Chapter 38 Betrothed Redux

Magnum

Wren and I walked through the front door of the Golden Dragon restaurant together, holding hands, deeply in love. Six months ago, she came here with my brother, a man she didn't love, intending to marry him because of Kenny's threats.

Memories of that night often came to me, but being here again brought back some hardcore déjà vu. She was so buckled up and hidden under her argyle sweater and pearl necklace, her feet stuffed into confining loafers.

Now she was confidently wearing a red silk dress that hugged her curves and sexy heels that showed off her painted toes. She'd even added a small dragon tattoo to her left shoulder. It didn't show in this dress, but I was intimately familiar with it.

I remembered the way the grief in her eyes made me want to pull her aside and force her to tell me everything. It was so obvious that she was desperate to escape the confines of the world she'd grown up in. The self-inflicted marks on her arms were symbols of her literally trying to claw her way out of her own skin.

Now she was free and happy, not worrying about money or Kenny anymore, going to school like she'd always wanted after spending the summer traveling the world with me by her side. Now, she was free to explore her sexuality on her own instead of looking it up or asking me questions. Now, she knew that she did like it when I took her ass, and she had no problem signaling to me when she wanted it.

I'd told Wren tonight was a get-together to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and visit with Sylvie, whose cancer was in remission again.

In truth, I'd planned an elaborate proposal for my girl.

Gavin was in on it because I needed his cooperation and approval to pull the whole thing off. Everyone else was clueless and just eager for any chance to come up to Los Angeles for dim sum and a party.

Wren and Tamika had spent several days fretting over the proper mooncakes to bring to share with family and friends. I felt a bit of guilt over causing her that stress as I carried the box of carefully prepared mooncakes into the restaurant, but it also created a diversion so she wouldn't notice my planning behind the scenes.

I'd reserved the banquet room on the second floor, and we were late, so most of the guests were waiting upstairs.

When we reached the upper level, we were greeted by Vander and Celeste, Steel and Brandy, Sylvie and Jameel, Julian and a guy friend of his who I'd forgotten his name, Gavin and... who was that? Gavin and another Asian girl who looked a lot like Wren.

I couldn't blame him. If I'd lost Wren, I'd be searching high and low to find her back any way I could.

The banquet manager took the mooncakes from me. "Serve these after the meal but not the others until I give the signal."

He nodded and whisked the box away .

Also present were Stella, Fiona, Tamika, Kane, Shadow, Locke, Talon, Helix, Zac Fontaine, Remy and his sister Sutton, and Auggie and Haven visiting from Atlanta. I shook the hand of Destry Guthrie, a rocker that Stella had met backstage during one of the many security gigs I'd been taking so Wren could get backstage passes at the events. Apparently, he was famous, but I didn't follow him, so I just shook his hand like he was a normal dude with long hair and ink.

Vander approached and smirked at me. "Mid-Autumn Festival, huh?"

I couldn't tell him to shut the fuck up because he was my boss. "Embrace the season, man."

He chuckled and walked away with Celeste holding his hand.

Helix was the only one sitting at the table already. He had his scowl narrowed in on Destry. I walked up to him. "You being antisocial tonight?"

"When am I ever social?"

"You have your moments." Helix would storm off in anger and disappear for months then come back acting like he'd never left.

"This isn't one of them." He crossed his arms and turned his gaze toward Wren. "She pregnant?"

My teeth clenched. "I'm giving you a break because you seem a little off right now, but say something like that again, and I'll be giving you another kinda break."

He blinked and turned to look up at me, a sly grin spreading on his lips. "Alright, friend. I'll keep my thoughts to myself."

"Don't even think about her. "

He laughed and relaxed in his chair, whatever was bothering him suddenly not a problem anymore.

Wren smiled huge and wrapped her arms around me as she checked out the decor. "This place looks so pretty." Red lanterns, fall leaves, moons and stars, and some traditional Chinese art scrolls.

It did look great but not as good as she did in her dress and nothing compared to her warm arms around my waist. The now familiar buzz of complete and total devotion filled my chest, and I had to cough to stop myself from kissing her senseless and begging her to marry me right now. "Let's eat first."

"First? Before what? Isn't dinner the point?"

"Yes. Let's eat now. I mean now." I pulled out a chair for her and told everyone to take a seat at the long table set up for us.

The waiters delivered hot tea, several family style traditional Chinese dishes were placed on the center turntable, and drinks were served all around.

Wren watched as Brandy refused a glass of wine. She glanced at me, and I smiled at her. In my head, I was practicing everything I had to say, so I didn't think much about her look.

