The Marriage Debt (Underworld Kings)

My eyes widen.

“Absolutely not!” Someone stands up in the crowd, but I recognize the voice before I see his face, and it makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

My own damn father, who I haven’t seen in three years, is looking me dead in the eyes as he says, “Jill has nothing to do with this. Luca was going to marry Jasmine. That was the deal we made.”

Both my father and mother hurry to the aisle, and the two men and women have a standoff right in front of me.

“Hugo, your daughter is responsible for my son’s death,” Lex crows. “She must be punished for her crimes.”

More audible gasps emanate from the guests.

He’s right. Luca’s brother is dead because of me.

It’s why I was supposed to marry Luca.

Why I ran.

I didn’t mean to kill him. But I can’t keep running away from my own mistakes.

Lex looks incensed and reaches for his gun. “An eye for an eye. I’ll do it outside.”

He attempts to drag me out but stops at the sound of a clicking gun.

Fear settles in my stomach, sweat drops gleaming on my forehead.

“Let. Her. Go.”

It’s not my father’s voice that scatters goose bumps all across my body. It’s Luca’s.

Lex’s face is brutal when he turns to look at his son, who has shoved his way through my parents to intervene.

“Please,” I mutter. “Don’t do this.”

“Luca,” Lex says through gritted teeth. “Now is not the time for feelings.”

“Now is the only time,” Luca responds. “And I’ve made my choice.”

The whole place grows quiet for a second, the air thick with tension.

“You choose this whore who killed your brother over that girl up there?” Lex spits.

I’m offended, but if I rebuke him now, I might not live long.

And from the way Luca holds that gun steadily pointed at both of us, I’m not even sure he wouldn’t shoot.

“Hand her over,” he growls, his eyes glinting with a kind of rage I’ve not seen before in any guy, let alone him.

Lex’s fingers dig into my skin before he hauls me to Luca and shoves me forward. “Fine. Have it your way. Wife this bitch up. But don’t expect me to fix your mess.”

Lex grumbles and marches out a door on the side of the church, leaving me in a haze. I’m quickly pulled out of it by my father’s firm hands clutching my shoulders from behind.

“Jill,” he says, pronouncing my name like he finds it disgusting. “You were foolish enough to come here after you ran like a coward… now do what you came here to do and restore our family’s fucking reputation.”

My lip quivers as I turn to face Luca, who puts his gun away and holds out his hand.

I exchange looks with him and then with Jasmine, who stands in the back near the altar, shaking her head vehemently. It only solidifies my belief that I’ve made the right choice.

I killed Liam … and now I must be the one to pay the price.

I approach Luca, and when our hands touch, electricity shoots up and down my arm.

“No, Jill, don’t do it!” Jasmine yells from the back, but one of the bridesmaids quickly holds a hand in front of Jasmine’s mouth.

Luca tilts his head, a vicious smile spreading across his face again. “Finally, after all these years, you’ll become my wife.”

A chill runs up and down my spine at the thought, but I ignore it for the sake of my sister, who is screaming into the hand of the girl behind her. The girl suddenly squeals and tears her hand away while droplets of blood fall to the floor. Jasmine bit her and now runs straight at me, clutching me as she falls into my arms.

“Please, don’t do this. Jill,” she murmurs, “why did you come back?”

“Because I can’t let him do this to you. I have to fix this.”

“Enough,” Luca spits, tearing us apart with a single hand, ripping her out of my arms. “Go to the dressing room. Give her your dress,” he commands Jasmine, and then he turns his attention toward me. “The guests are waiting for a proper wedding, so be ready.”

He shoves her toward the side entrance on the opposite side of the door his father just disappeared through. And I stumble behind her, pushed by De Vos guards that ignore anything other than De Vos orders.

When the door is shut behind us, Jasmine and I stare at each other for a few seconds before we collapse into each other’s arms.

“Oh, Jill, I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you. Easton told me not to talk to anyone when he took me in.”

“Easton?” She pushes me back to look at me. “Easton Van Buren? You mean that guy who owns those restaurants our parents like to visit?”