Black Wedding by Emma Luna

Finding the right house is easy. Vinnie did a fantastic job of leading us directly to it. The piece of paper he hid had the road name on it. After that, it was easy to find the house since he left the tiara hidden outside in a bush. It didn’t take us long to come up with a plan; we are ready to storm.

The man Paddy sent to collect the note said that Jimmy and Vernon left about ten minutes ago and have yet to return. That’s when we realise the time has come for them to ring and set their plan in motion, but no way am I waiting for them to plan my trap. We are getting my girl out of there before there’s any chance she could get hurt.

I do feel some level of reassurance, given that Jimmy’s video made it very clear that the plan was not to harm Bree in any way, but that doesn’t mean that she couldn’t get caught up in the crossfire. I want an ambulance to arrive on-site as soon as we breach the house. Not a minute before, and for fuck sake, no sirens. It’s better to say they are not needed than to waste valuable time if someone does get injured.

Using the fancy earpiece Kellan insisted we get, I pass my instructions on to him before turning to address everyone else. “We shoot to kill. The only people in that house that do not get a bullet are Bree and Vinnie. If she says he is innocent, then I will believe that, for now. I can always kill him at a later date if he is lying to me. Understood?”

Nods of confirmation are all I need. “What about Vernon and this Jimmy guy?” asks Evan, and I look at Paddy for instructions.

“I will deal with Vernon. I think that we need to find out from Bree what she wants to do with Jimmy. He meant a lot to her, and I have no idea how she will feel after this betrayal,” he says with a heavy heart.

“She will shoot him herself,” I mumble, and everyone lightly chuckles. They all know my girl isn’t afraid of using her trigger finger if she needs to.

“Even so, it’s her decision. You go in first, Liam, then Evan and Desmond will follow you. I will stay here and make sure nobody enters or exits,” he says as he instructs the man standing next to him to guard the door. All I know is that this guy was who Paddy sent to secure the scene and set up a diversion. He doesn’t argue, just moves into position next to the door, and I honestly don’t give a shit that Paddy doesn’t have the manners to introduce his man. I just want my girl back, and an extra set of hands is always a good thing. We haven’t called for more men, it’s better to have five well-trained men breach quietly than have loads who make a scene and risk getting people killed in the crossfire.

We stand in position outside of the main door. We have already memorised our plan of attack. This is where Kellan really shines. Not only did he find us an old map of the building, so we know the entire layout. He also hacked the government satellite that can use infrared to determine how many people are alive inside and where.

Just as we are about to breach, Kellan’s voice comes over the communications devices that we all have, and everybody stands still to listen to what he has to say.

“Fuck, Liam. You need to go now. The infrared reading for Bree shows her temperature is flickering into the dangerously low zone. Plus, there is some asshole towering over here in a position that does not look appropriate,” Kellan states. I barely let him finish the sentence before I kick the door in and shout that we are breaching.

“So much for doing this methodically,” mutters Desmond as he charges in behind me. This approach was his idea to start with. Whenever I suggested that we needed to slow down and plan to ensure there were no casualties, he stopped listening. But now, I just need to get to Bree. Her temperature shouldn’t be dropping. She shouldn’t be injured. Maybe Kellan is wrong and it’s not her? I know that is fucking wishful thinking, Kellan is never wrong. But it’s easier to think he made a mistake than that my girl could be gone.

Listening to the instructions in my ear, I know that despite my little wobble a second ago, I really do trust Kellan completely. I let him guide me through the house, trusting my dad and brother to have my back. The irony of that sentence is not lost on me. Not two months ago, I had been disowned and didn’t have any family, now I have a giant, fucked up family of misfits, but they are mine. United in their love for one girl who makes it easy to love her.

I get into the room I was aiming for, and the door is already open. I do a quick sweep of the room’s perimeter to make sure I wasn’t in any danger. Movement in the corner catches my eye, I see a young boy cowering in the corner. I knew Vinnie wasn’t a threat. I had seen pictures of him when I was doing my research to kill his father. So, when Kellan distributed his photo, we all knew what he looked like and not to shoot him. Once I identified he wasn’t a threat, I cast my eyes into the middle of the room at my sweet Bree.

Bree’s lying in the middle of the room, her body looking battered and bruised. Her skin is ashen in the patches that are not covered in black or blood. Cuts and slices of all different shapes and thicknesses cover her beautiful body. She is completely naked, and a man is in between her spread legs while he fists his tiny cock in his hands.

