Previously in Little O'Connor...

Carter walks into the room fuming and slams the door shut. "Axel. Keep the car started." Axel nods quickly leaving the room. Carter rushes grabbing our bags. "What's going on?" He started throwing all our things in them. "We're leaving." I stand there confused. "Carter." He doesn't say anything and continues to pack. I grab his arm gently. "Carter...we're going home?" I ask. He finally turns to me and his eyes soften seeing my worried ones. "I'm sorry flower. We can't go home right now. It'll be too predictable." I look at him tearing up a little. "But...Brian, the family." He grabs my shoulders and rubs them. "I called them...they will all be meeting up with us here, they should be here by tonight. Los Angeles is no longer safe. Not even the Bunker." He caresses my face.

"Where are we going if we can't go home?" I question.

"We're going to Barcelona." He grabs my left hand and slips a beautiful ring on my ring finger. "But first...we are going down to the cathedral tomorrow morning...and I am marrying you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah stood there as she tried to process what Carter had announced to her. She felt as if her feet had been knocked off the ground at his sudden proclamation of marriage. "What?" She manages to speak out as he continues to pack. "I am marrying you tomorrow morning. I have already spoken to your brother." She stopped Carter again and turned him towards her. "We can't just get married all of a sudden Carter! What is going on with you?!" She started to pace looking at the diamond and sapphire ring on her finger. "Why not? We love each other. Right?" She stopped and looked at him. "Yes, we love each other. But Dante is coming! This isn't the time to get married!" She let out a frustrated groan and started to pace again.

"Then that's more than a good reason to get married!" Sarah shook her head muttering to herself. "I feel like I'm gonna pass out." Carter grabbed her shoulders stopping her. "Do you not want to marry me?" Sarah peered up at him through her lashes. "I do! I just didn't think it would be like this." She sighed. "I wanted to plan a wedding, I wanted to have a small planned wedding with people we love. I wanted to be able to not worry about Dante killing us! I wanted it to be where we wouldn't have to run." Carter rubbed her arms as tears started to flow from her eyes. "You have no idea how much I wanna marry you. I just didn't think it would be this sudden." She whispered. He lifted her chin so she looked at him. "Look into my eyes and tell me what you see." He said softly. She searched his eyes and relaxed under his gaze. "Comfort, love, and... home." Carter nodded. "I want to be able to have that with you and I know I will regret it if I don't marry you sooner with everything going on." He said resting his chin on her head as he hugged her. "What if I lose you?" She whispered holding him close. "I won't let that happen...I will fight my way back to you." He pulled away placing a small kiss on her lips.

Sarah pondered for a few minutes before speaking up again. "Let's do it...let's get married." Carter pulled her in for another slow kiss. Sarah threaded her hand through his hand as she kissed him. They pulled away, sharing one last embrace. "Come. We are going to a safe house far from the city." Carter grabbed their bags as Sarah double-checked the room for anything. They walked out of the hotel and quickly got in the car. "Axel, you know where to go."

Carter's POV

I looked over at Sarah who was playing with the ring on her finger, lost in her thoughts. I don't know what made me make the decision to get married so abruptly, was it the thought of losing her? Or the need to protect her? I just know I needed to. Brian was hesitant, but I didn't have to convince him, which surprised me, given how protective he was of her. I bought the ring the same day I got the necklace from her at the old man's shop. I just wanted to propose way down the line, but it seems that may not be an option as we were running and trying to find the best way to take down that monster. "Carter?" I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard her voice, my girl's voice. "Are you okay?" She asked, concern etched in her eyes. I nodded smiling lightly. "Yes. Don't worry." She nodded scooting closer to me. "It's scary...isn't it?" I looked at her confused. "Our lives." She looked at me. "We don't know what will happen next... every day we anticipate something. When something calms down, a new issue arises." I nodded in agreement. "Which is what led you to make the decision of marrying me now...isn't it?" I looked down before nodding. "Yes...why wait? Our lives are always full of adrenaline, running, fighting...I didn't want to wait till something happened to one of us." She took my hand in hers and kissed my knuckles. "You're right." I looked over at her surprised. "I thought about it...I know I went crazy earlier over the idea...but you're right." I let her rest her head on my chest and kept my arm wrapped around her waist. "The ring...I remember seeing it at the shop. What made you get it?" I smiled turning her hand over and looked at the sapphire and diamond ring. "Well...I felt like it was your style, beautiful, delicate, and one-of-a-kind. Yet to me it also symbolized strength." I ran my thumb over it gently. "I knew I would never see it again if I didn't get it then...I'm glad I did." She smiled lightly. 

"When do you think Brian and the others will get here?" She questioned. "They should get here by 7 PM tonight...they hopped on a flight right after the call." She nodded as she looked out the window. "Axel. Let's stop at the nearest shop to grab some lunch and snack for the rest of the drive." Axel nodded. "Yes, sir. Your Mother and Father have reached the safe house." Sarah looked at me raising a brow. "They will be staying there too." I sighed. "Yes, unfortunately, home is no longer safe either." She sat up looking at me. "What happened to Robert?" She looked at my bruised knuckles. "He was taken care of by his own. They weren't fond that he gave a mutual enemy their location." Her eyes widened. "They killed him?" I nodded shrugging. "Robert was reckless, he not only broke the deal but put his whole family and mob in danger." 

"Damn...He did mess up bad." She mumbled as the car came to a stop. I handed Axel the list of things. "I will be back." He announced getting out of the car. Sarah and I got out to stretch our legs. I noticed her constantly taking a look around cautiously and on high alert. I could tell she was worried someone was following us. "Sarah...everything's okay." I rubbed her shoulders to calm her down. "No one is following." She took a deep breath and relaxed. "Sorry." She mumbled shaking her head. We walked around for a few more minutes before heading back to the car. Axel handed us our sandwiches and snacks. "Thank you, Axel." She smiled lightly. "You should eat too." Axel looked at me. "We have a long drive ahead, it's best to eat and be energized before driving." I handed him his food. "Yes, sir." Axel has been a driver for our family for over 7 years now. He cared very much about the family and the Mafia. I could tell he was worried. "Sir...how do we know who we can trust? After Zack.." He trailed off. I clenched my fist at the mention of his name. "I made sure to run a thorough background check and had some make sure the files were not messed with." He nodded. "Ms. O'Connor's safety is my first priority." Sarah smiled lightly nodding at him appreciatively. "Thank you Axel." Axel may be slightly old but he was always a good fighter when it had to come to it. We finished eating as Axel drove. "I owe you an at-home spa." Sarah laughed lightly at my comment. "It's okay Carter. Really." I rubbed her leg lightly. "You know I won't back down." 

