I finally make it to Dante and once again, my breath is taken from me; his gaze is piercing me as he stares at me. He shakes Da’s hand and the priest begins to talk, but I’m unable to concentrate on what he’s saying. Dante has a hard grasp on my hand, his thumb rubbing circles against my palm. I’m in a daze, I can’t help but glance up at him throughout the ceremony, and whenever I do, he always seems to catch me.
When the priest says, “You may now kiss the bride.” My heart speeds up and I glance at Dante once more. His eyes are filled with lust and need as he lowers his lips down on mine, gently and yet promising. It’s a promise of what’s yet to come. I cling onto him as though he’s my lifeline and I’m wondering when the hell I became this woman? The woman that wants someone in their life, to be a part of it, in ways that no one else has?
“Dante…” I whisper and his gaze hits my lips.
“Kenna…” he replies and I practically whimper.
The sound of glass shattering breaks through our moment and I cry out as something hits my arm. I’d have fallen to the ground if Dante had not been holding onto me. His eyes narrow in on my arm and I’m too scared to see what’s wrong; what’s made that dark look come onto his face?
Then all hell breaks loose as the doors burst open, showing the Bratva holding guns. Dante pushes me behind him as he pulls out his own gun.
Shit, this is going to be a bloody wedding.
Five
Dante
My heart batters against my chest as I watch Makenna walk down the aisle, there’s something about this woman that fucking gets to me and I don’t even know her. When my father told me that I’d be marrying, I had assumed that the relationship I’d have with my wife would be cold and sterile. I know the way things work in our world, women are to be seen and not heard. They’re to make a home and look after the children, but as I watch Makenna walk toward me there’s no way things will be cold or sterile. The woman makes my blood run hot, she’s brought out a protective instinct I never knew I had. When Finn told me that Makenna wanted me, I didn’t know what to expect but walking into the room and watching her kneel in front of a panicked Kinsley wasn’t it. Hearing them talk made me realize that I’ve underestimated my soon-to-be wife. Her words hit me like a fucking sledgehammer, “I survived that shit. We’re here. Together, we’ve overcome so fucking much. We’re fine.”
She’s far from fucking fine, seeing the two women huddled together, heads touching, made me see that there’re things Makenna hasn’t let anyone see. I’m determined to find out what the hell she’s been through and I’m not going to stop until I find out all of her secrets. I’m unable to take my eyes off her, she has a bright smile on her face. You’d think we’ve known each other for years the way her smile lights the room. Whereas the truth is so much worse, she’s been handed to me in a fucking deal, and yet she’s not showing an ounce of fear. She’s strong and vulnerable. She’s a walking, talking contradiction and yet I crave her.
I shake Seamus’ hand and instantly grasp Makenna’s, my thumb moving in circles over her skin, needing this contact. Goosebumps break out over her skin and I bite back a smirk; she’s affected by me. When my lips touch hers, it takes all my restraint not to take it further. Instead I pull back, my hands on her hips, holding her tight. Her eyes are heavy with lust. She’s fucking gorgeous, she’s holding onto me as though she needs the strength to keep her upright.
“Dante…” she whispers and my cock stirs, my gaze goes to her lips, plump and kissable.
“Kenna….” I reply gruffly, pissed that we’re in a church and not near a bed.
Glass shatters and she jerks in my arms just as a cry escapes her, I reach for my gun as the doors to the church burst open.
The fucking Bratva.
The blood on Kenna’s arm has my blood pumping, murder running through my veins. They fucking shot her. They’re going to pay for it. Tightening my grip on her waist, I twist her so that she’s behind me, my gun in hand and I start shooting.
“Shit,” Romero says and I glance at him, his eyes on Alessio, who’s on the floor bleeding.
Kenna pulls out of my hold and I hear material ripping, more shots are being fired and I focus on the bastards shooting at my wife and brothers. As far as I can tell there’s thirty, if not more, Russian bastards here. They picked the wrong fucking wedding to hit. Every man here is firing back at them, we’re taking them down but they just keep coming.
“We need to get him out of here.” Kenna’s voice pulls me through the blood lust I have. “Dante, if we don’t he’s going to die.”
Fuck.
“Finn!” she yells and instantly her brother’s by our side. “I need you to cover us, we need to get Alessio out of here.”
He instantly nods, crooking his finger, his men are surrounding us.
“We need to go out the back, there’s a car waiting.”
I turn back to my wife and I’m fucking shocked, she’s torn off the bottom half of her wedding dress. Blood covers her torso, and I’m not sure if it’s hers or my brothers, seeing as the bottom half of her dress is on Alessio’s body where Kinsley is applying pressure. But what shocks me the most is her calm like appearance, her mind clear as she barks orders at people.
“Romero, I need you to carry Alessio out. Kins, Ace is waiting for you.”
“Keep a tight perimeter. Shoot anyone who gets close,” Finn tells his men and they instantly nod. “Let’s go.”
“Dante,” Kenna whispers and for the first time, I hear a tremor of fear in her voice. “If you have to stay, I understand.”
Fuck, this woman. She understands. I don’t even have to say a word and she knows what I need. For the second time today, her hand lays over my heart and she takes a deep breath. “Be safe,” she whispers and places a kiss against my lips before she releases me and they leave.
I turn back to the foray and see that most of the attendees have left, leaving my men, the Irish and a few others left, there’s still some Bratva left but nowhere as near as many as there was. I walk toward my men, “I want at least one alive.” I want to find out just why they started shooting up my wedding.
“How’s Makenna?” Seamus asks and it’s in that moment that I realize, I didn’t even check. I knew she’d been shot, but I don’t know how bad. Fuck. He shakes his head.
“Finn’s with her, they’re making their escape.”
He nods, “Let’s get rid of the rest of these bastards and then you can go and check yeah?” There’s a fucking threat in there somewhere, there always seems to be with Seamus, he can’t just come out and say whatever the fuck he wants instead the asshole has to say some cryptic shit.
“Boss,” I hear one of my men call and I turn to face Stefan. He’s got a cut to his eyebrow, a bruise forming on his cheek and he’s grinning like a crazy asshole.
“What?”
“Boss, the Russian’s have retreated, there were four Escalades coming to the entrance and then they left. We’ve got three in the back of the car, we’re bringing them to the warehouse.”