Seeing me in the doorway, taking up some of the light, he turns to face me. Obviously, he doesn’t see me as a threat because he continues pumping that piss-poor excuse for a dick. That’s his mistake.

I see red, and rage spreads through my body so badly I can hear my heart pulsing in my head. I don’t hesitate, I pull out my gun, but then again, neither does he. As soon as he realises I’m a real threat, he picks up the knife lying by his side and plunges it into the right side of her abdomen. I scream for her, hoping that she can hear me as I make the shot. Then, aiming straight into his tiny little brain, I squeeze the trigger. It’s a shot I could make in my sleep. Even the fury and pain I feel at seeing what this guy has done to Bree isn’t enough to cause my hand to waver. Instead, it remains perfectly still as the bullet leaves the gun and hits precisely in the centre of his forehead.

He falls to the floor, but I don’t give a shit about him. All I can see is my bloodied and broken girl, her eyes shut and lying there like she won’t ever open them again.

I fall to my knees right beside Bree. I want to touch her, to cradle her so that she knows I am here, but there’s not one part of her body that doesn’t look damaged. Even her gorgeous face is swollen and bruised. A violent frenzy I have never felt before starts to build up. It’s painful, and I want to make everyone who had a hand in this hurt.

“Kellan, get that fucking ambulance in here now! She’s dying. Oh fuck...I can’t lose her! She can’t die,” I shout and then block out the responses when everyone else starts talking.

I hear footsteps heading our way, but I’m not entirely sure if the ambulance is even here yet. I curl up next to Bree. I try not to touch her too much but am desperate to pass some of my warmth to her. Anything I can do to help. Her eyelids look like they are trying to flutter open, but they don’t quite make it. Maybe she is still in there and can hear me.

I watch as her breathing becomes more shallow and more laboured. I can feel her heart rate starting to slow down. It feels like she is giving up, and I can’t let her. She has to know what she has got to live for.

“Bree, I love you. Please don’t leave me,” I whisper into her ear before pressing my lips to her cold, cracked lips.

I sit there, cradling the love of my life and watch as her breathing slows down until it’s hardly anything. I throw out a prayer to anyone who is listening and wants to take a chance on a desperate man. I would do anything to have this girl back. I need her. Please do not take away the one shred of happiness I have in my world.

I may not have known her for long, but it’s like I can’t even remember my life without her in it. It’s like I was living in black and white until she brought the colour. She brightened my world, and I would do anything to be able to keep her.

As my tears fall onto her face, I watch helplessly as her breathing slows to a stop.

Before I can even register what is happening around me, my father and brother are pulling me away from Bree. The paramedics arrive and try to work on her, but I’m in a trance, not able to let her go. Evan holds me, half for restraint but also for support. He allows me to lean on him literally while I cry for the girl I love. Even my father, who I didn’t think could care for another person, places my arm around his neck to share the burden of my weight.

Paddy is standing on the opposite corner of the room, and I watch as his legs collapse under him and he slides down the wall into a crumpled heap. We all watch as the paramedics start chest compressions on the girl we all love.

Very quickly, they are able to get her heart back into a normal rhythm, but they don’t sound confident it won’t happen again. “We need to get her to the hospital straight away. We also need to contact her next of kin, as they will probably need permission for surgery,” explains one of the paramedics.

“I’m her fiancé. Today should have been our wedding day. Can I come in the ambulance, please?” I ask respectfully, the desperation evident in my voice.

The female paramedic is standing, making notes, while the male one checks all of Bree’s vitals and replies. “Of course. I’m sorry to hear that, but unfortunately, you are not legally her next of kin. What about her parents?”

“Unfortunately, they are not available or able to give consent. I am her grandfather. I have a document proving I am her legal next of kin. I can get you it if needed,” Paddy replies calmly. I look over at him, confusion evident on my face. With a subtle shake of his head and a quick text to his on-call forger, I assume the document will no doubt make it to the hospital before we do.

Before we even know what’s happening, Bree is loaded into the ambulance. Paddy’s man is staying to cover the mess we have made. Paddy, Evan, and Desmond all make a run for the car, but as I am getting in the ambulance, I remember something. I apologise to the female paramedic who is securing Bree in the rig. Making sure all her wires are working, fluids are going in, and so much more.

