Reaper nodded, then turned and walked toward the door. “Digger, Sandman, let’s roll. We’ve got business to handle before we leave this godforsaken state. God, I miss California.”
Digger squeezed Chapman’s shoulder one more time, then followed Reaper out. Stella paused long enough to wink at me, then disappeared after them.
The room felt suddenly quiet, the tension draining away like water through a sieve.
Balthazar stood near the fireplace, his arms still crossed, his expression tight but resigned. Zeke leaned against the window frame, his gaze distant. Charity and Joy hovered near the couch, their faces bright with barely suppressed excitement. And Chapman sat on the couch, his eyes locked on mine, his expression raw and overwhelmed.
I crossed the room slowly, deliberately, and sat down beside him. His hand found mine immediately, his fingers threading through mine with desperate intensity.
“You chose me,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion.
“I chose you,” I confirmed, squeezing his hand. “Not because I had to. Not because anyone ordered me to. But because I want to. Because you’re mine, Chapman. And I’m yours.”
His eyes shone with unshed tears, and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine. “I love you,” he whispered. “God, Hope, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I whispered back.
Balthazar cleared his throat, and I looked up to see him watching us, his expression conflicted but softer than before. “I still don’t like this,” he said quietly. “But... I respect your choice, Hope. And I’ll support it. Even if it kills me.”
I smiled, tears slipping down my cheeks. “Thank you.”
He nodded, then turned and walked toward the kitchen, his shoulders tight with tension.
Zeke pushed off the window frame and crossed the room, stopping in front of Chapman. “Take care of her,” he said, his voice low. “Or I’ll make the Golden Line-Up look like a fucking mercy killing.”
Chapman met his gaze steadily. “I will.”
Zeke nodded, then looked at me. “You sure about him, Hope?”
“I’m sure,” I said firmly.
He sighed, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Okay. Then I’m happy for you. Even if I think you’re both insane.”
I laughed, the sound watery but genuine. “We probably are.”
“Definitely are,” Charity said, grinning. “But that’s what makes it fun.”
Joy bounced on her toes, her face bright with excitement. “So when’s the wedding?”
Chapman and I looked at each other, and I saw the question in his eyes.
“Soon,” I said quietly, my gaze locked on his. “Soon.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Hope
The morning sun cast everything in gold.
I stood in Faith’s bedroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror while my sisters moved around me like a gentle current. Charity was pinning my hair—simple, loose waves pulled back from my face with small white flowers tucked into the strands. Joy was smoothing the fabric of my dress, a simple white cotton sundress with lace trim that Faith had pulled from the back of her closet.
“It was mine,” Faith had said quietly when she’d handed it to me. “From a lifetime ago. Before everything got complicated.”
I’d taken it with trembling hands, feeling the weight of what she was giving me. Not just a dress, but a piece of herself. A piece of her own dreams.
“You look beautiful,” Faith said now, standing behind me in the mirror. Her hands rested on my shoulders, and I saw tears shining in her eyes.
“I look terrified,” I whispered.