Page 5

He drowned Poe’s cries out with the slam of the door.

After picking up his tux jacket, he left the building, hopped inside his Porsche Cayman, and drove away.

The wedding was taking place at Douglas’ estate.

Lo literally didn’t put any say so in the ceremony because he didn’t care.

He just wanted to show up, exchange vows, and move on with his life. The wedding was for Bria, not him.

When he arrived, there was someone directing traffic into the estate.

Lo pulled in and parked in the circular driveway.

Shutting off the engine, he grabbed his phone and sent Devyn and Meco a text for them to come to his car.

Within minutes, they walked out the house, dressed in black tuxes with a black bowtie.

Lo’s tux was black-on-black with a black shirt underneath.

“Why you just now getting here?” Meco asked, slapping hands with him.

“I had some shit to handle.”

Lo lifted the middle console, grabbed his blunt, and lit the end.

“I saw your bride.” Devyn grinned. “She’s fine as fuck.”

“I know just like Tori,” Lo joked.

Devyn’s face turned stone. “You want me to fuck you up so bad.”

Meco smirked, shaking his head. “Look at his ass. He already got a soft spot for her.”

“I don't even know her like that.” Lo snorted as smoke sauntered from his lips.

He passed the blunt to Meco, who took a few hits. Devyn wasn’t a smoker, so he gave it back to Lo.

“You know Ma and Pops are here,” Meco informed him.

“Yeah, and I hope Devyn told them what I said.”

Devyn watched cars pull into the driveway. “I told her. They won’t say nothing to you.”

The real reason Lo sparked up right before the wedding was to take his mind off seeing his parents. The triggers that awaited him were intimidating. There was no way around it. He would be tormented after this day, and Lo wasn’t mentally prepared for it.

“So, what about pictures? You know the family take pics with both sides.”

Lo shrugged. “I guess I ain't taking none.”

“You know this stubborn-ass nigga about to make it awkward,” Devyn complained.

“If you know this, then why did you present the idea of your people coming?”

“I told you already. Ma and Pops wanted to be here.”

Lo put the blunt out and grabbed his jacket. He opened his glove compartment and grabbed his Oud Silk Mood cologne. Once he sprayed it all over himself, he got out the car and exhaled deeply.

“Let’s go get this shit over with. I already wanna leave.”

Meco shook his head. “You about to be the worst husband in the world. I damn near wanna tell ol’ girl to focus on herself.”

Devyn chortled. “Right, I hope she ain't expecting no romantic-ass nigga ‘cause she’s in for a rude awakening.”

Lo smirked as they hiked the stairs and entered the house.

The cocktail hour had brought forth guests that were dispersed throughout the lower level.

Lo didn’t speak to anyone as he headed toward the backyard where the ceremony would take place.

God must've sent a memo to Mother Nature because the weather was perfect.

The sun was the only headliner in the sky without a cloud in sight.

The eighty-degree temperature was perfect with the humidity down from its usual ninety percent.

Lo strolled down the aisle that was lined with a white, silk runner. He stopped at Maddy, who was dressed in a black dress with her silver curls styled in a fancy bun.

“You straight?” he asked, hugging her.

She pulled back, sporting a smile that unveiled how happy she was.

“Yes, I can’t believe you're about to get married. Auntie is so proud of you.” She hugged him again. “I’ve prayed for this moment for so many years. God really does come on time.”

Lo’s brows furrowed. “Why did you pray for this?”

“Because.” She gently held the side of his face. “I’ve always wanted you to find your happiness and share it with someone special. For years, I thought it would never happen, but God knows what’s best. I’m so relieved by this moment.”

Lo mulled over her words, drinking them in like a shot of Henny. Did she not know he had no emotional attachment to Bria and probably never would? His book was sealed shut. No one could turn the pages, especially not a woman, who he was only taking her hand in marriage for business purposes.

Lo noticed Durand next to her and shook his hand.

“You still got time to run,” he joked.

Lo smirked. “Nah, my word is everything, and I gave it to them that I would be here.”

“I understand, my boy.”

Lo turned and headed to the altar where Devyn and Meco stood.

All eyes were on him, and he loathed it.

Flying under the radar was where he felt safe.

Lo played the background like tunes in a department store.

