Page 42 of Black Wedding

“There is no point in us having the same fucking argument over and over again. I work for your girlfriend, and that is it. You disgust me, and while you continue to work for your father, that will not change. You are not the Finn I once knew. So, unless it is related to my employment, I need you to stay away from me. Every time you talk to me, it just hurts. You hurt me. I can’t take any more.” Her voice breaks, and tears well up in her eyes. Finn looks like she just stabbed him in the heart, his posture slumps, and he looks broken. As Mckenna walks away, he just remains still.

“Finn, go after her,” I instruct, taking hold of one of his shoulders and physically shaking him to get his attention.

“There’s no point. She made that pretty fucking clear, Lee. I don’t know what to do. I really do have strong feelings for her, but I can’t do anything about them. Not unless I leave the Family business,” he grunts, clearly feeling sorry for himself.

“Well, leave then.”

A deep, sarcastic chuckle released at my response. “And do what? Where would I go? I have no fucking money,” he cries, complaining the same way he did when I tried to get him to leave with me and the girls.

“Listen to me, Finn, because I am only going to say it this one time. If you love someone, you will do anything for them. Even if that means facing a fear and doing something you really don’t want to do. But you do it because they are worth it. So you need to decide if Mckenna is worth it. You might make an enemy out of Desmond, but you might not. You need to decide if she is worth the risk. If you think she is, then you can come to London with us. Bree will find you a job. One that doesn’t force you to whore out your dick for money that you never see. You can keep your cock in your pants and earn money that stays in your bank. We even have a few legit jobs that we can find if you really wanna go straight. There are options open to you, Finn. You just have to decide if you are going to take them. How badly do you want Mckenna? That’s the question you need to answer, and when you know the answer to that, then the question of what would you do for her will be the easiest fucking question in the world to answer.”

Finn listens to me as I talk, and I can see him casting a glance at Bree, who is standing behind me, not wanting to leave my side but also trying to give us some privacy.

“Would you do anything for Bree?” he asks, and I can’t help but chuckle.

“Finn, I am in the middle of the lion’s den wearing a fucking suit. I brought my sisters back to a place I physically fought to leave. I said I would never work for one Family, that I just wanted to do the assassinations that I wanted, but now I am all in. Bree is my life now. So yeah, I would do anything for her,” I exclaim proudly, not even a hint of hesitation in my voice. I hear a sharp intake of breath from Bree as she hears me talk about all the things I would do for her. How strongly I feel for her.

“Look, Finn, you need to think about it. I am here if you need me. Bree and I are getting ready to head back to our room. Please, can you make sure both girls get home safely? And we can meet you at breakfast tomorrow,” I ask, and he nods his head. He is in deep contemplation, and I honestly have no idea what he will do.

Finn has always been terrified of our father, which is why he never comes with me when I offer to get him out. He thinks that the revenge Desmond will seek will make it not worth his freedom. But now he has a reason to fight; I just hope he chooses to get free. I hate what this family is doing to my siblings. It may be too late to save Evan, but I can still save Finn.

We say our goodbyes to all the people who matter before heading back to the room. As soon as we are far enough away from the entrance that the music can no longer be heard, Bree stops and takes off her shoes. She holds onto them and moans with satisfaction as her bare feet touch the cold marble.

Not wanting her to get her feet dirty and cold, I sweep Bree up into my arms, and she chuckles as I carry her like a bride back to our room. Once we are safely there, I lock our guns away safely, and she checks her phone. Desmond instructed us that phones were not permitted in the event, and so reluctantly, we left them here. The longer she stares at her screen with a blank expression, the more worried I get. As she puts the phone down, her face scrunches in annoyance, and a loud groan fills the room.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my mind whirling with all the possibilities. We are fighting enemies from all fronts, and I don’t think we can take another hit. I hate the idea of anyone threatening my girl, and now that we have ruled out my father, we know it has to be the Marcushio’s sending the death threats.

“It’s my Gramps. He is coming to London in a couple of days. He wants to sit down and meet with us to see if he will grant permission for our wedding. Looks like we’re getting to know you time is up, and we need to decide if we are all in or not.”

