Beyond The Music (The Rock Gods Book 7) (45 page)

Dagger wasn’t worried though. He glanced at his watch and knew they were on time and every other last detail was ready to be facilitated. A two-man wait staff were busy handing out finger foods on silver trays and the bartender was already mixing drinks for them. A buffet table was set-up and ready in the dining room, heaped with a variety of delicious smelling entrees and side dishes.

Dagger was eying the subtle floral arrangements in the living room area of the suite when Alex appeared beside him. “Why so fancy?” Alex asked Dagger.

“What’d you mean?” Dagger replied.

“Oh, come on, Dagger. Look around. This isn’t our typical party,” Alex pointed at the flowers and the wait staff hurrying around the room.

“We’re celebrating life and our fortunate blessings in this life,” Dagger said with a wink. “So, grab a fucking drink and enjoy the party.”

Alex’s phone dinged notifying him that Danni was calling them to face time with him and Chase. “Oh, that’s my wife wanting to say hello,” Alex said to Dagger.

“Good! Keep her on the phone,” Dagger said. “She’ll want to see the party.”

Alex nodded and opened the chat box. “Hey, baby.” Alex smiled. “I’m walking over to Chase now. How’ve you been?” Alex watched Danni show him the small melon sized bump growing in her midsection.

“I’m doing fine and the baby is, too,” Danni answered. “I’ve been struggling with the morning sickness, but that is to be expected.”

Alex stood closely to Chase and allowed him to say hello to Danni. She blew kisses to both of them then said, “Where are you? What’s all the noise?”

“We’re at a party that Dante and Ashton wanted to host,” Alex replied.

“The problem is, the hosts haven’t arrived,” Chase added.

“That’s odd,” Danni said.

“Dagger wants us to keep you on the phone so you can check out the party for a bit,” Alex said.

“I can do that,” she said and curled up on their living room couch. Alex and Chase took the phone and found a quiet corner of the room to chat.

Just before seven-thirty, Dagger sent Dante a text message that simply stated:
“Ready when you are.”

“On our way,”
was Dante’s reply.

Dagger smiled at his phone and slid it back into his pocket. He grabbed for Ryan’s hand and walked through their gathered guests toward the living room. Since the attack on Ryan, Dagger was reluctant to let his husband out of his sight for more than a few minutes. The long red line on Ryan’s neck from the healing knife cut was also a daily reminder at how close Dagger came to losing him.

When they reached the windows overlooking the canal, Dagger pulled Ryan close and pressed their foreheads together. “Have I told you yet today how much I love you?” Dagger asked.

Ryan’s grin was wide and relaxed. “Yes, you have,” Ryan replied. “Many times.”

“I can’t stop myself from saying it over and over,” Dagger explained. “Coming that close to losing you last week makes me want to scream my love to you every minute of every day, so you know how I feel.”

Ryan held Dagger face in his palms. “Babe, I know exactly how you feel,” he said. “I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me and feel it in your touch even when you’re doing something simple like holding my hand. You make me feel very loved . . . and cherished.”

“You are everything to me.” Dagger’s lips brushed over Ryan’s. “I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t. I’m not going anywhere and no one is taking me from you,” Ryan soothed.

Dagger’s fingertips ran the length of the healing cut on Ryan’s throat. Every time he felt the bumpy scabs there, he said a silent prayer of thanks and that was something he doubted he’d ever stop doing. He met Ryan’s eyes and smiled softly. “Are you ready to get this party started with me?”

“I am,” Ryan agreed.

Dagger turned to face the guests. “If I could have everyone join me over here,” Dagger announced. “Alex and Chase, bring Danni over here with you. She won’t want to miss this.”

“You’re going to start the party before Dante and Ashton get here?” Wheland asked.

One of the waiters answered the knock at the door and Dagger’s grin was a mile wide. “I believe our hosts have arrived.”

