Page 22 of Black Wedding

Fuck!I should have known he would hack into the warehouse security cameras to watch my back. I know I should be grateful, but I’m more concerned with the girl sitting next to me who just read the message over my shoulder and now looks pissed.

“Bree, take a deep breath and let me explain,” I say softly, hoping to reason with her enough that she doesn’t take her knife to mine and Kellan’s balls.

“You can explain why your pervert of a friend was watching us have sex or how he managed to hack my father’s security?” she screeches.

“Okay, so your father’s security is an easy question. Kellan had to hack into their security to help me kidnap you. He left a back door open so he can get in and access any security system operated by your father’s team if he ever needs it. That includes this facility. I didn’t know he was watching. He would have logged in to make sure we were safe, and as soon as he saw what was happening, he would have turned it off. He will also have deleted the footage. But I made sure to position myself between you and any camera. So nobody could see you, and that’s exactly how I wanted it. I could have bent you over the hood or fucked you on it. I had all these things in mind, but this was the only place I could keep you out of sight. I’m sorry. I will bollock him, I promise,” I explain, taking hold of her hand and desperately hoping she can see how serious I am.

“You really did that to make sure I was protected?” she asks incredulously.

“Of course. I don’t want anyone seeing your sexy body but me.”

I wait for her reply; she seems unsure about what to say, but before I know it, she leans over and presses her lips against mine. It is a sweet kiss, her lips soft yet firm as she takes what she wants. It’s over far too quickly, and I feel my stomach flip. Her kiss is like a drug, and I am desperate for more.

“Thank you. Nobody has ever been that considerate or said that about me before. I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to respond,” she muses, confusion clear on her face, and I can’t help the chuckle that escapes.

“That response was perfect. Now, let’s go home and find out all we can about the fucking Marcushio’s so we can take them down. Can’t have anybody trying to ruin our black wedding, now can we?”

Now it’s Bree’s turn to laugh, and I love the way her face lights up and how carefree she looks. It makes her look so beautiful. “Why do people keep calling it a black wedding?” she asks as I start the car and pull out of the driveway.

“It’s an old term used by some members of our faith who believe that marrying for any reason other than love taints the sanctity of marriage. It’s also an ancient ritual performed in times of crisis. Two people who have never met before getting married in the hope of warding off whatever plague’s befalling the community at the time. But that concept has been adapted over the years. It now basically means a marriage of convenience or arranged marriage. If we were to do it properly, we would get married in a graveyard, and both wear black. It would also be funded by the community, so their good deeds will be recognised, and the plague will end, bringing around good fortune. Or at least that’s the story my mother always told me.” She listens intently, turning her whole body to face me as she takes in my story.

“Let’s do that. Let’s have our black wedding. If people want to talk and say we are cursed or whatever, then let them. I think the moral of the story is that actually, a black wedding might start off as arranged or frowned upon. Still, actually, the aim is to bring prosperity and happiness to those two people. That is our story. I don’t know where this relationship is going, and I know getting married prematurely without ever having a date sounds crazy, but who knows the future. Maybe we were always destined to get married; this is just expediting things. Maybe we will hate each other in a couple of weeks, I don’t know. But I do know that there is nobody else I want by my side as I take on my enemies and prove I can run this Family.”

I can’t help but smile with every word she says. This girl really is something else. I have no idea if I would eventually want to marry her if we dated normally, but this isn’t a normal situation. This is fucked up, and I know I could be potentially tying myself to someone for life, only to split up with her and still have to pretend. But right now, all I can see is how happy she makes me and how fucking amazing she is.

“I have no idea what will happen between us on a romantic level, but I am very fucking excited to find out. I know we could be risking the business relationship, and when we marry, there’s no going back. But right now, the idea of being without you is not something I wish to think about. So we are going to get married and be a fucking amazing business team, and in the meantime were are going to continue dating and seeing where this thing leads us. Speaking of which, I am taking you on a date on Friday night.”

Her smile lights up her face, and she doesn’t need to speak to know she agrees with every word I just said. Most girls would want to know all the details, but not Bree. She is happy going with the flow and seeing what happens, exactly the type of girl I like.

We drive the rest of the way in companionable silence. Finally, we are greeted at the door to our house by Kellan and a miserable Hallie. Her face is a disturbing mixture of red and purple, with crease lines warping her usually angelic face into something demonic. Her wails could be heard from outside the house, and I can tell why Kellan looks so frazzled. He is trying to sway her and reassure her to quieten her cries. He is pacing up and down the corridor, trying to get her to calm down.

“What’s wrong with my baby girl?” I ask Kellan.

“She is hungry, but I am waiting for the kettle to boil. In the meantime, she is trying to burst my eardrums.”

Before I even have a chance to say anything, Bree steps forward. “Here, let me take her while you go and get the bottle ready. Does she need changing?”

Kellan looks from her outstretched arms to me, and I give him a slight nod. I know it’s not easy for him to trust women right now, but I would trust Bree with Hallie. He knows if I trust her, then he has no reason not to. I’m almost as protective of Hallie as he is. Acknowledging my reply, he hands Hallie over to Bree and almost instantly, she stops crying. Letting out a few whimpers to know she is still hungry, she looks a lot less purple, which makes me very happy.

“I’ve just changed her, thanks. Looks like you have a magic touch,” Kellan says. I detect a slight note of jealousy in his voice, but my hardened stare soon softens that.

Bree leads Hallie over to the couch and settles down with her. She places Hallie’s belly against her own. Hallie turns her head and rests it down on Bree’s chest, looking content. Her face has returned to the angelic looks and her mouth settled into that cute little O shape she makes when she is hungry. As Bree strokes her back and smiles down at Hallie, I can’t help but acknowledge the fluttering in my stomach. I imagine her holding our baby, and I want to smack myself. What the hell is wrong with me? We barely know each other, and yet I imagine her with my kid. I really am screwed.

Not wanting to be exposed to that anymore, I walk into the kitchen to talk to Kellan, but he speaks before I have a chance. “You are so fucked,” he states. There’s no judgement there; it is merely a statement.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I reply, although I sound a little less sure of that when the words come out than they did in my head.

“You are falling for her. It’s obvious. But don’t worry, she is equally as fucked,” Kellan states as he shakes the bottle of milk he just made for Hallie before placing it in a bowl of cold water to cool it down.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I have a job for you.” I explain all about Art’s confession and ask Kellan to find out all he can about the Marcushio’s. We need to learn as much about what they are up to as we can. He agrees and is so excited he is practically vibrating with excitement.

After clarifying precisely what I need him to find out for me, we walk back into the living room. Hallie is still lying peacefully on Bree’s chest, looking around at the world, as Bree quietly talks to her, telling her how beautiful she is. Kellan sits down, and Bree hands Hallie over to him for her feed. She guzzles the milk like she has never been fed.

Together we sat for a while, just talking. Bree and Kellan take the time to get to know each other, and as time passes, they become more relaxed the longer they talk. They discover they have a lot in common, and I learn that Bree enjoys football and video games. They share banter over their rival football teams and discuss tactics for Call of Duty. As they start to grow more friendly, I feel myself begin to relax. It’s crucial for me that the two most important people in my life get along.

Our bonding session is interrupted by the doorbell. Bree gets up to answer it as Kellan puts Hallie to sleep in the Moses basket in the corner of the room. He is practically walking on tiptoes and holding her like a live explosive that cannot be jostled.

“What-” I start to speak, and he cuts me off instantly with a very firm yet whispered shush.

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