Pika sensed my building tension, nibbling at my ear with his beak. “Jinx. Jinx!”
I stiffened, looking at the tiny parrot on my shoulder. “Another new word, huh? Decided to expand your vocab, little nightmare?”
Pika narrowed his black eyes, that cheeky look that always heralded mischief appeared. He squawked and stomped his claws on my blazer, kicking up a fuss. The ribbon where I’d tied our wedding rings dangled preciously in his talons.
“Don’t you dare drop that.” I growled as he fluttered around my head, the silver ribbon in question swinging wildly.
Three rings hung from it, clinking together with flashes of flawless Hawk diamonds as Pika continued to zip and dip. The glitter reminded me of the first diamond I’d given Eleanor. Disguised as a guest’s payment for the cave fantasy, but really, it’d been a troth of my love for her even then. Eventually, I’d commission that stone to be turned into a bracelet or necklace—another piece of jewellery for the woman who owned me in every way.
“It was a mistake giving that damn bird a fortune in rings. What if he flies out to sea and drops them, just to piss you off?” Cal muttered, his gaze locked on Jess as she continued to close the distance between us.
“He wouldn’t.” I held out my hand, keeping one fisted on my cane and the other acting as a perch for the chaotic caique. “Would you, Pika?”
He chattered and chirped, sitting on my forefinger and spearing his wing into the sky to preen. The rings continued to swing, almost as if he’d been a thief and pilfered them, instead of being my ring bearer.
Soft waves licked around my ankles, soaking the linen suit I wore.
I’d stood in my walk-in wardrobe for longer than I wanted to admit, staring at the racks of severe, regal, and CEO suits that hung on hangars ready to be worn. Ties of every colour waited to be chosen. My uniform of my past felt familiar and appropriate for an event as special as a wedding.
But...as I’d reached for the usual dark and dense fabric, I’d stopped. The man who wore suits for power as well as protection had died in Geneva and not come back. I was marrying Eleanor today with a much lighter soul and not nearly as many sins that needed to be hidden within a stifling suit.
Today, I was free and I’d chosen simple linen trousers, rolling up the cuffs to reveal bare feet that patrolled the sands of my Elysium. A white shirt tucked in with buttons undone around my throat to let humid air lick around my chest, and a blazer that held a simple orchid pinned to the breast pocket.
I was underdressed for my own wedding but it felt like the perfect choice because I was underdressed in all manners when it came to Eleanor. The only decoration that’d felt appropriate was the dangerous purple flower that’d started me on this journey. A path full of deceit and corruptibility, using sex against women and possession against life, but it’d ended with four hundred bottles of elixir being destroyed by Mrs. Bixel in Geneva at my command.
Those who deserved to die had died—including me.
Those who deserved to be freed had been freed—including Eleanor.
Life had untangled the mess I’d caused and I’d never been so fucking grateful.
“You look amazing,” Cal murmured as Arbi relinquished Jess to him the moment she was close enough.
She smiled as her eyes glowed with affection. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Throwing me a glance, she added, “You either, Sullivan.”
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes from where the sand kissed jungle, desperate for Eleanor to appear and begin her journey toward me. Two men caught my attention in the distance, alert and ready to protect, patrolling my shores.
Radcliffe and his team from Quietus had traded in their murder-for-hire and accepted new positions as my security team on Batari, Monyet, and Serigala, protecting the people and animals I held most dear. The team who’d failed to shield my scientists on Monyet—when Drake stole elixir—had been dealt with, the families of the guards who’d died in my employee had been heavily compensated, and I’d paid off Google Earth to obscure my archipelago, so no other man like my brother could spy on my islands and drop a bomb of destruction.
I’d done what I could to protect me and mine, and it helped knowing Quietus had my back.
Jess whispered, “You should see her, Cal. Wow.”
My skin instantly puckered with goosebumps. Impatience flared through me. Pressure filled my stomach and lust thickened my cock.
I hadn’t even seen her yet and I already wanted to tear off whatever she was wearing and consummate.
Licking her lips, Jess spoke to me, almost mocking in her smug laugh, “If you manage to stay standing when you see her, Sullivan. I’ll be beyond impressed.”
My heart switched its heavy chug for a possessive gallop.
Come on, Jinx.
I miss you.
“Shit, she’s here,” Cal muttered under his breath, wedging his elbow into my side, pointing at the beach farther down.
My gaze instantly searched for her, but at the last second, I squeezed them shut.
I closed them because I needed fucking strength.
If I looked before I’d locked my knees and braced against my cane, I would do exactly what Jess predicted and fall into the shallows the moment I set eyes on my soon-to-be wife.
“Fuck, sir. You’re screwed for the rest of your life,” Cal snickered.
Gritting my teeth, I looked up.
I tracked to the shoreline where Eleanor had appeared and all my fight to stay standing abandoned me.
Fuck.
Just...fuck.
Her grey gaze caught mine, holding me upright even as my legs threatened to buckle. I swayed and clung to my cane, dropping the hand holding Pika to double fist the carved handle.
Pika squeaked and flew around my head but he was insignificant.
I couldn’t tear my eyes off the fucking gorgeous creature coming toward me. The girl
