Ivan snorts under his breath as he shakes his head and looks out at Dylan’s shaken relatives. His men stand like pillars behind them, their suit jackets pulled back to reveal the sleek black of their weapons. No one speaks—breathes.
It’s coil wrapped tension, thickening the atmosphere until it’s suffocating. Dylan’s mom grabs her purse, pulling it close to her as she leans into her husband for support. He takes her hand, intertwining their fingers as he gulps.
“You’re sick,” Ivan finally says.
“I’ve always been sick,” I muse. “You know this.”
He sighs, looking away from me. “If only I could have stopped you back then.” He retreats to his spot on the altar as my best man before the orchestra swells into soft music.
“Kaden!” Dad shouts, throwing his hands up. “Talk to me! What’s going on?”
I smirk cruelly, letting the mask I’ve practiced my whole life finally slip away. “It’s a wedding. What do youthinkis happening, Father?”
Mom’s eyes widen as she lifts a hand to her mouth. “Where’s Dylan?”
“Next flight back to California,” my eyes crease. “So he can be with his mistress and their newborn.”
Gasps ring out before low whispers begin. Hurt lances across Mom’s delicate features as she shakes her head slowly. She’s trying to process the bomb I just dropped.
Dad’s face turns red as he whips around to Dylan’s parents. “Did you know about this?”
The father rises, frowning. “Of course we didn’t! How do we even know he’s telling the truth?!” He throws a hand towards me. “My son would never cheat on Melody!”
My jaw grinds. “Oh, would you like proof? I have plenty, but you’ll spoil the ceremony if I show you now.”
He scoffs, holding his hands up. “We’re done here. Let us leave.”
Simeon jams his gun into the man’s spine before using a strong hand to force him back down to his chair. “Stay sitting. If I have to intervene again, I’ll blow your brains all over your beautiful wife here. We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”
The man gulps, shaking his head.
My gaze returns to my parents as Dad glares at the Callahan family with distaste. Mom shifts, her hands falling to her sides as her chin wobbles. “Where’s Melody?”
“Getting ready,” I say softly.
She blinks back her tears. “Ready for what, Kaden?”
Dad’s eyes snap to me, realization dawning in him as his voice tumbles past his lips. “No…”
“It would be in your best interest if you didn’t try anything,” I warn again.
“You can’t do this, Kaden!” Dad bellows. “You’resiblings!”
That fucking word.
It’s always used as a deterrent, yet it registers in my brain differently. It doesn’t matter how Melody and I are related. All that matters is that my sister is mine, and no amount of disgust or revulsion on our parents’ part can dim that.
It makes the sicker part of me fester into some horrible, living organism as my head tilts dangerously. “Be glad we aren’t blood related. I still would have fucked her then, too.”
Mom’s mouth falls open in terrible shock as Dad’s face becomes so red that I expect steam to billow out of his ears.
“KADEN THEODORE—”
Dad is cut off mid-yell as another enforcer drops him to his chair with a sharp movement. The barrel of a gun is pointed at my father’s temple as Ivan curses from behind me. The orchestra nearly pauses, their arms halting before they resume with tense frames and hurried movements.
The double doors open as Sergey shoves past the threshold. His wife is standing to the side, her hands out as if she can stop Melody from barreling past. My sister pinpoints me across the venue, her chest rising and falling with her panted breaths as the chiffon dances around her. Her veil drags behind her, leaving a long train of sheer fabric in her wake as she stomps towards me.
Her arms swing by her sides as her lips twist into a snarl. Her bouquet is clutched tightly in her right hand, and I close my eyes as I piece her plan together. Her heels click closer and closer as a hush falls over the room. When I open my eyes, she’s a few steps away from me before she rears her elbow back and throws the bundle of roses into my face.
