29. Emily

Chapter twenty-nine

Emily

F riday morning, I don't bother doing much to get ready. There will be no happy pictures, no memories I want to keep from this day. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and throw on something comfortable. Easton, for once, is gone when I wake. I step out of my room to find Samuel at my door. "Good Morning, dear sister-in-law, how did you sleep?"

I'm tempted to roll my eyes, but it's Samuel. There's already a smile on his lips. "I have a bit of information that may be useful to you." He walks beside me as we head to the kitchen. "I think you've won."

"Won?"

"I came down the hallway to find Easton about to take out one of his men, just for saying a negative word about you."

I sigh. "I'm not looking to win anything. This isn't a game."

"Ah, but see, that's where you're wrong. Everything's a game. You just need to learn to play it."

I sit down at the table and stare at the plate Raul sets in front of me. Samuel's words make me even less hungry than I was before.

"I have a hair appointment in thirty minutes. Who's taking me?"

"I'm your man for the day."

"You are?" I repeat, trying to imagine Samuel pulling out a gun and shooting someone. It's reasonably possible, I suppose. They're all Degarmos. They must have had some experience in whatever the hell it is crime lords do. Samuel raises an eyebrow at me after a long moment of me staring at him.

"Sorry, just trying to picture you…"

"...with a gun?"

He grins. "You wouldn't be the first."

I roll my eyes and sigh. He finishes off his food, then takes my arm and hooks it through his. Though I can't see him, Easton's somewhere, watching. His soft growl echoes across the foyer, but both of us ignore it as Samuel leads me out the door. "You are more than welcome to be mad at my brother. As someone who's dealt with the man for the past twenty-seven years, I totally understand where you're coming from, but the threat from the Andreevs is real and he has every right to be concerned." He leads me to a car and opens the door for me. Inside are Sir Jon and Kevin, sprawled out on the passenger seat. Samuel comes around and takes the seat next to me as Darius gets in the driver's seat and heads down the drive.

"Why are the cats coming along?"

"I don't know if anyone has told you yet, so let me be the first. We have reason to believe the Andreevs are rat shifters."

"I'm sorry, come again. Did you say rat shifters?"

He nods grimly. I run a hand over my belly and sigh. Could this get any worse? He seems to notice and pats my arm. "Oh, don't worry, if you really are part wolf like Easton believes, those genes should be dominant and you'll end up with a little wolf."

"And if I'm not?"

He shrugs. "Most shifters don't shift until puberty, so you've got some time."

***

I'm sure at some point that morning, Samuel regrets agreeing to be my security. My hair appointment is hours long to get the result I'm looking for. I leave the chair with a protective bonnet, so Samuel and Darius can't clue Easton into my continued rebellion. We arrive at the church close to one and Samuel and Darius leave me alone in my dressing room after a thorough search of the place.

Thankfully, no one asks to look in my garment bag. I unzip it and pull out the dress I managed to buy at the bridal store, holding it in front of me in the mirror. Fortunately, they sold other gowns too. That's how I found the one I ultimately decided on–a solid black, low-cut ball gown. Perfect for walking down the aisle to the man who tricked you into marrying him. The beads and crystals sewn into the bodice sparkle and shine against the solid black fabric.

I may have to marry Easton Degarmo, but I'm not going to make it easy for him. I untie the bonnet and let my hair down. It's now short and every color of the rainbow, an expensive process I charged to Easton's credit card. I dress quickly, and turn to stand in front of the full-length mirror.

The image looking back at me in the mirror is absolutely absurd. As I turn, I can almost hear my mom's voice, " Like a watermelon growing on a fence post."

The black lace of the bodice clings tightly to my breasts and belly, making mountains and valleys out of the expensive fabric. Even with all the makeup and hair styling in the world, there's no way to hide my swollen face and hands, even if the long skirt and train hide the cankles. Some women glow during pregnancy. I puff up. This is absolutely absurd. The baby kicks me HARD and I suck in a breath.

