Page 30 of Savage Promises (Quinlan Empire #2)

Shane

T he morning of my wedding, I’m in Griffin’s home office, seated in front of his desk next to Kai Powers, the family lawyer.

The air feels thin and it’s hard to breathe. But not from the dread of marrying a woman I don’t want. Just the opposite. Today, I’m getting the woman I’ve always wanted. I’ve been waiting for this day to happen. To become a reality.

But first...business calls.

Griffin stares pensively at me. “Shane, you can’t marry Lennox until we address a few things.” He nods at Kai, who places a stapled set of papers on the desk in front of me.

The thickness of it makes my jaw tick and I curse inwardly.

“A prenup?” I ask, my voice colder than I intend.

“Aye,” Griffin replies, unflinching. “It’s standard given our wealth.”

I glance at him suspiciously. “Ava didn’t sign one.”

“That was different.” Griffin sits back and studies me, like he’s surprised I’d bring up his wife in the same context. “Ava and I married to stop a war. You’re marrying to protect and expand our empire.”

My fists clench on the armrests of the chair. I don’t like the insinuation that my marriage is anything other than permanent and the fulfillment of an ache that nearly unraveled me. “What are the parameters?”

Kai flips the pages since I haven’t touched them. “It’s straightforward. You both keep ownership of what you bring into the marriage. If things don’t work out, she’s entitled to a very basic settlement. Nothing excessive, nothing that will tempt her loyalty.”

They’ll call me a gold digger.

Lennox didn’t want to take a necklace. She’s not in this for the money.

“That’s not happening,” I say curtly, motioning for a pen. “ None of that is happening. Lennox is mine. And she’s staying mine.”

I grab the pen and quickly sign both copies. Shoving them inside my suit jacket, I say coldly, “ I’ll take this useless piece of crap to her.”

“Good.” Griffin looks relieved as I stand up to leave. “And Shane?”

I pause at the door. “Aye?”

“Have fun tonight.”

I slam the door behind me, not bothering to respond. I plan to have the best fucking night of my life.

With my wife.

THE DRIVE TO THE HISTORIC chapel in The Cloisters feels like it’s taking longer than it should.

Since Trace and Shea were married here, it’s been added to Shea’s Diamond Wedding Package.

I didn’t care anything about the particulars when I was supposed to marry Neve.

Then with the last-minute change of my bride to Lennox, I requested this small and intimate setting to show what she means to me.

I’m getting everything I want.

I think.

When I arrive, I get out and shake the hands of the guests who are waiting outside the nave. I find out where Lennox is and ignore the discouraging looks about seeing the bride before the ceremony. At the door, I knock but don’t bother waiting for an invitation to go inside.

Before I say anything, I notice Neve standing in the corner. Her presence is a bitter reminder of how she could have manipulated me.

“Neve,” I say coldly. “Leave us.”

She hesitates, her mouth opening to argue, but one sharp look from me sends her scurrying out the door.

I look deeper into the room and lose my breath at the sight of Lennox.

She’s standing in front of a cheval mirror in that dress.

The lace mermaid dress I bought for her.

A dress she never would have picked out for herself because she’d think she couldn’t pull it off with her ample breasts, curvy hips, and round luscious ass.

It fits her like a dream, every curve perfectly accentuated and ready for my hands.

Her hair is pinned up with soft dark strands framing her face.

The emerald pendant sits in the hollow of her throat, like it’s been grafted onto her skin.

She’s breathtaking and perfect. My heart hammers harder than I ever knew the useless engine could.

“Shane,” she says softly, meeting my eyes in the mirror, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

“You look...” I can’t find the right word, so I settle for the truth. “Perfect.”

Her lips part, one hand brushing the lace on her hip. “ Someone picked out this dress for me.”

Winking, I say, “The guy has good taste.”

“Maybe I’ll thank that guy later with some sex.” She smirks and turns around to face me.

Going rigid from volcanic lust storming through my veins, I pull the prenup from my jacket and hold it out. “I need you to sign this first.”

Her brows knit together. “What is it?”

“A prenup,” I explain bluntly. “Standard. You keep your money. I keep mine. You get a basic settlement if things don’t work out.”

Her eyes widen. “Don’t work out? You’ll let me go?”

I chuckle, “Hardly.”

Lennox studies the prenup, then stares back at me. “Should I have my lawyer look at this first? This is awkward timing, Shane.”

“I agree. It was handed to me only ten minutes ago. Give it to your lawyer tomorrow, the next day, next week,” I say, my tone softening. “If there’s an issue, we’ll address it. This is just a formality.”

She hesitates for a moment, then nods. “Okay. I trust you.”

I lean down, catching her lips in a kiss before she can say anything else or ask any more ridiculous questions. I meant it when I said I will never let her go. The kiss starts soft, but I can’t help deepening it, pouring everything I feel into that moment.

When I pull back, her eyes seem dreamy.

“Sign that so I can make you my wife already,” I murmur against her mouth.

With a pen I give her, she signs both prenups and hands one back to me, keeping a copy for herself. I put my copy back in my jacket with no intention of ever looking at it again.

“I’ll see you at the altar, baby.” I leave the room with a smile, not even sparing Neve another glance as I walk past her.

I’m marrying the exact bride I want.