After about 2 hours, we finally reached the safe house. Sarah was deep asleep. I gently picked her up and carried her to the house. Axel held the door open for me. "I will bring your bags to your room." I gave him a brief nod, thanking him. Mother came down quickly hearing the door open. She was about to call out for me when she saw me carrying a sleeping Sarah. I slowly carried her up the steps to her room for the night and laid her down. I slowly removed her jacket and shoes. She shifted a little, furrowing her brow but settled back to sleep. I pulled the blanket over and walked out closing the door. "How is she?" Mum whispered. I rub my head before looking up at her. "She's okay...do you have a spare white dress mother?" I asked sitting down. "Of course. How did she react to the sudden marriage claim?" I smiled lightly. "She was going crazy at first, but she agreed." My mother clapped her hands. "My son is getting married...finally." We heard familiar footsteps approach and turned to look at my father. Mother looked at him but she seemed relaxed. "Are you hungry John?" My father just nodded, giving her a small smile. Mum didn't return it. She just quietly went to the kitchen. My father sighed sitting down. 

"You're really marrying her?" I sat back and looked at his stiff and tense demeanor. "Yes, Father. I am marrying her tomorrow." He nodded lightly. "Good." We sit in silence for a while. My father looked like he was thinking of what to say. "I...your mother will barely speak to me. Actually, her asking me if I'm hungry are the first words I have gotten out of her." I narrowed my eyes at him. "And you suddenly care?" He tensed at my words. "Sarah had to show you that? That you were a monster?" He stayed quiet for a few minutes and spoke up. "After you took your mother upstairs...Sarah continued yelling at me...degrading me, giving me a taste of my own medicine." He looked up at me with eyes full of emotions I couldn't read. This was the first time I had seen those green eyes hold any emotion. "I love your mother. I let the power of control get to my head and I took my anger and control out on you two." I scoffed but stayed quiet listening to his lame attempt at an apology. "Your mother's silence is painful for me." He looked at me pleadingly. "Please Carter, I'm sorry. Please talk to her, she will listen to you." I let out a rough laugh of disbelief. "Absolutely not, Father this is your mess. I can't just forgive you and act like all those years of abuse didn't happen. You need to fix things between you and Mum on your own. That is what she expects from you." My father sank back in the recliner at my denial to help him. I have never seen him tear down his walls until now. He seemed vulnerable, but I couldn't just forgive him after all the pain he caused me, both physically and mentally. 

"Carter?" I heard a small raspy voice call for me from behind me. I turned to look at Sarah who stood behind me at the bottom of the steps. Her hair was slightly messy from her slumber. I raked her body drinking her in. She was now in one of my dress shirts, hiding her small curvy body. Her pink lips let out a small yawn as she stretched just barely revealing her shorts under my oversized shirt. "Why didn't you wake me?" She froze when she saw my father and stood there crossing her arms, clearly still bitter about the last encounter. "Mr. Alvarez." She greeted. He nodded at her meekly, not being able to meet her gaze. "Where's your mom?" I walked over to her and pressed a small kiss to her lips. "She's in the kitchen. Come sit. The other should be here in a few minutes. Axel, Liam, and Lincoln have gone to fetch them from the airport." She nodded about to take a seat on the couch, but I pulled her down into my lap. She gasped at the sudden action and looked at me. "Carter...your father is here." She whispered in my ear. I shrugged and looked at my father who was watching our interaction. "I'm sure he has something to say to you." Sarah raised a brow and looked at him. He tensed at her cold gaze towards him before he finally spoke up. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior towards you, Carter, and Maria." He looked at her, trying to read her expression. "You opened my eyes, Sarah. Thank you." She just nodded at him, taken aback at his apology. 

My mother came out and smiled warmly when her eyes landed on Sarah. "Oh Sarah, great you're awake." She walked over and was about to hand over the plate with fathers food in it to him. He raised his hand to take it, but her action stopped and she glared at him. Sarah looked at me pursing her lips at the tense and awkward environment. She finally handed him the plate and sat next to me and Sarah. "How are you dear?" My mother took Sarah's hand and rubbed it gently. "I'm perfectly fine. How are you, Maria? We had to cut our day short yesterday." Sarah looked at her concerned. Mum smiled lightly at her. "I'm doing good, I was just worried about you. I can't wait to meet this family of yours." She continued to ignore my father's advances and attempts to communicate with her. Sarah shifted awkwardly in my lap clearing her throat. Just then we heard the signature knock that let us know that Liam and the others were back. Sarah jumped out of my lap excited to see everyone. Her face now held an eager smile. Mum and my father got up as well to greet everyone. Liam walked in smiling with Sophia. 

Brian and Mia came into view, holding Jack and Olivia in their arms. Brian quickly put Jack down and held out his arm as Sarah charged at him to hug him. "Sare!" He let out a sigh of relief, hugging her close. "God, I'm so glad you're okay." She hid her face in his chest. He nodded his head at me and mouthed 'thank you'. My mother and father watched their interaction in awe, as it was foreign to them to see so much love. She pulled away wiping her tears and hugged Mia close. "Thank god you guys made it safely." Mia held an expression full of fear and worry. "I was worried about you." She kissed Sarah's cheek and rubbed her back. Sarah greeted everyone with hugs. "Come on Jack and Olivia. Let's go get you some snacks!" She beamed at the kids, picked Olivia up, and held Jack's hand as she took them to the kitchen with little Brian, Dom's son following her closely talking about his drifting lessons. My mother immediately greeted Brian with a hug. "Come all of you...sit, sit. We have lots to discuss." Roman sat down and glared at me immediately. Brian nudged him and he relaxed. The team settled in. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez." Dom says sitting next to my father. "Thank you for letting us stay at your safe house." My mother nodded smiling. The tension between her and my father was still very much evident. "We want to make sure the family of our future daughter-in-law is safe." My father speaks up. "I'm more worried about her..." Brian sighed looking down. "She's afraid of him finding us, but she's hell-bent on finding him." Luke said taking a seat next to my mother. The sofa dipped low as his large build sunk in. Mum's eyes widened a little. Tej and Roman stifled a laugh. Letty glared at them and they settled down. 

