Page 30 of Faithless Vows

“Your friend Kitty,” I say, then immediately correct myself. “Kathleen, I mean. I met her. She told me she wanted us to get along.” I can hear myself rambling, the words coming too fast. “She said… she said since we were both going to be with you—” My voice breaks, and I search his face, desperate for him to tell me she lied and terrified he won’t. “Why?” It comes out small and pleading.

Ronin stares at me, stunned. I watch the shock in his eyes give way first to guilt, then to something that looks painfully like heartbreak. His mouth opens, but before he can speak, a scoff sounds just behind me. His gaze flicks past me, and I turn to find Danny a few feet away. Danny meets Ronin’s eyes, his upper lip curling as he slowly shakes his head, then walks past us and out of the lounge.

I watch Danny go, then look back at Ronin, startled by the change in him. His jaw is clenched now, his face reddening, and the heartbreak I saw in his eyes is gone, replaced by fury. His hand tightens on my shoulder, and he gives me a sharp shake, hard enough to make my teeth click. “Who do you think you are?” he hisses.

“Wha—”

“Don’t be so goddamn naïve, Alannah.”Not Lana. Not doll.“I married you, and this is what I get?” He shakes me again. “I could have married anyone. You know that.”

There’s a high, thin ringing in my ears.

“So she was telling the truth.” My voice wobbles before I can stop it.

He lets out a short, incredulous laugh. “You can’t be serious. You thought marrying me meant you’d be the only one?”

The words knock the air from my lungs. I stare at him through my tears, unable to speak, as the last hope that Kathleen was lying falls away.

“You’re my wife now,” he continues, his voice low and tight. “And you don’t get to make a scene.” His hand shoots out and closes around my wrist. I try to wrench free, desperate to get away from him, but his grip only tightens.

“We’re going to deal with this right now,” he says as he starts down the hall toward the ballroom in long, quick strides, pulling me after him. I try to keep up, but he’s moving too fast. When I fall behind, he yanks me forward so hard I barely stay on my feet, then keeps going without slowing or looking back. With every step, the music grows louder, each beat pounding through my chest.

The doors swing open, and a spotlight snaps on as he marches me into the ballroom. The glare makes me blink, and when I open my eyes, I’m met with a sea of faces turned our way. The bandleader’s voice rises over the music.

“Mr. and Mrs. Byrne—”

Applause erupts. Cheers. Someone whistles.

Ronin drags me to the bandstand, releasing my wrist only to band an arm tightly around my waist and pull me against his side, pinning me there in front of everyone.It hurts.My gaze drops to his hand at my hip, his fingers dug in hard enough to bruise. I don’t remember it ever being like this between us. I can’t make any of this fit with the man I thought I knew.

I stop trying to wipe the tears as they spill down my cheeks. Everything feels distant, unreal, like this can’t possibly be happening.

Around us, the applause falters and voices begin to die away. Even the band trails off until the whole room falls quiet.

“Everyone,” Ronin calls out, “if I can get your attention—”

Chapter Eleven

Ronin

Danny flags the bartender for another round as he wraps up the last of the business he wanted to go over. So far, he hasn’t brought up a single thing Da couldn’t have handled while I’m gone. But because Alannah and I leave tomorrow and I’ll officially take over from Da when we get back, I bite back the urge to cut him off and let him finish.

I glance at my watch. I hate that I’m sitting here dealing with this shit instead of being with Alannah, especially today of all days. Another five minutes, ten at most, and I’m going back to my wife.

My wife. Christ, I like the sound of that. I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of Alannah walking down the aisle toward me out of my head. She looked so damn beautiful, so happy. And the way she kept her eyes on mine the whole way, like I was the only thing in that church worth looking at? There isn’t a luckier bastard alive. I promised myself then and there I’d give her every reason to keep looking at me that way for the rest of our lives.

The bartender sets the drinks down, and I tip my head in thanks before taking a drink. Danny keeps talking, and I check my watch again. An elbow catches me in the side. I look over at him, and he lifts a brow. “You planning to listen to any of this?”

I shrug. “I’ve got a wife to get back to.”

“I’m almost done.” His mouth curves into a grin. “Then you can get back to her. Married five minutes and already whipped.”

I laugh. “Yeah. Guess that’s how it goes.” Still smiling, I take another drink and look around the bar. It’s nearly empty now. Most of the guests must’ve gone back to the ballroom. We should be heading back too.

I’m about to say as much to Danny when I see her.

Alannah stands just inside the entrance, her red-rimmed eyes staring at me like I’m a stranger, tears running down her cheeks. My stomach drops. Who the fuck made my wife cry on our wedding day?

I set my glass down and start toward her, expecting her to come meet me, but she doesn’t move. Her gaze drops from mine to the floor as I approach, and the way she won’t look at me puts me on edge. “They’re ready to announce us,” she says when I reach her, then turns to leave.