100 PROOF Page 26

  My face felt hot, the pit of my belly fluttering. “I’ve been ready.”

  “Good.” He held my hand tighter, starting a light jog across the lawn, my hand still in his. I ran in my heels, not giving a damn how crazy I looked.

  Me, the runaway bride.

  I laughed as we reached the sidewalk, continuing our race to freedom. I glanced over my shoulder, towards the church parking lot. There were a lot of cars there. A lot of people were waiting to see Lloyd Harris get married. Lloyd would be so embarrassed.

  Good. He fucking deserved it.

  We didn’t stop until we came upon the nearest bus stop. To our luck, a bus was just pulling up and we boarded it, paying quickly, and then rushing towards the back. All of the seats were full so we remained standing, him with his hand wrapped around my waist, his eyes connected with mine, and the other hand gripping a silver rail.

  “Lloyd is going to throw the biggest bitch fit of his life,” he chuckled through heavy breaths.

  “I know,” I laughed, catching my breath. “Sucks we won’t be able to witness it.”

  “Hell yeah, it does. I wouldn’t mind paying to see that shit happen.” I smiled harder, lowering my gaze. His finger tipped my chin again, putting my focus back on him. He looked me deep in the eyes, like he had so much to say but didn’t know how to express himself.

  So I spoke instead.

  “You were wrong about one thing back there,” I told him when the bus finally took off.

  “What do you mean?” His eyes burned with curiosity.

  “You said that you’ve let me down more than you’ve lifted me up.” I looked out of the window, watching the cars pass by, the sunlight flashing on each one. “That’s a lie. You’ve lifted me up way more than you think. The only times I ever feel whole and on top of the world is when I’m with you, Vinny.”

  He smiled softly. “Yeah?”

  “Yes.”

  He wrapped me tighter in his arm, gripping the rail. The bus stopped again and more people came on board. It was even more crowded now, but I didn’t care.

  I didn’t care that there were people around, or that we were riding with no destination in sight. I probably looked like a fool wearing this expensive wedding dress that took up nearly the entire walkway, while he only wore a shirt and shorts, but I simply did not care.

  I looked up into Vinny’s eyes and the only thing I cared about was being here together. Running away. Chasing happiness. Our happiness.

  “I was lost before I met you, Bob Marley,” he murmured in my ear, a smile in his voice. “When I first met you, I knew you were the one.” He kissed my cheek. He started to kiss it again, but I turned my head, pressing into him, allowing our lips to connect instead.

  He brought his arm higher around my shoulders, not daring to pull away. We didn’t care who was watching. We were finally together and for once, I wasn’t so much afraid of what the future had in store for me.

  We’d gone through a lot of shit together. We’d been up and down way too many times to count. Our love was a rollercoaster. It was bumpy and wild, fast and dangerous, but it was what made us who we are.

  • • • • •

  We rode the bus to the airport.

  We didn’t fly to Cali, like I thought we would.

  Instead, Vin pulled out money he’d saved—and apparently some money Lloyd threw at him to leave me alone—and booked us flights to Miami. I bought clothes from one of the shops at the airport and changed, leaving that expensive wedding dress hanging in one of the stalls. Maybe a woman who actually needed it would take it.

  My phone was ringing constantly, as well as Vin’s. His mother was calling him, Mr. Harris, and even Lloyd. Lloyd was the only one calling me. Vin grew fed up with the constant chiming, so he turned both our phones off and then, I couldn’t believe it, but he tossed them in the trash.

  “We won’t need them where we’re going anyway,” he shrugged. “I know all the numbers I need to know by heart. Becks. Zay. I’ll call them after we vacation.”

  I didn’t argue. I only smiled.

  We boarded our flight six hours later, my heart beating a mile a minute. I was really doing this. I was really running away with him. For a split second, I wondered if I would regret this later. Would Vin screw up again, leaving me with nothing?

  I mean, we’d just boarded a plane to fly across the country with no clothes, no cellphones, and none of our belongings, just a large chunk of his money and our booming, spontaneous hearts.

  My mind raced, but when he grabbed my hand and our eyes connected, I knew.

  Don’t ask me how, I just knew.

  He wasn’t going to screw up again.

  He wanted this—wanted me. He fought for me. He didn’t leave me behind. He showed up exactly when I needed him to. In a way, he rescued me from a lifetime of misery. He wasn’t going to ruin this by letting me go again.

