Black Wedding by Emma Luna

Time seems to pass so quickly since the day at the warehouse. Liam was true to his word, and we have fucked in every position imaginable, but yet my body still craves him. He knows how to play my body like an expert musician, and only he can make me sing. I have never felt the way I do when he fucks me. I knew I was missing out on something with the other guys. After listening to other women and the media, I knew what I should have been experiencing, but I just didn’t. None of the guys before had ever made me orgasm, yet I can fall apart on Liam in seconds. It’s literally like he knows all my body’s sweet spots, and he makes it his mission to use them all.

But it hasn’t just been about the sex this past week. We have also spent time getting to know each other. Going swimming, watching movies, going for walks, and just chatting like a regular couple getting to know each other. Things have become so easy between us, and I know that my feelings for him are getting stronger with each passing day.

Things have also been going well with Kellan. He has his own rooms set up in the house for him and Hallie. He has gotten a lot more comfortable with me looking after her, even leaving me with her by myself. I know that is a big step for him, and after learning more about the women in his life who have fucked him over, I am not at all surprised. The more time I spend with him, the more I can see how close he and Liam are; they are practically brothers.

I was shocked to learn how much I have in common with Kellan and how much fun we have hanging out together. I’m amazed by his talent. He literally can hack into anything unnoticed. It’s like a superpower that he doesn’t abuse. Liam said he used to hack into high-security sites just to prove that he could, but now he has something to live for. He can’t raise Hallie from prison, so he only hacks what he needs to. The best thing I ever did was bring him on board.

In between getting to know each other, Liam and I have been chatting with employees of my father, finding out what they know about the Marcushio’s and testing their allegiance to me. I’ve had to use my knife a few times, but primarily people are loyal to the O’Keenan Family name. A lot were not keen on a woman being involved in the Family business, but I can show those with time. A few also didn’t trust Liam wasn’t working for his family to try and overthrow me. However, we both agreed that for those people, as long as they show us loyalty, then we can earn their trust. Things were really starting to look real now.

The warehouse had become almost our second home. We interrogated so many people there, and we literally fucked against any surface. With Hallie being at home, we are limited to how loud we could be, and Liam loves to make me scream. So, the warehouse has become our place where we can screw to our heart’s content and be as loud as we want. I think Kellan might be getting a little bit annoyed with how much footage he keeps having to delete. But after he caught us fucking on the living room sofa one night, there’s nothing he hasn’t already seen.

The week passes by quickly, and as our Friday night date approaches, I start to get nervous. We have done the whole getting to know each other thing while we have been living together, and we have mastered the sex, if I say so myself. But now we need to find out if we can date like a normal couple. I have been on many first dates before, but never with someone I am already developing feelings for. I really don’t want to fuck this up.

Previously, I hadn’t wanted to know any details, but apprehension was getting to me by Friday morning. All Liam would tell me is that we were leaving at 6pm, there will be food, and I need to wear trousers and sensible shoes. This sent me spiralling while I tried to work out what we could be doing, where he was taking me, and most importantly, what the hell do I wear?

Now that I am dressed and ready to go, I feel a lot calmer. I opted for skinny jeans that make my ass look amazing, my trusty converse, and a black vest top that curves low enough to show my cleavage. I’m wearing light make-up, just enough of a dark smokey eye to make them pop, and a creamy red lipstick that makes my lips look plump and enticing. My ordinarily straight hair is curled in long red waves pinned back, so only a few sweeping strands cross my face. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a date.

Once I am ready, I walk downstairs to meet Liam. From the moment I woke up tied to his bed, I have always found him attractive, but never more so than how he looks right now. He sits on the sofa wearing a pair of dark ripped jeans and a plain black t-shirt that hugs his muscular body. His dark hair, which usually flops in whatever direction it feels like, is now carefully styled into a spiky look. He looks almost the same as he would typically, just a bit more stylish. But what really has my ovaries exploding is what he is doing. Currently, he has a little ball of pink curled up in one of his arms, while he has a picture book in the other, and he is reading to her. She is paying absolutely no attention to the book and is instead watching Liam like he hung the moon. I know how she feels.