"The problem is the last plan was planned well, we just didn't know one of our own would go against us." I balled my fist at the memory of how Zack betrayed us. "We may have an advantage now. But we have to figure all the possibilities out." Letty leaned forward as Ramsey took her laptop out. "I have been working on a new system that can give access to God's Eye from here and lock them out. Problem is...it's still a work in progress." My father nodded impressed by the team. "How do you all work well together?" Brian grinned a little looking at him. "With love and support. This is our family. We wanna protect so we always stick together." My father's eyes flashed with what I thought was guilt and regret. 

"Enough about work." My mother clapped and Mia got up. "Ladies...we have some very last-minute wedding planning to do." Mia clapped her hands as all the women got up and headed upstairs, following my mother. Brian looked at me. "Thank you for asking me for her hand, even though you proposed one day before the wedding." I nodded laughing lightly. "Just promise me, you will always stick with her. Even if you get separated during all this, you will keep in contact with her and try to get back to her." Brian's eyes pleaded with me. His blue eyes similar to Sarah's looked at me holding so much love, guilt, and care for his sister. "I promise. I will always protect her, I will cherish her, no matter where we are." Brian sighed rubbing his face. "And I promise I will be there to protect both of you." My father got up and shook Brian's hand. "You raised a very amazing young woman. If you excuse me an old man like me needs his sleep." He smiled lightly and headed upstairs. Sarah walked out with Olivia in her arms, who was eating some crackers. Jack and little Brian followed behind her, telling her about their adventure all the way to London. "Y'all hungry?" Han, Tej, and Roman immediately shot up nodding. "I set the table, come eat." She looked around and pointed her head at me. "Where are all the girls?" I smiled walking over. "They're all upstairs planning last-minute things for the wedding." I smirked as I saw a blush rise to her cheeks. "I'll send take some food up for them." Lincoln volunteered as he dug in his pocket. "Ah, yes...Giselle wanted me to give you this since she wouldn't be here because of Cipher. She said it was a small gift for you." He handed Sarah a small box and stalked off to prepare a tray of food for the ladies.

"I'll see you after dinner." She smiled lightly pecking my lips. "Mmmm...yes you will. 'Cause that shirt of mine looks too good on you. Even if it's only for a little bit." I whispered in her ear. She tensed as I placed a ghost kiss on her neck. I watched her walk upstairs with Lincoln, helping him carry a tray.

Sarah's POV

Lincoln opened the door for me to the room where all the girls were. "Hey guys, I bought you all some dinner." Mia quickly got up to take the tray from Lincoln as I set down mine. "Thanks, Sarah." She grabbed my hand and sat me down with everyone as Lincoln closed the door on his way out. "So...I...um, we were on the topic of dresses. Carter's mom was offering a dress for you." Mia got up and went to her suitcase. "Before coming, I went into your closet, and well..." I watched as she pulled out the garment bag that had been sitting in my closet for almost 3 years now. "Mia..." I choked out. "I wanted you to pick...I know you never wanted to look at it, but I figured it may be the one time you can finally wear it." She hung the garment bag up without opening it. All the memories of the day I picked the dress out came rushing back to me. 

Flashback to 2 and 1/2 years ago...

I went to about 10 other boutiques. I was determined to find the perfect dress at this location. Brian groaned a little walking in and sitting down in one of the seats as a woman came over to assist us. "Hi there. You must be Sarah the bride. I am Samantha." I nodded smiling at her. "Alright ladies have a seat I'm gonna take Sarah here and pick out a few dresses for her to try." Mia and Letty sat down with Brian who was clearly irritated by how long this trip was taking. 

"What were you looking for?" Samantha asked as I ran my hand over a few dresses. "An Aline style dress, that's elegant yet simple. Preferably gives a floral vibe." She starts to quickly pull out options as I explain the style of the dress to her. "With some lace and tulle?" She asked looking over at me. "Yes, that would be great." She looked like she had something come to mind. "Why don't you wait in the fitting room and I'll bring over some of the options." She got excited and rushed to the back. I waited in the waiting room. "Hey, Dimitri!" I answered his call immediately. "Did you find a dress yet?" He groaned. I could picture him pouting a little. "Not yet. Hoping I find one at this location." I laugh hearing him huff. "Babe, I'm being deprived of you...I need you!" I smiled to myself. "Do you now?"  I whispered seductively. "What do you need me for Wolf?" He growls playfully. "The wolf wants to play princess. I wanna have you in bed all day and night." His voice was full of desperation and lust. I was very much pleased with the effect I could have on him despite not being there. "Also...I wanted a peek of the dress but you won't show me, so I deserve you being here with me, naked." I chuckle as Samantha returns with a few dresses in hand. "I'll call you later babe, don't miss me too much." I hung up and took a look at all the options. "I'll leave you to try them on." 

I tried on the first one. It was just a plain white Aline dress with some small lace work.  Samantha helped me set it before I went to show Mia, Letty, and Brian. Brian circled me taking in the dress. "I feel like it's not you." He tapped his chin. Mia looked at him astonished. "Okay, since when do you know about our taste." He chuckled. "I raised her babe." I nodded in agreement. "He's right. It's beautiful, but not my taste." Samantha smiled accepting our opinion and took me back to the fitting room. I tried on a few more, almost giving up hope. "I'm not feeling any of them." Letty shook her head in agreement. Samantha shakes her head. "Don't give up just yet. I think I have one that will be perfect...it's from our last collection, one of a kind. I'll be right back!"

