Page 57 of Ruined By a Devil

“Please, it’s nothing,” she brushes it off. “We’re becoming sisters today, and this is what sisters do.”

“I wouldn’t know,” I shrug. “I’m an only child.”

“Me too,” Riley laughs. “I’ve just been told that’s what they do.”

I sit in front of the vanity, staring at my reflection, barely able to recognize myself. Riley has done a wonderful job with my makeup, she truly has a gift. If it had been up to me, I would have done my go-to every day makeup. The lace dress I ended up choosing hangs from the dark wooden wardrobe behind me, pale and sharp against the wall.

“You have to hold still for this,” Riley stands over me, her fingers deft as she weaves a silver pin into the heavy coil of dark hair at the base of my neck. She pulls a strand tight, securing it with a small metal clip that bites into my scalp. “If this slips halfway down the aisle, the photos will look terrible.”

I do as she says.

Outside, the rain from last night has stopped, leaving the ground wet and dark. The sound of distant car doors slamming and thick boots crunching over gravel drifts up through the cracked window in my room. Malachi’s men are setting up the perimeter.

“You're oddly quiet,” Riley says, catching my gaze in the mirror.

“I’m just waiting, I guess,” I reply. “Or maybe I used up all of my words and there are none left in the reservoir of words in my mind.”

Riley bursts into laughter as she reaches for a bottle of perfume, spraying a cold mist over my collarbones. The smell of crushed vanilla and heavy amber fills the air.

“It's normal,” she says, smoothing down the high silk collar of her own dark green dress. “The morning of is always a little fucked up. You feel like you're walking toward a firing squad.”

I turn my head slightly, watching her adjust the sleeve of my gown where it sits on the hanger.

“You were glowing on your wedding day,” I remember being sat down somewhere in the back row at Riley and Zeke’s wedding. And I specifically remember thinking how I have never seen anyone as happy as her or as gorgeous. At the time it crushed me because the word about my Papà wanting me to marry Nolan was already out and I knew I wouldn’t look nearly as happy on my own wedding day. “How did you manage to keep your nerves under control?”

“I just looked at Zeke and the rest of the world turned into a blur,” she shrugs, a smile dancing on her lips. “I know it’s not exactly the same for you and Mal, but I also know you two have a strong connection. Just focus on that.”

“That’s a useful tip,” I reply and then before I can stop myself, I add. “I just wish...” The words stick in my throat and I can’t finish that sentence.

Riley pauses, her hand resting on the white lace. “What?”

“I wish I had another friend here, or someone from my family,” I sigh, looking down at my hands, the engagement ring suddenly heavier than I remember it being.

She reaches down, grabbing my hands, her palms dry and cool. “You have me,” she says, her gaze locked onto mine, unyielding. “From today on for the rest of our lives, I’m your sister, remember? And I’ll be damned if I’m letting you go down those stairs looking like a victim.”

I squeeze her fingers, feeling the heavy metal of her rings press into my knuckles. The tight knot in my gut doesn't loosen, but the edge of it sharpens. I don’t say anything, unable to put into words the emotions that I’m feeling in this moment.

“Now let’s put this stunning dress on and make sure Malachi has a heart attack when he sees you walking down the aisle.” She grabs the dress from the hanger and walks back to me. “Or at least a boner.”

“Riley!” I find myself laughing from the heart for the first time in the last couple of days.

“What? It’s not like you guys don’t want to do it,” she continues. “I saw you two together, the tension is strong enough to cut through stone.”

“We haven’t…”

“I know, you wouldn’t be as tense if you were,” she winks. “But you see? There’s another thing for you to look forward to that will calm your nerves.”

Like I needed any more motivation to think about fucking Malachi.

Malachi

I check my watch. There are ten minutes left until departure and somehow I feel like there are still things for me to take care of before we leave.

Elijah and Cain stand near the front entrance, their dark suits tailored, their eyes scanning the driveway through the reinforced glass side panels. Outside, three black SUVs sit idling, exhaust rising into the cool morning air.

“Everything is set on the south route,” Elijah says, adjusting his cuff links without turning around. “Zeke has his team positioned at the intersection near the chapel. No sign of Devlin's scouts.”

“Good,” I say, stepping toward the main doors. “Send the second SUV around to the side entrance. Jade rides with me.”