“Remi.” Santiago’s voice brings me back to present. “Cual es tu respuesta?”

My answer can only be, “Bride.” Thunder echoes in the sky, almost sealing the word and commitment it means for my horsemen, who nod at it.

The black car pulling up by the church with a loud screech interrupts us; its headlights shine along the entire sidewalk.

Quickly, Briseis gets out, adjusting her dress, and Santiago crooks his finger at her. “Querida, ven aquí.” She rolls her eyes at his command but rushes to him, laughing when he wraps his arm around her and hugs her close, already slamming his mouth on hers.

Jimena hops out next, her heels clicking on the concrete as she saunters toward me and exclaims, “You’re getting married.” She reaches me quickly and circles my neck, raising on her tiptoes and kissing me on the cheek. “Felicidades, hermano!”

I trap her nose between my fingers and squeeze it lightly. “Gracias, princesa,” I tell her before embracing her in a hug, because we might not be blood-related, but this girl was my little sister the minute her parents brought her home.

A pure, innocent, loving girl who brightened up our worlds with her smiles alone and soothed the pain from the nightmare her family encountered that shook us all.

The Four Dark Horsemen’s princess who we all love and protect fiercely. So if anyone dares to hurt her, he will have to answer not only to Santiago, but to all of us.

For a brief second, I catch Florian’s possessive gaze lingering on her, drinking in her beauty, and he squeezes his fist. However, the expression is quickly gone and replaced with his usual indifference bordering on coldness as he smiles. “Careful, Remi. Your bride might get jealous.”

Jimena freezes in my arms and then steps back, her cheeks heating up as she murmurs, “I’m sorry.” Then she lifts her chin and smirks at Florian, her blue orbs flashing dangerously while her stubborn Cortez nature pushes forward, clearly blanketing her pain. “Manwhores, such as you, are incapable of forming long-lasting friendships with the opposite sex, so they fail to understand such bonds. Thankfully, his future wife is not one of them.”

“I have enough friends, princess. I prefer to fuck the opposite sex.”

She huffs in disgust. “You’re such an asshole.”

He shrugs. “At least I’m honest.”

All thoughts fly from my mind, though, when I focus my attention on the vision in white emerging from the car in all her magnificent glory.

I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman than her, a seductive creature who will attract every male unfortunate enough to meet her.

Because the beast roaring inside me will sink his claws into them and won’t rest until he tastes blood, killing the competition, so my beauty never even contemplates dreaming of another.

I’m a possessive bastard who has never had anything valuable of his own, just Penelope. I will guard her and fight anyone for her.

She watches me warily before taking a deep breath and walking toward me. I notice she doesn’t have a veil on, and only then I see a box in her hands. “I won’t wear a veil.” She bites her lower lip and quickly adds, “Can I talk to you, please?”

My brows rise at such a request. Hope shines in her eyes along with deep need as her fingers dig into the box.

“I’ll take that and wait for you in the bride’s room.” Briseis almost rips the box from Penelope, while Santiago says, “We’ll be in the church. Don’t take long, amigo.”

In record time, we are left standing alone as my bride exhales and inhales heavily, gathering the courage to voice whatever bothers her, and I resist the urge to capture her plump lips in a heated kiss, wiping all her worries away.

My dick hardens just thinking how she came in my club, squeezing me so tight and holding on to me for dear life.

“Why do you want to marry me now?” She finally raises her sapphire orbs to me, drilling her stare at me. “You chased after me for years. What changed tonight?” Her voice hitches, and anticipation crosses her face while she awaits my reply.

Ah, my beautiful little liar.

She holds on to the hope that goodness resides somewhere deep within me, even though she was in my dungeon and knows what I’m capable of. And as such, she craves to hear that I want her and not her fucking twin who’s been nothing but a pain in the ass for me.

Two conflicting emotions fight for dominance inside me.

Protectiveness, as it pushes me to soothe all her worries and tell her that I know about the switch and crave only her.

And hatred, because in order to execute my plan and end this war, we have to marry right now in front of everyone with her still believing I don’t know her true identity.

Tonight, after all this is over, I will soothe her pain with my mouth and tongue, but right now, I have no choice but to be cruel.

I catch her chin between my fingers and tip her head back; we stare at one another for several seconds, before I say, “You came to me and gave me your body.” Her hope transforms into despair and hurt, darkening her eyes before she slaps away my hand and steps back. “You became mine, so I saw no point in waiting.”