I waited patiently in the fitting room, looking over the teasing photos Dimitri had sent. "This man." I whispered to myself. Samantha walked in with a pleased smile and showed me the dress. I stared at it in awe. The dress was off-the-shoulder, A-line, and had floral lace accents over it over tulle. "It's beautiful..." I breathed out. She took it off the hanger and helped me slip it on. "Look at that, it even fits perfectly." She smiled as I stepped down looking at myself in the mirror. "It's perfect." I ran my hand over the fabric completely in love with it. As soon as I walked out, Brian stared at me with soft eyes. "Sare." He got up and walked over to me. "You look beautiful...this...this is the one." I nodded in agreement as I embraced him. "I have to call Dimitri and tell him!" I exclaimed rushing to go slip the dress off. 

"Hey, beautiful." Dimitri's voice rasped on the other end. "I found it babe! I found the dress." I told him excitedly. "That's great! Can I get a peek?" He asked curiously. "Nope, absolutely not." I handed Samantha cash for the dress. "Come on baby, you made me wait all day for you." I giggle a little. "I'll be home in a few minutes, I can't wait for you to see it on the wedding day."

Flashback ends...

I looked toward the garment bag tearing up a little. "Thanks, Mia." I whispered as she came over to hug me. "It's up to you." I nodded wiping away my tears as Maria rubbed my back giving me a sad smile. I steered the subject quickly. "Why don't we eat?" They all nodded and grabbed a plate of food. We all ate in peace, discussing the plans for tomorrow morning. Time flew by and I quickly got up. "Sorry girls... I have to go." They all gave me a knowing look and smirked. "Well go on, can't keep lover boy waitin'." Letty winked at me chuckling. I rushed out of the room and over to Carter's, knocking on it lightly. "Come in." He called out. I pushed the door open and walked in.

 "Hey." I rasped out, seeing him shirtless in bed. "Hey." He looked at my lost expression. "What's wrong Flower?" I climbed into his bed and just fell into his arms shaking my head. "Nothing." I smiled lightly not meeting his eyes. He lifted up my chin, making me peer into them. "Are you having second thoughts?" He whispered, furrowing his brows. "What? No." I straddled him and held his face in my hands. "I'm sorry. I just...I'm thinking about which dress I should wear. Mia bought over the one I picked out two and a half years ago." He sighed putting his forehead against mine. "I don't know Carter..." I teared up. "It was a special dress I never got to wear." I hid my face in his chest and took in his scent as he rubbed my back soothingly. "You will look beautiful in anything. I know you will choose what your heart tells you." He whispered kissing my head a few times. "I'm sorry I came to your room so late." His chest vibrated when he chuckled. "It's okay. I just wanted to see you before tomorrow morning." I pulled back and looked at him in his eyes. The eyes that swept me away. I ran my hand through his hair before leaving a small peck on his nose. "I should go to sleep." I mumbled softly before pressing my lips against his. He groaned lightly pulling me closer to deepen the kiss. I held back a moan as I pulled away. "Fuck, I wish you could stay." I smiled against his lips and got up to head out. "I love you." I kissed his cheek one more time and walked out to my room to head to bed. 

I looked over at the garment bag and slowly opened it to finally look at the dress I would have worn if I got a chance to marry Dimitri. I ran my hand over the fabric slowly and smiled lightly. I had made my decision. I zipped the bag back up and quickly hopped into bed, anticipating what tomorrow would bring us.  

***

I woke up to pounding on my door. "WAKE UP SARAH!!!" Mia slammed the door open holding a bowl of fruit and all her bags. "Mia...five more minutes." I groaned as she pulled the curtains open. "Nope! Carter has already left to get ready." I shot up with wide eyes. "Shit...I forgot I'm getting married." I looked at the time and rushed out of bed, nearly tripping as I ran to the restroom. I quickly rushed into the shower. "Did you pick your dress?" Mia asked loud enough for me to hear. I took a deep breath before answering. "The one I chose two and half years ago." I answered. Mia doesn't reply and quietly shuffles around the room. I walked out with a towel wrapped around me after I finished to see Mia standing there with a hair dryer smiling lightly. "Come sit." I nodded and took a seat. Letty walked in and handed me the bowl of fruit that was placed on the side table, from earlier. She rubbed my shoulder and sat next to me. "You got this." I nodded nervously as Mia started drying and styling my hair. 

I started to slowly eat the fruits trying to get my anxious stomach to settle down. "Relax Sare...you look like you're gonna throw up." Letty took the bowl from me when I handed it over. "I feel like I will, I can't eat right now." I sighed. Mia finished up my hair and hugged me from behind. "I know honey...it's not easy, especially since it's so sudden." I relaxed in her hold and took a deep. "Let's continue to some light makeup." I nodded as she turned the chair toward her. "Letty. Go ahead and get ready. I'm just about finished with Sarah." Mia looked over at her. "Okay call me if you need anything. Sarah...I can get you a show of Vodka if you want." Mia glared at her. "Letty!" She chuckled and walked out. "Carter was worried about you this morning." She said quietly, focusing on the makeup. I looked at her puzzled. "Why?" I asked as she applied foundation to my face. "Because he's scared he's not up to Dimitri's standard." I paused taken aback at her words. "Why would he think that? If everything I don't deserve him." I gulped, trying to keep myself together. "In all honesty, I didn't deserve Dimitri either." I whispered. Mia immediately kneeled down, stopping what she was doing. 

"Don't you dare say that!" She grabbed my hands and held them making me keep my gaze on her. "Dimitri was crazy about you. Carter is too...you are too hard on yourself. You deserve the world, love, and care." I nodded a little not daring to cross her line, as she glared at me. She continued to work quietly finishing up my look and turned me to look in the mirror. "You know me well." I smiled at her through the mirror. She gave me a light natural look, the blush on my cheek was a combination of the makeup and my own redness. "Let's get you into the dress." She said walking over with it in hand. I looked at the dress as if I was seeing it for the first time again, outside of its garment bag. "You ready?" I nodded lightly taking it from her. She walked out as I started slipping my towel off. I gently slipped on the delicate white dress. I let the sleeves fall off the shoulders. "Mia...can you help me with tying the back?" I called out. Mia walked in and helped tie the ribbons in the back. "You look beautiful." Her voice cracked a little. I turned to look at her and took her hand. "I finally get to see you in it...I know Brian will be happy to see you in it too. He always talked about how he would get to walk you down the aisle to Dimitri or any man that married you." I smiled lightly, wiping away her stray tears. "Thank you for being here for me Mia." I kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. "I don't think I would have had the strength to wear it today if it wasn't for you." I pulled away. 