  He’d changed and had become a restored man. He was still the Vin I knew, but more careful. More sincere. Less reckless, but still a beautiful mess on occasion.

  To an outsider, it may have seemed foolish to run away with the used-to-be addict of a brother. I didn’t care.

  Though he was a mess, he was a beautiful one.

  And he was mine. All mine.

  VIN

  We spent an entire week in Miami, just us. Uninterrupted time in a room with an ocean view. I’d never seen her so happy.

  Of course when we returned, Lloyd made it his mission to make my and Marley’s life a living hell. To my surprise, after I told Becks the real story, she didn’t hold much of it against me. Was she upset? Yes. But mostly because she had put a lot of time and effort into planning the wedding, and I basically fucked it up.

  She wasn’t angry with me, though, nor was she upset with Marley. She understood, and found it one of the biggest coincidences she’d ever been a part of. She told me, “Love is love. You can’t fight it, and even if you do, it will always win.”

  Lloyd cancelled the health insurance for Marley’s mom as soon as he could. Her well-checks and treatments were no longer being covered, which made Marley question herself and wonder how she was going to help her, but me and Ryan took care of it . . . for the next two months anyway.

  Her mother passed away only two months in. I’d never seen her cry so much—not since Noelle died.

  Her mother wasn’t the only one who was sick. While we were in Miami, she filled me in on Dickhead Senior’s disease, while I told her all about the $100,000 Lloyd threw in my face. I used it to make our trip one of a kind. Shit, why waste it? He wasn’t coming back for it.

  She found it cute that I’d picked her over that much money.

  I didn’t think a disease like Huntington’s was deserved but . . . well, that motherfucker Will deserved it. He started losing his grip on things. He still handed the company over to Lloyd, but Lloyd was fucking miserable. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He wasn’t even six months into owning it before it went bankrupt. Becks did her best to try and get him out of the mess, but there was only so much she could do for him. Not to mention, he was a stubborn little shit and thought he could handle it himself.

  I told Marley all about the night Will let me drink and then set me up, and even how Lloyd was a part of it. She couldn’t believe they would do something so cruel, but she understood my rage.

  The only person I felt bad for was my mother, who was stuck in the middle with them. Her husband was slipping away, while her youngest child was screwing things up. At least he was finally getting the attention he’d always wanted. Dumbass should have just stuck with flying planes.

  Marley started doing better though. We both did.

  Months passed, and I was so thankful my club was still up and running. Zay and me pulled out all the stops we could to make sure it remained a success. We were featured in local magazines and even featured on the news for having one of the highest ranked clubs in Laguna.

  Marley kept her art studio in Texas, but rented it ou
t to aspiring artists. On her birthday the following year, I gave her a little surprise.

  “Where are you taking me?” she laughed when I took a hard left and drove down a dirt path.

  I smiled. “You’ll see.”

  The drive lasted for nearly twenty seconds. Soon, we were surrounded by lush palm trees and I could even hear the ocean roaring from a distance. She wore sunglasses and a white sundress. Her hair was longer, touching her back now, in tight, dark curls.

  She looked amazing.

  I finally pulled up to the small building, parking in front of it. Marley jumped out with me, and I walked around, grabbing her hand and leading the way. Pulling out a set of keys, I unlocked the door and we walked past a few offices. There were worn wooden stairs that led upwards, giving the place a rustic appeal.

  She smiled on our way up. When we finally reached the second floor, I unlocked the door ahead and as soon as I did, her smile completely collapsed.

  She released my hand and stared around the loft. It was set up with some of her paintings from home, old and new. The counters were stainless marble, a clean, slate gray. Everything was set up for her, from the art supplies, to her aprons, and even a snack and coffee station in front of the wide, arched window.

  “Vin.” She turned to face me. She didn’t have to speak in order for me to know how delighted she was. Her actions said it all.

  She rushed my way, clashing right into me. I picked her up, laughing behind her many kisses. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you bought it!” she squealed.

  “I saw you looking at it—you even mentioned it several times. See?” I flashed a wide smile. “I do listen.”

  She giggled. “Yeah. Only on the rarest occasions.” She slid out of my arms, but kept hers wrapped around my neck. “I seriously love you, you know that?”

  “Yeah, I know.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “But I will always love you more, Bob Marley.” The corners of her lips curled, and she reeled me down by the back of the neck, starting to kiss me, but before she could, I held up a finger. “Wait,” I murmured.

  “For what?”

