Chapter Twenty-Four

STEPHEN

The rest of the night was amazing. I danced most of it away, holding my doll close, soaking in every second I got with her. Watching Clint and Mia moving forward, their joy written across every smile and glance, gave me a sense of peace for him I hadn’t felt in a long time.

As Trinity and I stood off to the side—arm in arm—watching the evening wind down, we saw Mia and Clint walking toward us.

“Thank you for all of this, Stephen,” Mia said as she hugged me tight. “You don’t know how much it means to both of us, having you be such a big part of our day.”

“Family, Mia,” I reminded her gently. “You know that.”

“Group hug,” Clint grinned, his go-to move when the emotions started running high. I just laughed at him.

“Fine, come here then, Trin. You’ll hug me,” Clint added, stepping over to Trinity. He whispered something in her ear that earned him one of her irresistible smiles, and she hugged him warmly.

“Since we don’t head off until tomorrow afternoon,” he said as he pulled back, “and the lads have all gone out for the night, what do you say we change into something comfy, grab that bottle of scotch and a couple j’s, and just chill?”

“Sounds good, brother,” I nodded.

We all headed off to our rooms to get changed. “Doll, I’ll meet you downstairs, okay?” I called out as I peeked around the ensuite door. “I’ll pour us a drink. Get everything ready.”

She had slipped into a pair of my track pants and a sports bra. She could wear a sack and still look like a fucking goddess.

“Okay, love. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

I headed to the kitchen, grabbed the bottle of scotch we’d saved for tonight, and brought out a couple of glasses. I had just gotten comfortable in my usual spot on the patio when Clint joined me, turning on the music and letting the mellow beats hum through the speakers.

He settled beside me, taking a sip of the drink I’d poured.

“Thanks for today, Stephen,” he said, patting me on the shoulder. “I absolutely adore that girl, and I wanted everything to be perfect for her. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I’ve always got you, man,” I said firmly. “You’ve had my back from the beginning.” And he had—Clint was the one person who’d stood beside me when I had no one else.

“And here,” I said, handing him an envelope. “From Trinity and me. Congratulations, brother.”

He opened it and stared at the cheque inside. Twenty grand. I wanted them to have the honeymoon they dreamed of—no limits.

“This is too much, man,” he said, stunned.

“Nothing’s too much for you.”

He stood and hugged me, tightly. I took that opportunity to drop the other bombshell I’d been holding onto.

“I asked Trinity to move in with me tonight.”

“What the…” He pulled away, blinking at me like I’d just grown another head. “Are you fucking serious?” His voice pitched up with disbelief.

“Don’t yell at me,” I warned him calmly.

“You know this is the worst shit you’ve ever pulled?”

“Really?” I stepped in closer, my temper flaring. “Asking the woman I fucking love to live with me is a bad idea, Clint?”

“Yes!” he roared. “Especially when you haven’t told her about us!” His voice cracked like a whip as he hurled his hat across the patio. “How could you be so fucking stupid?!”

“I’m going to let that slide,” I said, my voice dropping, “since it’s your wedding day. But I’m also going to remind you who the fuck you’re talking to.”

“I know who I’m talking to!” he bit back. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

Neither of us realised how close we’d gotten until we were squared off like two dogs ready to lunge. That’s when Mia came bursting out the door, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

“I ~know~ you two are not fighting on my fucking wedding day!”

Clint looked away first. I did the same.

“What the hell is going on?” she demanded, hands on hips.

Trinity appeared in the doorway behind her, looking between us with concern. “What’s gotten into you both?”

“Nothing!” Clint and I said in unison, both too proud to admit anything more.

“Take a walk. Now.” Mia’s voice was sharp, full of fire. “You two fighting will not be the memory I have of my wedding night. Sort it out!”

“Mia,” Trinity said gently, trying to soothe her.

“I’m fine,” Mia huffed, though her tone had softened. “Let’s go get a drink while these two neanderthals work their shit out.”

Clint and I just stood there like scolded children, neither of us saying a word. “Off you go,” Mia added, waving us toward the yard. “And don’t come back until you’ve worked it out.”

We didn’t argue. You don’t argue with a bride—not on her wedding day.

We headed halfway down the yard and flopped onto the grass, falling into silence. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to gather my thoughts, as Clint let out a long exhale beside me.

“You know you gotta tell her tonight, right?” he said, eventually. “You wanted support here when you did it, but we leave tomorrow for three weeks. You already played your hand, asking her to move in.”

“I didn’t mean for it to go down like this, bro.”

