The devil's bride

MARRIAGE

s my study to where Carmy's younger brother Nico

e built, man." He raises his brows to the high, gilded ceilings, the tastefully elegant furni

man who's never married, had children, or had the slightest desire to do either of those. In a rational wo

e built quite an empire for myself, especially

I parrot with a gr

me to jointly sign the blood marker that will cement our engageme

caliami family. My distant cousin, Massimo, who is now running the Carveli family like the privileged, pampered, ps

garden shears after all, n

, and the "peace, connections

g hate the idea with e

hand, courtesy of my bar cart. "We're mafia, Matteo. Us by birth, you

ow about you marry the

one of my half-open windows, blowing smo

n, Matteo." "A

h a huff. "Look I'm not

year-old

clearing that

ping him off as he keeps

's not like you'd find yourself on

o interest in doing, dumbass." I swivel my gaze to Nico. "And if you're so gu

orn, man. I'm not a priority for dad. And if you'll

. "And then their fat

dick in said arranged fiancées before actually marrying them d

y a car without test-driving it first? And, might I add, thes

ng novel like, I don't know,

e zero interest in doing, dumbass," he tosses back to me

o, you play their game. Marry this chick, get them off your fucking back, and then live your life. Hell, set her up with a place in th

thought. But I kno

and Giada, were at their happiest when they weren't anywhere near each other. But they were also old-school Catholic, which meant that even as miserable as they m

ve with each other until they day they were taken from us. Marriage meant

nstilled in my

ve to do, because I'm a big boy and I under

I have to fuc

r," Carmy sighs. "He has no resp

hat's not what

about your preference for married women. As

lplessly. "Hey, the heart w

art spelle

lear my throat and glance

that ti

her father should be here soon t

, as in getting you drunk as fuck after it's over, but

zen?" "Yessir

w months ago, he managed to make friends with Carmine, and through him, weaseled his way into a guest pas

tic as Drazen is, he's grown on me. So much

to know I probably want fuck-all to do with them. I know where my line is. My game is Venom and the information trad

h and sink into my favorite chair by the window of my study, overlooking

t's alm

g lazily at the shore. This whole situation is a shit show. And

mp

he poisonous tongue and defiant energy radiating off her pale skin that ma

rk off her pretty lips. Though I suppose stretching those lips arou

again as I slug

enty of people who make it

rom me. But when it comes to Tempest, I can't seem to hold to my usual m

op thinkin

y. Fuck no. But I can't

d lips. The whole princess-of-darkness, Marilyn Manson

t this woman is hitting me like this. Worse, I

stormed out of Frederick' off

s than three times since then. And each of those times, it was black

s the niece of the woman-g

.highly p

udy door pulls my

renzo, my head of secu

i." My lips thin to a g

can escor

rrows. "She's act

is some sort of power move. But then I realize I don't really give a shit if it is or n

then

orried or amused to tell me. "She won't get

nch the bridge of my nose. Right. I forg

the blood marker, the Dickensian quill, and the small silver disk with the two wells and two little pinpricks set into it. With L

print to the page. So be it. My club is ev

e white stone driveway, the engine running. My eyes narrow at my own reflection in the tinted black windows. I'm about to

o be fucking

is?" I mutter through clenched tee

t neither of us wants this, but

rough the crack in the window

" I mutter. "So long as you smile and obey me in publ

nterior of the car. "

urls into

marriages anymore. Marriage itself is enough

is the way she wants

ill, and the little metal disc

ucking contract and the apparatus to sign it with her blood. She takes it, slipping her hand back into the

e, presumably from pricking her thumb. A second later, the han

our father and I will talk, but you and I will meet privately next week to go over the d

my sentence when the

tarts to pull away. I stand there glaring at its rear

the driver leaning out the window to speak with my security. Security nods, the gate opens, and the Bentley starts

and Frederick Black s

down the driveway to w

nd my heart drops. The signature is sloppy and barely legible, b

fu

my arms in the air at the security

hut and stepping between it and the approaching SUV, guns drawn. The brake lights glow

k demands, storming over to me. He jabs an ang

er out of my hand. "Who th

he SUV opens, and

striped Freddy-fucking- Kruger sweater, with too-blac

uckin

next to the SUV, staring right at m

e roars in my ears. My thumb throbs from where I just l

next t

ears as the full gravity

little witch raises a black manicu

k.