Page 94 of Sins of the Hidden

Tyrant's eyebrows shot up, surprise momentarily replacing his performative solemnity. Then a harsh, mocking sound rumbled from his chest, sharp-edged and humorless, before he coughed into his fist to regain composure. "Okay, Law's daughter, do you take this psychotic asshole to be your husband?"

"She said yes." Tyrant snorted a laugh, the sound derisive.

"Okay, V—no last name since, according to the government, you don't exist. Do you take Law's daughter to be your wife?"

Nodding, Grim asked, "Do you even have rings?" Did he think I was an idiot? Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out two bands. One had a three-diamond set on top, stones catching light like trapped stars. The other was a black silicone ring for me to wear.

Knight whistled, nursing his shiner. "You have good taste."

No, Mother did.

This was the only thing she ever gave me, but I didn't want to think about that now, not on the happiest day of my life.

Taking Oakley's limp left hand in mine, I pushed the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly, like it had been made for her—like she had been made for me. Sliding my band on my left ring finger, I took a moment to look at it, feeling the weight of eternity. The three of them stood awkwardly before Tyrant spoke. "I guess kiss her?"

"Get the fuck out." I didn't look at them, eyes fixed on my wife's sleeping form.

Tyrant took the paper and signed off, Knight and Grim doing the same. "Congrats. I'm leaving."

Knight and Grim followed. Looking down at my new wife, blood rushed through my veins like a storm surge. The room felt heavier, like even the shadows were holding their breath in anticipation. The moonlight through the half-drawn blinds cast prison-bar patterns across her still form. My fingertips tingled with anticipation—tonight was just beginning.

"Did you enjoy our ceremony?" I asked, kneeling beside the bed. "I know you did. I could see it in your eyes."

Had her eyes opened during the ceremony? I could have sworn they had—just for a moment, just for me. Jade eyes saying yes a thousand times in languages only I could understand.

"I've given everyone a chance to leave," I whispered, tracing my thumb over the edge of her lips where softness met vulnerability. "But you don't get one." Leaning closer, my presence hovering above her like a coming storm. "We're together in life, kardia pou chtypa." My voice was rough, scraping against my throat. "Or we're together in death."

Pulling my mask down slowly, my eyes taking in every detail of her face. For the first time, I would touch her with nothing between us—no barriers, no masks.

My lips touched hers, the barrier gone. Her taste lingered—sweet, real. My pulse quickened as our breaths synced. This wasn't just desire; it was necessity. She became part of me with each heartbeat, each shared breath. The boundaries between us blurred until I couldn't tell where I ended and she began.

Lying beside her, our rings glinting in the darkness like eyes watching our communion. Her breath whispered against my throat as I wrapped my arm around her waist, drawing her against me. The heat of her body bled into mine, a living reminder of what I now possessed. My muscular form curved protectively around her softer one, my black hair spilling across the pillow behind us. My fingers traced the new weight on her ring finger, metal catching on calluses. I imagined the metal was cool, her skin warm. I cataloged the difference in my mind, storing it with other treasures. The diamonds caught what little light remained in the room, throwing tiny prisms across her rounded face. Even the shadows wanted to touch her.

Reaching for her phone, unlocking it with her face once more. Opening the voice memo app, I pressed record and held it between us as I spoke directly into her ear, words meant only for her.

"I vow to never let you go—not in life, not in death. If your body leaves, your soul will stay with me. If your soul flees, I'll hunt it through darkness and drag it back."

My lips brushed against the shell of her ear as I whispered. Her skin was warm against mine, delicate as tissue paper. The scent of her hair—lavender and something uniquely hers—filled my lungs, becoming part of me. I shifted closer, drawn to her warmth the way rot finds sugar—inevitable, hungry, irreversible. Her breath hitched slightly, a tiny rebellion her conscious mind couldn't control.

My fingertips traced her jaw, feeling the faint flutter beneath as I continued my vows. Her eyelashes cast feathery shadowson her cheeks in the dim light, black against ivory. Pressing my palm flat against her sternum, feeling the subtle movement beneath my hand, memorizing the rhythm of life captured within my grasp.

I stopped the recording and saved it. She'd find it eventually. A wedding gift. A promise. A threat.

The phone's screen cast a blue glow across her sleeping face, highlighting the soft curve of her cheek, the peaceful parting of her lips. In that moment, I almost wished she could see me—the real me—without fear clouding her eyes. But that was a fantasy for another day. Tonight was about foundations. About creating something that could never be undone.

The front door hadn't fully closed when Tyrant's voice called from the hallway. "Hey! Wait?—"

His heavy footsteps approached again, Knight's following close behind. I glanced down at Oakley, reluctant to leave her side. The weight of the moment pressed against my chest—our first moments as husband and wife, and I was being interrupted.

I traced my fingertip over Oakley's heart, leaving a crimson smudge from where I'd cut myself earlier unloading her neighbor's body. A promise for later.

"My blood on your heart," I whispered.

With one last look at her sleeping form, I forced myself to rise. Every muscle resisted the separation, as if my body recognized the wrongness of leaving her. But this interruption was temporary. The night was still young.

I joined them in the living room, where Tyrant had already made himself comfortable on the couch. His eyes followed my movement with predatory interest, cataloging my reluctance, my tension.

"So what now?" Tyrant asked, his gold rings catching the light as his fingers drummed against his thigh. "You got what you wanted."

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