Shattered Dreams (Shadow Souls MC Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

wonderful. The whole country will talk about it. Then, we will live a beautiful life.”
     
    She laughed. “You’re such a dear.” She paused. “I love you, James.”
     
    “And I love you, Sierra.”
     
    ***
     
    Then, a flurry of wedding planning commenced. James kept trying to push the wedding nearer and nearer. Sierra didn’t resist any of his meddling. She didn’t have any desire to draw the engagement out for too long. She wanted to get on with the next stage of her life quickly. No one raised an eyebrow at their eagerness, they just smiled at their youthful exuberance.
     
    “James?” she asked one night, sitting cross-legged on the floor, her laptop, swatches, forms, and bills spread out around her.
     
    He was reclining on the couch, scrolling through something on his iPad. Sierra did her best to ignore his business interests. There was a brief time when he tried to get her interested and involved, like he wanted her to become part of his criminal business; but, he soon stopped trying because she was openly resistant to any attempt to draw her in. “Mmhmm?”
     
    “Do you know how much we are spending on this wedding?”
     
    “I didn’t give you a budget. Neither did your father. Fulfill all your wildest fantasies. Buy only the best, the greatest, and the biggest. I don’t want to hear numbers.”
     
    “Why?”
     
    He put down the tablet and turned to her. “Because we need the world to know how much we love each other.”
     
    “What do you mean?”
     
    “You know exactly what I mean. Everything must be planned exactly. I know you don’t have much interest in my business dealings; but, as part of this family, you are part of the business dealings. In the coldest of terms, I am making an investment in you and I want to get the highest return possible. So, I’m willing to put in a lot of money to make sure that happens. I don’t mean that to sound overly cold, but this is what you have agreed to.”
     
    Sierra nodded absently. “Oh, I know. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of how much we are actually spending here.”
     
    “Trust me, I am well aware. I don’t let a single cent of my money be spent without my full knowledge of who, why, where, and how.”
     
    “You know. I think this will be a beautiful partnership.” She smiled at him, and he smiled back. She thought how well everything would work, and she didn’t think about Chad.
     
    ***
     
    The main thing Sierra learned on her wedding day was that with enough money and the right attitude, nothing needed to be stressful. She woke up in the morning and—what could only be called handmaidens—attended to her like a queen. There were three of them. One waited with breakfast, one with a robe, and a third with a hairbrush and lotion.
     
    One handmaid said, “Miss Hall, if you could disrobe, I can go ahead and lotion you.”
     
    She slipped out of her silk pajamas and sat where the girl indicated. She was staying in the hotel where the wedding was going to be held. In fact, James had rented the entire hotel for their wedding. All their guests were staying here, even the ones who weren’t from out of town. There was unlimited alcohol, room service, and pay per view, for the people who felt especially lonely after seeing the couple of the year get hitched.
     
    Lotion Handmaid—Sierra hadn’t bothered to ask for their names—was extremely thorough. Her lotion application turned into a full-body massage. Sierra felt very comfortable, as she dined on toast, bacon, and eggs.
     
    Robe Handmaid put the robe on her and started laying out her pre-wedding outfit—a pair of burnt orange capris, a chambray button down shirt, braided leather sandals, and tasteful jewelry. Sierra knew she would go through about seven outfit changes today. At least, that how it seemed to her.
     
    After she was dressed, she would get her hair and nails done. It was about ten right now, she noted as she buttoned up her shirt. The ceremony was at