"You should go get ready. We're gonna be late." She nodded rapidly looking at her phone. "Shit...Brian called and texted me too. I'll get ready quickly." She rushed out quickly. I slipped on my heels and placed on the necklace Carter had gotten on. "Something blue." I ran my hand over the sapphire stone. I heard the door open slowly and a gasp. I looked over to see Maria standing there staring at me. "My dear...you look absolutely captivating." She walked over to me tearing up. She was dressed in a beautiful teal dress that complimented her skin. "You look beautiful Maria." She wiped away her tears and caressed my right cheek. "Thank you for taking care of my son, when I could not." I shook my head. "We took care of each other. I never thought I would love anyone ever again." I took a deep breath. "He put my heart back together. He had mentioned that he believed it was Dimitri's prayers that brought him to me. Dimitri will always have a place in my heart, Carter knew that, and because of that he has my whole heart. I believe him. Dimitri was always the one to pray when or if he would die...I would find someone that will love me equally or more." Maria smiled listening. "I had heard of him. Dimitri, he was a part of your team. When you were in London a picture of your team was brought over by Owen to let us know what you all like. The girls saw Dimitri's photo and were swooning." I chuckled lightly. "I saw a bit of Carter in him, he reminded me of my son...Carter had left the house, he was no longer living with us at that time. Odd how god works now isn't it." 

I raised my brow at her. "We didn't know each other then...and yet we knew about you. Now here you are marrying MY son." She let out a breath of disbelief. Letty strolled in before I could continue the conversation. "We should get going, the rides here." I nodded heading downstairs to the car with Letty and Mia. Axel nodded at me opening the door to the back seat. "I'll see you guys there." Mia nodded helping me with my dress so it didn't get caught in the door. She quickly put my veil on and set it before going to their car. "You look beautiful Ma'am." Axel peered at me through the rearview mirror, smiling. "Mr. Alvarez is lucky to have gained." I blushed lightly and looked down at my phone to see a message from Carter.

Carter: Good morning my Flower. I wanted to let you know, that I can't wait to marry you...I know it must be hard for you today because of the suddenness. But I'm glad you chose to marry me. I can't wait to see. I love you.

I smile like an idiot at the message and quickly send him a text back. 

Sarah: Good morning Big boy. I just left the safe house. I can't wait to see you either. I'm nervous but I'm glad about the sudden decision. I love you too.

"We will be there in about five minutes Ms. O'Connor." Axel informed me. "Thank you, Axel. I appreciate it. You've done a lot for us the few days we have been here." I looked at him appreciatively, admiring the old man's hard work. I saw the cathedral come into view and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Axel opened the door for me and helped me step out. Mia and Letty rushed to my side. Letty smiled admiring me for a bit before standing next to me.

 "Brian will be out to walk you down and hand you over here in a second." Mia said as they led me to the large cathedral doors. My heart started to race, I could hear it in my ears. It felt like it was about to thrum out of my chest. Letty fanned my face, clearly noticing my anxiousness. "Sare, you gotta relax. You look you're gonna pass out. Breathe." I nodded sucking in the fresh air. Brian stepped out and stopped in his tracks. "Sarah.." He trailed off staring at me with so much admiration. Tears started to form in his eyes as he walked over and pulled me into a warm hug. "God, you wore it. I'm so proud of you. I can't my little one's getting married." Letty walked inside as I linked my arm with Brian as he handed me a bouquet of flowers. "When did you guys get this?" Brian shrugged. "The girls did, I'm guessing Mrs. Alvarez had some last-minute connections, just like Carter did for the booking of the Ely cathedral." He breathed out as we stood in front of the grand doors. "Got to hand it to them, they work fast." The door opened slowly as the music started to play. 

Brian looked over at me as my eyes captured Carter standing at the altar. All my nerves seemed to have floated away and I find myself completely relaxed as I take him in. He looked incredibly handsome in a blue tuxedo, his black hair styled how he usually does but just slightly messy, giving him his traditional sexy look to define his face. Brian started to walk with me down the aisle as Carter turned to look towards the door.

Carter's POV

I felt the wind knocked out of my lungs when my eyes captured Sarah walking down the aisle. She chose to wear the dress she had picked out nearly three years ago when she was supposed to be marrying Dimitri, the man that has bought us here today as I fully believed. It fit her perfectly and flowed gracefully over her beautiful soft skin. The dress seemed like it was made for her, she looked like an absolute goddess walking over to me. her blue eyes seemed to be staring into mine through her veil. I felt as if we were the only two here and no one else. Brian kissed her forehead as they stopped in front of the altar. I held my hand out for her, completely speechless. She took it and I brought her to stand in front of me. I leaned forward slightly. "You look ravishing." I whispered as her eyes roamed my face. I stood back as we turned to look at the priest. 

"Family and friends, thank you all for coming today to share in this wonderful occasion. Today we are here together to unite Carter and Sarah in marriage." He began looking out at the small number of people we have consisting of Sarah's family and team, my parents, Liam, Sophia, Axel, and Lincoln. I felt Sarah turn towards me as I took her hands in mine. "First to start off I would like to ask both groom and bride, do you have vows to exchange?" Sarah and I nodded at the same time, surprised by each other's response since we really hadn't had the time. "Yes, father I do." I cleared my throat and looked over at her. 

"Sarah O'Connor. There is so much I could say. You literally took me and turned me around without even having to try. You changed me without barely even knowing me at the time." I took a deep breath and continued. "Sometimes I wonder what I did to earn you, how you came into my life when I was in my worst state. I never thought I would be capable of love until I met you. I vow to make you happy and be by your side through every step of the way. I vow to protect you and always cherish. My Flower." I kissed her knuckles as she held back tears. "Sarah, you may now recite your vows." The priest turned to her. 