He nodded, understanding.

“I’m so in love with her, Clint. I’d give it all up for her. Walk away from everything, if that’s what it came down to. But even then … I still gotta tell her.”

He didn’t argue. Just nodded again.

“Fuck, I’ve made such a mess of this,” I said quietly, guilt gnawing through me. “I let it go too long…”

Clint reached over, gripped my shoulder, and gave it a firm pat.

We said nothing after that.

We just sat in the dark, smoking in silence, waiting for the courage to face whatever came next.

***

MIA

I couldn’t believe the sight that greeted me when I stepped outside. I’d heard Clint and Stephen’s voices the second I left our room—loud, sharp, angry. It didn’t take long to figure out what it was about. From the few pieces I caught, I knew this argument wasn’t about the usual day-to-day drama—it was about that secret. The one Stephen had let fester between him and Trinity for far too long.

I understood where he was coming from. So did Clint. What Stephen didn’t seem to realise was—we’d been there.

The thing was, I understood how Trinity felt about him, because it was the same way I felt about Clint. That depth of love—the kind that sees your flaws and loves you because of them, not in spite of them. The love that doesn’t flinch, even in the face of brutal truth.

The initial shock? Sure, it hurts. But love? Love is worth more than the pain.

Neither Clint nor Stephen ever wanted this life. It was handed to them—a twisted inheritance, a by-product of the hell they were born into. I’d heard them both talk, late into the night, about getting out. About leaving the business behind. About becoming something else. Something better. And I believed, as they got older, it was only a matter of time.

“Babe, I need you to take this.” I handed Trinity a blunt, my tone soft but urgent. “We need to talk.”

“What’s up?” she asked, dropping beside me. There was concern in her voice, and confusion flickering in her eyes.

I nodded toward the joint. “Light that first. You’re gonna need it.”

And so she did.

Then I told her ~everything~.

Everything about who Stephen really was.

Everything about what Clint and Stephen did.

Everything that led them into this life.

And then … I told her what Clint said to me when I first found out. How I’d reacted. How we had worked through it. How love, if real, could survive even the darkest truths.

“You need to remember your love for Stephen,” I told her gently, watching her carefully, “and why you two are meant to be together.”

Silence followed.

A long, heavy, deathly quiet. My heart pounded as I watched her process it all. The longer she stayed silent, the more worried I became.

Finally, I reached out and rested my hand over hers. That small gesture seemed to break the spell.

Trinity threw her arms around me, and I hugged her tightly in return.

“Thank you, Mia,” she whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion. “Thank you for trusting me. For opening up. I appreciate you telling me this, because honestly … there were times I thought I was going mad.”

I could see the turmoil etched into every line of her face.

“It’s … a shock?” she said, her brow furrowed, still trying to find her footing in this storm of truth. “I’m sure it was for you too, when you found out…”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” I admitted. “It tore me in two.”

“But it’s something—like you and Clint did—we could have talked about. Worked through.”

“Could have?” I repeated gently. That phrase didn’t sit right.

“He didn’t trust me…” she whispered, the heartbreak in her voice unmistakable. “All this time, Mia.”

I could only nod. There was no defending that.

“He made my choices for me. He showed me only the parts of himself he wanted me to see. How am I supposed to believe that everything we’ve said, everything we’ve done … meant something? He kept a huge part of himself hidden. How can I trust him now?”

“I’m sorry, Trinity,” I told her honestly. “And I know what I’m about to say might confuse you even more, but I need you to hear it, anyway.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “He has never loved anyone like he loves you. Ever. I’ve known him a long time, and I’ve never seen him give himself this completely to another person.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears.

“After everything I told you about his childhood … that’s only a fraction of what he’s lived through. He’s been shut off to everyone. For years. It took Clint so long to break back into his life, and they’re practically brothers.”

“But with you?” I reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. “You brought him back to life. You make him human. And I’m not saying that because I want to see you two work this out—though I do, because I love you, girl…”

“I love you too,” she murmured through a sniffle.

“I’m saying this because it’s the truth. Whether it’s ugly or beautiful—I’ll always tell you the truth.”

We cried together then—quiet, cathartic sobs—and held on to each other.

When I looked up, I saw them.

Stephen and Clint.

Standing silently at the edge of the deck. Their expressions were unreadable … but their eyes gave them away.

They knew.

“Baby?” Stephen’s voice cracked when he finally spoke. I widened my eyes slightly, warning him without words.

He must’ve understood, because in the next moment, he dropped to his knees.