Khan (Bowen Boys, #2)(44)
When Corrine and George stood with them as their best man and matron of honor, Monica knew for the rest of her days she would remember this day as the most wonderful one in her life. She looked up at Khan. “I didn’t say yes.” He looked at her wide-eyed, and she nearly laughed. “You’ve been handling me again, and we had a talk about this, remember?”
“Yes, but I—”
“No buts. You told me just this morning that we would make sure that we discussed any big decisions and not make them without consulting the other.” She looked over at George who looked ready to bust his buttons on his jacket. “Would you consider this a big decision, George?”
“Yes,” he told her with a strained voice full of humor. “I would say this rates right up there with one of the biggest.”
“Dad, you’re not helping.”
She turned him to look at her when he continued to glare at his dad. “You think you need help with me, big boy?” He shook his head then leaned down to her ear. When he nipped at it hard, she knew she’d gone too far.
“No. You don’t need help. Because if you don’t stop this right now, I’m going to make you wish you had.” He kissed her on the mouth. “Marry me?”
“Well of course I will. I’m so glad you asked.” The wedding proceeded with everyone laughing right along with them.
It was a grand affair, one she knew that forever would be the greatest day in both their lives. The staff at the White House had gone all out for their wedding feast and by the time the wedding cake was rolled out, she was so full she thought she’d need a cart to take her out.
Along with tomato bisque, there was rare roast beef with new potatoes, green beans with ham, and grilled onions. Grilled asparagus with butter was accompanied by rolls so fluffy that biting into them was heavenly. Fresh fruit and small almond cookies graced the table as well as center pieces made from marzipan that had been shaped into small Christmas trees decorated with tiny candy canes and little brightly-colored balls.
The cake, however, was a masterpiece. Three tiers of white frosting that were decorated for the coming spring. Flowers and butterflies with the same cranberry of her dress, cherry trees with small blossoms ready to open. But it was the artwork across the bottom that had her smile. Panthers ran around the entire cake, chasing and jumping over logs and the forest grounds. And in one corner were a white Bengal tiger and a large orange one as well. She kissed both men on the cheek when she saw them there with her family.
“We couldn’t just let the black cats have all the fun. Besides,” Warren told her with a hug, “you’re as much part of our family as the rest of them. I do hope you enjoyed your wedding day. Khan worked very hard on pulling this off.”
“I did. Very much so. And thank you for everything. Not many people can say that they were married at the White House.” And, of course, she couldn’t either. There were strict rules about this sort of thing. So they had said it was simply a party to celebrate their day.
As the band started playing, she went to find her husband. It sounded strange to say that and couldn’t wait to be able to sign her name officially as Monica Bowen. She found Khan in the rose garden with his brothers.
As soon as she kissed them all and they welcomed her to the family, they left her and Khan alone. He pulled her into his arms and began dancing with her in the moonlight. It was cold, but he kept her very warm.
“I love you very much.”
She smiled at him when he told her.
“I have one more gift for you.”
“You’ve done so much for me today. I love you very much.”
He kissed her again and reached into his pocket. “It’s been in my family for generations. I think for about fourteen or so.” He took the necklace out of the long box and had her turn around. “Every leader of the family has a small stone added to it. The addition will mean something to him and he gives it to his mate so she can remember him.”
He showed her the small stone that was his. It was a bright amethyst as purple, he told her, as her eyes when she looked at him.
The necklace was on a braided chain, chain mail, he told her, so that if it were ever worn when the wearer shifted, it wouldn’t break as easily. The pendent was a beautiful carved panther. Under his face was a large decorative “B” for the family name. The stones were balanced on either side and she noticed that hers was the only purple one. The one opposite of hers was a moonstone, white with caramel-colored veins running through it.
Just after midnight, they went back to Walker and Caitlynne’s home. She and Khan were to go to a hotel, but they ended up at the house with everyone else when Caitlynne got word of another murder. They wanted to be close in the event that Barr wasn’t finished for the night.
“We have to do something. He’s not going to stop.”
Monica agreed with Caitlynne.
“Tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’re going to sit down with a team and we’re going to figure out a way to find him and bring him in. Short of that, we’re going to have to put you somewhere safe. Where he won’t find you ever.”
Neither she nor Khan wanted to go into hiding.
Chapter Sixteen
Tony lay where he was for several minutes. He could move. He just didn’t have a clue where he was. Or for that matter how he had gotten there. It was bright out, he knew that much. And he was out of doors because he was freezing cold. Rolling over so that he was face up, he opened his eyes slowly.