Ryan pressed a button on the wall unit beside Dagger and a sound system began pumping in the soft strains of a string quartet. Everyone turned toward the entrance of the suite and watched as Dante and Ashton walked into the room holding hands and wearing matching black, Armani tuxedos and simple white roses pinned to the lapels. Ashton’s gorgeous blonde waves hit his shoulders and framed his handsome face. Dante was a contrast of dark sensuality walking beside Ashton and together they made a striking couple.

“Holy shit,” Tony said to Jared. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Jesus, I think it is,” Jared answered in a hushed tone.

“Alex, why are Dante and Ashton dressed in tuxedos?” Danni asked.

Dante and Ashton continued to where Dagger waited for them by the wide expanse of windows that overlooked the canal below. The city lights of Amsterdam were starting to flicker on outside and the last traces of the setting sun were gone and twilight was beginning to bathe the city buildings. When Dante and Ashton reached Dagger, Dante lifted Ashton’s hand and kissed his knuckles.

Dagger’s gaze drifted around the familiar faces in the room, even Danni watching from Alex’s phone. The love around them was heavy and warm enough to heat the space. It was beyond perfect and Dagger took a moment to drink it in before he began to speak.

“I’m sure by now you’ve all figured out what this party really represents,” Dagger said with a knowing smile. “The events of last week shed an important light for us and offered a deeper meaning to life and what truly matters. Those we love the most are right here with us tonight in this very room, so it makes perfect sense that we were asked to be witness to this celebration of life and love with Dante and Ashton. They wanted us to have a part in this life event by hearing them exchange vows and rings as they promise themselves to each other. A few of us have already made this commitment and it fills my heart to see two more of our brothers take this step.”

Dagger motioned Dante and Ashton to step closer to him and continued to talk. “Dante and Ashton didn’t want a long drawn-out ceremony for something they feel they’ve already committed to in their hearts. They’ve written their own vows which we will hear shortly and then I will legally wed them, due to my one-day license that says I can.”

A few snickers could be heard in the crowd, but soon hushed when Dante faced Ashton and took both his hands in his own. He opened his mouth to speak and then nearly choked. Ashton rubbed the backs of his hands to try and sooth Dante and a moment later, Dante was okay to continue.

“I was ready to do this months ago with you, but the whole planning process was overwhelming to me and the timing felt wrong,” Dante began. “Everything feels perfect right now and I can’t wait to make you mine.”

“Then do it,” Ashton coaxed quietly and that brought on another round of soft laughter from their guests.

“Smartass.” Dante grinned.

“Always.” Ashton nodded. “Now make it official.”

Dante shifted in place and cleared his throat, then looked directly into Ashton’s bright blue eyes. A beat later, the words spilled from his mouth. “I promise to own my past as we move forward and plan our future. I promise to never stop being present in our relationship and putting you before all else. I promise to make you laugh daily, be your strength when you need it, and love you deeply . . . forever. I also promise to continue wrecking bathrooms, and any other room you’ll have me in, until the day I die or I can no longer get it up—whichever comes first.”

Everyone around them broke out in laughter and Wheland even added a high-pitched catcall whistle for effect. When the room fell silent again, it was Ashton’s turn to speak.

“I promise to love without judgment, love with my whole heart, and never allow a day to go by without showing you how much I love you. I promise to make every day count and to love your dark brooding as much as the warmth of your smile. I promise to always give you more than I did yesterday but not as much as I will tomorrow and every day forward. I promise to keep my heart open for you and only you . . . until I am no more.”

“Jesus, I want some of that,” Jared said beside Tony’s ear. He said it loud enough for most of the guys to hear and that had Tony elbowing Jared in the ribs to quiet him.

“Maybe one day we can,” Tony answered.

Dagger cleared his throat again. He reached into the front pocket of his pants and removed two silver bands, then lifted them above his head to show the gathered guests. “I may be repeating something the minister said at my wedding to Ryan, but I feel it is an important detail to say again. These rings are a never-ending circle. They will hold a place on their ring fingers and represent the undying love of the other and a constant reminder of the commitment they are making here today.”

