Strike ( Book 4: Stronger Series )

20. Execution

After the ceremony, I took Jaden into a private office of the house to sign our marriage license. With her technically being legally dead, she didn't understand the point of it, but after telling her I'd already had her life reinstated under a different identity, she agreed. She signed the certificate with my last name as her own, and just like that, I raised her from the dead. I already had all her new IDs and passport in my travel bag ready for our honeymoon.

A hot wave of pride filled my chest as I watched Jaden sign that marriage license. Not only had I brought her back from the dead, but she also now legally belonged to me, and that left me fucking elated. My princess was now officially my queen.

We then spent another half hour taking pictures. Jaden was pleasantly cooperative for every pose, smiling seemingly without effort and being the happy bride she was supposed to be. I couldn't wait to have those photos in my hands. I'd have them plastered all over the house and my office so that every direction I looked, I could see her gorgeous, smiling face.

Sitting down for dinner with Matt and Kayla, Dan, Katherine, Regina, and Dom, the night momentarily settling down, I checked my phone to monitor the drone signals. They hadn't picked up anything yet, but of course if they had, I would have been notified immediately. I imagined in the next hour or so that would change, and it was difficult to quiet how fucking anxious I was.

If we were wrong about even the smallest element, it could prove disastrous, and I wouldn't allow one single thing to fuck up this night for Jaden. As much of a bastard as I was to her, she deserved a little peace when I could allow for it. If there was nothing but death and chaos, she'd wither away, and if you wanted your roses to bloom, you had to give them water and sunshine. And I intended to provide that to her for the rest of my life. With all the security provisions I had in place tonight, there was no way a fucking ant could even get in and out undetected.

I would just have to wait.

Jaden was pleasant throughout the dinner. She smiled often, interacted genuinely, and even found the courage to tease me about my interference with her walk down the aisle. I kept her sitting on my lap for almost the entire time, feeding her dinner and cake until she begged me to stop because she was full. I found myself having difficulty taking my eyes off her for even a second. She was so fucking beautiful dressed as she was, it was a damn miracle I didn't bend over the table and fuck her right there in front of everyone.

Once dinner was over, I pulled Jaden onto the dance floor for our first dance. She fit perfectly against me, and even though her mobility was somewhat limited by her dress and heels, she still moved just as gracefully. I didn't care if she could barely lift her legs more than a few inches, she looked fucking gorgeous in that dress. I hoped I would have enough decency to remember not to destroy it too much when we went to bed later.

As the night progressed, I introduced Jaden to every guest that came our way, making sure they all knew exactly who she was so they would know to respect her and never fuck with her. As polite as she was to all our guests, I could see the small twitches of her facial muscles as she took mental notes of each person. She was doing more than just memorizing them – she was sizing them up for everything they were worth. And it was amusing to watch.

"Didn't think I'd ever see the day," a voice to my right commented. I turned to find an old associate holding out his hand to me. "Congratulations to you both."

"Holden," I replied, gripping his palm for a handshake. "Glad you could make it."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world. The day Darren Davis finally gets hitched? Now that's got to be a very special woman," he said, his eyes now traveling to Jaden with a smile of intrigue on his face. I resisted the urge to break his teeth.