Later, Wren was still watching Brandy. Finally she said, "No fish?"

Brandy blushed as she passed the fish dish along. "Not tonight."

"No wine?" Wren kept it up. Suddenly, I knew what she was on about .

I looked to Steel who was beaming with big white teeth. "You fucker," I said.

"What?" His mouth was full of food.

"Stealing my thunder."

"What thunder?" He acted like he had no clue.

"You're gonna have a baby?" Wren squeaked the sentence out at a high pitch and jumped up from her seat.

Brandy rose too and gave her a hug. Her stomach didn't look any different than usual to me. It was amazing how women could keep that shit secret for so long.

The table erupted into a big commotion while all the women hugged Brandy. Vander didn't react. Most likely, Steel had already told him and his wife.

Gavin watched all the excitement and shook his head. "Jeez. What is with these people? It's just a snotty kid."

"It'll be the first baby in the Knight Security family since we all retired from the Navy. Steel went through a lot to get there. You become a team guy and you'll know." It was hard to explain to a man who'd never faced down a bullet with you what it was like to see that man succeed and find happiness in the civilian world.

"I'll take your word for it."

Gavin had been working out and bulking up, but he would never make the teams. He didn't have the drive and determination needed to swim, run, hike, or shoot a weapon. Best he stuck to computers. Which reminded me. "How're things with school?"

"Good. Almost done with my certificate. "

He was taking tech classes similar to Wren's but at the junior college instead of the state college like her. "And who's your guest?"

"This is Adeline. She's a professor at the college."

"Really, Gav? Is that allowed?"

"I don't know." He shrugged and she blinked quickly, but neither one of them seemed too bothered by it.

The excitement about the baby announcement settled down, and we all finished our meal. They brought out Wren's mooncakes for dessert, and I stuffed those down into my very nervous stomach because as soon as dessert was over, I was on.

The music started, and I nearly tossed up all the chow I'd just consumed. Dancers wearing traditional dragon costumes entered and began to bop around on the small dance floor at the center of the room.

"I'll be right back."

Wren barely noticed me leaving because she was so enthralled with the dragons. In the kitchen, the banquet manager slid the costume over my head and I gripped the handles that held the dragon head before walking out to the back of the stage.

At the end of the song, the two dragons stopped moving, and I emerged from between them. I removed my head like I was the fucking Masked Singer or something.

I felt extremely awkward, but Wren loved it. Her eyes were big, mouth open. Totally shocked. She looked around like it was a joke.

I tossed the head aside, pulled the ring box, and slid in front of her, landing on one knee.

The crowd collectively gasped with her as I took her hand.

We hadn't talked about marriage much. It was a total surprise to her. As far as she knew, she was still sowing her oats and I would never commit to marriage.

Well, things had changed in the last six months, and I needed to let her know that. "The last time I did this, it was fake."

She covered her mouth with her hands.

"But I didn't want it to be. I wanted it to be as real as it is now."

Her face crumpled, and I knew the tears were coming so I struggled to get the words out fast. "I was a ship adrift at sea in a violent storm."

Too late, she was already crying.

"And you are my anchor."

I hadn't opened the ring box yet when she flew out of her chair and jumped me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, choking me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm proposing to my girl big style."

"Oh my God."

I peeled her off my neck and propped her up in front of me. "So, will you take this ring as a symbol of my unending devotion and to declare that I have chosen you above all else now until the end of time." I repeated the words we'd said at the city hall before we even knew we would mean it someday.

"Yes." She collapsed on me, weeping into my neck.

"Baby, stop crying so I can put these rocks on you."

She sniffled and sat up, giving me her ring finger. I slipped on the band with two princess cut diamonds that fit perfectly around the one she already had.

She stared at it through tears. "Is this really happening?"

"Hell yeah, but this time, only the best for you. No city hall steps. You want a yacht, a mansion, a church, the hills of Scotland, wherever you want, you get it."

She laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Fancy flowers, all your girls beside you, your dream dress. Make it all happen."

"I don't care about any of that."

"Yes, you do," Stella screamed from the table.

I laughed. "Whatever you want, you got it. The best of the best."

"Is that a yes?" Stella called out, impatient with us.

Wren turned to her. "Of course it is. Yes!"

We kissed again and finally separated after everyone got tired of watching us make out.

I gave the signal and the waiters emerged with the special fortune cookies I'd had delivered here earlier. Each one had a fortune that said, "Will you marry me?"

For the rest of the night, Wren kept opening them and saying yes and then kissing me. It was a great night.