The Salvation of Vengeance (Wanted Men #2) by Nancy Haviland

stated gravely, “No, we don’t. So let’s not waste what we do have, because one never knows when it will all be gone.”
    Eva’s fingers tightened around his at the doom and gloom.
    Gabriel scowled. “Keep the rest of it a little lighter than that, kid,” he warned with a kiss dropped to the top of his bride’s head. “No one needs reality intruding on a night like this. Got it?”
    The grin Mikey flashed was sheepish. “Sorry, Gabe. I’ll save my apocalyptic warnings for my brother.”
    He chuckled. “Do that. I’m sure he’s well prepared for whatever’s coming for us.”
    The ceremony continued, rolling out effortlessly, but Gabriel still found it difficult to relax. And he wasn’t the only one. He checked out Vincente in his periphery. Guy looked as if he should be in uniform and saluting a general; he was so stiff.
    A bright splash of color caught his eye, and he glanced to Eva’s left, where Nika stood flipping her hair over her shoulder in a gesture too measured for someone her age.
    Ah, yes. Now he understood V’s problem. He and Nika had had a brief thing in Seattle before shit had hit the fan with Stefano a few weeks ago. Looked like the tension was still there between the two.
    He smirked— been there, done that —and tuned in to the service.

    Once the brief interruption passed—clearly the priest was a personal friend of the groom—Nika’s heart melted as Eva softy pledged herself to her man. Caleb handed the bride a tissue as Gabriel repeated his vows in a powerful voice. Nika then turned over the ring, and after someone from Gabriel’s side did the same thing—she didn’t look to see whether it was Maksim, Alek, or Vincente—the ceremony ended.
    Nika breathed a sigh of relief and was first to hug Mrs. Gabriel Moretti. She wasn’t sure how many others got the opportunity before Gabriel snagged his wife by the hand and dragged her from the room.
    “What the hell are you doing, Moretti?” Vasily growled at his new son-in-law.
    Gabriel slowed to allow a smiling Eva to keep up in her narrow dress and high heels but didn’t look back as he veered left, aiming for a corridor off the foyer. “Need to see my wife in private for a few,” he said over his shoulder. “Start without us. We’ll be back.” Whoops and hollers from the men in the room followed.
    Taking a discreet glance around, wondering if anyone would notice if she snuck off to change back into her gold dress, Nika pulled her wrap tighter. A morose Alek started up a conversation with the annoyed father of the bride. Quan smiled as he clinked glasses with the priest and Lucian—two heavies who looked as if they weren’t sure what that odd expression was on the Asian’s face. It’s a smile, boys , she projected. Caleb and Vex were circling around a buffet table laden with food. Her brother looked over and noticed her observing him. He tapped his plate and raised a brow. She shook her head, not ready to eat yet, and his mouth twisted as he headed over.
    “You should eat something,” he said in a disapproving tone.
    “I will in a minute.”
    Not satisfied with that, he forked up a baby potato from his own plate for her to sample. Which she did because she didn’t want a lecture, and she nearly choked on it when she saw Vincente return to the room from wherever it was he’d gone. Good Lord. He was just too much, she thought, shivering at the sight of those dangerous black eyes hiding behind low-drawn lids. He’d grown a goatee since she’d seen him last, which lent to his intimidation factor—and was sexy as hell. This was also the first time she’d seen him without the leather duster he favored. If possible, he looked even more dangerous without the long coat swirling around his legs, probably because she had an unimpeded view of his solid body in the pants and dress shirt he wore, both black. Like his long hair, which looked so silky she wanted to kick herself for not having touched it when she’d had the