33. Thirty-Three

I stand next to my soon-to-be husband, who"s wearing a black suit and a smug expression on his face. He thinks he"s won. The mystery guest from before and unplanned fireworks give me hope that it isn"t over yet. The priest looks toward the guests behind us after we say our vows. "If anyone can show just cause as to why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

"No one does, please go on," Santiago says in a rushed tone.

The priest looks back down and when he"s about to continue on with the vows, someone I've only met briefly stands up. "I do."

Santiago"s eyes go wide and his face grows red with fury. Before he can say anything else, another man with long blond hair pulled back stands up. "Me too."

"Same with me," another one says from behind my mother.

Santiago clenches his fists at his side. "If you are all done with your little joke, I"d like to continue getting married."

"I have just cause." Another person jumps from their seat and the priest closes his book and tilts his head.

"Will there be anyone else?"

I glance into the crowd and watch as the back doors swing open. My breath catches when my father and Gabriel come barging out with guns in their hands. They"re alive. Why would I have doubted it for a single second? They both draw their weapons toward Santiago and four men stand up from the chairs, pointing their guns at my father and Gabriel. The men who stood up before draw their weapons as well.

Santiago bursts into a heap of laughter. "Well, wasn't all this very entertaining. I think we can stop fucking around now and just admit I've won this little game and that Mateo here is part of the prize. Since you bothered to waste my time, I think I'll keep you alive until after the honeymoon. I"d much rather have you watch me break your precious boy."

Santiago wraps his cold fingers around my chin, and I hear the clicking of someone"s jaw. "How about we skip the boring part and get to the fun part. I think it's time I kiss my husband, don't you, Father?" He stares at the priest and the guy"s hands shake around the bible.

"Yes, sir. Of course. And by the power invested in me, I pronounce you both partners for life. You may kiss the groom." Santiago's lips turn up as he presses them against mine. I slip my hand under my coat, grabbing my pocket knife. I kiss him harder, pulling him farther into me while I jab the blade into his side.

He yelps, jumping back. "You little shit. You will pay for that, cabrón."

He reaches for his gun but I'm faster pulling out the blue pistol from the back of my pants. I shoot him in the arm, making him drop it to the floor with a loud clack. "Looks like the only one who will be paying is you."

His jaw clenches as he tugs his injured arm to his chest. I keep my gun right on him, staring him right in his cold eyes.

My mom stands from her seat. "Please, mijo. Think about what you"re doing. You can still set things right. It doesn"t have to be this way."

My hand shakes with anger while remaining on the gun, pointing it at the vile man in front of me. "No, Mother, it does have to be this way. It"s the only way I can try to fix the mess you made."

She huffs. "The mess I made? All you"re doing is repeating your father"s past mistakes. Everything I"ve done is for you. Can"t you see that? Everything I do comes from love. Your father and Gabriel don"t care about you as they claim. Your life will always be miserable if you leave here with them today."

I laugh, staring in the direction of the woman I no longer recognize to be, the one who used to hold me every time I woke up from a nightmare. She is the reason for the one I"m in now, and nothing about her cold touches from earlier brought me comfort.

"Do as she says, mi amor. Keep continuing this path and you are as good as dead, just like your father and Gabriel. It isn't too late for you."

I raise my gun to the middle of his forehead. "You"re right. It"s not, but it is too late for you." My knees buckle when someone kicks me from behind. I nearly drop the gun to the ground. It gives Santiago enough time to twist my arm behind my back and pull me to his chest.

His laughter is loud and dark in my ears. "Stupid, just like your father," he spits in my face and someone screams in the background, "Now!"

Guns go off around us. Bottles shatter everywhere and balloons pop above me. The white chairs my mother was so excited about are covered in splatters of blood. Everything"s a blur of red. Santiago throws me to the ground. "Make sure he doesn"t go anywhere," he says to a nearby guard. He yanks my gun from my hand. "You won"t be needing this anymore."

I lay on the ground, closing my eyes. The screams become louder. Shot after shot, more bodies drop to the ground and I can"t tell the bad guys from the good guys. My mother runs off into the distance, making her way through a bunch of trees. As she"s getting away, I attempt to stand, but the man behind me steps on my chest. "Oh no, you don"t, little one. You"ve caused enough trouble for the day as it is. How about we get you out of here and safe from harm"s way, sí?"

I know a coward when I smell one. It"s his own safety he cares about, not mine. He pulls me up from the ground and then releases me as he gets struck in the head with a bullet. Blood pours down his face before he crumples to the ground. I turn around and Gabriel is smiling at me covered in blood from head to toe. "Hey, princesa. Don"t you know not to wear white after Labor Day?"

I laugh and his smile fades. "Duck." I do what he says, and he lifts his gun, shooting behind me. "We should get you out of here."

I shake my head. "My mother. I should go after her."

"That won"t be necessary. I have a feeling she"s about to get hers."

"What do you mean?" I tilt my head.

"Your father has it covered."

Someone"s footsteps are loud behind me. "Hey, you two, how about you kiss and hug later. We are kind of in the middle of a shootout, in case you haven"t noticed." The man I remember from the boat smiles, handing me a gun. "You"ll need this. Try not to lose it this time."

I turn to Gabriel. "I"m not leaving. Not until it"s over."

He nods. "Let"s finish then."

We press our backs to each other, shooting at each person who comes our way. Breaking apart, Gabriel runs toward the house, reloading his gun. I run behind the altar, the perfect blind spot. I take down two more men and run toward the house, searching for Santiago.

Someone sneaks up behind me, holding a knife to my throat. I drop my gun to the floor and he kicks it away from us. "How about we see just how much a Juventino can really bleed?" He presses the blade tighter against my skin.

I lift my knee, stomping my foot hard against his. He releases a yelp and I elbow him in the throat, making him drop the knife. I hit him one more time, sending him to the ground. I recognize his face from all those years ago. The guy who got away. His smile has my stomach turning. It"s the same one that mocked me as he and the other man carved up my stomach.

One guy died with a bullet in his head from Gabriel's gun and the other ran like the coward he was. My father never found him. I snatch the knife off the ground and land on my knees beside him, ripping off his shirt. My hands are covered in the man"s blood and he thrashes against the floor as I carve the word "coward" into his skin. "Now when they find your lifeless corpse, they will know how you died. Like the spineless pig you are." I spit in his face and run the knife over his skin, slicing his throat.

He gasps, spitting up blood. More squirts from his neck and he attempts to reach for his gun, I stop him by quickly grabbing it from the floor and putting a bullet through his knuckles.

"Looks like someone is finally becoming a man. All it took was for some asshole to give him a gun. I believe this belongs to you." Santiago lifts up the blue pistol in his right hand. "I think it"s time you come with me now, princesa."

I cringe at him using the name Gabriel calls me. I didn"t think I could ever hate hearing it until it came from Santiago"s lips. "I"m not going anywhere with you."

He laughs and a hard slap comes to the side of my face, knocking the wind out of me. The next heavy blow sends me flying to the ground.