“Evan, get Vinnie over there and look after him! Make sure no harm comes to him. Bring him to the hospital, okay?” I shout, and my brother nods in confirmation before heading back towards the house to find the boy we left cowering in the blood-soaked room.

I strap myself into the ambulance and take hold of Bree’s hand. I spent the whole journey talking to her, telling her all about what we should have been doing right now. We should be married, but I tell her not to worry because as soon as she is just the slightest bit better, I will be marrying this girl. The idea that I could lose her is terrifying, and I don’t ever want to feel that again.

We arrive at the hospital just in time as Bree’s heart stops again. The female paramedic climbs onto the gurney, straddling my girl and begins to press down on her chest while people help to wheel them both through the hospital. I try to help, but I feel like I am falling over my own feet. They push through a door, and a little woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform stops me.

“I’m sorry, Sir. No one is allowed past this point. Let me show you into the waiting room, and when we know more, we will update you,” she says politely.

I want to argue. I want to tell her to go fuck the waiting room. I want to storm past her to be with Bree. But I don’t do any of that, instead, I follow patiently and allow her to lead me into a plain cream waiting room with the ugliest shade of green chairs I have ever seen. She tells me I can wait for her here, and I just break down into tears. The horror of seeing the person you love stop breathing, their heart stops beating, it’s terrifying. The nurse gives me a light hug. It’s the best she can manage, given our height difference. I am grateful to her for caring. She sits me down just in time for the others to arrive. They take up their seats around me. It’s not long before Kellan, Mia, and Hallie show up too.

That gorgeous baby girl always seems to know when I am at my lowest. Or she can sense the general sombre silence in the room because, except for the odd coo from my arms, she remains quiet and settled. I notice that Kellan and Mia are sitting together, talking to each other like civilised humans.

We all sit in comfortable silence until Paddy is the first to break it. “Got you, you fucker!” Paddy shouts. It had been silent for a while, and nobody was expecting someone to talk, and so when he did, everyone jumped. Even Hallie makes a gurgling noise, expressing her displeasure at us all for waking her when she had just fallen asleep.

We all look up to him to explain further. “My guys have caught Vernon and Jimmy. There was some fighting, but I had better men, and they could take them alive. They have them right there if you want me to put them on speaker,” he asks, and I nod my head. I have no idea what I’m going to say to them, but I know I need to.

I hand Hallie over to Kellan, who passes her to Mia, without even thinking about it. Paddy brings the phone over to me, and we wait for it to ring. Once they are on speakerphone, I can’t find the right words to use.

“I don’t even know what to say to you both. You, Vernon, I can understand. I’ve always known you are a power-hungry asshole. I just had no idea the lengths you were willing to go to so you can get what you want. But you...Jimmy. You betrayed Bree in a way that you can never undo. If she dies, I will hunt you both down and make you pay, painfully,” I spit, meaning each and every word.

“W-what do you...what do you mean if she dies?” asks both Vernon and Jimmy at the same time, though it’s Jimmy’s voice that quivers and shakes.

“That psychopath you left her with? Luther? Well, he beat the shit out of her. Carved her up like a turkey at Christmas. Then stabbed her in the stomach before I got a chance to put a bullet between his eyes. Her heart has stopped twice since we found her. They are pumping blood into her just as quickly as she is pumping it out. Her organs are at risk of shutting down. She is in the operating theatre at the moment.” I make sure to list everything they have done to her, every little hurt they have caused. I want them to feel shame for the pain they have caused someone who is supposed to mean the world to them.

Initially, we are met with just silence, then sobs. “We never intended for her to get hurt,” cries Jimmy.

“Well, she is fucking hurt. Do you know that Bree once told me that you were the only guy she ever trusted before she met me? She thought you would never hurt her. Now, look. Even if she does wake up, I have no idea what damage has been done, not just physically but mentally and emotionally. Luther was in between her spread open legs when I got there with his cock in his hand. The death he got was too good, in my opinion. Yours will not be as easy,” I state, and I hear gasps all around the room when I tell them about the horror I saw in the room.

The only person who looks truly as horrified as me is Vinnie. I give him a small smile. I don’t want anyone to know he is here. His life could be in danger, and so he is under our protection. Because of him, I may have got to Bree just in time.

“How fucking dare you threaten me? I am still the leader of the London base, and you are in London. So, I rule. Remember your place, or I will put you in it, boy!” shouts Vernon.

