“Cormac!” Dad’s thunderous voice booms across the room. “Stop this at once!”
But Cormac isn’t listening. He keeps running at Marco with his knife.
Marco manages to punch Cormac in the face, sending my brother stumbling back.
“I will not let you marry my sister,” Cormac hisses. He raises his knife high.
Dad’s hand wraps around Cormac’s wrist and forces him to drop the knife. “Stop this right now, son. Right now.”
Cormac stares at our dad in disbelief. “You’re really going to make your own daughter marry this man?”
“It’s for the best for our family. You will do well to remember that. Now, go sit down. We have to finish the ceremony.”
“Fuck that,” Cormac hisses before storming down the aisle and walking out of the church.
Dad lets out an awkward chuckle, running his hands down his jacket. “Sorry about that. Ciara, Marco… let’s finish this.”
“You just expect us to carry on like nothing happened?” I ask.
“Yes.” Dad’s tone speaks to no disagreements. “This marriage is happening. Now, everyone, let’s return to normal. Finish the ceremony.”
After a beat, the priest continues speaking. Marco looks rattled as he stands before me. The guests all look scared out of their minds and I can’t blame them.
And when the priest says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” I know my life is forever changed. I am married to an Italian man my brother hates.
Something tells me things are only going to get harder from now on.
Chapter Six
Marco
The moment the ceremony is over, I lead Ciara outside the church, keeping my composure but inside, I’m fuming. Cormac tried to publicly kill me before all of his father’s men. That weakens me. This has to end.
“You look… angry,” Ciara says.
I stare down at her and she flinches.
Patrick leaves the church, rushing over to my side before the rest of the guests come out. “Marco, I didn’t know.”
“You need to get your son in line,” I growl. “If we’re going to work together, I can’t have him trying to kill me. Because if he comes for me again…”
“Are you threatening to kill my son?”
“I don’t want to, Patrick. But if it’s between me and Cormac, I will choose myself any time. So you need to get him under control so we don’t have to be in that awkward position.”
Patrick nods. “Fine. I’ll talk to my son. But let’s enjoy the reception. We need to keep our guests happy. I don’t want them feeling any dissent between us.”
“I agree. I’ll put on a nice smile but I am not happy about this, Patrick.”
His eyes flick down to Ciara. “Don’t hurt my daughter.”
“I don’t have plans to. Just get Cormac in line.” I storm over to the car waiting for us and get inside. Ciara speaks to her father for a moment before getting in beside me. We’re both quiet as the driver takes us away from the church and to the reception hall.
“Are you going to kill my brother?” she asks in a soft voice.She’s scared, I realize. Married to a man who her brother just tried to kill.
“I won’t if he stops trying to kill me.”
“So you’ll kill him if he tries something again.”