As she speaks, I don’t reply and instead, walk over to the cupboard beside my bed. I take out the box I stored there for safekeeping before stepping back and standing in front of Bree. I see Bree’s eyes follow my movements from her standing position beside the bed. I take a big deep breath to try and steady my nerves. I was waiting for the right moment to be perfect, but as with everything that Bree and I do, it is spontaneous and in the moment.

I need Bree to know how totally fucking serious this is to me, so I make sure my face shows no hint of the nerves I am feeling, and that my eyes never leave hers. I gently lower one knee to the floor and open the box as I speak. “Brianna Elouisa O’Keenan, we may not have met under the best circumstances, and our relationship may not have progressed the way it normally would, but that doesn’t matter to me. We are not normal. We are extraordinary when we are together, a force to be reckoned with. I want to stand by your side as you conquer this world, not just as your business partner but also as your husband. I know we still need to get to know each other a lot more, but we have forever to do that. What I am trying to ask is, Bree, will you spend your forever with me? Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

I watch as tears fill her eyes, and she usually blinks them back. Her desperate need to remain in control of her emotions at all times, but not this time. Now she stands frozen, her tears streaming down her face freely, as she looks between me and the glistening diamond ring I am holding towards her.

Silence passes for a long time, and I don’t know whether this is a no and I should get up or not. My heart is facing so quickly I can hear the blood rushing through my ears. The hand holding the ring starts to shake, and I can’t hide the disappointment from my face. As soon as my smile switches to a frown, that seems to be the motivation she needs to speak.

“You want to marry me for real?” she asks, her voice sounding so unsure.

“I wouldn’t normally propose to a girl this soon, but we have a different set of circumstances. But yes, Bree. I want to marry you for real. Do you want to?” I ask, hopeful.

With a loud squeal that I am pretty sure sounds like a yes, she launches herself at me. Since I am on one knee, with one arm already in use holding a ring box, nothing stops the momentum. We end up crashing into a heap on the floor, but Bree just smiles as she straddles me, her lips pressing against mine in a frenzied attack.

Reluctantly I pull away, my free hand stroking the hair off her face and tucking it behind her ear so I can see all of her face. “Is that a yes?” I ask, holding the ring in front of her.

Taking hold of the ring box, her face lights up in wonder as she removes the ring from the box. Holding the ring up in front of her, she turns it around, examining it closely before placing it onto the ring finger of her left hand. As the ring slides on, she lets out the cutest little squeak. “Yes, I will marry you.”

My heart pounds in my chest, and my stomach starts to feel like it’s flipping. I know that I should be freaking out right now or regretting what I just said, but the truth is, I have no regrets. I fucking love this girl, and now I have plucked up the courage to tell her that I will marry her for real, not just for business. I just need to take that last little step and tell her how I feel. But that will have to wait because I have lots of other plans for my lips tonight. I want to devour every inch of my fiancée’s delicious body.

Breakfast in the morning is relatively quiet and uneventful. Most of the family are in a sombre mood or living with their hangovers. When my father puts on an open bar, everyone makes sure they enjoy it. Shortly after breakfast, it’s time for us to say goodbye and head off. Except for the shootings at the beginning of the party, our visit has been less memorable than I was expecting. And a lot less violent. I am still suspicious of my father and his motives, but I know if he puts his word on the line, then he is serious. So, my family isn’t a threat for now, but that might not be the case forever.

Finn comes into the bedroom under the pretence of helping us carry our things, but given I have one case, he is obviously hanging around for another reason. I’m about to call him up on it, but Bree shakes her head. It’s weird how she knows what I am thinking at times.

“It has been so lovely meeting you, Finn. You really have to come to London some time. Of course, you are always welcome to stay with us,” Bree declares whilst holding her arms out as an invitation for a hug.

My brother and Bree have grown so close over the last twenty-four hours, and the more time they spent together, the more they got on. It’s the same with my sisters. She is easy to love, and my siblings fell just as quickly as I did, but in a slightly different way, obviously.

“Well, you better reserve me a room then because I will have to come over for your black wedding. If we go on gossiping about all the people in the room last night, it will be quite an event. Are you really getting married in a graveyard like the legend states?” Finn asks animatedly as he pulls Bree in for a big hug.

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