“Don’t you dare threaten my son, you psychopathic piece of shit! Just because you don’t give a shit about your daughter and her life doesn’t mean we don’t. You even think about talking shit to Liam again, and I will rain holy hell down on you until you beg me to stop!” Desmond yells, shocking us all.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Parenting advice from the guy who disowned his son, only to let him back in the Family now there’s a chance of power?” adds Vernon, much to Desmond’s amusement.

“Actually, since we are stating facts, I didn’t kick Liam out of the Family; he left. He chose to work for himself instead of for me. When he introduced that spitfire of a daughter to us, we all knew she would make a better fucking leader than you. I have never hidden that I think I could rule better than you do, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I can’t fucking wait to see what that girl can do. I think she will make a hell of a leader, which is why we came to a truce. Thanks to Bree, my sons now communicate with each other again. They are happier than I’ve seen them in a long time. Not to mention that I have never seen Liam as happy as he is with Bree. So, I may be a shit parent, but I know when to back down,” my father replies vehemently. For the first time, possibly ever, I am incredibly proud of my dad.

“Vernon, you are my responsibility, and I will issue the punishment when the time is right. However, I need to be here with Bree and find out what happens to her first, then I will decide. As for you, Jimmy, that will be down to Bree to decide what she wants to happen. But as far as your employment goes, you can very much consider yourself fired,” Paddy spits as he hangs up the phone, no longer needing to hear any more from them.

Time passes so slowly as we all just slowly move around each other in the small waiting room. Some pace while others sit in silence. Some offer to go and get coffee and food. But mostly, we just wait, our heads bobbing up and down with every passing person wearing scrubs, hoping that this person will be the one to come in and give us news.

We sit in that small room for eight whole hours with no news, and all of us slowly start to get antsy. Finally, Kellan takes Hallie home to sleep, and Mia goes with them. My father goes back to the hotel, he says it’s to update Finn, Mum, and the girls, but we both know that’s not the real reason. Shit is getting real, and he is scared. I know because I am too.

Evan and Paddy fall asleep in their chairs, but I can’t sleep. Not until I have her in my arms. Not long after they fall asleep, an older man with a bright white beard comes into the room wearing scrubs in an ugly shade of blue.

“Are you the family of Brianna O’Keenan?” he asks politely.

“Yes, I am her fiancé, that is my brother, and he is her grandad.” I point to the two sleeping figures in the corner.

“Yes, it was very smart of Bree to legally name you as next of kin when you got engaged. We have the paperwork on file,” he states, and I want to smile at Paddy and his ability to make anything materialise. I also want to thank him for trusting me enough to name me. I know Bree would have if given a choice, but he didn’t have to.

“That’s just Bree. Please, doctor, I have to know how she is,” I plead, and he pats my shoulder before leading us over to the two seats in the corner, opposite of Evan and Paddy.

“Bree sustained some pretty horrific injuries, and as you know, she has undergone an extremely complicated surgery. She had several parts of her bowel damaged from the knife wound, including her liver and spleen. We removed part of the liver, as well as her gallbladder and spleen. We struggled to locate all the places she was bleeding internally, but think we have got them all. We have sewn up most of her cuts and have glued others. She has multiple rib fractures, and one of those ribs had punctured her lung. She has a chest tube in place and a machine breathing for her at the moment. She lost her body’s blood volume and is currently having it replaced. What Bree’s body has been through is horrific, and she is still not out of the woods yet, but I am hopeful. She seems like a very strong young lady,” he states, and I can’t help but smile. He has only ever known the unconscious version of Bree, and he can still tell she is a fighter.

Looking up at him, I can see there is more he is deliberately not telling me, and that scares me. “What aren’t you saying?”

“Unfortunately, no matter how hard we tried, we were unable to save the baby,” he says, and I feel like the world drops out from under me, and I don’t know which way is which. Bree was pregnant? Did she know? Why didn’t she tell me? “She was only a few weeks along. She might not have even known, not that it makes it any easier, of course. I am very sorry.”

“Thank you, I have no idea what to say. I didn’t know Bree was pregnant, and I’m not convinced she knew either, but I still feel like something has been stolen from us. Can she get pregnant again when the time is right?” I ask, hopeful.

“I am very hopeful, yes. However, it may prove a little difficult as we had to remove one of her ovaries because of the damage. Nevertheless, she could get some help with IVF, if it is needed,” he explains, and I give him a small smile.

