Mae’s loud peal of laughter soothed my fucking mood like a damn balm. She threw her head back and caught her breath. “Do you mind if I go and see them too? I would very much like to witness all of this.”

  “N-N-No,” I managed to push out. Her eyebrows dropped with suspicion. I hardly ever stuttered in front of her these days. It was an indication that something was wrong. But she let it go. For that I was thankful.

  “I will make you dinner before I leave,” she said and looked at Ky. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Kyler?”

  “Does a bear shit in the woods?”

  “I . . . well . . . I . . . pardon?” Mae’s fucking nose was twitching, destroying me on the spot. “Was that a real question? I do not know if bears do that . . . in the woods.” She paused. “Maybe . . . yes?”

  “You got it, sweetcheeks,” he declared with a wink. I almost punched the asshole for playing with my bitch this much. He knew all the cult bitches—including his own motherfucking wife—were still clueless about a ton of things.

  “Okay,” she replied, somewhat lost. And that was it. Before she turned to leave, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me, being careful of her bump. I smashed my lips to hers and sank my tongue into her mouth. Mae moaned as I locked her in place with one hand behind her neck. When I pulled back, her eyes were glazed and her lips were swollen.

  “Don’t fucking mind me. Always up for a live porn show, kids,” Ky said. This time I slugged his bicep when Mae’s face beamed crimson.

  “I . . . I shall go and prepare dinner,” she whispered.

  I watched her go. When the door was shut, I inhaled deeply. “I-I . . . n-need t-t-t-to sp-speak.” I paused, swallowed, wet my throat with beer, then finished. “I f-f-fucking n-need to, Ky.”

  I gasped in exhaustion when I’d managed to speak through my anger. When I’d managed to speak at all.

  A small victory these days.

  Ky’s hand came down on my shoulder. “Then we’ll get you to speak. Don’t know how, but we’ll do it.” He nudged me, then stood straight and said, “How about I just hide behind the altar and speak for you? You just move your mouth in time with my words and boom, bitch! You’ll motherfucking speak!”

  I grumbled a laugh, and Ky couldn’t help but laugh back.

  Asshole.

  “Let’s finish these drinks. Then open that fucking twenty-year-old bourbon you got hidden in your bar and eat whatever the fuck Mae cooks us. Then we’ll work on operation Styx Speak, yeah?”

  I nodded and Ky and I sat down. Silent moments passed before Ky said, “You think the Psycho Trio and Cowboy are okay in that ghost town?” His voice was too low for Mae to hear anything in the kitchen.

  I shrugged and checked my cell. No messages, no calls from Hush at the motel. I signed, “Fuck knows. Right now they’re on their own.” Another thing that was on my mind. My men in a fucking Klan haven without the rest of us. No contact. No fucking peace until they were back.

  Ky sat back. But I knew the brother was thinking about Lilah’s sister, Phebe. AK, Vike, Flame, Cowboy, and Hush too. More shit to deal with.

  Then there was the wedding. My voice. And now the motherfucking Klan. Just more shit to pile on my plate.

  So for now, we would drink and get fucked off our face.

  And that’s exactly what we did.

  My words still didn’t come.

  It was nothing new.

Chapter Two

  Mae

  “Mae,” Bella whispered as I walked from the changing room and stood on the elevated plinth opposite my friends and sisters. The mirror was behind me, but I did not yet dare look at my reflection. I glanced at Bella sat beside Ruth, her mother-in-law and Rider’s mama. Her eyes were filling with tears as she stared at me. Her hands were in front of her mouth.

  “Do you like it?” I ran my hand over my pronounced stomach.

  Bella nodded. “You are perfect,” she whispered. Ruth nodded in agreement.

  I looked at Maddie. “Madds?”

  She smiled warmly. “You are beautiful, Mae, this dress only enhances that. But this gown could not suit you more if you tried.”

  “Styx will love it,” Lilah said and held Grace tighter on her lap.

  “You look like a Disney princess,” Grace said.

  A hand came down on my arm. I turned to see Beauty behind me. “You ever gonna look in the mirror, darlin’?” She smiled. This boutique belonged to a friend of Beauty’s, and Beauty had practically organized my wedding for me. I was clueless where to even begin.

  “You look good, Mae.” I smiled at Letti as she sat uncomfortably on the couch. She had told me she was here to support me, but she had no opinion in such matters as wedding dress shopping. Or anything girly, she’d said affectionately.

  “Turn, honey,” Lilah said and I nodded my head. I had no idea why I was so nervous. I knew that Styx loved me and I loved him. I felt as though I had been waiting for this day my whole life. That I had been waiting for the day I finally cemented him as mine. Forever mine, and me forever his.

  Closing my eyes, I turned, allowing Beauty to guide me. “You ready?” she whispered. I pulled up the image of Styx in my mind. Me in his arms as we lay in bed. His large tattooed arms holding me close as we spoke. His voice gruff and deep. Then I pictured us laughing. The infamous Hangmen Mute of the Hades Hangmen, so different with me than with anybody else. To others he was aloof, silent, and menacing. But to me, he was loving, caring, and the most beautiful soul in the world.

  The other half of my heart.

  “I just want it to be perfect,” I said quietly, confessing the words more to myself than to anyone else.

  “Then you will be pleased beyond measure,” Bella said.

  I smiled as my sister’s comforting words sailed into my ears. I took in a deep breath then slowly opened my eyes and looked at the woman staring back at me. I quietly gasped as I saw her, blue eyes bright, black hair pulled back off her face. Radiant white material almost heavenly against her pale skin.

  “Well?” Beauty stood beside me. I wanted to meet her eyes, but I could not remove my gaze from the girl in the mirror. “It is perfect,” I whispered and ran my eyes over my reflection from head to toe. The dress ran, like a waterfall of silk and lace, to the floor. The pristine material hugged every inch of my body. My hands smoothed over the roundness of my stomach. “I like this,” I said and had to fight back the tears in my eyes. “I like that my little girl or boy will be present as I wed their father. I like that people will see the product of our love at the altar along with our spoken, eternal promises.” Then my eyes continued their journey. The bodice ended above my breasts, leaving my arms free. They were covered in the finest lace, which fell off my shoulders.