Slaying the Dragon (Deception Duet #2) (38 page)

“It isn’t? Why?” Mackenzie interjected.

“Because he’s looking for one person, and one person alone.”

“No,” she breathed, covering her mouth to hide her quivering chin.

“He wants me? Well, he can have me. I’m not going to remain hidden away and put anyone’s life at risk anymore.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “You know I love you very much, don’t you?”

“And I love you, too,” she choked out. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Dad.”

“And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t, but nothing’s a guarantee. Just do your old man one favor first.”

“Anything.”

“Let me walk you down the aisle and see you get married.”

She nodded, wiping at her tears. “Of course.”

Mackenzie

I
STOOD
JUST
INSIDE
the foyer of the ridiculously opulent house in Palm Beach that Tyler and I had been staying at for the past several weeks. After he was discharged from the hospital, Eli returned to Texas to try and make sense of the story my father had told us. We, on the other hand, stayed away from home, away from any reminder of the bigger problems that we would soon have to face head-on.

“Is it time?” Melanie asked, looking back at me, her green eyes wide and rounded. Her dark hair was curled and styled for the occasion. She had been so excited when we asked her to fill this role for us today and had spent most of the morning practicing.

“It is. Go ahead, sweetie.” I smiled at her in her frilly white sundress with pink and yellow flowers adorning it.

She flashed her adorable smile, showing where she was missing a tooth, and walked out the front door and onto the picture-perfect white sand beach. Despite the jitters in my stomach, a sense of serenity washed over me as I glanced out the large floor-to-ceiling windows and absorbed the scene in front of me. The sun was setting behind the extravagant house on that late November day, casting the beach in a beautiful pinkish glow. There was barely a person in sight…except for the small group of friends and family who had dropped everything and flew out here to be with us.

“Are you ready,
mi bichito
?” a scruff voice asked, startling me.

I turned to him and smiled. “As ready as I’m going to be.”

Looking at me affectionately, moisture pooled in my father’s eyes. He placed his hands on my arms and surveyed me, his eyes growing bright. “For years, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, let alone be able to stand by your side during one of the most important days of your life.” Reaching up, he cupped my cheek. I leaned into his warmth, recalling all the times he would push me on a swing when I was a little girl. I didn’t remember much about my childhood, but that memory was strong.

“You look so much like your mother.” He let out a shallow sigh. “You always have, but today, it’s unmistakable that you are your mother’s daughter.”

“I’m your daughter, too, Dad.”

“I know, but I really see her in you today. She would have been so proud of the woman you’ve become.
I’m
so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

“Thanks, Dad.” I squeezed his hand gently as our eyes remained locked. It was taking everything I had not to break into tears, my emotions on overdrive.

“I want you to have this,” he said, breaking the tension. Reaching into the pocket of his linen pants, he pulled out a small box and handed it to me.

“What is it?” I asked, caressing the black velvet.

“If you open it, you’ll find out.” He winked.

Letting out a small laugh, I shook my head. “I know where I got my sarcasm from, I guess,” I retorted, opening the box to see a beautiful turquoise bracelet. It looked to be an antique, the gold holding the turquoise stones together almost tarnished. I picked it up and felt its weight, wondering how he had come to own such a remarkable piece of jewelry. I looked up at my dad, my brows furrowed.

“Your mother wore that on the day we got married, as did her mother, and her mother, and so on. It’s been in your family for centuries, its roots dating all the way back to the Guaymi tribe in Panama. Ages ago, I promised her you would wear it on your wedding day, as well.” He reached for the bracelet and unclasped it.

“I’d be honored.” A lump formed in my throat as I held my arm toward my father and allowed him to secure the bracelet around my wrist. His fingers lingered on my skin and our eyes met. I had gone years without my father’s touch, and all I could do was pray that this wasn’t the last time I’d ever feel it. This moment was bittersweet for me, the reminder of all the troubles I had tried to ignore the past several weeks rushing forward. I didn’t want this to be goodbye between us, but I couldn’t help but shake the feeling it would be.

“Well…” My dad cleared his throat and I snapped out of it, adjusting my composure as best I could. “We better get going. We don’t want to keep the groom waiting.” He held out his elbow for me to grab on to. “Ready,
mi bichito
?”

I nodded. “Always, Papa.” I placed my hand in his arm and he escorted me out the front door and onto the large deck of the beach house. I lifted my floor length champagne-colored dress so as to not trip on it and made my way down the short steps onto the beach, trying to savor the moment of feeling my father’s warmth next to me.

With each step I took past the handful of people we invited, I grew more at ease. The nervous jitters that overwhelmed me just moments ago were absent, and I knew this was where I was meant to be…making this journey with my father at my side, my eyes glued to Tyler’s, the sea breeze blowing his white linen shirt just slightly.

“Hey,” Tyler said as I approached him.

“Hey,” I replied.

“Hey…,” he said once more, his eyes roaming to my cleavage that the halter top of my dress made more voluptuous.

“Hey,” I repeated.

“Hey,” Jenna said, giggling as she and Brayden stood next to Father Slattery, both of them grinning.

My father grabbed my hand, snapping me out of my daze, and placed it in Tyler’s.

“Take care of my girl,” he said with a slight quiver in his voice. “You’re her family now. Treat her like the princess she is.”

“Always, sir,” Tyler responded as my father leaned down and kissed me gently on my temple.

“
Te quiero, mi bichito. Siempre.
”

“
Siempre,”
I replied, wiping at the tear that had fallen down my cheek.