Dagger handed one silver band to Dante and he slipped it onto Ashton’s finger. “I give you this ring as a token of my love to hold until death parts us.”

Ashton took the second ring Dagger held and slipped it onto Dante’s finger. “This ring is a piece of myself that I give to you for safe keeping. I’ll love you today and always.”

Dagger smiled broadly. “Perfectly said,” Dagger said to Dante and Ashton. “Now, with the power vested in me by the courts of the Netherlands, I pronounce you husband and husband. Go ahead and kiss your man.”

Dante kissed Ashton hard and in seconds, it appeared they weren’t coming up for air anytime soon. Wheland began to whistle again and the clapping sounded like hail hitting the tin roof of a ranch in the prairie. Finally, Dante pulled back and pressed his forehead to Ashton’s.

“We did it,” Dante breathed heavily.

“Yeah, and it was perfect,” Ashton answered. “Just the way we wanted it to be.”

Dante took Ashton’s hand and turned them to face their guests. “I want to thank you all for being part of our ‘surprise’ wedding,” Dante said. “Dagger was right when he said what happened last week changed us. It brought into focus the importance of this man beside me and the role he plays in my life. I realized how much more there is beyond the music in our lives and how we need to honor each other while we can because all that can change in an instant. I now have a fuller understanding on how I want to spend every one of my life’s moments . . . on and off stage with Ashton and having you all along for the ride is a pure bonus. You are my family by choice.”

“My
husband
couldn’t have said it any better,” Ashton added with prideful smile. “Now, I want to invite you all to eat and drink with us as we celebrate becoming mister and mister”

Dagger grabbed a flute of Champagne from a tray being held by one of the waiters. He lifted the glass to offer a toast and said, “To our band brotherhood!”

“And, may all your ups and downs be between the sheets,” Cooper added.

“Oh, shut the hell up, Coop,” Wheland chided. “Leave it to you to ruin an otherwise sweet moment.”

“Nothing was ruined,” Dante added. “It only makes this moment all the better because it’s real.”

“Here, here,” Dagger said then silence blanketed the room as everyone tipped their glassed and drank.

“Congrats to you, Dante and Ashton!” Danni yelled through the phone.

“Love you, baby,” Alex said to Danni. “We’ll call you later and talk longer.”

“I’m gonna fly home next week and spend some time with you,” Chase added.

“I’ll look forward to it.” Danni blew one more kiss and they ended the call.

The party went on until the early hours of the next day until finally everyone started to say goodnight. Dante and Ashton had left a while ago to go back to their suite to kick-off their brief honeymoon and the last stragglers weren’t far behind. Lincoln and Aaron held hands as they walked down the hallway to their suite. Neither hurried along the way and both smiled every time their hips gently bumped together.

“Remind me to give you your shot of medication when we get back to the room,” Aaron said.

“I already did it before we went to the party,” Lincoln answered.

Aaron met his gaze with surprise written all over his face. “Really? You did it by yourself?”

“I did.” Lincoln nodded with pride. They took a few more steps in silence before Lincoln spoke again. “You were right about all of it, you know.”

“Right about what?” Aaron asked.

“I can’t feel the needle and the medication burns like a motherfucker, just like you said.” Lincoln chuckled.

“I’m still in shock you did the injection yourself,” Aaron said.

“It’s not that bad.” Lincoln grinned. “I guess I’ve come to terms with the disease and discovered I really can handle anything life throws at me . . . as long as you’re with me.”

“I’ll always be here for you,” Aaron said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Lincoln stopped at the door to their suite and used the passkey to unlock it. He looked at Aaron and winked. “That’s good to know,” he said. “It’ll save me from having to tie you up inside my house to keep you there.”

Aaron’s brows arched at Lincoln’s comment. “Restraints? That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Lincoln started to laugh and gave Aaron a gentle shove on the shoulder to send him inside their room, but before the door closed behind them, Lincoln placed the “do not disturb” sign on the knob.

Yeah, he could definitely manage this disease . . . and Aaron, and the work involved was going to be one hundred percent worth it.