Kellan runs past me, his hair dripping wet and water droplets rippling down his exposed chest. Unlike Liam, who only has a few tattoos, Kellan is covered in them. He looks like an inked God, and although I have no interest in him sexually, it doesn’t hurt to look.

Obviously, I stared for just a bit too long because Liam clears his throat to get my attention. “You, go and get your coat,” he instructs me before turning to Kellan, “And you, start wearing shirts around the damn house, please.”

Kellan just chuckles and takes Hallie out of Liam’s arms. Her responding grumble tells everyone precisely who her favourite is in this house.

“You have some competition here, Bree,” he says, and now it’s my turn to chuckle.

“Oh yeah, I know that. By the time Hallie is old enough to give a shit about boys, Liam over here is going to be old and wrinkly, so I have nothing to worry about,” I joke. Both boys stop dead in their tracks, all the colour draining from their faces.

“Fuck!” says Kellan, almost as a mutter to himself. I look around for the danger they are seeing, and I have missed, but I don’t see anything, so I ask them what is wrong.

“Well, for me, you scared the shit out of me by saying I will be old and wrinkly when we both know I will be a gorgeous silver fox that still fucks as good now,” Liam postures, and I can’t help but chuckle. On the other hand, Kellan still looks like he has seen a ghost and is staring at Hallie.

I look over at him, waiting for his reason, but instead, Liam continues. “You just reminded us both that at some point, this little ball of pink is going to want to date boys, and I am rethinking my assassination moral code, whereas Kellan is trying to decide when is a good time to start warning them off.”

“Is now too soon?” he asks, his face staring intently at mine. Following my initial chuckle, I quickly realise he is serious. He drops down onto the sofa, cradling his head in his hands.

“Listen, you have about thirteen years before you have to worry about that sort of thing. But let me give you some advice as a girl raised by an overprotective father, just leave her be. My father didn’t leave me alone and tried to tell me who I could date or marry. He had my whole future planned out for me, and so, of course, I rebelled. I wanted to be my own person and make my own choices. I mean, they did turn out to be quite a good choice, but to my dad, all he will see is that I asked my kidnapper to marry me to rebel. So, give her a break, okay?”

“There are so many things wrong with that sentence. Firstly, did you really just tell me that my sweet baby girl will start showing an interest in guys at thirteen?” Kellan asks, and as I shake my head, he lets out a very audible sigh of relief.

“No, silly. Thirteen is when she will start going on dates. She will start liking boys from around nine or ten, depending on how soon signs of puberty show and her period hits,” I explain, but clearly, I said the wrong thing as Kellan jumps up with Hallie in his hands, and both he and Liam start pacing like a caged bear.

“Oh my God. I don’t know what I’m going to do. In the space of five minutes, you have reminded me that not only will she be at risk of being kidnapped, thanks to the shit business we are in. But, she might also want to marry her kidnapper. Oh, and then you reminded me I only have about eight or nine years before I have to worry about boys and puberty and periods. I think I just aged like fifty years in one conversation. I don’t know how to do this. How the hell do I talk to her about boys, or puberty, or periods? Fuck, I can’t raise a girl by myself.” Kellan may have started off feeling very jokey about the conversation, but the more he joked, the more his fears rose to the surface.

Liam told me all about Kellan’s mother fighting for custody and that she doesn’t think a man can raise a young girl alone. Her main argument is that Hallie needs a girl in her life, and both Liam and Kellan have always said that is not the case. That Kellan can be both mum and dad, but he doesn’t look so sure right now.

