Chapter 54

Forrester

Forrester felt like the happiest man ever to have lived. He couldn’t believe it was his wedding day already. He stood at the altar, at the place he’d chosen for the wedding, and glanced out over the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It was a breathtaking view. Then he turned to face the guests. It was a small ceremony, as all of the Brotherhood weddings were, with the men all standing next to him, and Faith, Lacey and Kelly waiting for the bride. Faith and Lacey were holding their beautiful babies. He smiled at the women. Then he smiled at Grant, Grady and Faith and Jackson’s son, Sam. Next to Sam was Luke, Kelly’s little brother. The two boys were about the same age and had sparked off an energetic friendship. The same priest who’d married Grant and Lacey was performing the ceremony.

The only two people missing were Elle, and Jackson. It had been decided by Elle that Jackson should be the one to give her away, since he was the one who’d been responsible for her getting away from Los Lobos.

When Forrester set eyes on Elle, she took his breath away. She was the most stunningly beautiful creature he’d ever seen. He admired every inch of her body, from her pretty feet in their white shoes, to the luxurious gown that was draped over her delicious curves, to the thin veil that covered the most beautiful face he’d ever dreamed of.

This was it. This was his moment of truth. This was the moment every guy dreamed of, the moment he truly became a man. Forrester had never realized it before, but now, as Elle walked slowly toward him, Jackson at her side, the music of a string quartet wafting in the air, he saw his life for what it was. For what it always had been.

And what it had been was a journey up to this very moment. More than most people, Forrester knew what it meant to say that he’d been born alone. In a very real sense, he’d been more alone than most babies that were born into the world. His mother had died the moment he first drew breath. His father hated him for it right from the beginning. He’d come into a world without love, but he still had a heart. There’d been no warmth for him as a child, but he’d craved it just as much as everyone else in the world. He’d searched for it. He’d thirsted for it.

And this was the moment that that thirst would be satisfied. This was the moment that he would be made complete.

Like him, Elle had come into the world alone. Her own mother couldn’t care for her, and in desperation, had given her to the cruelest criminals ever to operate in the southwest.

For both Forrester and Elle, the desperately dark circumstances of their birth were finally being wrapped up in a moment of pure light.

And that light was love.

Forrester held his breath as Elle approached the altar. He simply could not believe how beautiful she was, or how much love he felt for her. He felt as if he couldn’t live without her. He rose his hand to his face and wiped away a single tear that was falling over his cheek, then he silently mouthed the words, “I love you,” to her.

She smiled back at him and then turned to the priest.

Forrester wasn’t even sure he’d heard the words the priest said. They were the usual words for a classical wedding ceremony. Forrester said his vow when it was his turn. He heard Elle say her vow. He placed the ring, handed to him by Grady, on Elle’s finger and she did the same, Kelly being the one to pass her the ring.

When the priest finally said the words, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” Forrester lifted Elle up into his arms, and at the same time lifted his own soul up to God and thanked Him for bringing him all the happiness in the world.

He kissed his new bride deeply and passionately, and as he kissed her, the setting sun turned the entire sky a deep crimson. He saw Jackson nod at Sam and Luke. The two boys ran off into the grass and a moment later, fireworks started exploding all over the evening sky.

To say Forrester was happy doesn’t begin to describe how he felt. Becoming a husband, getting the wife of his dreams, those are the things men’s lives are defined by. Those are the very core of a man’s life. Elle was the love of Forrester’s life. She was his wife now. That meant he had to love and protect her for as long as he lived, and that she would do the same for him. She was carrying his child. That meant that the very future of his blood, his legacy, it was all in her hands. She was his prize and his queen at the same time. She would spend her life serving him and making him happy, and at the same time, he would be a slave to her comfort and safety. He would do whatever it took to protect her and bring her joy.

The last thing she saw every night before she fell asleep would be his eyes. The first thing she felt in the morning before opening her eyes would be his lips. He loved her in the truest sense of the word. He loved her in that way that only someone who’s been abused can love. He loved her as if she was life itself.

And he wanted her. She was his now, and he wanted to claim her, body and soul.

There was a dinner planned, dancing, some speeches by the people they loved, and Forrester looked forward to all of it. He looked forward to sharing his first meal with Elle as husband and wife.

But what he looked forward to most, what he craved, was to get her into the honeymoon suite of their hotel. He was going to be merciless.