Blood VOWS And Broken Contract

“If they catch you with that, he won't just kill you, Sera,” Amber whispered, her voice trembling. “He'll kill us all.” “Then I'll make sure I don't miss.” I kept my voice cold, refusing to let my younger sister see my fear. I couldn't afford to let anyone stop me. I pushed the bone-handled knife into the side zipper of my leather riding boot, hiding it beneath my ivory wedding gown. I wasn't walking down the aisle to become Caelan Veyre's loving wife. I was walking down it to become his executioner. My brother Theo had been the one person who always protected me. Now he was dead, and the man I believed responsible was about to become my husband. Caelan Veyre. The ruthless mafia heir who had supposedly put a bullet through Theo's head. My father, Darian Vale, had told me Caelan killed him. Then Victor, Caelan's bodyguard, warned me to be careful around his employer. One wrong move, he said, and I could end up just like my brother. I didn't know whether Victor intended to threaten me or warn me, but I'd taken his words as confirmation. And I wanted Caelan dead. The bridal suite door slammed open. “It's time,” Darian announced. He approached me, his nervous eyes darting around the room before he seized my arm. “Don't ruin this, Seraphina. Caelan wipes out the hundred-million-dollar debt today, or we're all dead by midnight.” I jerked free. “Take your hands off me, Darian.” His expression hardened at the sound of his name. “You sold me to the man who killed Theo,” I hissed. “Now you expect me to smile and pretend nothing happened?” “Keep your voice down!” “Afraid someone might hear what you've done?” His jaw tightened. “You have no idea what you're dealing with.” “Oh, I know. A father who would sell his own daughter to save himself.” “Enough!” He grabbed my arm again. “You will marry Caelan Veyre without making a scene.” “And if I refuse?” His expression changed. “Then Amber pays for it.” I went still. He knew Amber was the only family I had left worth protecting. He had already taken Theo from me, and now he was using my sister to force me into a marriage with the man I wanted dead. “Don't you dare touch her,” I whispered. “Then do as you're told.” He left without another word. Amber rushed toward me. “Sera, you can't marry him!” “I don't have a choice.” The admission tasted like poison. I squeezed her hands and forced myself to meet her frightened eyes. “Stay out of this. Don't argue with Father or do anything that could put you in danger. I'll find a way through this. I promise.” I didn't tell her about the knife or what I intended to do before the night ended. Some promises were easier to make when the person hearing them didn't know the truth. --- Ten minutes later, the cathedral doors opened, revealing a congregation of killers. Cartel bosses, corrupt politicians, and underworld captains filled the pews. These were the people who truly ruled our world, and they had gathered to witness my marriage to Caelan Veyre. I walked down the velvet runner, gripping my bouquet until the stems threatened to snap. Caelan stood at the altar in a charcoal-black suit, his broad shoulders and unreadable expression commanding attention. His dark eyes followed me like a predator watching its prey. My father placed my hand in Caelan's. “She's yours,” he muttered. The words made my stomach turn. Caelan extended his hand. I hesitated, then remembered Amber and placed mine in his. His fingers closed around mine, firm and cold. The Patriarch began the ceremony. “Do you, Caelan Veyre, take Seraphina Vale to be your lawfully wedded wife?” “I do,” Caelan answered without hesitation. “And do you, Seraphina Vale, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” I thought of Theo, then Amber. Finally, I looked at the man I believed had destroyed my family. “I do.” The Patriarch pronounced us husband and wife. Applause rose around us, but I barely heard it. I was already wondering how long I'd have to wait before I could put the knife through Caelan's heart. Then tires screeched outside. “Get down!” someone shouted. The stained-glass windows exploded inward, showering the cathedral with glittering shards. Screams erupted as two black SUVs smashed through the entrance, crushing pews beneath their wheels. Masked mercenaries poured from the vehicles, firing into the congregation. Bullets shattered statues and chipped chunks from the stone pillars. Guests scrambled for cover as the wedding dissolved into chaos. I stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. Then a powerful arm wrapped around my waist. “Move!” Caelan pulled me down as bullets tore through the space where my head had been. He hauled me upright and positioned himself between me and the gunmen, drawing a suppressed handgun from beneath his jacket. His movements were swift and precise. I stared at him in disbelief. Why was he protecting me? Wasn't I merely a debt payment, a convenient way to settle an old score with my father? Another volley forced us toward the altar. Caelan seized my hand and kicked open a narrow wooden door concealed in the shadows. Beyond it lay a dark passage descending beneath the cathedral. “Keep moving,” he ordered. I gathered my gown and followed him into the catacombs. Damp stone and dust filled the narrow passage as gunfire thundered above us. I wanted answers. I wanted to tear my hand from his and tell him I would rather die than owe him anything. But survival mattered more than pride. At the end of the passage, Caelan shoved open a rusted iron gate. A black sedan waited in the rain-slicked alley beyond it. The driver opened the rear door. Caelan pushed me inside and climbed in after me. “Drive.” The car sped away, leaving the shattered cathedral behind. My wedding day had become a m******e, and the man I intended to kill had just saved my life. --- Hours later, Caelan brought me to a high-security apartment on the edge of the Syndicate's territory. Reinforced steel doors locked behind us. He removed his ruined jacket. Beneath his shirt, a tactical holster remained strapped to his body. I stared at him. “Why did you save me?” He glanced at me. “Would you rather I had left you there?” “I want the truth. Why are you keeping me alive?” His expression hardened. “Because you're my wife, Seraphina.” “Don't call me that.” “Would you prefer I call you my debt payment?” I said nothing. He stepped closer. “No one touches what belongs to me without consequences.” His words made my skin crawl. I wasn't a possession, a prize, or a piece of property to be claimed. And I certainly wasn't his. The apartment contained a single king-sized bed. I stopped at the bedroom doorway. “You expect me to sleep with you?” “There's one bed.” “Then I'll sleep on the floor.” “Suit yourself.” He lay on the opposite side of the bed and turned his back to me. Exhaustion eventually slowed his breathing, but I couldn't rest. Theo was dead. Amber was still in danger, and I was trapped with the man I believed had caused my suffering. I couldn't allow his unexpected intervention to change my purpose. I would find out the truth. And if Caelan had killed my brother, I would make him pay. I waited until I was convinced he was asleep. Then I knelt beside the bed and reached beneath the heavy layers of my wedding gown. My fingers found the zipper of my riding boot. I drew out the bone-handled knife and tightened my grip around its cold steel. This was for Theo. I rose onto my knees and moved toward Caelan, who lay with his back turned to me. I raised the blade. For one brief second, I hesitated. Then I remembered Theo's death, Darian's threats, and Victor's warning. My hesitation vanished. I brought the knife down with all the strength I could summon. But the blade never reached him. A hand shot out of the darkness and caught my wrist, stopping the knife barely an inch from his chest. My breath caught. Caelan slowly turned onto his back. His obsidian eyes opened, revealing neither surprise nor confusion. Only lethal calm. He looked at the knife, then at me. “If you're going to kill me on our wedding night, little bird,” he whispered, “you're going to have to try much harder than that.”