Forever Zara: (novella 9.5) by V. Theia (ebook reader txt) 📕

her hand. Once she was close enough to see the smile in his eyes, he lifted that hand to his mouth.

“You take my breath,” he rasped for her. “You look incredible, Zara.”

Their lips met.

And it was magical.

Perfection.

“You suited up.” She breathed, grinning like an idiot.

“Couldn’t let my girl down.”

“You never do.”

“Shall we do this thing again?” He asked for her ears only, and she almost giggled in front of the female celebrant about to marry them.

“Yes.”

There were no doubts.

Not one.

This man in front of her, with the burning blue eyes, was her dream come true. She was only sorry she’d waited this long to put a ring on his finger.

And oh, she intended to put a gorgeous black band on his finger. She was territorial over Rider. Knowing he was going to wear a ring was about as possessive as she’d ever felt.

Throughout the ceremony, the kids were noisy. They were Marinos’ after all, no one minded, least of all Zara or Rider. Her heart was too full, and everyone here was her family, her loud, chaotic family.

But the vows, oh, the vows, were her favorite part.

Again, Rider surprised her. She hadn’t known he wanted to say his own and not recite the vows after the celebrant.

With her two hands clasped lightly in his, his thumb rubbing slowly over her knuckles, she was unable to look away, caught in the trap of Rider’s smiling eyes. It was a moment in time she never wanted to forget.

“Zara, it’s hard to believe I got so lucky. You are the rare exception to the phrase too good to be true. I love your beautiful face and the beautiful person behind it. I promise I will always fight for us. I will shield you with my last breaths. I give you my word to make you happy, even when I piss you off.” This last part made everyone chuckle, even Zara. His voice was raspy when he finished his vows, eyes boring into hers. She believed every word. “I promise to love you unconditionally.”

Oh, her biker-man. He knew when to bring the emotion, and he’d brought it tenfold. Her smile was watery as she offered it up to him and he brushed a thumb under her left eye.

Then it was Zara’s turn to give her vows until she got a little stage fright and almost forgot every word she’d practiced for weeks now. She opened her mouth, and no sound would come. Oh, shit. Until Rider, her lovely hero dipped forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. “You got this, wife.”

Wife.

That one word reduced her to a state of calm because she had this, and she was already his wife. Today was frosting on what was already their perfect cake.

And then all the love for him came bubbling out of her lips.

“You’re my best friend. My biker-man. You’re everything I’ve always admired, respected, and looked up to. You are the man of my dreams and the wish I made only for myself. Not only are you a wonderful father and friend to many, but to me, you are the love of my life. I love that you’re always fair. I love how disciplined and hardworking you are, and nothing is too out of reach for your family. Despite working as hard as you have, you’ve never complained.”

There was a warble to her throat, emotion big as her fist because she was filled to overflowing with love for him. It was as though the world drifted away, leaving behind only the two of them.

“I love how smart you are and that you can catch me off guard with your bad boy sense of humor. You are the greatest person I’ve ever met, and I’m so happy that you’re mine. This life we have built together is a dream I didn’t know I needed. There’s no one else I would travel this path with. Only ever you. Before all that, though, the thing that made me fall in love with you was your confidence. Since day one, you taught me how to be myself, to never apologize for who I am. You’ve helped me grow as a person. You love me for me, and I love you for you. You make me bold and have confidence, and I believe I can do anything.”

When Zara took a staggering breath, it was to see Rider’s slow grin. He loved her, and it was there for all to see.

“With this ring, I vow to love and protect you, to be at your side throughout the ups and downs of our life, with a loyalty that will never be broken. But most of all, my handsome biker-man, I promise to love you crazily, deeply, and forever with all my heart until the end of time.”

The fairytale dream wedding continued when they were pronounced married, and he swooped in, cool as only Rider could look, and they kissed. It was soft, closed-lipped, and so epic, she was smiling when they parted. But then she blushed with a laugh because everyone was on their feet, hooting, hollering, and whistling.

The ring leaders being the Renegade Souls. Those guys, she grinned.

“Finally, Ri!” One yelled.

“Got your girl up the aisle at last.” Another hollered.

Zara laughed, burying her face in Rider’s shoulder, his hand coming to the back of her neck.

Finally, she thought.

Yeah, that felt nice.

* * *

Capone hated weddings.

They went on too long.

Making him itchy.

He wasn’t against long-term commitments.

He was down to the bones happy for Rider and Zara. This day had been a long time coming for them both. They deserved this more than anyone else did after what they’d endured to be together.

But the whole symbolism of what a wedding comprised of didn’t sit well with him, and he was