Page 65 of Midnight Wedding

“It was mostly my father’s people,” I admit.

“Wait, really?”

“It was his form of punishment. He couldn’t do it himself, so he’d get my guards to hurt me instead.”

Her mouth falls open. “Your ownguards? The people that were supposed to protect you?”

“They didn’t like it. They always apologized afterward and were really nice to me. Sometimes I even liked it, you know? A few cuts, a few bruises, and I’d get a lot of positive attention for a few days.”

“That’s sick.”

“I’m aware.”

“Maybe that’s why you like it when I’m a little mean to you.”

“Probably.” I pat her ass lightly. “What’s your excuse?”

“Oh, I’m just a freak.”

“Thought so.” I kiss her lightly, feeling more relaxed than I have in a very long time. The burden of leadership is still there, but it doesn’t feel so crushing. “You know, the worst part of getting stabbed this time wasn’t even the knife or the stitches.”

“What was it then?”

“I like Aunt Sona.”

She seems surprised. “You’ve never said anything good about her around me.”

“That’s because she’s been a terrible, vindictive, vicious bitch for years. But back when we were kids, she was actually kind of fun. I remember one time we had a pool party and she brought over like fifty inflatable animals. She spent all afternoon blowingthem up with a pump. The kids went wild. It’s one of my fondest childhood memories.”

“Sometimes I forget that when you sayAuntSona, you mean you literally grew up with these people.”

“That’s the hard part. I loved her once. Her and Garen and all the others that left when the family split after my father’s death.” I don’t mention that I had a very active hand in killing my old man. That’s a story for another night. “I went to that auction to try to talk sense to her, thinking I was speaking with my aunt. If we could just get past the animosity and come back to being a family—” My fingers dig into her hip. “But she tried to kill me instead. I’m almost happy it happened in a way.”

“Why? How?” She’s biting her lip like she’s trying not to cry. It makes me want her even more, knowing that she’s emotionally invested in me. I can’t remember anyone caring about how I feel like that.

“Now I know where I stand. I don’t have to hold back anymore.” I pull her close. I don’t want her to be upset for me. I’m not upset for myself—not even a little bit. Getting stabbed wasn’t fucking fun, but it was almost liberating.

I can fight this war the way I should’ve from the start.

Total brutality.

No more leniency.

I feel free.

“You’re a good man, Arsen.”

“What’s good about what I just said?”

“You tried the right way first. You even got yourself stabbed. I don’t think most people in your position would’ve gone that far, but you did.”

“I care about family. It’s everything to me.”

“Is that why you wanted to marry me so badly?” She sounds surprised, like she’s only just figuring it out.

“You’re carrying my child,” I say, and maybe she’s finally getting it. “Family is everything, and blood is forever.” I touch her belly where our baby is growing. “This is a bond deeper than anything else in this world.”

She looks stunned. I kiss her and pull her tight against me. Yeah, she’s starting to figure it out. Family is the most important thing in the world, and she’s my family now.

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