Page 182 of Vicious Hearts

“Cillian,” he hisses. “Keep that Captain fucking America bodyguard thefuckaway from my sister, okay?”

I start to hum the chorus to Whitney Houston’sI Will Always Love You. Hades gives me a venomous look before he looks away and turns serious again.

“So, what do you want to do about Stavrin?”

“Honestly, I want to banish him from my fucking head today, because I’m getting married, Hades.That’swhat I want to do.”

He smirks, nodding. “Fair enough. I just mean—”

“Hades?” I mutter, turning and buttoning my jacket.

“Yeah?”

“You think I could go get married now? Please?”

“Think you can resist knifing any of my siblings on the way?”

“I’ll do my best.”

* * *

The inkon her back is beautiful.Stunning. I wait in the doorway, not wanting her to see me yet, letting my eyes drink in the tattoo for the millionth time since she got it last week.

It’s still fresh, and a little raw. But it’s finished. She did the entire fucking piece in one brutal thirteen-hour session. Her artist was floored, telling her it was the most hardcore resistance to pain she’d ever encountered in her chair.

But that’s my wife for you. Tough as nails. Unflinchingly brave.Veryhardcore.

What does not kill you.

I grin as my eyes slide over the words above Finn’s design. Over the dragon, and the waterlilies, and the phoenix, and the tarot card. If anyone could have captured Una like this, it’s her brother. And of all the sketches of his I’ve seen in his book, this might be his masterpiece. It’s so her it’s impossible for me to look away sometimes.

Echoing our first wedding theme, Una’s in black again. This time, the back of the dress scoops way down to her lower back, what with the freshness of her tattoo and all.

She looks fucking gorgeous.

My dark queen.

“Fuck!”

She whirls, her face white as she stares at me. “You scared the living shit out of me.”

“You look stunning.”

She blushes. “You’re not supposed to see—”

“Except we’re already married, my love.”

“True.”

“And I had to see you before we walk out there.”

She grins. “Really? Why?”

“Because I don’t know if that ass ifnearlybruised and spanked enough yet to be standing in front of an altar with me.”

Una’s face burns with a fierce intensity. Her teeth drag sensually over her bottom lip.

“We’ve got fifteen minutes, I think…”

---