Read The Runaway Viper (Viper #2) for Free Online Page A

bracelet into the bag once again. I want it protected until I’m nearly ready. "This might not be the life of luxury I imagined and it might be dangerous, but it's my life and it's the life I have with Jace. I cannot change fate and I won't."
    "Then why are you sitting up here moping and not getting ready to get married?" Josh asks with a small smirk. He’s right, I should be elated and buzzing with excitement. “So, can I go and shower and know you’ll do the same?”
    “Yeah,” I give him a quick response. It’s time to stop letting life pass me by. “Give me thirty minutes.”
    He puts an arm around me, bringing me into his embrace. His dots a kiss to my temple and leaves me be.
     
    ***
     
    When I'm ready, I turn to Josh who just stares. His mouth falls open a little and I giggle. I look down at myself and back up at him.
    "Will I do?" I ask him. I can hear the nerves in my tone, wavering with impending panic. I swallow it down, not allowing it to overpower me, and twirl around. When I stop, coyness has welcomed my body, and I lift my hand to make sure my simple hairdo hasn’t faltered. I look back at Josh who is still just standing there staring at me. “What?”
    “You look amazing,” he states and steps in.
    I feel amazing. The dress is a perfect fit, making me feel like a Goddess. I’ve tried to keep my makeup light with just eyeliner on my upper eyelid and pop of raspberry lipstick – Jace’s favorite. My hair I’ve left natural curly, allowing it to fall freely with only a tiny part thrust up into a messy knot. I’ve kept my look natural and at ease. The only important part to this day is the man waiting for me.
    “One more thing.” He puts a finger up to me, halting me from moving. He moves over to a bunch of gorgeous white flowers sitting on the bedside cabinet. I see him pluck out the wild flowers entwined within the bouquet and bring them over to me. “Turn around.”
    I listen and feel him thread the stem into my hair. I feel him move and see he is grabbing more hairpins. He places them into my hair and arranges the flowers into place. He backs away, and I take that as my cue to turn back to him.
    “Perfect,” he admires, and I feel the blush grow. “Now sundown is approaching, so can I have the honor of giving you away?”
    “Yes,” I confirm and am glad he came back into my life, more now than ever. He’s the only link to my family. If I can’t have my father right now, Josh is a close second.
    Josh leads the way, making me stay out of the way while he checks that everything is ready and everyone is in place. When he comes back, he’s alive with excitement, and it’s infectious. I can feel the butterflies wake up and trepidation oozes into my body, waiting for the electric explosion seeing Jace will cause.
    When we leave the villa, I see candles alight everywhere, contrasting against the dusky light shrouding the beach and pool. We walk around the pool, heading for the beach. I see Eli and Jace standing in shorts and shirts, keeping with the humidity. It’s not a conventional wedding, but already the memories are ones I don’t want to lose. When Jace’s eyes meet mine, I’m overcome with emotion. I feel like this is the fresh start we’ve been running toward. He watches me with such lust and admiration, and I pray marriage won’t change it. I step out onto the white chiffon path covering the sand and see Jace at the end, eagerly waiting. I stiffen at the sight of a new person, besides the person officiating the ceremony.
    “Keep walking. She’s another surprise.” Josh speaks with such a light delight in his tone I ease almost immediately. “We brought my wife out here to prove how safe it was.”
    And there it is, the gratification that we have survived the clutches of the viper curse.
    “Now c’mon,” he motions to Jace, and I hear a pop of music. It’s one of my piano pieces, another of Jace’s favorites.
    I walk with Josh down the small walkway until he releases