Two sharp knocks at the door pull me away from my pity party. Darius is on the other side, a flat, rectangular box in his hand. If any part of how I look is absolutely insane, it's not reflected at all in Darius's smooth brown face. His eyes remain neutral and he doesn't even raise an eyebrow as I open the door all the way, revealing the black, low-cut gown I've chosen for my wedding dress. He holds the box out to me. "Present from the boss," is all he says, and steps away from the threshold, once I have it in my hands.

I shut the door as he walks away and lay the box on the nearest table. It's black velvet–a jewelry box of some sort. Emily of two weeks ago would have been thrilled to receive a gift like this, but this Emily is weary. Slowly, I open it, expecting–I'm not sure–a bomb? A trap? A venomous animal? It's stupid. Easton's not going to kill me–even if I've been trying to kill him.

I slip the ribbon off the box and open it. Inside, a silver locket shines against the black velvet of the interior. Etched into its surface is the same image of a wolf that's on the cradle next to Easton's bed. Carefully, I pick it up. It's larger and heavier than it looks. The chain is a little thicker than one would expect from a normal locket. It has a side seam. Carefully, I run my thumbnail along it, and it pops open, revealing a single silver bullet.

A small, folded over card lies beside the locket. I flip it open and find a few words scribbled hastily, but legible–

A silver bullet–so the next time you try to kill me, you can actually have a decent shot at succeeding.

Asshole.

A sharp knock at the door makes me jump. I shut the locket and carry it with me to the door. Daniel is there. His eyes fall to my cleavage immediately, but he recovers quickly, clearing his throat and meeting my eyes. "It's time."

I hold out the locket to him. I figure I should wear the wedding gift I've been given–it matches the mood of my dress. "Can you help me get this on? Easton sent it to me."

"Huh," is all Daniel says, as he takes the chunk of metal in his hand. "That's something. You sure you want to wear this? It's heavy for a necklace."

I turn my back and pull my hair up out of the way. "One hundred percent."

Daniel gets the chain clasped without so much as touching me. As it slides down the front of my chest, it lays perfectly in the V of my breasts, highlighting just how low-cut this dress is. In the mirror, I can see Daniel turn slightly red. "Uh, maybe you should wear it some other time…"

"And disappoint my husband?" I tease. "Absolutely not. If this is the gift he feels is appropriate for his bride, then it would be disrespectful not to wear it." I turn and raise an eyebrow at my brother-in-law. "Bad start to a marriage, don't you think?"

He keeps his eyes steady on me and shakes his head, a slightly amused smile pulling at his lips. "Are you ready to head down the aisle?" he asks, holding out his right arm.

"Let's get this over with," I mutter as I take his arm. Other than the Degarmo brothers, Tracey, the priest, and their men, there will be no one else present. I couldn't bear to invite Angie to this fiasco of a wedding. Daniel will walk me down the aisle. Samuel will stand next to Easton as the best man. Being walked down the aisle seems silly in this case. That sort of thing is for sentimental people who are marrying for love, those who are truly joining families. In this case, I'm certain Daniel's only here to keep me from running off.

As much as I'd love to run, Easton's men are everywhere. Darius and another man I recognize but can't name come to stand on either side of the church doors, ready to open it as the music begins on the other side.

Music too–I guess we're going for the whole show.

Darius looks to Daniel as the music changes. Daniel nods and the men open the doors simultaneously in a dramatic flourish. They should hire themselves out to real couples–the pressure change blows my hair back from my face gently enough that for a moment Daniel and I both like models in a shampoo commercial. I step forward without waiting for Daniel, and find myself dragging him for a few steps before he catches on. The aisle of this church is ridiculously long.

Easton must have way better eyesight than me, or maybe it's a wolf thing, because he's already seething by the time Daniel delivers me safely to the end. Samuel has a hand to his mouth as the priest sputters at the sight of me.

