Page 126 of Bride By Initiation

"This is not funny!" Dad shouts, his face purple.

I jump.

Sean squeezes my waist. "No, it's not funny. But here's what's going to happen. Zara and I are now married. You can choose to respect it or not. That's your choice. We hope you'll be happy for us. We've been friends for a long time."

"You chose the wrong daughter to do this with," Dad seethes.

"Luca, you know there's no one who will take better care of Zara than me. No man can protect her better from our enemies. And you can't deny that."

"Spoken from a man—no, a boy—who forced her to get mutilated!" Dad spouts.

Sean grunts. "I'm not a boy, and you know it."

"I'm not mutilated!" I protest.

"You intentionally burned your body! And for what?" Mom cries out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"And he didn't force me. I wanted it," I add, guilt piling higher inside me.

Sean takes a deep breath and says, "I'm Zara's husband now. There's no more surveillance on her except what I deem necessary. From this point forward, she's my wife and my responsibility to take care of."

"Like hell, it is," Dad booms.

"Sean," Dante quietly warns.

"You don't dictate what goes on with my daughter's security," Dad fumes.

Sean puffs his chest out. "I do. I'm her husband, whether you like it or not."

"She'smydaughter," Dad snarls.

Determination laces Sean's voice. "That's right, and that's why we want you to be part of our lives. But she's my wife, and I will protect her from now on. Any questions?"

Luca takes two steps, but Dante steps between him and Sean, warning, "Luca, cool it."

"Don't you tell me to cool it when it's my daughter," Dad barks.

"Things are too heated right now. We'll work through this at another time," Dante asserts.

"Mom, I want to know whatever you're not telling me about this skull and Dad. I deserve to know," Fiona insists.

Bridget sighs, shaking her head. "There's nothing to tell. I'm telling you the same thing I told Sean. It was just an image he obsessed over and then burned on his body."

"Are you lying again?" Fiona accuses.

Bridget's face falls, filling with fresh pain.

Dante points his finger between Sean and Fiona. "You two need to stop bringing up old ghosts. You know why your mother had to lie to you all those years, and she hasn't lied to you since. She doesn't deserve your disrespect."

"Then tell us the truth," Fiona pushes.

"I am telling the truth," Bridget cries out.

Mom interjects, "I think Dante's right. Things are too heated right now. We all need to cool down, take some time, and process all this. Luca, let's go."

Dad looks at her, not moving.

She softens her tone and puts her hand on his bicep. "Please, Luca, let's go."

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