Black Wedding by Emma Luna

 

 

Dedication

To Sam

This book is dedicated to you

because without your love and support I would never have been able to finish Black Wedding.

You have encouraged me every day and kept me going.

You are always there to listen to me moan.

You pick up all the slack when I drop the ball.

Not just the best PA but a great friend too!

Thank you for everything.

Twenty-five years ago, London erupted into chaos when a civil war began deep within the criminal underworld. A new leader was going to come out victorious. The only question is who?

Lester Mullroy and his Family had ruled London for years. To the public, he was just a billionaire hotel mogul, but in reality, he ran the criminal underworld. Nothing happened in his city without his permission. Everyone knew of his illegal businesses, but he is above the law with the police in his pockets. People feared him, and quite rightly so.

Lester allowed smaller gangs to run small areas of London for a price, but he made sure they all profited handsomely. Until they wanted more.

The east and west side gangs banded together with the idea of ousting Lester. They had the manpower and guns, making them a formidable opponent. Lester knew if he wanted to continue to rule, he would need more than just money.

This was an alien concept as he had spent his whole life believing money can buy you anything. Unfortunately, it was no match against the sheer brute force that came from a gang of men full of rage and a desire to take what they think is theirs. So Lester needed to find an army and fast.

This is how Patrick O’Keenan saw a very profitable opportunity.

The O’Keenan Family had wanted to branch out into London for a while. Their main territory was Cork in Ireland, but they were slowly expanding to gain connections worldwide. They had the men and the brutal force, but they had no London connections. Money was what they needed the most.

This is where a young, fresh-faced Shona Mullroy came into the equation.

Shona was Lester’s only daughter and the apple of his eye. Patrick’s eldest son and heir to the O’Keenan Family business, Vernon, was the right age and the perfect choice to move to London to establish the O’Keenan Family name. The result was the perfect marriage of convenience. Well...it was for everyone except Vernon and Shona.

Together, with Shona’s Family money and Vernon’s Family army, they created the ultimate Family. It’s just a shame they can’t stand each other. There is no divorce when you marry for convenience.

Some marriages of convenience develop into friendships at the very least, or sometimes, they can fall in love in the best-case scenario. But Shona and Vernon were not that lucky.

Shona was only twenty when she was forced to marry Vernon. She was a stereotypical heiress socialite that loved to party. She loved spending Lester’s money on clothes, partying, lavish holidays and drugs. None of which fits in with the vision of a perfect Irish mob boss wife.

Despite Vernon being only twenty-three, with a playboy reputation, he knew he would have to become the face of the Family and settle down when he married and took over running London. He had been trained his whole life for this.

From the moment they said “I do,” they became the perfect image and the Family that everyone feared. Shona was required to attend social events with Vernon or host any that he organised. Other than that, her only job was to maintain the house, which she had cleaners for. But Shona knew her real job was to give Vernon a male heir, and sadly she couldn’t employ someone to do that for her.

On paper, they look like the perfect couple. Shona was beautiful, blonde, and busty. Vernon was tall, dark and handsome. Their looks matched, but their personalities were like chalk and cheese. Shona was vapid, selfish, and deceitful, while Vernon was ruthless, narcissistic, and brutal. They hated each other.

Shona hoped that putting off sex with Vernon would increase her chances of getting her marriage annulled. But, of course, Vernon, an Irish Catholic, refused to allow that. Vernon knew he needed a male heir with her.

Vernon laid down the law from the start, ensuring that no matter how she behaved, they would always remain married. She had the choice to become the wife in the most prominent crime Family in the UK and Ireland and gain the respect and worship that comes with the role, or she would be used and abused by anyone Vernon chose. No matter which she chose, Vernon would force her to give him a child.

This was the moment Shona decided to get everything she could out of the marriage. This is how they agreed to have separate wings in the house, to minimise contact. Shona still did everything that was asked of her, attended every function, smiled for every picture, but she was miserable.

Despite their hatred and reluctance, Shona became pregnant reasonably quickly after their marriage. Shona wasn’t able to hold off sex for too long, no matter how hard she tried. She hated the idea of bringing a child into their fucked up relationship, but Vernon made it very clear that he would get a child, even if he needed to force her into it. That’s when Shona lost the last little bit of fight that she had in her.

Despite not being able to fucking stand each other, their pregnancy united them. Vernon was excited about the prospect of gaining an heir, a mini version of himself. Whereas Shona just wanted someone to love, to give her life purpose.

The birth should have been their most incredible day, but it was their worst. Shona gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Brianna, Bree for short.

Sadly, Bree was not the boy they craved, but things took a turn for the worst when Bree’s labor became traumatic. Shona haemorrhaged soon after birth, and the only way to stop the bleeding was to perform a hysterectomy. Unfortunately, this meant Shona would never have another child, and Vernon would not get his heir.

Despite this trauma, Shona still loved Bree. She raised her to follow in her socialite footsteps and tried to keep her out of the O’Keenan Family business.

To the outside world, Vernon loved and cherished his daughter, but in reality, he was indifferent towards her. He gave her everything he thought she needed, except his love and support. He never saw the real Bree, but that would soon change.

For twenty years, Bree has been in the middle of her parents’ drama. Quite literally, since her room is on the first floor in the middle with her parents’ wings on each side. She was raised in the knowledge that she was a second-class citizen in the eyes of the Family. No matter how well the women of the Family were treated, they would never be part of the business.

Without a male heir, Vernon was in turmoil. Patrick decided that when a suitable leader was found, he would marry Bree and become the O’Keenan heir. But Bree refused, declaring she would only ever marry for love. What they didn’t know is that Bree has a plan. She has no intention of stepping aside to let a man take her place. Screw the sexist rules. Bree is determined to be the first female crime boss and rule over London. This is her story.