It’s hard not to think about it. The first gunshot that cracked through the dry air at Bheka’s desert compound was enough for me to know that something was amiss. I’ve heard plenty of gunshots, but this one was different. There was purpose and meaning to that shot like it was writing a story through the air as it traveled into its target. As fate would have it, that target was my father.
I remember dropping my water canister and running out from the cool shade of the building that the mafia crew and I were holed up in. The cold splash of water at my feet was the last I felt of that life-giving liquid for a long time. Even now, every time I drink water, it feels like heaven. I’m terrified of being dehydrated like that again.
“Do you?” a gruff old voice interjects, bringing me back to the present moment.
I blink, looking over at the priest. “Do I what?” I ask.
Carter chuckles, and the priest frowns deeply. “Do you take Carter Calandro as your lawfully wedded husband?”
“Oh,” I say, heat rising to my cheeks. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
The priest shakes his head, then looks toward Carter. “And do you, Carter Calandro, take Honey Dormer as your lawfully wedded wife?”
Carter puffs out his chest, looking down at me confidently. “I do.”
The words send a chill through my body. I can’t believe I’m going through with this, but the vows have been spoken.
It’s done.
It’s over.
Carter is now my husband.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Shit, I’m going to kiss him? I had just managed to push the thought of that from my mind, but here it is, rearing its ugly head in again. Intimacy, marriage, kissing, and then sex later? It’s too much. It’s way too much.
Carter reaches two wide hands out, flipping the veil that rests over my face up onto the top of my head. His eyes sparkle, and instantly, I feel at ease. He’s not going to hurt me. Everything is going to be okay. This is just a formality, like the wedding itself. It’s all business.
Even with these assuring thoughts, my eyes nearly pop from my skull as Carter leans down to plant his lips on mine. I almost recoil, but I would be chased off the estate for such an action. I stay still, allowing Carter to kiss me.
His lips are warm and soft, and I’m surprised by how pleasant and gentle he is. The deep, earthy scent of his cologne wafts up to my nose, giving me a rush of excitement as we seal our marriage with this kiss.
And then, just as quick as it came, it’s gone. Carter’s lips leave mine, wanting and curious as he pulls his head back to continue the wedding ceremony. I feel a stir deep within me, an unfamiliar feeling that brews deep in my belly like a storm. I want to get rid of it, but I can’t. It makes me uncomfortable because I don’t understand it.
I look up at Carter, and he slips his hand over mine, squeezing it gently. The feeling in my stomach grows stronger, and I squirm in my white lace dress and hells at the alter. I don’t understand what I’m experiencing, but I get the feeling that it won’t go away anytime soon.
Our wedding is nearly complete, but our marriage is just getting started.
Chapter Five
Carter
It feels wrong to marry Honey, and it’s not because she’s half my age, although normally that would be cause for concern. It feels wrong because she’s as pure as cream, as innocent as snow, and as sweet as sugar. When I look at her cute little face, I see nothing but goodness inside of her, and next to a sinner like me, she’s damn near close to an angel.
But the papers have been signed, and the vows have been said in front of dozens of witnesses. There’s no turning back from the contract I’ve agreed to. As of today, the Dormer Mafia is part of the Calandro Mafia, unified by blood.
The first thing I’d like to do is bring all of the sub-leaders of the groups together for a meeting, but apparently, that would be an insult to family tradition. I’m supposed to spend the first night with my new wife instead of with the mafia team.
Bah! Tradition this and tradition that. The motions that I have to go through in this place to get the simplest things done is tiring. Even as a mafia boss, I’m expected to behave a certain way. Just because I’m the one at the top, doesn’t mean I can take matters into my own hands and break from tradition. In fact, being a mafia boss means I’m bound by more restrictions than any normal person would be. It comes with the territory. You have to walk like a king if you want to be viewed as one.
So, instead of following through with my initial plans for a meeting to unify the mafia groups into one, I’m spending the evening with Honey. I’m supposed to make love to her in the master bedroom of the estate, but I’m not so sure that will go over so well with her. I’d be fine with a nice glass of whiskey and a good night’s sleep instead, leaving her purity intact for the time being.
I walk up the spiral staircase that leads to the top floor of the estate mansion. Each stair creaks and groans under the weight of my feet, as though I were pressing into the souls of all those who have lived here in the past by walking up to the master bedroom. This mansion has belonged to the Calandro family since the early-1800’s, so I wouldn’t
