Page 75 of The Carnage We Keep

I stare at her. Dimitra smiles sweetly and pats my cheek.

“Now, stand up straight. You’re getting married.”

Cenzo snickers as I take my place next to him again at the front of the room.

“I never imagined how fucking funny it would be to watch you get dick-slapped by a great-grandmother.” He snorts a laugh. “But I would totally pay to watch that on repeat.”

I turn to glare at him. “Look, if you’re going to pull some shit, just get it over with, okay? My patience for the day in general is bleeding out.”

Cezno grins, but then shakes his head.

“Look, I know this whole thing is fucked, and the last thing you wanted.” He shrugs. “But marriage is still marriage.”

I stare at him. “So?”

He frowns. “So maybe take that part seriously.”

My brows pull together.

Cenzo rolls his eyes.

“I went and got ordained so I could officiate this thing because you’re my brother. That’s it. There’s no prank. No punchline. I’m not changing the vows so you promise to bark like a dog on Bella’s command.”

His brows knit.

“Fuck. Kinda regretting not thinking of that earlier.” His grin fades. “I just…I wanted to be the one standing up here with you, man.”

Well, fuck.

“Wow,” I sigh. “Beautiful speech.”

His smirk drops.

“Whatever, dickhead.”

“No, really,” I say dryly. “I’m touched.”

My brother glares at me. “Eat my ass.”

“It’s my wedding day, Cenzo.” I smile and extend a hand to pat his cheek. “How about you eat mine.”

The library doors open, silencing the murmurs and quiet conversation of the small “crowd” that’s literally just my parents and sister, Bella’s parents, Dimitra, and Cillian and Una Kildare.

Cillian is Una’s witness. My dad is mine.

I give him a quiet, firm nod before I raise my eyes just as Bella walks in wearing…I don’t even know what. A black wizard’s robe of some kind? It’s like a heavy black shawl over her shoulders that looks like something Ya-ya would wear to a funeral, a giant, utterly shapeless black poncho that hangs down to the floor.

When she steps in, her eyes immediately land on me and her mouth thins.

I grin.

A couple of days ago, Mom and Sofia insisted on taking Bella out to lunch. I had zero problem with this, because I figured prolonged exposure—fuck, even thirty seconds—might underscore to them what a nightmare she is.

…They came home charmed.

Fucking charmed.

Mom called her delightful. Sofia said she was hilarious.