Page 126 of Beyond the Rules

Of course I knew what he was asking. His question echoed in the intensity of Tanner and Aiden’s gazes, in the lines that tensed their mouths and worried theirforeheads.

I took a deep breath. “Fuck the rules. I’m committed. To the three of you.Forgood.”

Zar’s throat rippled with emotion. Tanner’s smile beamed on me like a stunning sunrise. Aiden smiled too, but it was the light that brightened his eyes that reminded me of the power we had over each other to vanish the darkness. Tanner, Aiden, and Zar had hacked into the ruins of my life, given me the courage to dream anew, and now we got to move forward and rebuild our lives,together.

Tanner pulled a black velvet box from his pocket. “Foryou.”

“What’s this?” I gawked at the posh little box, taken completely aback. “Is this why you were latecominghome?”

“We had to pickitup.”

I flashed a wicked smile, remembering the last sexy gift he’d given me. “So, what new and exciting toy are you guys adding to mycollection?”

“You’ll see.” He traded a mischievous grin with Aiden and Zar. “Opensesame?”

An excited giggle bubbled up mythroat. “Sure.”

Tanner opened the box. A triple ring sat in a bed of velvet, three intertwined bands that were each different and yet fit together perfectly. I gasped. And stared. And gasped again. It was…stunning.

“Old-fashioned, we know,” Tanner said. “But we’re just three humble frogs, so bear with us. Take acloserlook?”

With trembling fingers, I picked up the gorgeous ring. The first band was a smooth silver circle that twinkled under the light. Inside, it was inscribed with Aiden’s name and four words:Love of my life. Simple, yes, and yet cataclysmically powerful. I met his gaze through a veil of hottears.

“They’re tears, yes, but of the good kind,” I rushed to explain betweensniffs.

“I know.” His lips appropriated my mouth and I basked in Cassiopeia’s brilliance shinning down on me and the sweet, brave warrior who’d taught me to defeat my dark by hunting the stars. He’d shown me the way out of my pain by sharing his, and he’d taught me that I too could overcome cynicism, heal my old wounds, and adore unconditionally, as helovedme.

Slowly, reluctantly, Aiden broke our kiss. He gestured to the ring lying on my palm. “Go on. Look at thenextband.”

I studied the second band, studded with a sash of white diamonds. It was so bright, I had to squint. Inside, Tanner’s name was etched in tiny captions, along with an equally tiny inscription: Light ofmysoul.

I put my hand on my chest and tried to still my runaway heart. It was going to burst from pure, exquisite joy. Tanner, my generous warrior, drew me against his chest and held me there. I tilted up my head and kissed the smile that had dazzled me on day one, the lure that had drawn me out of my skepticism and into this new life, opening up the path to the improbable and the impossible. He’d captured my heart and freed me to love unlimited. I sobbed, because true love was about finding your place in the world and I’dfoundmine.

“Hush, sweetheart.” Tanner hugged me, his fingers soft against the back of my neck. “Will you look at thenextband?”

My gaze shifted to Zar. His eyes burned with intensity, light blue like the hottest part of the flame. I took a deep breath and, blinking away the tears, examined the third ring, a titanium rope, delicately twisted into tiny knots. Perfect, just perfect for us. I hiccupped with a mix of giggles and sobs. In reply, my stern, indomitable Dom laughed with me, eyes gleaming with a watery film, my wild and gentledlover.

I realized Zar had forged this ring himself, shaped it with his own welder’s fire, probably before he was shot, even before they’d asked me to stay. His name was stamped in the inner rim, along with the words that blew me away:Flame of myheart.

I saw the hope in the ring, the will and passion of the fiercest of my warriors, the person who’d freed me from myself, the man who’d been willing to suffer his own consuming fire to mold his steel to mysilver.

My heart brimmed over. To be someone’s love was life’s greatest gift. To be love, light and flame, life, heart and soul? Happiness, complete and absolute. For a girl who didn’t believe in love, I’d sure found it, intriplicate.

Zar took my hand and, staring into my eyes, slid the ring over my first knuckle. “This isourpact.”

Tanner glided the ring over my second knuckle, his gaze clear and sparkling. “Together wefight.”

Aiden pushed the ring into place, his eyes whisky bright. “Together wesurvive.”

The three of them looked expectantly at me. And I knew, I just knew, that these were the words they’d said to each other on that day long ago when they’d faced death on a remote Syrian ridge, the simple but powerful oath that had redefined their lives, the pledge they’d made to each other. And now they were saying the same words…tome.

My emotions were too raw and savage to tame into simple words, too ferocious to trap into coherent sentences. Instead, I’d spend my life showing them how I felt, day after day, year after year. There was no precedent for a life like the one we were choosing, no blueprint for us to follow, but I knew in my heart that I wanted it, needed it, cherished it. As to logistics, I had no doubt that we would make it work, because, face it, I’d just joined a top-of-the-line, high-performing SEAL team, and failure at our life mission was notanoption.

So I smiled through a torrent of tears and added my oath to theirs. “And from now on,” I pledged, “together we hack the happy outoflife.”

“We’ve been waiting a long time to say this to you.” Zar traded glances with the guys. Aiden nodded him on. Tanner’s smile dazzled. “We love you.” Zar planted the lightest, sweetest kiss on my lips. “Welcome, Nina. Youarehome.”

TheEnd