“This is important to the business. You’ll have power, connections?—”
“Adriano.” He glances at me, frowning. “I don’t care. Shut the fuck up, okay?”
He nods once. “Understood.”
We stand together in silence. Brother and sister in hell. We grew up together in our father’s house. Adriano was pushed into leadership roles while I’ve always floated around on the outside. The Famiglia made my brother hard and ruthless, while it made me want to fix the world instead. It’s like we’re opposite halves of the same coin. He destroys while I repair.
That’s how I’ve always seen myself anyway. Grace House was my penance. It was my way of doing good despite being born into a family that does so much wrong.
But now what will I be?
With all this power and all these connections?
“It’s time,” the planner says as the wedding march begins. She clears her throat awkwardly. “Uh, Mr. Marino, I just want to say that I had no clue?—”
He frowns uncertainly at her. “What are you talking about?”
“The switch, sir. Nobody told me. It’s unconventional, but I’m handling it.” Her eyes widen when Adriano looks confused. “You don’t know?”
I look around, panic hitting me hard in the chest. “Don’t knowwhat?”
“Your husband—” the planner starts, but another member of the staff gestures hurriedly for us to get moving, and Adriano takes off. He drags me forward, but I want to stay. What about Finn? What happened to him?
“What the hell was she talking about?” Adriano murmurs as we walk onto the aisle.
I’m blasted by light and sound. People in fancy, expensive clothes stand and stare at me, some of them grinning and smiling, most of them just looking on impassively. I recognize most of the faces on the Marino side, but the Whelans are all strangers. New York is a foreign city. This whole room feels completely wrong.
Here comes the bride… wishing she were anywhere else…
Adriano walks on stiffly. I keep up, looking to the side, heart hammering in my chest. But slowly, Adriano’s pace slows, and he stops abruptly right in the middle of the room.
The music keeps playing, but the people around us start murmuring.
“What’s going on?” I ask, elbowing him lightly. “Adriano, what are you doing?”
“Bianca, the switch.”
“What are you talking about? Would you start moving?”
“No, listen to me.” His face is twisted in confusion and rage. “Look at your husband.”
I finally let myself stare ahead. I see Lucy first. Her face is pale and terrified. There are tears in her eyes. I don’t understand until I look at the man standing in my husband’s position, and then I suddenly do.
Fuck.
Oh my god.
This is wrong. There’s got to be a mistake.
Cormac is standing where Finn should be like he’s the one I’m about to marry.
My ghost. My terror. My nightmare and my wet dream.
He looks incredible. The tuxedo clings to his muscular body like a second skin. The tattoos on his neck and hands make him seem like an oil painting. His hair’s messy and slightly curly, and his eyelashes are so thick and dark. He’s looking at me with his perfect lips pressed into a tight, grim line, staring hate and lust and death. He’s sin and perfection. He’s everything I hate. He’s my blissful ruin.
“Motherfuckers,” Adriano growls, tugging me forward.
“What’s happening?”