Sarah looked up at me through her veil. "Carter Alvarez. You know I always thought there was one true love. That we were only granted one chance at it. I stopped believing 2 and 1/2 years ago, that I would fall for someone again after losing one. Then you walked into my life, we lived in a bunker cooped up together and I learned about you. You helped me fall in love again. You helped me get through and move on when I had no intentions of doing so." She squeezed my hands. "That's what makes you special, that is what makes you mine and I love you for it. I vow to always have your back, through any obstacle, I vow to protect you too, I vow to be your ride or die. We will continue to live fast and furious, and I want it to be with you. I love you, Carter." I stood there taken aback at her vows. I kept my tears from falling as the priest continued. 

"Do you Carter, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?" 

"I do." I replied. 

"Do you Sarah, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." She breathed out. 

"The rings please." We both quickly slid the simple wedding bands on each other's fingers. 

"In the name of the Holy Spirit, I now solemnly declare you husband and wife. Let no one put asunder those that have been joined together today in the presence of Almighty God. You may now kiss the bride." I raised Sarah's veil and quickly pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Electricity flowed through the excitement of being able to now call her my wife. She kissed back pulling me closer as we heard the clapping and cheering. We pulled away, still holding each other. "Holy shit..." I laughed out as we both went through the disbelief of getting married. Brian walked over and hugged Sarah tightly. "I can't believe this actually happened. You're married!" She laughed lightly, letting her tears of happiness flow. "I love you Bri..." She hid her face in his chest, hugging him tightly. Brian pulled away and shook my hand. He pulled me in for a brotherly hug. "Don't make me regret this, don't hurt her, keep her safe." He whispered in my ear lowly, almost menacingly before pulling away. I nodded rapidly in response to being intimidated to speak. 

I picked Sarah up bridal style and rushed her out of the cathedral. "Our flight is at 9 pm tonight." I whispered in her ear as Axel started to drive. "Let's make the best out of it." She blushed lightly as I kissed her slowly, keeping her body close to mine. She pulled away and rested her forehead against mine, catching her breath. "My Flower, my Tiger, my Sarah." I breathed out, nuzzling my nose against hers. She laughed lightly caressing the back of my head. Her deep blue eyes gazed into mine, with emotions I had never been gazed at before. People looked at me with fear, hatred, lust, or desire. But hers are filled with love and affection for me. They say you can learn about a person just by looking at their eyes, you can tell when someone is lying by looking into their eyes, and you can tell what their emotions are. "Carter...what's with the look?" She tilted her head cutely clearly curious about my thoughts. "I just want to admire my wife." I caressed her body in my hands, completely taken over by her. This captivating woman completely stole my heart, when no one else could do so. 

Once Axel pulled up to the safe house. I picked her back up in my arms and carefully carried her up the steps to my room. "Carter. I can walk." She wiggled in my arms, eager to get down. "But I don't want my flower to walk right now." I whispered against her cheek as I left a small trail of kisses as we got to the room. "The other will be home soon." She rasped, desire filled in her eyes as she looked at me. "They will be out for a few hours. Thanks to Liam." I winked, setting her down and circling her like a hungry wolf. "Let's get this off...shall we?" I whispered, my lips tugging her ear gently. She gasped tilting her head to the side, inviting me to kiss and suck on her pressure point, the scent of her soft perfume hitting me as I slowly undid her dress in front of the mirror in my room. She looked at her reflection, flustered and red by my touch. "You see how beautiful you look?" She nodded lightly as I turned her to face me. "Let me see those lips...come here." I grabbed the back of her neck and pressed my lips to hers, hungry for her, My hands roamed her body slowly and teasingly. She kissed back, equally as passionate as me, parting her lips as my tongue begged for entrance. Our tongues dancing together.

I gently laid her down on the soft silk-covered mattress. "You are my muse, Tiger." I studied her naked body as I ran my fingers delicately down to her cleavage. I grasped one of her breasts in my hands and started massaging them ever so gently making soft moans fall from her swollen pink lips. "That's right baby...feel good for me." She nodded unable to respond as my left hand found her slit. I entered two fingers and slowly started to pump them in and out, watching her squirm under my touch. God, she was so tight and wet. "Good girl." I whispered in her ear as I continued my actions, curling my finger to hit that sweet spot.

"Carter." She moaned, bucking her hips and urging me to pump my fingers faster. "Fuck, you're so damn wet, just the sight of you makes me wanna come and I haven't even undressed." I pulled my fingers out and sucked her juices off of them. She tasted so good. I quickly took off my suit and climbed over her. "You taste so good. I could eat you every day and devour you." She blushed as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I teased her entrance with my erection making a gasp leave her. "You know...this may be the first time I have left you this speechless and shy." I am fucking obsessed with this woman, completely addicted to her. I was desperate to bury myself in her. "Please, Carter." She begged looking at me pleadingly with those beautiful blue eyes. I pressed my lips to hers kissing her nice and slow as I pushed into her gently. "My beautiful Flower." I groaned as I felt her warmth surround every inch of my erection. "That's a good girl, take it all in." I started to thrust in and out of her as she buried her face into my neck. She moaned into my neck, her nails digging into my back making me even more aroused than possible. I pulled out and got into a sitting position, pulling her into my lap by her hips and guiding her to sit on me slowly. She gasped as I buried myself in her. I started to lift her up and slammed her back down on me. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." She gasped as I hit her sweet spot. 

She tangled her fingers into my hair, tugging gently as she rode me. "You feel so damn good." she whispered in my ear, hugging me close so our bodies remain entangled. I groaned at the sight of her. her mouth agape, my name falling from her lips, and her moans of pleasure are more than enough to drive me completely insane. I felt her walls tighten around me and her legs get shaky, so I assisted her by taking hold of her hips and meeting my hips with hers. "Come for me baby girl." I groaned as her body shuddered as she released her juices over me. "Jesus." I grunted shooting my hot seed into her. She fell against my chest trying to get her breathing in control. 