He didn’t need attention. He wanted everyone to ignore him so they couldn’t recognized the scars he had.

Lo’s gaze scanned the crowd and stopped at his biggest opps.

Ada sat whispering something to Dax who smiled.

He hadn’t seen his father in years. It felt foreign sharing a space with him.

This was the first time Lo had seen Dax in his chair.

He had gotten shot after he moved out of the home.

The memories he possessed of his father were him walking and taking charge.

His walk used to be a smooth one that he and Meco had inherited.

They were truly his little twins. Everything Dax possessed, he had passed down to him and Meco.

When Ada looked forward and locked eyes with Lo, he quickly looked away.

Fuck…

That would have a lasting impact. All of this would, and no one would be able to save Lo from any of it.

His family assumed his bitterness toward his parents were the reason he chose no contact with them but that wasn’t completely the truth.

They were walking triggers. Being in their presence reminded him of the brokenness that was now his ally.

After years of fighting the feeling, Lo finally embraced it without protest. He was a broken nigga.

A man who had demons waiting in the lobby of his mind, ready to be enfolded by him.

Meco leaned closer to him. “Aye, you good?”

Somehow, his brother always sensed when he was triggered. As much as he trusted Meco, Lo couldn’t confide in him about his struggles. Besides, they had so many unresolved issues that their dirty hamper was overflowing at this point.

“Yeah, I’m straight.”

Lo stated that so effortlessly. He would never be straight. Nothing would ever be normal again, but he was a man, and he couldn’t fathom confessing that reality. He had to protect himself from everyone, including his family. The pastor walking toward him interrupted the conflicting mood he was in.

“Congratulations,” the older man spoke in a low tone.

Lo gave him a nod and watched as all the guests hurry to their seats.

It was an intimate setting with both sides of the family filling all the chairs.

Lo hadn’t seen some of his relatives in years, opting out of family functions for the past two decades.

Everyone suddenly rose from their seats.

Many men stood in this position filled with much emotion, but Lo was empty.

Bria would soon find out what kind of man she married.

He wasn’t a romantic guy who rubbed feet and sent flowers.

Lo didn’t know how to be a woman’s man. He came and went with ladies, not bothering to open the door to his heart for them to come inside.

Closed off was his code. Making sure no one was introduced to the terrors that resided inside of him was his first priority.

He didn’t know how Bria would conform to his nature.

He had no instructions on how to deal with him.

She would need all the prayers she could obtain because Lo was certain he would be her hardest trial.

Bria’s two sisters waltzed down the aisle in their black silk dresses and bouquets.

Lo didn’t pay much attention to them since he was centered on Bria.

A veil covered her face as she and Douglas slowly walked down the aisle.

A violin glided through the space as a woman in the first row dabbed her eyes with tissue.

Lo avoided allowing his gaze to trickle toward Ada.

If he remembered her like he thought, she was for sure being extra and crying.

When Bria and Douglas arrived at the altar, he turned and lifted her veil, revealing a face so stunning, Lo couldn’t peel his eyes away.

Douglas kissed her cheek before giving her to Lo. Helping her up, she faced him and sucked in a deep breath. Her shifted gaze alerted him that she was nervous, and she should have been since life with him wasn’t going to be easy on her.

“You got time to run, if you want,” he joked to her in a low tone.

Bria peered at him, rumpling her perfectly shaped brows. “It’s too late now.”

“No, it’s not. You can dip right now, and I won’t be offended. It’ll only be too late after we say I do.”

She pondered his warning for a brief second, and he hoped he made things clear to her.

“I’m ready.” She nodded.

He smirked then looked at the pastor. “Make us one.”

Bria couldn’t believe she was now Mrs. Kylo Crown.

The reality of her being married didn’t even seem real.

She had been little Bria for most of her life.

She was the baby, the one that still lived at home with her parents while traveling the world and living out her dreams. Now, she had Mrs. to add to her resume.

The reception was beautiful. Glitz and glam wouldn’t have done the space any justice.

It was magnificent with a black and white color scheme that paired so beautifully together.

Shimmering chandeliers dazzled brightly, projecting a glowing light to cast over the room.

Their names were projected on the wall. Photo booths were placed throughout the space while custom flowers adorned each table.