Ravenous Kingpin (Kingpins of the Syndicate #4)

18. Emory

CHAPTER 18

Emory

M y brother and cousins were here, guns blazing and expressions grim. The fury on my brother’s face was all too familiar to me, and I couldn’t help an inward groan.

“For fuck’s sake, why do people always show up at weddings uninvited?” Killian spat, and the rumors of Killian’s last church ceremony rushed to the forefront of my mind.

Except, unlike Sasha Nikolaev, my brother and cousins were too late.

“So much for keeping this a secret,” I whispered.

Killian started to drag me toward the back of the church where the priest disappeared, but I yanked my wrist free. I refused to run. And anyway, knowing my family, they wouldn’t quit until they found me. So I might as well face them now.

Gunshots pierced the air and somewhere behind us a cross shattered onto the marble floor.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Killian growled, his fury burning dark and dangerous while he glared at my family.

“What?” my cousin Dante spat. “It was an eyesore.”

“I didn’t realize you were an interior decorator,” Killian muttered. “But I do know you weren’t invited, so see yourselves out.”

“That’s my sister right there,” Basilio hissed, looking like he was ready to tear Killian limb from limb.

Killian smiled coldly. “No, that’s my wife right here. Try me, and I’ll make your wife a widow before you can see your next child born.”

“ Goddammit ,” I snapped. “You are all fucking lunatics.”

It was only when I noticed Priest was missing that he appeared.

“Are we too late?”

Killian was a bit too smug when he answered with a “Yup. Four days too late.”

Everything looked confused, except for the two of us. But still, unconsciously, Killian had moved closer to me, shielding me with his body.

I scoffed at the gesture. “They aren’t going to hurt me. But you?—”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Basilio called out to the empty church, and I realized Priest was dragging the priest who married us by the arm. “This ceremony is null and void.” Dante pointed a gun at the priest as my brother added, “Destroy the documents, Father.”

Jesus.

What a clusterfuck. There was no way in hell that I was going anywhere with Killian now that my family was here. A shuddering breath left me at the thought of them hurting him. I couldn’t bear it six years ago, and I was no better today. Still weak, pathetic.

“What… I…”

“If you want to live, Father, you will do no such thing,” Killian stated coldly. “Besides, did you not hear me, Basilio? You’re four days too late. Your sister wanted a church ceremony so I made sure to give it to her, because my wife’s happiness is my priority.”

The poor priest was gasping, his eyes darting between my husband and brother, trying to figure out who was a bigger threat to him. I feared it might be the latter, judging by the thunderous expression on his face. The ruthless man was on full display, not bothering to hide the darkness under his charismatic persona.

“There’s no way my sister consummated this marriage,” Basilio hissed, this conversation making me sick to my stomach. “Therefore, it is annulled.”

“You’re about six years too late,” Killian sneered. “And we’ve been consuming our marriage for the past four days.”

Basilio stiffened, surprise flashing in his eyes as they sought me out. “Is that true?”

“For Christ’s sake,” I muttered. “You couldn’t seriously have thought I was a virgin at twenty-six.”

“Damn right I did.” My brother, in fact most male Italians in the mafia world, were fucking hypocrites. They fucked to their heart’s desire, yet they expected women to sit around waiting?

“What is it with you Italians?” Killian said. “First, you interrupted my wedding, and now you insult my wife. Are you trying to get killed?”

My brother was too easily riled up, especially when it came to threats against his family. Now he was bristling, balling up his fists and aiming his gun at Killian’s chest.

“You better let go of my sister before I peel your filthy fingers off her.”

Killian fixed him with his icy stare, his face hardening. “Go ahead and try, Basilio.”

My throat tightened.

The problem was I couldn’t decide who I was more worried about—my brother or Killian. The two stared each other down without an ounce of fear, then without a warning I was pushed behind my husband and bullets pierced the air.

I watched in horror torn fabric on my brother’s arm, blood dripping onto the church marble floor.

Deafening silence followed, and then a full-blown belly laugh bounced against the centuries-old walls of the church. My brother laughed. Dante and Priest soon followed.

“How could you?” I rasped, finally getting my thoughts together and turning on my husband. My ears were buzzing as I threw a punch, hitting his iron-like jaw. Killian barely even flinched. “That’s my family.”

“You fucked up,” Basilio grunted, holding his arm and still laughing. “She’ll never forgive you for that one.”

“Stop being a baby. It was only a graze,” Killian mocked, then scooped me up like a sack of potatoes, throwing me over his shoulder despite my objections.

I screamed and pounded my fists against his hard back.

“Ma-may God bless you, child,” the priest stuttered, making a sign of the cross in the air as if I were going to my grave. Fucking useless.

“Put me down, Killian,” I hissed, attempting to bite him. “Or I swear to God, I’m going to murder you.”

He bent his knee, lowering his whole body as he took a turn, careful not to hit my head against the doorframe. Then I remembered and lifted my head, yelling back, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”

“What?” Basilio called out, already running after us.

“Don’t tell anyone about the marriage!” My brother and cousins would keep a secret for me, but if the entire underworld learned of it, there was no chance in hell divorce would ever happen. Although deep down I knew I was fooling myself.

Killian broke into a run, his shoulder pressing against my stomach. Every step he took put more and more distance between me and my brother. He took a few more turns, then descended a set of narrow stairs.

“I swear to God, Killian, I’m going to murder you,” I hissed as he crept through a doorway that looked like it hadn’t been used in two hundred years.

“Just do it after we consummate our second marriage,” he said, not missing a beat.

My punches against his back weakened, holding a lot less merit, but then I spotted it. There was another gun tucked in the back of his pants. My brother and cousins were nowhere to be heard or seen. It was up to me to get myself out of this mess.

I shifted my body, leaning lower over his shoulder, and all the while Killian never stopped running.

I stretched my hand further. Almost there. My fingers brushed against the cold metal as I pushed myself farther down Killian’s back, wrapping my hand around the handle.

“There aren’t any bullets in it,” Killian stated.

Letting go of the weapon with a huff, I started to plot my revenge, because nobody was allowed to hurt my family and get away with it.