We stayed in each other's arms as our exhaustion from our activities hit us. I slowly picked her up off my lap, slid out of her, and rubbed her back until she fell asleep. I got up and started packing our stuff in her room, so I don't awaken her from her nap before our flight. We have a villa in Barcelona for when we travel. which is pretty secluded and safe. I sighed sitting on the bed and running my hand through my hair. My thoughts race at the worst-case scenarios if Dante found us. "That son of bitch Robert. If only he would have kept his deal and stayed quiet." I murmured to myself clenching my fist. I looked down at the simple last-minute wedding band on my finger. I have to protect her, I vowed to protect her. I have to keep any harm away from her. From my wife, my flower...my goddess.

 I will kill Dante Reyes, if it's the last thing I ever do.

Sarah's POV

I rubbed my face waking myself up from the small nap Carter let me take. "Where are you?" I mumbled to myself looking towards his side of the bed. I looked down at his dress shirt he must have put on me while I slept and smiled lightly getting up. I dragged myself out of the room looking for Carter. Seemed that no one is back yet. I saw my room light on and headed towards it. I opened the door gently and looked over at Carter who was lost in his thoughts, packing away the last of our things shirtless. I quietly shuffled over and hugged his torso, resting my head on his muscular back. His breath hitched as he snapped out of his thoughts. "Hi, big boy." I smiled as he looked back and down at me. "Penny for your thoughts?" He turned towards me keeping my arms wrapped around him. "I am thinking about what we will do when we get to Barcelona." He winked cheekily. "The villa there is pretty big, and I still need to give you your at-home spa." He murmured kissing my shoulder and trailing up to my lips. "Oh, and I went ahead and picked out some comfortable clothes for you for the flight." He pointed at the laid-out clothes. I took in his black hoodie and a pair of my tights, with a comfortable sports bra, and wait...are those my lacey boy shorts? I crossed my arms and looked at him scowling. "You sneaky bastard." He grinned wiggling his brows at me. "I'm your sneaky bastard Mrs. Alvarez." I felt my cheeks flush at his statement. 

"I like that...Mrs. Sarah Alvarez." He said watching me slip off his dress shirt and put on the comfy clothes. I'm pretty sure my cheeks were as red as a tomato at this point. He wrapped his arm around my waist from behind and pulled me into his chest. "Don't you dare hide your face from me? I love it when you get all flustered because of me." I heard the front door open and everyone's voices. "I guess that's our signal to get ready to go." I sighed nervously grabbing my luggage and phone. Dimitri pecked my head lightly as we walked downstairs together. "There they are...the newlyweds." Letty grinned. Jack ran to Carter and hugged his legs. "Hi, Uncle Carter." Carter tensed at his sudden action, clearly not used to children. But he kneeled down and held out his fist for Jack to bump. "Hello, little man." I gushed at his effort to talk to him. "Do you have cool cars?" Jack asked curiously. "I do actually. I'll show you one day." Carter ruffled his hair and got back up. "Are we all ready to go?" Brian and Dom nodded. "Let's get this show on the road then." 

I walked up to Maria and hugged her gently. "Stay safe." I whispered rubbing her back and shooting a glare at Mr. Alvarez. "You remember my words, right? Or do I have to repeat them?" Mr. Alvarez nodded as guilt flashed through his eyes and he looked away. I watch Carter say goodbye to his parents. Maria embraced him tightly, keeping her tears from spilling out. If it wasn't for Dante and Robert's mistake, we wouldn't be in this mess. A mother now has to worry about if she will hear from her son ever again, and it broke my heart. Carter walked up to me giving me a weak smile. "Let's go." I followed him out to Axel's car. I could tell there was a lot going through Carter's head. It was like he was formulating a plan, but I didn't prod. 

The drive to the private airport was quiet and solemn. We weren't going home...our home to Los Angeles. Instead, we were running. This time with the kids. Little Brian had already gone through a lot the last time we encountered Dante. He lost an uncle and we lost a brother, Dom's brother Jacob. I still remember speeding past and seeing his car go up in flames in my rearview mirror. I shut my eyes, trying to get the scene out of my head. I felt Carter's hand rub my thigh and immediately opened my eyes to look at him. "Did you hear me? You looked lost." I shook my head "Oh um...sorry what did you say." He looked at me with concern in his eyes. I placed my hand over his as he continued to rub my thigh soothingly. "I was asking if you were okay. I know everything is so sudden with us and then having to flee..." He trailed off. I chuckled lightly and nodded. "You see this wedding band...it may be simple to you, but to me, this bounds me to you, I will always wear this, holding the promises we made each other." I looked at him, bringing his hand up to my cheek. "I know I said let's wait a year or down the road because it was a huge decision. But with what happened with Dimitri...I wasn't gonna take that chance again. I don't wanna lose you." He stiffened at my confession and brought me into his warm embrace. 

"I don't want to lose you either." He whispered as the car pulled up to the plane. "Come on." He smiled holding his hand out for me as we stepped out of the car. Axel stepped out and handed the keys to Liam. Sophia rushed to hug me tightly. "I'll miss you. Keep us updated that way we know we're all safe." I nodded pulling away, holding her hands. "You guys steer clear of trouble here." I followed Brian and Carter onto the plane, and the others followed close by. The flight attendant shut the plane door once everyone was boarded. She was different from the one we had previously. She was slightly older. "Hello everyone. I am Stacy. I will be your flight attendant for this evening." Axel strolled up to her and embraced her, kissing her head. "I missed you." I raised my brow looking at Carter. "His wife. She's joining us." I smile at the sight of the couple. "You never told me Axel had a special someone in his life. No wonder why he looked so lonely being away from her." I took a seat next to him and buckled my seat belt. I watched Mia put headphones over Olivia's ears to keep them from popping during take-off. I put my hand over my chest at the cute yet funny sight. "My little Liv looks like a little DJ." I gushed as Carter laughed. 

We took off within 30 minutes after everything was set for the two-and-a-half-hour flight to Barcelona. Carter handed me his phone as he got up. "Where are you going?" He nodded to the back. "I'm gonna get us some food. The others ate before the flight. But we didn't eat after our steamy activity." He whispered winking. I blushed and looked around making sure no one heard, but low and behold I saw Rome burn holes into Carter's head as he walked to the back. "Rome...relax." He grumbled crossing his arms. A calendar notification went off on Carter's phone loudly, startling me. I looked down at it unintentionally and saw his lock screen photo. It was a photo of me sleeping against his bare chest. I blushed lightly, grinning at the photo. But my eyes fell on the notification. 