My father retreated from me, taking his place among our few guests, and I faced Tyler, unable to comprehend that we were finally here. Every little girl dreamt of the big extravagant wedding with the Cinderella gown and the posh reception, and I was no different, but I wouldn’t give this moment up for anything. Instead of a room full of distant relatives I only saw during weddings and funerals, I was surrounded by the handful of people I cared about the most. It was perfect.

“Now, it’s my understanding you two have written your own vows, correct?” Father Slattery said, breaking into my thoughts.

“Yes,” we responded in unison.

“Well, then, I’ll give you the floor. Age before beauty, so Tyler first.” He nodded at him to proceed, a low chuckle echoing around us.

With eager eyes, Tyler took a deep breath, his smile perfect, showing his brilliant white teeth. His bruises and scars had mostly healed over the past several weeks that he spent in the hospital and then recuperating here, soaking up the late autumn rays. His skin was tanned, his dark hair disheveled in the way that had attracted me to him from the very beginning.

“Mackenzie,” he began before leaning in and whispering, his voice barely audible, “Serafina…”

I warmed when my name rolled off his tongue in such a delicate manner.

“The last thing I was looking for when I took an assignment a little over a year ago was to fall in love, especially with the woman who was supposed to be the asset.”

Polite laughter sounded around us.

“And I am certain I was the last person you wanted to infiltrate your perfectly ordered life, but then something magical happened. We both let down our guard. I stopped caring about my job, and you finally threw out that blasted timetable. We finally did something we both thought we’d never do again. We loved… And that love has only grown stronger through the truth, lies, tears, miles, and heartache. And I know it will only continue to grow with every day that passes.

“I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I can be stubborn as hell. I have good days and bad. I lose my temper. I can be completely irrational at times. However, you chose to look past all my faults and love me anyway. Every day from this day forward, I promise to do everything I can to make you fall in love with me all over again. You deserve the fairytale, princess, and that’s what I intend to give you each and every day until I’m turned into dust.” He closed the distance between us once more. “Serafina Galloway,” he whispered so no one else could hear him, “I love you.”

He pulled back and I met his eyes, nodding.
I love you, too
, I mouthed as I tried to maintain my composure, but it was impossible.

“How do you expect me to follow that?” I said through my tears.

Everyone laughed politely.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before focusing them on Tyler, the one man who had seen my demons and had embraced the darkness within. And he would always be at my side. With him, I could get through everything, no matter what the future held.

“Once upon a time,” I began, my eyes remaining glued to Tyler, “there was a little girl. She dreamed of men in black tuxes, dancing in the moonlight, and falling in love. Then her world was ripped apart and she lost everything. Her friends, her family, her life. Worst of all, she lost hope. She stopped dreaming and believing in the fairytale because her life had turned into a nightmare, and she lived that nightmare for years. Then, one day, a charming and annoyingly persistent man woke her up from the spell that had been cast over her. She finally experienced what she dreamed about for years. Love.

“Tyler, you may not think you’re perfect, but you are in my eyes. I’ve loved you since I felt your soul. When you just wouldn’t take no for an answer, I fell in love with you a little bit more. When you thought you lost me and I saw the look of terror on your face, I gave you another piece of my heart. Even when I walked away from you after finding out the truth, I still loved you. Through all our ups and downs, my heart has been and will always be yours. From this day forward, I promise to hold you when you’re having a bad day or memory. I promise to love you even when you don’t think you deserve it. And I promise to give you everything I have…my heart, my soul, my love…because there’s no one more deserving of it than you are, Tyler Joseph Burnham.”

A look of serenity washed over his face and he leaned down, his lips hovering over mine. “I don’t deserve you, but I’m glad you think I do.”

“You do,” I murmured as he kissed me softly.

“Hey!” Brayden interjected. “Not yet, kids. There’s still a few more things to get through, isn’t that right, Padre?” He winked at Father Slattery.

“He’s right. The rings please,” he said, looking at Jenna, then Alexander, who stood beside Tyler. They both handed over the rings.

“Tyler, repeat after me,” Father Slattery said, handing him my wedding band. I lost myself in Tyler’s eyes as he made his vow to me, promising to remain true and honor me for the rest of my life. I barely made it through my own vows, the emotion overwhelming me as I thought back to the roller coaster ride our relationship had taken over the months. Regardless of the lows, the heartache of finding out the truth was worth it as I stood here, marrying my own Prince Charming.

“By the power vested in me,” Father Slattery said after I finished my vows, “I am happy to call you husband and wife.”

I grinned excitedly, looking down at the diamond band that now sat above my engagement ring.
 

“You can now kiss your bride,” he said, and before I knew what was happening, Tyler pulled me into his arms, his lips on mine, our kiss passionate and intense as the world disappeared around us. And that was what life with Tyler was like. My troubles vanished. I could live in the moment with him and our love. It was exactly what being in love was supposed to be like. He shielded me from everything, protecting me and keeping me safe.

“Thank you,” he murmured against my lips.

“For what?”

“For chasing away the lonely, once and for all.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“W
ELL
,
SINCE
I’
M
THE
man of honor,” Brayden’s boisterous voice broke through the chatter at the large table set on the upper deck of the house overlooking the beach. “I suppose I should say a few words.” He stood up, his tall and lean stature poised. A dapper smile on his face, he looked at all the important people in both Tyler’s and my life. He finally met my eyes, and his expression warmed. It brought me back to the day he moved in with Jenna and me.

“I’m beat from all that unpacking.” He plopped down on the couch in our living room, surprising me with the ease in which he made himself at home, even though he barely knew us. “I think I deserve a drink. You girls game?” He raised his eyebrows, looking between Jenna and me.