Page 53 of Brandishing Balance (Devil’s Psychos MC #3)

Nico

L unch on Leo’s Yacht was a magical experience, mostly because Maya never once stopped smiling, even when she was quiet.

The minute the boat headed up the Evermore River through downtown Mourningside toward Lake White Buffalo, she came alive.

I knew she loved old architecture and one of the deck hands got on the PA and gave a little tour of the old buildings and the more modern ones. Maya ate up every single word.

I was so glad I hired the photographer to capture photos throughout the weekend.

We changed our clothes after lunch when the boat was far enough out into Lake White Buffalo. One of the deck hands was also a trained fishing guide—Leo had all the best people working for him, seriously.

Marcos bumped my shoulder as we watched Maya and Luke talking to the guide while the captain brought us further into the lake. It might not be as big as Lake Michigan, but Lake White Buffalo was no small lake. “This was a good idea.”

“I know.” I grinned at my brother.

“I’ve never seen her look so happy,” Marcos said.

“She’s looked this happy all fucking week. Like she’s on cloud nine.” I watch Maya’s radiant smile as she looked over her shoulder for us.

I waved and Marcos smirked. “Let’s go, brother.”

Nico

Fishing was amazing. Luke and Maya each caught their own massive salmon, though Maya looked a little nervous reeling it in.

When the guide hooked her up to the boat rail, she shot me a nervous glance, but Jason stepped in behind her and helped her pull back on the pole when she needed to, and the guide talked her through it all.

She was beaming when she pulled it over the side of the Yacht.

Luke screamed the whole time and when his reel went crazy. We were all right there with him, cheering him on. Marcos stood behind him to help pull back his rod if he needed it, but mostly let Luke do it all on his own.

“Hell yeah, Luke!” I called when he finally pulled it over the side of the boat.

“Good job, baby!” Maya wrapped her arm around him and hugged him to her side, while Marcos wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The photographer captured the moment of the little family without their knowledge. I couldn’t wait for Maya to see the pictures when I got them back.

Maya

As the sun began to set and we finished fishing with more salmon in the freezer than I would know what to do with, Nico brought me into the large stateroom that the four of us would be staying in.

“Freshen up and change into the dress I packed,” Nico murmured. He cradled the side of my face in his hand and kissed my lips softly. “Dress and heels, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

He growled playfully and kissed me again. “Oh, baby. I can’t wait until Luke goes to bed.”

“Me either.” I kissed him passionately.

He broke the kiss all too soon. “Get cleaned up. Dinner’s soon.”

I take a quick shower in the ensuite bathroom, but don’t wash my hair. I wash my body quickly and dry off. I reapplied my makeup and got dressed in the black dress and heels that Nico packed for me.

Finally ready, I headed up the stairs from the staterooms to the main deck where the back lounge area is encased in glass walls and looked out at the dark expanse of Lake White Buffalo—we were anchoring here for the night.

I was grateful we weren’t sitting in the open air as it was chilly out there once the sun went down.

My guys—Luke included—were dressed in their black dress clothes from that morning and I grinned when I saw them all looking so handsome again. “This is fancy,” I said, motioning to the set table with a linen tablecloth and all made up with full place settings. “Remind me to thank Leo.”

“You look fucking beautiful, Darlin’.” Jason rose from the couch and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

“Thank you,” I blushed.

One by one my guys all came over to kiss me—or hug me as Luke did—and told me I looked beautiful.

Marcos’s hand lingered on the open back of my dress, his fingers sliding over my bare skin.

“Absolutamente hermosa luz de mi vida,” Marcos rumbled in Spanish to me. Absolutely beautiful light of my life .

I blushed and kissed him softly.

Someone cleared their throat behind us and there was a waiter in a full tuxedo with white gloves ready to guide us to our table. “Please sit, we will begin serving soon.”

It’s hard to sit five of us at the table without someone at the head, so I’m a little surprised when Marcos guides me to the head of the table and takes the seat to my right, giving Luke the seat to my left. Jason and Nico sit beside them and smiled when I looked over.

The waiter came out a moment later and started setting down plates before each of us.

A salad course. Of course, there were going to be more than one course at this dinner.

I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

Thankfully it was a simple garden salad that Luke would eat as well.

I could tell the ranch was homemade because it was divine.

The next course was a soup, a broccoli cheddar that was my favorite. I moaned loudly as I dug into the small bowl. I smirked as I watched my guys shift in their chairs. “Seriously?” Jason grumbled.

Luke and I laughed for very different reasons.

I was sad when I finished my small bowl all too quickly, but knew more food was coming.

