Page 27 of Bartered Innocence

“I’m sorry your father couldn’t attend.”

My breath stalls in my lungs, and I squeeze her tighter than I mean to for a second before I exhale, loosening my grip. I blink away the sudden tears and try to push away the ache in my chest. I hadn’t realized how much it hurt that he isn’t here, even if it’s through no fault of his own.

Clearing my throat, I give her a soft smile. “He tried, and I think one of the men recorded the ceremony for him.”

She nods. “I’m sure my mom will have a million photos for him.”

“Maybe a few we can hang up in our home,” I tease, testing how she’s currently feeling. We haven’t had much time to interact alone, but we seem to always end up in a fight.

Isabelle swallows, keeping her attention away from me. “Right,ourhome.”

“It will be yours as much as mine.”

She rolls her eyes before she can help it and straightens her shoulders to turn back to me. “I’m trying, Rian. But please stop gloating.”

I lean down to press my lips against her ears. “I’m not gloating, Isabelle. We both put ourselves in an impossible situation, and I chose what I could live with.”

Her lips twist into an insincere smile. “At the expense of what I want.”

“What we want can change. Have you given it any thought?”

Isabelle’s eyebrows furrow and she stares at me, a mix of wonder and frustration swirling in her eyes.

A cough has us pulling away and her brother stands there, glancing between us with a wary look.

“May I?” he asks me. I smirk at the clear intention to show respect.

Isabelle scoffs and lets go, grabbing Ricky’s hand.

I hide my amusement and nod at him, turning to move back to Aodhan. Luca and Gio have moved on, and I have no idea where Cormac disappeared to again. I swear the man is half-shadow.

“I have a feeling her father and brother just let her run wild. She has no regard or respect for you,” Aodhan says, his eyes on Isabelle and Ricky.

I shrug. If I wanted a docile doll for a wife, there had been a whole binder full of them. “I think she’s intelligent enough to gather when to keep her mouth shut. Plus, I rather like her attitude.”

He shakes his head. “That doesn’t surprise me. I worry about the men respecting her.”

“Like I said, give her more credit than that. She’s played the perfect wife for hours. So she rolls her eyes while in my arms. For all anyone knows, I made a dumb joke.”

Aodhan sighs, cracking his neck. “I hope you’re right, because a good majority already didn’t like the rush of this arrangement.”

“They don’t fucking like anything that upsets their daily routine, which is too damn bad considering they get to live their cushy lives because of everything we do for them.” My retort is more curt than I intend, but all of us spend more time in Jersey now thanks to the help we provide, so I’m growing increasingly annoyed. I’m not sure how my father deals with their complaints.

Aodhan rolls his shoulders back. “We spent years building up the brotherhood and the connections needed to slow down the gun imports. We’ve already gotten rid of half our wash spots. Getting into bed with the Italians was never the plan.”

I grab a flute of champagne passing by and down it in one gulp, setting the glass down on the table next to us. “A little too late to have doubts.”

He shakes his head. “Just tell me if anything feels off. We’ll pull the plug on it immediately.”

Stiffening, I glance back to my bride. Could I put a bullet between her eyes without hesitation if I found out she was betraying me? I’d like to think I could, but the pain in my chest at the thought has me leaving Aodhan without a promise as I walk back to the dance floor.

Chapter11

Isabelle

Sipping the champagne,I want to laugh at the divided room. We moved the reception to the hotel, occupying their largest ballroom. My family and a good portion of the Famiglia on one side, and the Irish on the other. How any of them think this marriage is going to bring peace between us is insane.

My view is blocked by the sudden appearance of a broad chest hidden by a tailored, dark navy suit, and I tilt my head back to stare at the clearest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. The color reminds me of ice, and my breath catches at the darkness swirling behind them.

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