Ballroom swung open w

was thick with the scent of whi

k his daughter down the aisle, froze. His mouth fell open. The se

letcher moved with a predator's grace. His stride wa

ul silence of a wedding; it was the confused, ter

pers rippled through

not J

... his

my

e press pit. They were frantic, rapid-fire, creating a s

holding onto a steel beam. He didn't smile. He didn't wave. He

and payroll for twenty years, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. He glanc

he front row,

the quiet room. He stood there, pale as a sheet, staring at Fletcher with pure, una

es with Pierce. He didn't say a word, but the

rce

skipped the preamble about love and c

cked, then strengthened. "Do you take thi

close, his eyes were impenetrable. "

judge turned to her. "D

aw five minutes ago. She looked past him to the crowd, to the

Her voice rang out

," the jud

son had the rings. He h

idn't pull out a wedding band. He pulled off his own pinky rin

to her ring finger, where it would have hung loose.

ve. A shackle. It was a statement that screamed louder than any diamond: She is under my protection. She

paused, the weight of the absurdity

"You may ki

sed a dry, chaste kiss to her forehead. It lasted less th

" he muttered, low enough that on

m around to f

first, led by the board members who realized their stock options were safe.

r, Jameson's mother and the widow of Fletcher's late

look away. She smiled-a small, icy

im anymore, Addy

her arm. "Walk

flashing lights and the stunned faces, leavi