Page 70 of SINS & Temptation

Her eyes widen in fear, then flit to that dipshit Knox, and I realize she needs convincing. “Signal him all you want, Kennedy. Agent Knox is an anchovy floating mindlessly in a sea of sharks. Whatever fingers you signal him with, I assure you, I’ll take bolt cutters to before shoving them down his throat.”

Terror flashes across her face, assuring me that what I’m doing is more than just a little fucked up, but I’m a psychopath. What does she expect?

She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes as she trembles. “I don’t want this.”

I kiss her neck, and her body shivers. “What you want is irrelevant. What you need is two slow hours of me ruining you for life.” I move my lips to her ear. “You think I don’t know about your texts and calls to your friendly neighborhood Fed? Or that he has your sister holed up at his apartment?”

“Are you jealous?” she sneers. Always a fight with this one.

I smirk, tracing a finger down her cheek. “Does he look dead?”

Her heart pounds wildly against my chest, like a little bird suddenly desperate to escape her cage. “Enzo, please?—”

“Please, what? Please take you to the church, or please drop you off at the nearest human trafficking ring?”

Her tears flow freely now, and I can see she’s finally coming around. She takes a shaky breath. “Will you at least honor my father’s wishes for my wedding day?”

“What wishes?”

“They were in his will,” she says. “He didn’t have money to leave me and Riley. He left us his wishes instead.”

My mind races, speculating on what a man would want for his daughter’s wedding.

Yeah, I got nothing.

But considering I have more money and power than half the countries in the world, it shouldn’t be an issue. “Agreed.” I kiss her. “Be my wife, Bella, and I vow to give you anything you want. Or die trying.”

My darling Kennedy,

There will come a day when the man of your dreams will want to whisk you away, and if you’re reading this, it means I’m not there to pound sense into the two of you myself. But from up above, I’ll be looking down on you, and I swear if I could, I’d move heaven and earth to be there for you, lass.

Remember, darling, you’re a Mullvain, and we Scots abide by our family traditions. Pre-cana. Devotion. Attire.

I know you’ll make me proud.

My love, forever and always,

Da

With my brothers all gathered in the library, we get to work. Even though I told Smoke he didn’t have to stick around, considering he has a honeymoon to jet off to, he’s here.

Despite our differences, stepping over his wedding was never on my to-do list. Yet, here we are, and since Mr. “I’ll believe it when I see it” insisted on witnessing the world’s most notorious bachelor tie the knot, well, here he stands. With all of us.

The stark truth that we’ll never know when it’ll be safe for us all to be in the same room again cuts through my heart like a serrated knife. Though I’ll never admit it to these buttheads.

“Where’s the blushing bride?” Dillon quips, plucking a book from the shelf and flipping it open. “I’m surprised she hasn’t run for the hills yet.”

“And I’m surprised you can read,” I retort back, eyeing the book in his hands, “though it doesn’t shock me you grabbed historical romance. Dark romance, bro. Trust me on this.”

“She’s being fitted for her dress,” Sin interjects as he strides in.

Ricardo has already delivered all three gowns, along with a battalion of seamstresses. He’s spent the last thirty hours sketching for my approval, and they’ve been sewing like the wind.

Here’s the thing: I know everything about Kennedy—her cup size, style preferences, even her favorite fabrics. Could I have picked out a dress she’d love with my eyes closed? Sure.

But today is her wedding day. Not that she knew it when she rolled out of bed this morning. The least I can do is give her one choice in the matter.

Having Sin by her side is a dowry of sorts. And not just for today. Knowing Sin, he’ll embrace her as one of us no matter how much of a dickhead I am. And Kennedy needs that.

---