LOGINAuthor's POV Reece and Valiant stared up at the sky and drew closer together. They both knew without speaking a word that this was the worst mistake the perpetrators could have done. Twice now has their wedding celebrations been yanked from their joyous momentum, halted by envy and stifled by bitterness. No matter how the soft wind carried the fine black soot, feathery gray ash or tangible fragrance of smoke down onto the white linen tents. The air purifiers could only do so much. Madre and Papa took Regal and headed inside their kids' home while the Dylan and the wedding coordinator eased the guests who wanted to stay into the pool house. The valet team on staff corraled the ones who wanted to leave to the front of the property and escorted them to their vehicles. Reece turned to Valiant with eyes on fire as he said, "Baby, these motherfųckers have proved for the last time that they'll do anything to keep you away from your happiness." He placed a hand to her cheek and kis
Valiant's POV I watched all of the madness unfold before me three weeks ago. Shocked to say the least by Roman and Lettie showing up. A great day had turned very quickly red. Reece still hadn't made any moves to deal with the female just yet knowing that her male counterpart wouldn't want to jeopardize her life for the sake of their son. Our lives continued progressing toward bliss though. We closed the house and moved in. The boys all picked their rooms in the guest house. Papa and Madre purchased bigger golf carts that could accommodate the kids in their car seats. In just a few hours, we'd all be gathering to host our formal wedding ceremony to the world. The live stream would just for the frills. The groom said that he wanted us to have a fairy tale wedding with beautiful pictures and grand memories. The event would also signify Reece's most recent breakthrough as an independent tech firm supporting only private clients and a few military operations. We both agreed th
Roman's POV I watched the happy couple for weeks. I saw them go in and out of two homes, several offices, and many restaurants. Sometimes they were solo, sometimes they were together and sometimes they carried their son. They were popular in their small town which was sitting off the cusp of the major city. They never met a stranger and it infuriated me. And then one day, I followed them to the most peculiar place, a place that I hated to imagine. What was supposed to be my reality was theirs. My months of incarceration had brought them close. Lettie's failed revenge pulled them closer and bound them to a certain fate. They would became who and what I didn't want. Ever. I had resented Reece, since meeting him and I thought that somehow we could be equal. He wasn't this arrogantly kid rich up front and once getting to know him, he was just annoyingly brotherly. None of us in his group with the exception of bald headed Todd knew he was wealthy. Reece could do all things wel
Author's POV The day was on them. The fellas had travel ahead into time and the jet lag was already pressing them...they had lost two whole hours and they already knew that Reece was going to be annoying as hell. When the plane landed on the private air strip not too far from the ranch and the new Shields' residence they all off boarded and took their luggage to the sleek army green pickup truck Reece left for them. He was a thoughtful asshole. He had painted the lift gate with "Bestest Men" and it caused them a lot of headaches with all the cars honking at them. When they pull up onto the ranch they blew the horn loudly and Papa came out to the porch. Leaning over the rail he yelled back in his morning, thick German accent, "Blow your nose and you'll get something out!" All the men laughed and went up to hug their surrogate father figure. Todd was the last to greet the old man and he kissed the top of his bald head as a show of affectionate acceptance. "Papa, I am glad to
Reece's POV I was so elated, knowing that we were expanding our family. I literally looked at my woman sitting around my brother and my parents and I was shouting on the inside. This was a dream come true albeit, I never thought I'd fall in love with a cheeky curly haired black girl from the south. She blew my expectation of what I thought I wanted in a partner. Valiant became my best friend. She is my rib. Sure she was pissed when she realized that my first and fifteenth paychecks from the military was pocket money for me. She didn't want me for my money. There was no hounding me for more than I wanted to give, she was actually more conservative with us hanging out before we got intimate and certainly afterwards. I loved how she could be polished, prim and proper one moment and then she was on that beat your ass shit the next. Her conversation scaled from politics to bioscience to business or from interpreting the geezers hanging at the corner stores. One thing was for cer
Valiant's POV Three months later... I stared down at the one two lined plastic stick, the one 'positive' digital plastic stick and the one white and black diagnosis. And finally, the one black and white 3D ultrasound. Great job Reece! He has won again. Greedy bastard. Dylan was kind of enough to do this for me and keep it in the family since the news of the pending wedding was set at a rapid rate of speed. Every major news outlet was trying to get any new sensational news. I sighed in both relief and defeat as I collected all my evidence in a clean clear zip lock bag. My very soon to be husband is laying in the bed waiting on me to come back to him. He gave me more than some "be good" and I have proof that it only made me a bad actor. I couldn't resist being worse toward him. This man did not complain. Throwing the bag on his bare chest I heaved a deep breath and waited for his reaction. "Baby?" I didn't answer. "Baby...I know you hear me." He poked my shoulder, he's







