Page 44 of Sackett (Demented Souls #17)

S ackett watched as Selena met and visited with his brothers and their old ladies.

He hadn’t been worried that she would think they were beneath her.

He’d been with her nearly non-stop for the last two weeks, except when either of them had work or he had club stuff, and he’d never seen her treat anyone with anything but respect and kindness. He knew it would be no different here.

As Tuck called for everyone’s attention, he moved with her to where everyone gathered around the small stage in the corner where the pole and TV’s hung on the wall behind them.

He noticed several of his brothers had grabbed chairs and carried them over.

They had their women sit in them, Krissi with Amber in her lap, as well as Beth and a couple of others, while they stood behind their women.

A few moments later, someone turned on Skip This Part by Troy Grove.

They’d hooked whatever was playing the non-traditional song, one that Sackett wouldn’t have chosen but he’d heard it before, and it seemed appropriate for Savage and Donna.

Everyone in the room turned and watched as Donna slowly walked alone up the aisle. She wore a bright flowing sundress and a pair of sandals that showed off toenails that had been painted bright purple to go with the dress.

Sackett marveled at the difference in the woman in the short time since Savage had found her.

She’d gone from a woman who hid and apologized for nearly everything to this bright, confidant woman in front of him who shone with love for the man she never took her eyes off of as she made her way up the aisle.

“She’s beautiful,” Selena murmured soft enough that Sackett was sure only he heard it, he didn’t think she knew she’d said it out loud. “Someday, I hope I find someone to look at me the way he looks at her.”

Now he knew she didn’t know she’d said it out loud.

“You already have.” His words were barely more than a breath against her ear, his eyes still on the bride who had just reached the stage and was in the process of stepping up to join her groom.

He was aware of Selena spinning around to stare at him, her mouth half open as if she wanted to say something, but he nodded toward the stage, redirecting her attention to where Tuck was about to perform the ceremony they were all here to witness.

She turned without saying anything, but he knew it was only a temporary reprieve. She would ask him about it later.

Thankfully, Tuck didn’t talk long. They listened as Savage promised to love and protect Donna, then while Donna promised to love and honor him.

Sackett wasn’t surprised neither said anything about obeying the other, not considering what Donna had been through with her ex-asshole.

After Tuck pronounced them Mr. and Mrs. Savage, they turned and retreated, then the real party started.

The grouping around the stage in the corner had broken up.

“Yo, Sackett!” Savage’s voice called over the low murmur of the crowd.

Several of the women had disappeared into the kitchen and the music hadn’t been turned up loud yet. Sackett kept a hand low on Selena’s back as they made their way to where Savage stood with Donna and Tuck.

“Selena, you’ve met Tuck, right? Tuck is president of the Souls. Tuck, Selena is the attorney Maverick and I went to Colorado to retrieve.”

She nodded her hellos while Sackett turned to Savage.

“We want you two to be our witnesses.” Savage’s gaze flicked from Sackett to Selena and back before offering Sackett a pen.

Sackett frowned, glancing at the pen, then back to Savage. He looked at Donna then back down to the pen. That’s when he realized there was something on the table in front of them. It only took a few seconds for him to scan it and realize it was their marriage license. He looked back to Savage.

“Really? You’re sure?”

“We’re sure. We wouldn’t be able to do this today if it wasn’t for the two of you, so we want you to be our witnesses,” Savage said.

“If you don’t mind,” Donna said, wrapping an arm around her new spouse.

“Mind?” Selena spoke up, plucking the pen from Sackett’s hand as he stood staring at them, stunned. “I’m honored. I’m glad I could help the two of you be so happy.” She signed the license, then handed him the pen.

In the time it had taken her to sign and give him back the pen, Sackett recovered from his surprise. He signed, then gave his brother a hug.

“Congrats, man. I mean it.” He clapped Savage on the back, then stepped over to give Donna a hug of her own. “You’re stuck with him now. It’s too bad you didn’t decide to run away with me when you could.”

Donna rolled her eyes and slapped at him playfully. Sackett liked being part of what helped pull her out of her shell some, though he didn’t fool himself. He knew most of it was due to Savage. And that was how it should be.

