Simon Says Die

embrace. “What do you mean, again ? You can’t possibly want to ever see me after this. I was horrible to you. Twice. I said the most awful, cruel things.”
    â€œYes, you did. But then I read your text.”
    She let out a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
    He gently smoothed her hair back. “Say it.”
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œNot that, say what you said in the text.”
    She frowned, then understanding dawned. “I love you,” she said, as if she was confessing a terrible secret.
    â€œIt’s about damn time you admitted it. How about we try this again?” He stood and fished in his pocket, then dropped to his knees.
    She stared in disbelief at the solitaire diamond ring he held. “You can’t be serious, after what I did to you.”
    â€œIt’s my duty,” he said. “Someone has to take you in hand, and protect the world from you.”
    Her throat thickened with the urge to cry. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
    He laughed and leaned forward, kissing her cheek, gently smoothing her hair out of her eyes. “I love you, Mads. Is that really so hard to believe?”
    â€œBut . . . you let me go so easily, when I broke up with you. You never came after me. I never thought you cared for me as much as I did you.”
    â€œI knew you were lying when you told me you were bored and ready to move on. You needed time. I knew you were working through something. I didn’t know what you were working through, but I knew you weren’t ready. I have to admit, after a while, when you didn’t come back, I pretty much thought I was an idiot and had imagined the way you’d looked at me, the way you touched me or said my name in your sleep. I began to think I might be wrong about how you felt.”
    She shook her head. “You knew I’d lied?”
    He nodded.
    â€œHow? You always know when I’m lying. You said I do something when I lie. What do I do?”
    He grinned and brushed her hair back behind her ear. “If you haven’t figured it out, I’m not telling.”
    She started to argue, but he pulled her to him and kissed her thoroughly until she was quite breathless.
    When he pulled back, she looked at him in wonder. “Will you marry me, Pierce?”
    He burst into laughter and slid the ring onto her finger. Then he grabbed her by the waist and literally swept her off her feet.

 
    Epilogue
    L OGAN GLANCED DOWN at his shirt and wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Why the hell are we wearing pink?”
    Pierce grinned. “The same reason we wore purple on your wedding day. That’s what the bride wanted.”
    Logan sighed heavily. “Point taken.” His face wore a resigned look as he waited for his wife, Amanda, to make her appearance as the matron of honor.
    Pierce stood next to him, not minding at all that he and Logan were wearing pink shirts, pink cummerbunds, and pink bow ties with their black tuxedos—as long as it made Madison happy. He didn’t even mind that Madison had chosen to get married outside in the blustery wind in Whitefield Square, standing in front of a gazebo, where all the tourists could gawk at them.
    What he did mind was that the men he worked with were sitting in the rows of white folding chairs on the grass a few feet away, hiding their smiles behind their hands.
    Taking pictures of him.
    Wearing pink .
    He didn’t bother to lower his voice when he stared at one of the agents in the front row, snapping picture after picture with a huge grin on his face.
    â€œDid you bring your gun?” he asked Logan.
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œI’ll need to borrow it after the ceremony.” He narrowed his eyes at the agent.
    â€œIs there a problem?” Logan asked.
    The agent paled and lowered his camera.
    Pierce grunted in satisfaction. “Not anymore.”
    He looked over at his brothers, sitting on the groom’s side on the front row. He nodded in response to Braedon’s grin and his thumbs up signal. Devlin was next to him, looking bored. Austin was sitting in the last seat. Today was one of his good days. No wheelchair. Just a cane.
    Pierce couldn’t help but grin when he saw where Matt was sitting—next to Tessa on the second row, with a dark frown on his face, as if he’d been forced to sit by her and didn’t want to. Tessa was pretending to ignore him,