Page 67 of Unholy Vows (Original Sin)

Who is she?

Why her?

Renato was off half the time, speaking to dangerous-looking men with armed guards. Giada and Lucy sat with me.

“How did all these people come at such short notice?”

“When Renato De Sanctis invites you to a wedding, you come. It doesn’t matter if you have to fly back to the country to come. The only people who are off the hook for being out of the country are his sister and her family. They get the blood pass. Everyone else? It would be the ultimate disrespect not to show.”

I pulled a face, and Giada laughed. “Let me guess, you’re the kind of person who never throws a party in case people don’t come?”

Ding, ding, ding.

I glared at her, and she laughed again.

“Look on the bright side – from now on, they’d better come, or they’ll have to deal with your husband.”

Lucy had fallen into a sulky silence. She was dressed in black, as were half the guests, but my sister had decided to dress hers up with Doc Martens and ripped fishnets. If there was a poster child for teen rebellion, it was Lucy right now. She was tracing patterns in spilled sugar on the tablecloth when she sat upright and waved at someone.

“You know someone here?” I exclaimed. That was more than I could say. I’d been passing the time by sitting and staring out at the crowd, and my hands, and the flashy-as-hell ring on my finger. It matched the necklace and earrings perfectly.His grandmother’s jewels.It felt odd to wear them, and I had no idea why he trusted me with them. Considering our dynamic, I was more likely to head to the bathroom and toss them down the toilet than cherish them. Even as I thought it, I knew I would never do it.

Maybe he knew me better than I liked to think he did.

“It’s Quinn,” Lucy said and waved again. “From this summer. Lifeguarding.”

Ah, yes, the first and only job that Lucy had ever held down was this summer at the beach.

A slight red-haired girl about the same age as Lucy came rushing over. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here!” The girl smiled at my younger sister and held her arms open for a hug. To my shock, my prickly sister hugged her back.

“I kind of had to come…it’s my sister’s wedding.” Lucy laughed and introduced us. “Quinn, this is my sister, Charlie.”

A low whistle filled the air, setting my nerves on high alert. Someone appeared behind Quinn and draped an arm over her shoulders. Someone tall, broad, tattooed to hell, and with trouble written all over him. He wore a black jacket and white shirt, and his tie was hanging loosely around his open collar. His green eyes flashed at me as he held out a hand.

“I never thought I’d see the day Ren took a wife, and I definitely never expected it to be someone so young and lovely. I’m Brandon O’Connor, but you can call me Bran.” He leaned in, a charming smile stretched across his handsome face. “Just blink twice if you need rescuing, beautiful.”

“Yes, Charlie, blink twice if you want to be whisked away to Hell’s Kitchen to live with the Irish Mafia instead of Italian.” Giada’s sweet tone was venomous.

Bran leaned away from me and turned to look at the curvy Italian spitfire sitting just behind me. Giada tossed her hair and waved her red-tipped talons. “If you want to rescue someone, Irish, try taking someone who won’t bring a war down on your house.”

Bran’s eyes fixed on Giada, and he grinned wickedly. “Like you, sweet cheeks?”

Giada laughed. “You’d never survive me.”

“Sounds like a fun way to go, though, I have to say,” Bran said. The look he was giving Giada made me feel like I was an intruder.

“I don’t think we’ve been introduced, beautiful. I’m Bran.” He held out a tatted hand to her. “And you are?”

She smirked in his direction, flipping her knife between her fingers. “Out of your league,” she finished for him.

His grin said that he was hardly deterred by her put-downs.

I cleared my throat to break the tension.“I'm just going to visit the ladies' room.”

“You want me to hold your dress up for you again?” Giada asked lazily, focused once more on her little knife that she liked to carry.

“No!” I flushed and stood, turning and nearly falling when my body collided with Renato’s. His eyes were fixed on Bran and Quinn.

“Congratulations, Ren. I have to say, when Niko said you were getting married, I just couldn’t picture it, but here she is, and she’s lovely. Far too lovely for you,” Bran’s voice purred over the compliment.

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