Sackett curled an arm around Selena when she’d finished congratulating the couple and moved to join him, leaving the newlyweds to talk to people who were starting to line up to speak with them.

“Let’s get something to eat, and find a table, sunshine.” He steered her toward the bar, as it was serving as a makeshift buffet today, with dishes of food lined up so people could take what they wanted and move on.

He went through the line with her, helping her when her hands were full, then he found an empty table among the group that usually sat in front of the bar but had been pushed closer together and toward the pool tables to make room for everyone today.

Not just the way everyone gathered for the actual ceremony, but also to make room for dancing when the music was turned up later.

Now though, the tables were usable, if a bit of a tight fit to get there.

“What was that you were saying?” Selena asked once they were seated.

“I’m not sure, what was I saying?” Sackett knew exactly what she was talking about but wanted to see how long she would wait to ask and how hard she would push the issue with so many people around. She put her hand on top of his and waited until he looked up, then met his gaze.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Tell me what you meant.”

He stared at her for a moment, finding it hard to believe that she didn’t already know.

“Sunshine, think about it. I haven’t spent a single night at my place since Colorado, and I don’t particularly want to. I don’t care where I am, as long as you’re there too.”

Water pooled in her eyes and for a moment he was afraid she was going to cry. He hadn’t thought about that when he’d told her how he felt. Selena dropped her gaze to the table, and he took a deep breath. Maybe he hadn’t totally screwed this up.

“Hey, just the people I wanted to talk to,” Gizmo made his way between the tables, Jill not far behind.

Sackett shuffled things on the table to make sure there was room for them to set their plates.

“Mind if we join you?” Gizmo asked.

“Not at all, have a seat,” Selena spoke up before Sackett had a chance to check with her. They’d been talking about something, and he hadn’t wanted her to feel like he was jumping at something, anything, to keep from talking about this.

Sackett and Selena continued to eat while the others got comfortable.

“What’s up?” Sackett asked once they’d all exchanged greetings, and he made sure Gizmo and Jill had been introduced to Selena.

“I wanted to let you know the latest on that issue we tracked in Silverton.” Gizmo met his gaze as he spoke. Sackett didn’t need a translator to know what he meant. The issue in Silverton was Harper.

“Oh?” Sackett needed to know if he, and whoever had been with him, if anyone, had followed them to Arizona or if they’d given up. He wasn’t holding onto the thin chance. He didn’t figure they were smart enough to know when to quit.

“From everything I can find, it looks like he’s returned to the compound. I can’t find record or signs that anyone associated with that group is anywhere near us.”

Some of the tension Sackett hadn’t been aware of drained from him. Selena was safe, at least for now. He didn’t have to be quite so vigilant that these assholes could pop up anywhere and take her again.

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Selena asked.

“It means, at least for now, that we don’t have to worry about the assholes in Colorado.

” He hooked an arm around her neck, tugged her close and kissed the top of her head.

Selena tilted her head back and smiled at him.

Seeing that smile he knew what he needed to do.

His arm still around her neck, he dropped his face, so it was right beside her ear and said the word she’d been looking for a few minutes before.

“I love you, sunshine.” Once he was done, he released her and turned back to find Gizmo watching, one brow lifted as if he’d heard what Sackett had told her, even though Sackett knew that wasn’t possible. He hadn’t spoken loud enough.

Selena’s hand on his chin turned him back to look at her, he wondered what she was going to say.

“Ditto.”

He grinned, then leaned in and kissed her, hot and hard.

He didn’t care who saw or what they thought.

Hell, these were his brothers, it wasn’t like they hadn’t done the same in front of him.

Not that they wouldn’t give him shit about it.

Still, he didn’t care. As long as he had Selena, he could face anything.

He broke the kiss, and dropped his forehead against hers for a moment before wrapping an arm around her middle and holding her close.

He needed to find Savage and thank him. If his brother hadn’t asked him to take Donna to that meeting, he never would have met Selena, then where would they be?

He didn’t want to think about it. All that mattered was what things were.

He was happy with Selena, and she was happy with him.

They loved each other. What more did they need?