'Jesse's Birthday' 

I slowly placed his phone down sadly. Jesse would have been 28, Carter's best friend who always looked out for him. Carter returns with 2 sandwiches and some chips. "For you my lady." he handed me one of each. "Thanks." I smiled lightly as he sat down. "Carter?" He hummed in response as he took a bite of his sandwich. "When did you take the photo on the lock screen?" He smirked leaning forward.  "The morning after we made love at the hotel." He whispered so no one else heard. "You were glowing as always...I just had to snap one." I looked away at my sandwich hiding my red cheeks. I took a quick bite to avoid eye contact. "Shy are we now? I'm your husband now...I will be taking a lot of photos...clothed or bare." I pushed his arm as Rome shot him a glare. Carter tensed clearing his throat at Roman's intense gaze burning into him. Han came and sat across from us with some chips. "How's Giselle?" I asked as he smiled hearing her name. "She's good, she and you know who are in Barcelona already in a different facility." Carter snickered at him. "So we don't mention the name like she's Voldemort?" I nodded crossing my arms. "I hate hearing her name." Carter chuckled rubbing the top of my hand with his. "I know you do." 

After 2 hours we finally landed and headed over to a secluded villa. I took in the large mansion, still nervous, even though we were surrounded by woods and tons of security. "This will be home for now." Carter took my hand eagerly as we all headed in. I took Olivia from Mia as she took Jack to lay him down. Olivia peered at Carter with a resting face. "Does she not like me?" Carter said scratching the back of his head. "Oh, she has that resting face. Hold on." I lifted her up in the air and bounced her a little. "Hi, Liv...who's cute baby?" Carter looked at me amused as my voice went high-pitched. Olivia started smiling and giggling. Carter cleared his throat nervously. "Can...I try?" I smiled nodding and handed her over to him, teaching him how to hold her properly. "One hand on her back." I fixed his hand. He let out a breathy laugh. "My first time holding a child." He rocked his body holding her. Olivia held on to his shirt, giggling and smiling at him. "There you go...see she likes you." He smiled victoriously. Mia walked over clearly exhausted from all the jet lag since they got here last night. "I'll take her, hopefully get her down so I can pass out." She mumbled walking away with Brian to their room. 

Carter took my hand and led me upstairs and all the way down the hall. "Damn, this place is huge, pretty sure we walked a mile." He shakes his head smiling and opens the door to a huge luxurious room. I nod impressed. "Okay, okay. I see you." I nudged him lightly. The room was classy, with a big king-size bed in the middle with black sheets and black and white walls. I examined the big bookshelf filled with all types of genres of books. "I didn't know you had a thing for sexy books." I raise one up smirking at him. His eyes widened as he snatched it from me. "Uh...guilty pleasure?" He stammered over his words a little. I run my hand over all the history books before turning to explore the rest of the room. Carter disappeared into the bathroom while I was examining all the books. I opened up my bag and took out my shorts. I looked inside to see a small neatly folded stack of Carter's shirts. I grab one out and place it on the bed. Carter walked out of the bathroom and picked me up suddenly. 

"Woah woah! What do you think you're doing?" He laughed carrying me with him to the bathroom. "I drew a much-needed nice hot bath for us for the beginning of our at-home spa." I gaped at the large luxurious bathroom as he set me down. I took in the gold and black layout as Carter started to undress me. Even the bathtub looked expensive and I've seen some expensive shit in my days. I felt Carter trail kisses up my shoulder to my neck, making my breath hitch and snap my focus to him. "You seemed distracted by the bath. Attention on me." He whispered nipping on my ear as he helped me remove my tights. I jumped a little when he gave my ass a firm spank. "Fucking hell." He smirked at my reaction as he picked me up and carried me to the tub. I looked at all the rose petals and lavender sprinkled in the water and the bubbles. He stepped into the tub and lowered in with my back against his chest. He took a towel and started to run it over my neck softly. "You're so sexy, I literally wanna take you here right now." His voice came out almost animalistic as he caressed my body. 

I flushed upon hearing his words and shifted a little. My eyes widen when I felt his dick rub against my back. "Carter...already?!" I let out a flustered laugh followed by a moan as he kissed my neck and massaged my breast. "Your moans alone make me wanna fuck you senseless." I closed my eyes as his fingers made their way to my clit. "The way you gasp when I touch you and when I taste you." I squirmed under his touch moaning uncontrollably as he plunged two fingers in without warning. A satisfied grunt rumbled in his throat as he continued to whisper in my ear. "Like a shy girl...who loves to ruin sheets." I whimpered at his comment as he continued to finger me fast. "Fuck it." He turned me towards him and lifted me up. "When you make those noises I wanna bury myself inside you." He growled slamming me down. I let out a slight scream at his action and quickly gained rhythm and matched with him as he continued to slam me down onto him. "Fuck. How are you always so fucking tight?!" He exclaimed grunting in pleasure. He knew exactly how to hit all the right spots that made me squirm. "That's right. Keep saying my name." He breathed out. I buried my face in his chest as I started to see stars at how hard we were fucking. "God you're gonna make me go insane." I whispered in his ear. "You better fucking come hard, all over me." He growled as I tried to keep the same rhythm. He kissed me passionately, our lips fitting perfectly with each other. 

My legs started to tremble and I felt myself tighten around his erection. His breathing rose as he neared his climax as well. I felt myself explode as my orgasm hit. He gave me one last hard thrust before he grunted, releasing his seed deep in me. I collapsed on his chest trying to regain myself. He grinned satisfied as he wiped the wetness off my face. "It was so good I cried in pleasure." I let out a breathy laugh. 

"Well beautiful...don't worry, 'cause I plan on doing this all night once we hit those silk sheets." He whispered. "Like I said...I'm going to have you ruin those sheets." 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Holy shit! Two steamy scenes for you all. Sorry for the late update. It's a long one! - S.K