had been no one, but even if I did what Jack wanted me to do, even if I decided to Claim Haven, I wouldn’t have. I’m not Desmond. I won’t break the bro code,and Haven? Even before what happened to the poor girl, she belonged to Connor.