Liam starts to reply, but I shake my head, cutting him off. This is my mess to fix, and I walk over to Kellan, taking his free hand in mine and looking him straight in the eye so he can see my fierce determination as I speak. “You listen to me, Kellan. You are never going to be the perfect dad because he doesn’t exist. You will mess up. You will do and say the wrong things from time to time. Hell, there will be times when she hates you, but that’s good. It means you are winning at this parenting thing. Don’t you dare think you can’t do this by yourself because you absolutely can, but you don’t have to. Whether it’s help buying her first bra, or her first tampon, or talking about periods and sex, I will be there to help. When Liam and I agreed to get married, even if this relationship stops working, we will have to remain amicable as friends and as business partners. The O’Keenan’s have a no divorce rule, which means you are stuck with me. We may have only known each other for a couple of weeks, but I have enjoyed getting to know you, and I know you already know how much I adore this little girl. So, you never have to do this alone. Okay?”

“So you will bail us out of jail when we murder the first guy who tries it on with her?” Kellan jokes, and I feel my whole body relax. I never intended on freaking him out. If I have learnt one thing from spending the last couple of weeks with him, it’s that he is a great dad.

“Don’t be stupid. We won’t get caught,” jokes Liam before turning to me. “Come on, beautiful, we have a date to get to.”

He reaches out and takes my hand before leaning in and giving me a short but fucking fantastic kiss. I know it’s his way of promising more is to come. Before I even realise what I am doing, the most cheesy giggle escapes my lips, and I throw my spare hand up to my mouth to try and disguise it. I sound like a lovesick teenager going on her first date. Sadly, I did not hide it well, and Kellan starts throwing around stupid teenage girl jokes before Liam stops him and pulls me towards the door. Just as we reach it, he stops, turns around, and leans over to kiss Hallie, who is still curled up in Kellan’s arms. She almost looks like she is trying to reach for Liam and grumbles when Kellan stops her. She may only be a couple of months old, but that little girl has got the cutest personality, and I am so looking forward to watching her grow.

When we get in the car, I can’t take the anticipation any longer. My knee is bouncing with excitement, and I turn my body to face Liam as he peels out of the driveway. “So, you’re gonna tell me where we are going?” I ask nicely, and he chuckles.

“Nope. You are just going to have to wait and see.” He sees my responding pout and starts to laugh.

We joke about it for the duration of the car ride, and I am amazed once again at how easy it is with Liam. He genuinely is one of those easy-going, easy to be around types of guy. I always joke that he is so laid back that he is almost horizontal. Given my hyper organised and full-on mode that I can get in when I am thinking about business, I need someone like him to balance me out.

We have been driving for around twenty minutes when Liam’s phone rings. It’s connected to his car through Bluetooth, and the vehicle announces it’s an unknown number. Liam looks worried, and I tell him to answer it. He looks reluctant.

“Nobody has this number. It’s protected and encrypted by Kellan. So, you, Kellan, and my sisters are the only ones who know this number, and if it was any of you, your names would have come up,” he explains. But I tell him to answer it anyway.

Hitting the answer button, Liam sounds wary as he greets the caller. He was right to be cautious as a technologically altered voice begins to talk. “Liam, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Who would have thought you had the balls to infiltrate the O’Keenan’s and try to take over power that way. You’re a lucky man. Bree is definitely a looker. Given that ivory tower, her daddy has been keeping her in, I bet that ginger cunt is really fucking tight. Have you had a sample, or are you waiting for your black wedding day?”

“Who the fuck is this?” Liam growls, his knuckles start to turn white as he grips the steering wheel tighter. His posture becomes rigid, and if looks could kill, this caller would be very dead and buried.

“Just an interested party. But since you clearly don’t want to disclose any details about that sweet ass, I will get to the point of my call. We have all heard the rumours that Bree thinks she can run London for the Family, but that will never happen. Even if Gramps O’Keenan will do anything for her, Vernon will not let that happen. Personally, we do not give a shit about them; we want to rule. We want to take out the O’Keenan’s and rule for ourselves. We have no issue with you, so we are giving you an option. Help us take down the O’Keenan’s, and we will let you walk away with your life, or you can stand with Bree and burn with her and her family. But know this, you will never be in power. So...what will it be?”