  With a smooth smile, I pulled away and lowered to one knee, bringing out the box that’d felt like a weight in my pocket all day. She gasped, cupping her mouth, staring down at me with wide, bright blue eyes.

  “Too soon?” I asked with a slight wince.

  And she broke out in laughter, shaking her head, still in disbelief.

  “Fuck what everyone else has to say.” I opened the box, revealing the square-cut diamond ring on the silver band. “Marlena Winters, I know I’m still a little fucked up, and I probably get on your nerves more than I should, but will you marry me, baby?”

  She nodded almost immediately, dropping down to her knees and tangling her arms around my neck. “Yes, Vinny! Yes, I will!” She kissed me hard and then looked down at the ring. “Fuck what everyone else has to say,” she said too.

  “It’s just us.”

  “Just us,” she repeated.

  I’d made a lot of mistakes in my life, but sliding that ring onto her finger wasn’t one of them. It was one of the greatest days of my life. I had her back, and I was never letting go again.

  With her, the cravings were hardly there. I still had my rough days, but she would guide me through them. She had her hard times, but I was there. I would always be there.

  I never thought I’d be a sucker for love. I never thought I’d give up something so potent for a love this fragile, but I did.

  She was the one I craved on a bad day—hell, she was the one I craved any day.

  Those bad habits were long gone, and the future was oh-so-bright.

  She was no longer my greatest addiction, she was my ultimate healer, and I was more than ready to share the rest of my life with her.

  I truly, truly don’t even know where to start. I haven’t written acknowledgements since Doomsday, so bear with me because it might be kind of long.

  100 PROOF took a lot of energy and a lot of time to craft and write. This story wasn’t simple because it hit so close to home for me, triggering all the feels and bringing up so many memories. But overall, I am in love with this story and I hope you fell in love with it to.

  I thank God for giving me this gift and for allowing me to live out a dream that I never thought I could reach. He has blessed me in so many ways.

  Thank you to the father of my children, my Juan Carlos, for ALWAYS being there for me. For devoting so much of your time to watching our babies solo while I pounded at the keyboard during the day, or even late at night. I love you and our babies so, so much. Thank you for supporting my dream and for always believing in me. You’ve helped me stay positive through our ups and downs. You are always there - you’re my best friend - and I love you to death. Forever and always!

  I want to send a huge thank you to my mother for cheering me on, and my auntie Meka and brother Sean for supporting me in selfless ways and helping me chase this dream. Thank you for having my back and for helping me keep my passion alive! I love you!

  Dajai and Taylor - my bitchessss! Without the weekly laughs and getting chances to relax with y’all, my life would be so boring. My secondary characters would probably be the lamest characters ever created. The ideas for them (mainly the funny ones) come from y’all! Yes, that means you inspire me! You can be yourselves and I can be myself, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life. I love y’all and I’m so proud of you guys for hustling! Keep it up! We’re reaching the stars together!

  Heather Orgeron - oh my goodness girl. I love you so much! You are the best Felicia I could ever have! You are one of my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. Thank you for always being there for me!

  To B.B. Reid: you listen to my rants, my jokes, indulge in my corniness, and you have become a good friend to me. Thank you for keeping my sanity intact. Lord knows I can’t let that slip away! LOL.

  Thank you Jenn Watson & Social Butterfly PR for taking me on! Still feeling like a super cool client over here.

  TO MY AMAZING READERS! If you are reading this, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. No, seriously. Thank you! I am nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING without my readers. You guys are so amazing, especially the Sweethearts. Y’all know how to make a girl feel special, I tell you. I love you all. Never leave me, okay? ;-)

  To every single reader, blogger, reviewer and anyone who has shared their excitement over this novel, THANK YOU! There is never an email, message, comment, or even a LIKE that is overlooked. I appreciate it all.

  And to Montez...I still think about you. I love you. I miss you. I wish I could hug the hell out of you right now. Keep watching over the family. We love and miss you so much. It still hurts, but I know you’ll always be here.

  IF YOU’RE HERE, YOU’RE PROBABLY FINISHED READING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ IT!

  DON’T FORGET THAT POSTING A REVIEW, WHETHER BIG OR SMALL, IS ALWAYS A BIG HELP AND IS MUCH APPRECIATED!

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  SERIES

  FIRENINE SERIES

  THE BEWARE DUET

  VENOM TRILOGY

  SWEET PROMISE SERIES

  STANDALONES

  DOOMSDAY LOVE

  TAINTED BLACK

  INFINITY

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10
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  Chapter 11

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue