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“And now, by the power vested in me by God and the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
There are polite golf claps as the crowd rises from their chairs.
Time to play the last card I have.
For what was taken from me.
For what was done to me.
ForNina.
“You may kiss the bride!”
We never discussed this part. If we had, I’d have laughed in his face and told him it wasn’t going to happen. Maybe I’d have changed my mind after the other night. Maybe Idid,in a dark, secret part of me.
But that was before I found that box just now.
Before I learned the truth.
I jolt when his one hand lands on my waist, and the other cups my face. His piercing blue eyes stab into me, flickering with venomous fire as I feel the etched cool hilt of the dagger solid and comforting in my palm.
Dante leans in as the cameras flash and the crowd applauds.
…And my arm stabs forward.
But just as it does, the hand on my waist grabs my wrist with frightening speed, yanking and wrenching it aside. I hear him grunt as the blade slips past his hip, but he’s not groaning in pain. He’s not falling to his knees with his life bleeding out of him.
He’s still kissing me.
“Smile for the fucking cameras,” he hisses against my lips, nipping at the bottom one so hard that I yelp when the taste of copper explodes in my mouth. “Dear.”
14
DANTE
Some of thewomen present blush and giggle amongst themselves when I grab my new bride and yank her off the garden stage toward the house. Alistair and Gabriel Black shoot me venomous stares.
Carmy gives me a thumbs up, and Vito…of course…grins and makes a crude gesture with two pointed fingers of one hand, and looped fingers of his other.
But I’m not dragging Tempest away to consummate a goddamn thing. In fact, if she doesn’t have someveryilluminating things to say right now, I might fuckingburyher.
She was in a daze as I yanked her through the gardens, away from the wedding. But the second we tumble in through one of the side garden doors to my house, she comes alive again.
Alive, animated, andveryangry.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!”
It’s not just anger in her voice, or malice in her eyes, though. There’s pain there, and horror. Fear, and disbelief.
Christ, it’s like she’s just walked in on heractualhusband balls-deep in her sister or something.
I drag her into the study, slamming and locking the door shut behind us before I let her go. Tempest flings herself from me like she might catch on fire, backing away with hatred and horror in her eyes.
“Stay the fuck away from me!!”
“What thefuck!!” I roar back. I yank the blade out of my jacket pocket where I’ve hidden it, caching sight of a splash of red slowly staining my dress shirt. Wow, shedidactually cut me a little.
At least she didn’t jam this fucking thing through my heart, like she was trying to do.