I couldn’t fill up on soup and salad—even though I could very well make a meal out of that.

Dinner came out a moment later, some kind of grilled chicken with a light sauce and a side of shrimp linguini and broccoli that looked awesome.

I glanced at Luke’s plate and chuckled when I saw more mozzarella sticks and a cheese burger with fries. “You weren’t going to try the chicken or linguini?” I asked him.

“And ruin this dinner for you? Nah.” Luke grinned cheekily.

I shook my head. Smiling wryly, I turned to Marcos. He just grinned at me. “Enjoy the meal, Mi Vida.”

I did. I enjoyed every single bite and didn’t regret it. It all was absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t help the couple moans that slipped out while I ate. Luke just laughed at me, while my guys gave me heated stares. I was playing with fire and didn’t give a damn if I got burned.

After the meal, the staff cleared the table quickly and brought out the dessert plate. It looked like a sampler with small bites of cheesecakes and chocolate fudge and ice cream. “Oh, man,” I groaned, eyeing the plate.

“Before you dig in,” Marcos chuckled, grabbing my hand, “I have something I want to say.”

I looked up into his warm chocolate eyes, wondering what in the world was more important than chocolate fudge.

He held my hand in his and pulled it toward him. “Maya, my life. Words can’t describe how deeply I love you or how much you mean to me, to all of us.” He glanced up at his brothers and Luke.

I squeezed his hand, my heart pounding in my chest.

“The last couple weeks, all of us living together in our home, have been a dream come true. You really are the glue that holds us all together and the light of our lives. I know it’s too soon, I know we’re just beginning to heal after everything that’s happened, but Maya, there is no future for me without you or Luke in it. ” Marcos glanced at Luke and grinned.

Luke beamed back at his dad with all the love in the world on his face.

I swallowed thickly as tears began to well in my eyes.

Nico and Jason stood from the table and came up behind Marcos, just as he slid from his chair and down to one knee. He pulled a box out of his pocket and I gasped. My hands flew to my mouth, covering it as it dropped open in shock.

“Maya, life has no meaning without you in it. I refuse to go another day without making you mine—ours. Will you please do us the honor of marrying us?”

I try to choke back my sob, but it bursts out of me as tears pour down my face. “Yes! Yes.” I reached for him, sliding off the chair to my knees in front of him. Sobbing, I fall into his arms, even as Luke cheered.

Marcos held me tightly, pulling me against him. “Mi Vida,” he murmured, holding me against him. “Shh.”

I reached behind him and pulled Jason and Nico closer, my hands holding theirs as I sobbed into Marcos’s shoulder.

Fuck, I was so happy, so fucking happy. I didn’t even care if it was too soon.

I’ve wanted nothing more than this for the last ten fucking years of my life.

I needed them more than I need air to breathe. The loves of my fucking life.

Luke joined the group hug, coming up behind me. “Mom, don’t cry. It’s a good thing, right?”

I chuckled softly and pulled away from Marcos and the guys enough to reach for my son and pull him into a hug with me and his dad. “It’s a great thing, baby. I’m so happy, so happy.”

Luke grinned and hugged me tight. “Then why are you crying?”

“They’re happy tears, baby.”

Luke looked exasperated and shook his head. “Doesn’t make sense, mom.”

We laughed, and I finally pulled back and wiped my eyes gently, mindful of my make up. Nico handed me a handkerchief, and I dabbed my face while Marcos opened the ring box.

“Oh my god,” I gasped, when I caught a look at the ring.

“You like it? I got to help pick it out!” Luke grinned.

“I love it. You guys did good.” I grinned as Marcos slid the ring onto my finger, both of us still kneeling on the floor. I looked at the ring in awe as it sparkled in the light of the room, making my finger look elegant and beautiful. “Perfect.”

Eventually we get to our feet and Nico and Jason sandwich me between them, each taking their turn kissing me. “How will this work?” I asked, feeling overwhelmed.

“On paper, you’ll be married to Marcos, but you’re marrying us. We’ll do our ceremony our way, and then submit the documents to the courthouse for Marcos,” Nico explained.

Tears welled in my eyes again as I looked at him and Jason. “And you two are OK with that? I love all of you, I don’t want you to ever think I don’t.”

“We’re OK with it, Darlin’,” Jason murmured. He kissed my forehead. “For the club, for legal reasons with Luke, we think it should be him.”

“And when I have your children?” I asked.

Jason and Nico grinned sexily. “Then we’ll give them our last name, and you’ll have to have a million hyphens in yours.”

I laughed and nodded. “We’ll figure it out.”