“Holy fuck,” I murmured on a breath, devouring her with my eyes.
The afternoon sun beamed down on her, bathing her in a golden light that turned her hair, which hung loose and tousled around her gorgeous face, to a blazing halo of burnished copper. A sleeveless dress made from ivory satin hugged her beautiful body, its long hem trailing behind her, a slit in the side revealing her toned, bare right thigh. On her feet…nothing. In her hands, a bouquet of baby fern fronds and tiny white flowers, bound together by an ivory ribbon that kissed her toes.
God, she was stunning and perfect and gorgeous, and I loved her so much I didn’t know how to breathe.
“Ready?” Lila asked on a chuckle.
Ronnie winked at me from the grass’s edge.
“Hell yeah,” I said, staring at her.
I was lost.
To her. To how gorgeous she looked. To the moment. To the unfathomable fact the only thing I’d ever truly wanted in my life—a life lived with Ronnie, being loved by Ronnie—was real.
I was lost.
Which is the only excuse I have for missing the distant sounds that should have put me on edge.
Should have warned me.
I didn’t pay attention to them.
I was marrying my reason for breathing.
With another wink at me and a quick pat on Groot’s head, Ronnie stepped onto the sand and began to walk toward us.
And that’s when the noise of the descending helicopter penetrated my euphoric state. That’s when the sound of its blades cutting the air sliced into reality, destroying the serenity, the moment…
I looked up, furious at whoever thought it was a good fucking idea to buzz a beach wedding in a chopper. What kind of tourist company or nosy gawker would do that?
The helicopter—black with no markings or signage that I could see—landed a few feet from Ronnie, who was now crouched down beside Groot, hugging him to the side of her leg. Groot, for his part, was barking with protective, angry frenzy. I fucking knew exactly how he felt.
“What’s going on?” William Underwood shouted over the ruckus. “Did you plan this, Pratt?”
I swung my head to frown at him but stopped at the worried look on Lila’s face.
“I don’t like this, Lucas,” she said, stare locked on the helicopter.
Fluffy shook his head, eyes narrowing. “Me eith—”
Something struck him. Flung him backward.
Tannah cried out, rushing toward him. Janice shrieked, loud and shocked.
And then Ronnie’s scream cut the air.
I spun around, just in time to see a massive mountain of a man dressed in black grab Ronnie’s hair. Just in time to see another man beside him swing the Glock fitted with a silencer in his hand toward me, grin wide.
And then Groot attacked the fucker grabbing Ronnie’s hair. He latched onto the man’s calf, Ronnie slammed her elbow into his balls, and I sprinted for her.
The man aiming his gun at me grinned wider, and the bullet skimmed past my head, slicing at my ear just before I heard the suppressed crack of it being fired.
I ran.
And the man fighting with Ronnie kicked Groot in the side and pressed the nose of a pistol to Ronnie’s temple.
I froze.