“I would sell a kidney if it meant her getting anything she ever wanted. Please, can I see her?” I joke and then ask, and he chuckles.

“Well, I don’t think I can legally take your kidney, but she is fortunate to have a man like you who would do anything for her. We are just getting her settled in intensive care. You can come in one at a time to see her,” he explains, and it’s my turn to smile.

“That’s where you are wrong. I’m the lucky one because I found her. I will be staying with her, the visitors won’t be a problem. We want her to rest and get better.”

“Okay, a nurse will be through shortly to show you where Bree is. She will probably sleep most of the night, but that’s what we want. We want her body to heal itself,” he explains before walking out of the waiting room.

I wake up the guys and fill them in on everything except the baby. Bree deserves to know that before everyone else. I need to make sure the nurses know that it is confidential information. I tell them about the one visitor rule and that it’s not up for negotiation. I am going in and not leaving that room until she does. If anyone else wants to visit then they will have to break the one visitor rule, I will not compromise. Paddy tuts when I tell him that and storms out to find someone in charge. He will either throw money at someone, or he will threaten them. Either way, he will get what he wants. When he eventually returns, he confirms that Bree will have extended visiting allowed during the day only. I smile at his confidence.

The same nurse who hugged me earlier is back for her second shift, and she walks me to see Bree. I politely ask Paddy to give me a few minutes alone with her, and he agrees.

Walking into the room and seeing my flame-haired Princess looking so battered and bruised, not to mention so incredibly small on the hospital bed, breaks my heart. I sit down beside her and gently take her hand in mine. She doesn’t respond in any way, but I don’t care. I just want to be near her. So I talk to her. I tell her about all the shit that went down. I tell her as many times as I can that I love her and that I can’t fucking wait to make a life with her.

Time passes a lot quicker with her nearby. Everyone we know and love comes by to visit. The only one I had a problem with was her mother, but she assures me she had no idea what Vernon and Jimmy were planning. She only realised when it was too late, and by then, she was terrified of Vernon. I warned her that I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t kill her husband. She said neither could she. So I let her in. She didn’t stay long, uncomfortable with the silence.

Everyone who came spoke to her and tried to lure her into waking up. Hell, even my dad threatened her, but she still didn’t wake. Finally, nighttime came around, and the nurses stopped asking me if I wanted to go home. I don’t want to be anywhere that Bree isn’t. They turned down Bree’s sedative a few hours ago. The nurses thought she should be awake by now, so they called in the same doctor from last night, the specialist who operated on her.

In the meantime, having lost feeling in my ass about four hours ago, I very carefully, as to not hurt Bree at all or pull out any of her leads, climb into the bed beside her. I slide my arm under her head and around her shoulders, positioning her body up against mine. I hate feeling her so limp against me, but at least she is still alive.

Stroking the hair off her cheek and tucking it behind her ears, I gently pepper her face with kisses before telling her how much I love her. I need to tell her for real, while she is awake. I must have got very comfortable because I fell asleep, until suddenly someone coughs and startles me awake. I look at the girl in the bed next to me, and once the coughing stops, all I see is the most beautiful girl in the world. I reach over with my free hand, grabbing her water glass, and put in the straw to help her take tiny sips.

“Hey, beautiful,” I smile at her, probably the biggest, most genuine smile I have ever had.

“I missed our wedding,” she says with a hoarse cry, and literal tears streaming down her face.

“We can do it anytime you want, Princess. I am all yours forever,” I stress, making sure she knows how much I care for her.

“I heard you, you know,” she states, and I wonder what she is talking about. “I love you, too.” Her words go straight to my heart and make it grow impossibly larger.

Leaning down, I press my lips against hers but am careful not to press too hard given all her injuries. We sit together like that for hours. We talk, she sleeps, and she gets better, but most importantly, we get to laugh together. I have lost count of the amount of times I have told her that I love her, but I can tell you now, I won’t ever stop. She deserves to have me tell her this for eternity, and I plan to.

We touch briefly on the decision she had to make regarding Vernon and Jimmy. She says she wants to work that out when she gets home, but for now, she wants to concentrate on getting better. We also decide to use these few days to make sure we organise and, even better, a more personal wedding than before. You see, we are still desperate to marry each other, and we sure as shit don’t want to wait. Life is short, and almost losing Bree helped me to see that.

Now I just need to find the right moment to tell her about the baby.