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26
Michael
I glance down at the dagger protruding from my chest, then up at her. The train of her black dress streams behind her. Her hair flows about her shoulders. She raises the dagger and the blood—my blood drips from her fingers. Her green eyes blaze at me, the look in them triumphant and stricken, at the same time. I hold her gaze, and in the depths of her eyes, I see myself reflected. I reach for her and she holds out her hand—the one without the dagger. Our fingers touch, cling together. Her lips part and my gaze drops to her mouth. The redness of her lipstick matches the scarlet that runs down the blade of the dagger.
"Beauty," I whisper, "what have you done?"
"I…" she swallows, "I didn’t have a choice… I didn’t mean to—" Her shoulders shudder. "I—"
Her beautiful features sway in front of my eyes. Black spots flicker at the sides of my vision. My knees seem to give way from under me.
I hear her scream and her fingers tighten around mine. The dagger slips from her fingers and clatters to the ground. The world tilts. Arms grab me from behind, and I shake them off. I steady myself, glance past her to find my brothers crowding in around us.
Sebastian reaches for her and I growl, "Don’t fucking touch her."
I glance over their shocked faces until my gaze connects with Luca’s. I glare at him, then lower my gaze to her face, then back to him. He nods. And a breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding leaves me. I take in her pale features, her green eyes pooling with tears that run down her cheeks. I raise my palm, brush away the moisture on her delicate features.
"Shh," I bare my teeth at her, "you didn’t think that I would die that easily did you?"
I tear at the front of the shirt and my buttons bounce to the floor. I glance down at the bleeding cut, then back at her. "You barely broke the skin," I drawl. "Seems I am going to not only discipline you but also instruct you on how to use weapons."
"Fuck you." Her chin wobbles, "I managed to hurt you. In my books, that’s a win."
"You barely wounded me. You showed your cards too soon, Beauty."
Her breath heaves.
"I am afraid I am going to enjoy teaching you your place."
She stiffens. "You can go to hell," she snaps.
"Only if you’ll come with me. Now that we are husband and wife, and all that."
"Fuck your sham of a marriage."
"It was very real,mia cara," I smile at her broadly, "don’t forget you still wear my ring."
She raises her left hand then begins to struggle with the ring on her finger. "Shit, shit, shit," she snarls, "it won’t come off."
"Of course, not." I smirk, "You didn’t think I was going to leave anything to chance, did you?" I drum my fingers on my thigh, in part to distract from the pain in my chest. "It’s half a size smaller, easy to push onto the finger, much more difficult to get off."
She stills, then raises her gaze to mine. "Bastard," she spits out, "how dare you?"
Behind me, the priest winces.
"Now you’ve shocked the Father."
Her cheeks tinge red. "The hell I care?"
I click my tongue. "You’re spirited, I give you that." I smirk, "I’ll enjoy teaching you your place.”
"Argh!" She makes a sound deep in her throat that seems to tug on my nerve-endings. The blood drains to my groin.
Then, Luca wraps his arm around her shoulders and urges her away from me. Her fingers drag against mine, as she pulls away. A shiver runs down my spine.
Nonna steps in front of her. I see her hand move, then the thud of a slap echoes around the church as her palm connects with Beauty’s face.
"Stop," I call out. "She’s my wife, mine to punish as I see fit."
