C3 Chapter Three

MASSIMO

Father Illio stumbles through whatever words he’s used at a million weddings before, then arrives at the vows. When he finally falls silent, he looks at me with wide eyes, reminding me of an owl.I didn’t plan for this part, though every other bit of my scheme has gone perfectly. I wiped out Henrico and his brothers easily-no one predicts a massacre at a wedding. Perhaps they should have. That thought makes me smile.My bride cringes away when I do.

I squeeze her small hand tighter and pull her to my side. “I take this woman as my wife, and she takes me as her husband. There.”

Father Illio blinks slowly, looking more like an owl than ever. “I, ah … do you have the rings?” he asks.

“Certainly.” I turn to flavio and point down at the best man, Henrico’s older brother. “Flavio, do the honors.”

He kneels and goes through his pockets as some of the guests mutter with disapproval or horror, then rises with a ring box in his hand. With an easy toss, he flicks it to me, and I grab it from the air as he goes back to pointing his gun at what’s left of the Manchello family.

I flip open the box. “Not bad.” Taking the ring out, I peer at the diamonds set along the platinum band. “A little over the top, but I can’t say it’s outside my taste at all.” I pluck the ring free with my teeth, then drop the box.

My bride, her entire body shaking, doesn’t offer me her left hand. So, I reach down and take it, then pull the ring from my mouth and slide it onto her finger.

“Where’s mine?” I ask.

She shakes her head. A pretty little thing, brown hair in waves and hazel eyes. She’s got a mouth that was made to take my lips; mine of course. No one else’s. I’ll be putting it to good use later. When I think of how she’ll cry and beg me to stop, it only makes me smile wider.

Lucas takes a ring box from one of the bridesmaids and opens it, taking out a simple platinum band. I don’t let him give it to my bride. She’s so scared she’d drop it, and then I’d have to make her father crawl to it and pick it up. Actually, that doesn’t sound so bad.

I flip the ring in the air like a coin. She looks up, watching it turn end over end. Then I swipe it from the air and slip it onto my finger. A tight fit. I’ll have to get it resized.My bride’s bottom lip trembles, a tear streaking down her perfect face. “Please let me go,” she whispers.

“I already told you, princess. I’m never letting you go.” I grab her waist and kiss her hard on the mouth, bruising her with the force of my claim to her body, and most of all, to her name.The priest’s voice is barely audible, his tone defeated. “I now pronounce you man and wife.”

No one cheers. The organ doesn’t start up. The flower girl is weeping in her mother’s lap. Blood stains the marble floors, and I’m certain there’s brain matter on my bride’s skirt.

I couldn’t be happier. I pulled off the coup of my fucking dreams, and it went perfectly. The Fontanas are on their back heel, and the bloodshed has only just begun.

When I let her go, she draws in a harsh breath and tries to back away from me.“No, princess. You’re with me from now on.” I scoop her into my arms and carry her down the stairs.My men fall in behind me, their guns still at the ready as I carry away my spoils of war.

Her father will contact me within the hour, and I have no doubt what’s left of Henrico’s family will be out for blood. I’m ready for them.I crave this violence, and if I could bathe in the blood of my enemies, I’d happily do so. My bride shakes in my arms, her gaze darting around, frantically looking for someone to save her. No one will. I’ve made sure of that.

Once I get her out of here, I’ll take great pleasure in breaking her. My mouth waters at the thought of it.

“Where are we going?” Her voice quavers as I carry her out into the sun.I smirk at her. “Home, princess. Isn’t that how the fairy tale ends? I take you home and full you of my children?”

She’s dazed, her eyes wide as she looks up at me with pure terror. Shit, it makes me go hard in my pants.

“This isn’t real. We aren’t married. We-”

“I think you’ll find that we are, princess. The marriage certificate will be on file within the hour.”

Flavio opens the back door of the black SUV parked right in front of the cathedral. I place my stolen bride inside and slam the door, her white dress caught in the jamb and floating in the light breeze.

I bang on the top of the car, and it takes off. The rest of my men fill the other SUVs while Benito and Red make quick work of knifing the tires of the nearby cars.

Once that’s done, I motion for Lucas. He bars the cathedral doors and jets down the stairs, a grin on his face as he jumps into my car. People start banging on the doors, and it’s only a matter of time before they try to escape out the back. That door is barred, too. It’ll be a while before anyone shows up on my doorstep.

“I can’t believe we pulled it off.” Lucas jumps into the passenger seat as I take off, tires squealing.

“You doubted me?” I ask.

“No, I just figured one of us would be choking on his own blood right about now, but they barely put up a fight.” Lucas seems almost disappointed in the lack of conflict.

“The Fontanas and the Manchellos are old families with few heirs. You know this. We killed Henrico and his brothers. His mother and a few cousins are all that’s left,” Lucas intones from the backseat.

“Easy pickings.” Lucas reloads his gun. “I thought about popping them right then and there.”

“We spilled the blood that needed to be spilled.” I enjoyed every second of it. My retribution on both families was in no way swift, but it was still satisfying all the same, especially now that I have a Fontana bride.

“I need more. Those pricks-they didn’t deserve such quick deaths.” Benito keeps an eye out behind us.

“I’m just getting started, Benny.” My bloodlust is still raging, and the ones I really want dead-Leonard and Camilla Fontana-are still breathing. But I’m not going to let them off so easy. Not like I did Henrico and his brothers. The Fontanas are going to suffer before I let the axe fall on their worthless necks. Now that I have their daughter and sole remaining child in my grip, I’m going to twist the knife in their side and bleed them slowly. Which reminds me. “Lucas, text the account guy and tell him to wire the bride price to Leonard.”

“You’re really going to pay it?” Lucas pulls out his phone despite his surprise.

“I’m a man of my word. You know this.”

Lucas sends the text. “How long before we get that money back?”

“Depends.” I press the pedal farther, speeding toward my compound in the wooded hills outside the city. “Once I’m bored with torturing their daughter, I’ll finally end them. And once I do, all those assets will come right back to my family through my beloved wife.”

Red grins. “You’re going to wreck that poor, sweet, innocent girl.”

Benito laughs. “I bet she’s never even touched a man in her life .”

“A virgin? God forbid.” Red snickers.

“She’s a princess, boys. Of course she’s a virgin.” One, I’m going to tear to shreds . Fuck, just the thought of it makes me hard again. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a beautiful little thing. Those eyes and a curvy body. I’m going to fucking wreck her, and I’m going to enjoy every goddamn second of it.