Liam places his hand on my knee to get my attention before raising his finger to his lips, instructing me to remain quiet. I give him a quizzical look with my eyebrows, but he remains firm.

“Why should I trust you? I don’t even know who you are,” Liam asks. At first, I am pissed he is even entertaining this asshole, then I realise he is trying to get more information. My anger is redirected to the dick on the other line.

“You don’t need to trust us. Just know we are a better option than the O’Keenan’s and their little bitch, Brianna. Although we are not as pretty to look at,” the voice jokes, and I can feel my heart racing as I ball my hands in and out of fists.

“So, you don’t want me dead? You just want me out of the way, yeah?” Liam quizzes.

“We have no issue with you. But we will slaughter everyone linked to the O’Keenan’s before we take power for ourselves,” replies the mysterious voice.

“Can I negotiate for Bree’s life? Can we walk away from the power and let Bree live?” Liam asks, and I start to shout at him, but Liam quickly covers my mouth to prevent anyone from hearing me. Clearly, he doesn’t want the person on the other end to know I am here, but like fuck if he thinks I am going to just sit here and let him take what is mine.

“Why? Do you have feelings for Bree? We heard this was a black wedding, a marriage of convenience. Is that not true?”

“It started out that way, but now it’s real, and I will not let her die,” Liam speaks with such conviction that it’s hard for me to tell if he is just playing along or if he means what he is saying right now. Does he see our wedding as real? Do I?

I physically shake my head, pushing all thoughts of that out of my mind, and trying to pull myself back into the conversation. However, the voice seems to be having a moment of contemplation, the silence continues, and I chance a look over at Liam. He looks furious, more so than he did when the voice initially threatened me.

“If you can get Bree to hand over to us, then we will let her live. But you only get one chance at this. When the time is right, and her Gramps has signed the paperwork to make her official, we will send you the same papers. Sign it over and make the announcement within twenty-four hours, and we will let you both live. If you don’t, you will both die. Painfully. Do not double-cross me, boy. Do you understand?”

Liam agrees, and the call ends. I look over at Liam as he pulls over at the side of the road. He starts slamming his hands against the steering wheel and cursing loudly in what sounds like multiple languages. I wait for him to calm down a bit before I reach over and gently touch his shoulder. It’s not much, but just enough to let him know I am here.

“Are you okay?” I ask. It sounds like a stupid question, but what else is there to say?

“No! Now we have another fucking enemy,” he grumbles.

Taking hold of Liam’s hand, I wait for him to turn to look at me. “It doesn’t matter. We can fight them all. What makes you think this isn’t the Marcushio’s?” I ask although I think I already know the answer.

“If it was them, they would want me dead. So this has to be someone who doesn’t want me dead, and I had an idea who it was from the beginning, but his last sentence confirmed it,” Liam says, his face suddenly looking drained.

“You know who that was? How?” I have so many more questions, but I try not to overwhelm him.

“I think it was my father. I suspected when he gave me the chance to live, but then he called me boy at the end. That’s always been what my father says to me. It’s his way of reminding me that I will always be the child in our relationship and will never be able to take him on. Only someone who cares about me would compromise with me,” Liam muses, and he does not look happy with his theory, but I think he could be right.

“What are we going to do?” I ask because I am not sure this is an enemy that Liam will take on, but I will not let someone destroy the perfect life I have built.

“I will deal with my father another day. I will text Kel now and ask him to look into the call for me. But for now, we will go on our date and pretend this shitshow didn’t happen. Sound okay?” he asks as his face morphs back into the smile he was wearing before he took the call.

There’s a part of me that wants to say no to the date and to go home. To find out whatever we can about what our enemies are planning. At the same time, I’ve been looking forward to this all week, and Liam has gone to so much effort to plan the most amazing first date. It may have got off on the wrong foot, but I sure as fuck will make sure we enjoy the rest of the night.