"This is highly—" the priest starts only to be cut off by Samuel.

"The Degarmo family truly appreciates the interruption to your day, father," he says as he pulls out a wad of 100s from his back pocket. "I'm sure a humble man of God doesn't get paid nearly enough. Perhaps a larger donation would help in making this disruption to your usual schedule a little more bearable."

The priest looks between us all, but in the end, his eyes fall on the wad of cash in Samuel's hand.

"Let's make this quick," the older man says.

"Please," I mutter, eliciting a dark look from my groom.

I've been to Catholic weddings before, and this is definitely not one of those. It's more of a cliff notes version of every wedding I've ever been to.

"Marriage is a holy institution, not to be entered into lightly," the priest says, eyeing us both. "In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, ‘He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be ‘one flesh.'"

We have certainly had a lot of one flesh time, but that won't be happening anytime soon. I stare at Easton, hoping I can psychically tell him this. He just stares back, a frown on his face.

No more ‘one flesh,' I think at him.

"Do you have the rings?"

I, in fact, do not have any ring. My hands have been bare since the night I slammed my engagement ring down on the table. Tracey steps up thankfully and hands me a gold band.

"Take her left hand in yours. Do you take this woman to be your wife?"

"I do," Easton practically growls. My engagement ring and a matching band are slipped on my finger. I roll my eyes and drop my hand as soon as I can wrench it away from Easton's grasp.

"Take his left hand in yours. Do you take this man to be your husband?"

I sigh. "I do."

I release his hand quickly and look down at our feet.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

The priest doesn't tell Easton to kiss me, but that doesn't stop him from gathering me up in his arms. My blood still boils at what he has done, but his scent affects me at least half as much as mine seems to affect him. My lungs are filled instantly with his scent and my body responds, just like it did in the kitchen the night I found Ivan.

Easton's eyes are solid black as he leans closer and closer to me, his lips inching their way to mine. Time seems to still as he studies me, his eyes going to the pulse point on my neck and then back to my eyes. I suck in a quick breath before his lips are on mine. His kiss is chaste and sweet, but my body is a jerk and betrays me. I find myself melting into him against my will. As he pulls back, he grabs my hand before I can pull it back and threads his fingers through mine. "You look beautiful, wife."

I open my mouth to say something, but the priest interrupts. "Now if you'll leave. This is a holy place of worship."

I hear Samuel snort as he hustles us down the aisle. "Let's go eat," he says. "I'm starving."

Daniel and Tracey follow, on our heels, to the cars waiting for us outside. We are a weird procession–a dozen men in suits, my werewolf husband, Tracey, and I. Despite the priest's feelings, someone at the church doesn't mind our weirdness. The bell begins to ring as we step outside. Easton stops for a moment and pulls me close, kissing me on the head, before helping me into the SUV. He scoots in beside me and takes my left hand in his, playing with my rings all the way back to the house.

He doesn't say anything, for which I'm grateful. I may be softening, but it will be awhile before I'm completely over it. Today's not the day, but we need to sit down and talk everything out.

The cars wind their way through the city, making good time back to the house. Easton keeps me close, his nose in my hair. We are in the second vehicle to turn into the gate and have to pause to wait for the mechanism to open the gate fully before our procession can go all the way through.

Outside my window, I can see the cats–all the cats–heading down the road. I know, intellectually, that the Degarmo family has a ton of cats, but to see them all together is another thing altogether. They march off in small groups out toward the road. Cats are such independent creatures that to get them all to do the same thing, at the same time, is nearly impossible.

"Easton, where are the cats going?"

"Hmmm?" Something has his attention at the front. But the cats moving away from the house raises the hair on the back of my neck. "Easton, look. The cats are leaving. All the cats."

He looks out the window, then back at the front before yelling something I can't quite understand at the driver. His eyes meet mine. A look of terror crosses his face, and I do the only thing I can do. I pull him towards me as an explosion shakes the world around us.