I followed her light stride into Caesar's Palace and into the opulent lobby. I could not spare the marble statues a single look. All I could think about was Quinn. It was crazy, but she still did not know how much I loved her. I had almost proposed in the car, but she still smiled at me the same as she always had.
It was a relief when my clan members materialized out of the crowd near the registration counter. "Did you hear?" Artemis asked.
Alan shook his head. "Of course he didn't hear. He's been a little busy."
"Oh, then let me, please?" Tony asked.
Milan pushed him aside. "No, this is just too good. I'll tell him."
"Tell me what?" I asked.
"Anya has been barred from playing," Artemis, Tony, and Milan said together.
I turned to Alan. "What are they talking about?" I asked.
"Turns out the Green Witch Ayaan is known for more than just her shady plays against our girl Arrowa, here," Alan said. "She was cited by the tournament organizers as 'play that does not befit the tournament spirit.'"
"She went on a tirade about the freedom that Dark Flag permits and how that is the whole point of the game," Artemis said. "Really, it just turned into a wicked witch monologue. Ended up sounding like some serious jealousy."
"She railed against you as limiting the game's potential with your moralistic overtones and clan hierarchy," Alan said. "Some people agree with her, but the major consensus is that Dark Flag has turned out to be a mirror for what we wish society to become, not the way we fear it is heading."
"Don't worry," Milan said. He patted my cheek. "You came out looking like a hero."
"Still," I said. "I hope it’s enough to off-set the whole police arrest thing." The night flashed through my memory again and I reached for Quinn's hand. All I cared about is that she forgave me and we could move past it.
Quinn squeezed my hand. "It’s a great story now," she said. "The hero betrayed by someone close to him, tricked by a beautiful but underhanded rival, and finally cleared of all wrongdoing."
"By a true savior," I said. I pulled Quinn close to me and kissed her on the lips.
"Well, it’s about time," Milan said.
"Oh, I'm so glad! Didn't I tell you, Alan? I told you," Artemis said. She elbowed Alan sharply in the ribs.
"I know, I know," Alan said. "I mentioned the whole jealousy thing. It’s not like Anya was the only one that noticed how Owen looked at her."
Quinn buried her face in my chest. "Her?" she asked. "I'm standing right here."
"Yes you are," I said. "Clan, I think it is about time I introduce you to my girlfriend, Quinn Thomas."
Their good-natured jokes and comments faded. The whole gold spectacle of the Caesar's Palace lobby faded too. For a moment, there was just Quinn and I.
I held my breath. I should have discussed it with her before, but it just seemed right. I hoped it was right. I hoped for more, but this was the first step and I did not want to stumble over it.
"I'll just go get my room key," Quinn said. She waved to everyone and went off to the counter.
I played it casual and chatted with the other players for a few more minutes and then caught up with Quinn as she headed for the elevators. Somehow, in the immense hotel full of people, we managed to get an elevator all to ourselves.
"Too much?" I asked. "I know we didn't talk about it, but now at least you know how I feel."
Quinn shook her head. "Owen, this is a big tournament for you and the last thing I want to do is get in your way. Whatever we are does not have to be part of your public image. I know you fought hard to get where you are and I don't want to cause any controversy for you."
I dropped my bag and took both her hands. "That's all in the past. And now that you are moving on with your career and Dark Flag as your hobby, there is no reason why I can't tell everyone who you are and what you mean to me."
Quinn went still, her hands warm in mine. "What do I mean to you?"
I had to kiss her three times before the words would come. "Everything," I said. "Quinn, I love you."
The look in her chocolate brown eyes melted all my fears. Quinn reached up on tip toe and kissed me again. "And I love you."
I had just wrapped my arms tightly around her waist to delve deeper into the kiss when the elevator doors opened.
"There you are!" a voice called.
Mr. And Mrs. Thomas appeared. "We were just knocking on your door. I thought you would have checked in by now. Don't you have a game to be getting ready for?" Mrs. Thomas asked.
"We don't really know how these things work, but we read the schedule," Mr. Thomas said. He shook my hand. "Seems like you're top billing on a lot of the events."
"See, I told you he was a professional gamer," Quinn said.
"Quinn told me the story about you and the little white chapel," I said. The words just jumped out and I could not take them back.
Mrs. Thomas laughed. "Oh, it was so romantic. Mostly because it took all the pressure off the big to-do we had planned. It would have killed my family not to have had the big white wedding, so it was fun to run off on our own right before."
Quinn took my hand and squeezed hard. "I always thought it was romantic too. I mean, you two had planned that big wedding for months and months. You really knew what you wanted."
I took a deep breath. Quinn was right. I knew what I wanted and there was no reason to rush it. We were together, our hands linked, and her parents smiling at us.
"So, I did a little check up on your playing and it appears there are lots of bets to be made," Mr. Thomas said. "Better get down to the book before you get started."
"Betting against me?" I asked.
"No," Mr. Thomas said, "I always bet on family."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Epilogue
I focused on the wine-colored carpet to keep my eyes from tearing up. The bouquet of white roses was fragrant and heavy in my hands and I turned to study the petals as the pastor began talking.
"No matter what family, friends, or life has planned for you, there is nothing like letting love make the decision. It just feels right," he said. "Sure, some people call it spur of the moment and some people say that only fools rush in, but when I see two people as in love as you are, I know there is no room for doubt."
I heard my mother sniffle and I finally looked up. She was stunning in the white satin dress we had found in a small boutique inside the Venetian. My father wore a dove gray suit and a smile so bright he looked like a new man.
"Of course, a few decades of successful marriage and grown children also help to remove doubt," the pastor said. My parents laughed.
Owen laughed too. He stood next to my father as his best man. As my parents began to renew their vows, he winked at me and my heart soared.
Earlier, my father had joked that Owen was funding their second Vegas wedding. It had been two years since my father won a cool three thousand dollars betting on Owen in the Dark Flag tournament. Since then, "bet on family" had become our family motto.