丁香五月久久婷婷综合拍

“Zaria,” he rubbed his forehead. This was not going to be an easy battle.

Seeing how difficult it was going to be to convince her to stay behind while her beloved entered what looked no different from a battlefield, Ximena picked up her makeup tools. “I’ll show Ciara around if she hasn’t gotten the hang of it yet. I don’t need to do the makeup, anyway.”

Desmond shot her a thankful glance and sat down in the chair next to hers. “Honey, I would let you come with me, but you know that it’s dangerous.”

“Which is exactly why you don’t have to go on your own. Don’t you know that better than anyone?” She demanded. Surely, he knew how worried she would be if he was on his own. What if the plan failed and he was trapped in there with Nathaniel, Gabriel, and who knows who else?

He took her hand and kissed it. “I would have let you come, but you are pregnant.”

She glared at him. She didn’t like the assumption that being pregnant made her less capable. However, he saved himself with an explanation that made sense. “If anything were to go wrong in there and you got shot, there are many medicines you wouldn’t be able to take. You would probably be in more pain than anyone else. I don’t want that to happen.”

“I’m not afraid of pain.” She insisted. But before he could remind her, she remembered what mattered the most. If she was shot in the wrong place, she might lose the baby. And with the kind of twisted mind Nathaniel had, he might aim for her stomach on purpose just to see it happen if she didn’t lose her life.

“Promise me you will come back in one piece.” She held his ace and kissed him. “You have to promise me, Des, that no matter what happens, I will not lose you.”

.....

He deepened the kiss slightly. “I will try my best, my love. And if it’s either me or Nathaniel, I will come back to you alive and in one piece.”

“I don’t care who else is on the line. You have to make it.” She hissed. Then she reminded herself to tell Ximena and Natalie the same, as well as Theodore and Lucy. At the thought of Lucy, she calmed down a little. Her mother was the head of The Dark Knights. It wasn’t going to be easy to take her down no matter who tried.

Even so, she was worried.

“It’s time, my love. I have to go.” He kissed her one last time, just before Zeus came in without knocking, and immediately regretted it.

“Get a room, you two. You do know there’s an apocalypse happening out there, right?” he groaned, pretending to close his eyes even though he had not caught them in an awkward position.

Zaria rolled her eyes at him. “Are you going out there too?” She asked him worriedly.

“If I do, who will take care of my niece and sister?” He huffed.

She thought for a moment that he was talking about the baby in her belly but then realized he was going on about Rosaly. Her family had already accepted Rosaly as one of them. They would be thrilled when she finally adopted her and actually made her part of the Williams family.

“But if anyone tries to put a hand on my mother, I’m going out there and blowing their brains out.” He grinned, but there was nothing funny about it. He was nervous. They were all nervous, and when he kissed her forehead and hugged her, she knew how he felt too. Even the reckless Zeus was nervous.

Was it too late to subscribe to a religion and pray for their safety?

“Where’s Rosaly?” She asked.

“I hired a sitter for her.” Desmond answered, and Zeus added, “But I’m keeping my eye on her. If anyone tries anything funny, I’m blowing their brains out.”

She was relieved to find out that no one could possibly use Rosaly against them. She hugged them one last time and they left. Well, Desmond left, but she knew Ximena and Lucy were going to join him soon.

“How are they going to do it, exactly?” She asked.

“The assassin,” Zeus answered in two words and focused on his game. She took that as a sight to not ask too many questions. Maybe she should focus on something else. Which was impossible to do the longer it took. She heard the bridal chorus and knew their plan was about to be set in motion. Then she heard gunshots and screams and she didn’t know what was going on. If she was here on her own, she would have run out there. It was killing her to hear it and not know what was happening.

______

Half an hour ago, on the lower level of the mansion.

“I can’t believe I lived long enough to see one of my grandchildren get married. They all seemed too uninterested in settling down.” Nathaniel remarked as soon as he arrived, referring to Zaria. “Especially Zaria. You would think marriage was a plague in her mind.”

“What can I say? My best friend is way too charming for her to resist.” Evan answered before Desmond could. He was the best man for this wedding since Liam was the best man for the real one.

To his remark, Nathaniel laughed and so did Gabriel. Although he didn’t say it, Evan could see on his grandfather’s face that he was pleasantly surprised.

With their complicated relationship these last few months, it was nearly expected that Desmond would not invite him to his wedding, let alone make him the best man. However, that was not what made Gabriel feel that rush of joy clear in his eyes. It was something else entirely. Not only was he going to get rid of Desmond and Zaria today, but he would pull out the thorn in his side at the same time.

Unfortunately for the scheming old geezers, Zeus had made sure he had deactivated every bomb the two of them set up prior to the wedding. Lucy had a sensor on her, so she would know if any of the guests came in with any fatal weapon.

There were bridesmaids that no one else knew but them, and unbeknownst to Nathaniel and his ally, they were all trained personnel. One of them was an expert thief with magical fingers. She would steal the bullets and guns from them and they wouldn’t even find out.

That was what was happening while they waited for the bride.

As soon as the bridal chorus began, Ciara walked down the carpeted staircase and toward Desmond. She gave a nod to signify that the snipers were in place.

Then she took off her veil and raised her gun to shoot. But she did not point it at Nathaniel as previously agreed. She pointed it at Liam.

“I’m sorry, they paid double.” She smirked. Natalie, who was standing closest to her, fired at her but she was not fast enough. Ciara’s bullet hit Liam before Natalie’s found her chest.