Chapter 11
Dario
Catalina stiffened as my lips met hers, the way she had throughout the reception. Just seconds before, she’d melded her beautifully naked body against me as we kissed. When I pulled away, I was captured by her emerald stare. The fear from last night was gone, giving me hope that this marriage could work. It wasn’t as if either one of us could walk away.
Taking one last glance toward my mother and aunts, I felt the need to protect my wife. If I could spare Catalina their intrusion, I would. I reminded myself that she wasn’t in true danger, and there were other matters to attend to.
I wanted to get the meeting with the men downstairs over with before Catalina was required to suffer their lewd comments. The women would be bad enough. I’d attended enough weddings to know what the topic of conversation would be. The men were probably already discussing how I’d taken Catalina’s virtue. A man with my reputation would have been expected to claim her regardless of her willingness. Half of the men, especially my uncles, would eat up a story of rape.
Hell, Aunt Aurora had cowered from Uncle Salvatore my entire life. She paled if he so much as raised his voice. Force wasn’t frowned upon. If anything, it was encouraged.
I wouldn’t have forced Catalina. It’s not who I am. I told her I had a backup plan if she hadn’t bled. The blood would have been mine. A slice to my inner thigh and no one would know the difference.
I’d never shy away from killing another man, but harming women wasn’t something I aspired to do. My thoughts briefly went to Josie. The image of finding her being abused by the lowlife scum had faded during the years, replaced with her smile and strong will.
She shouldn’t be in my thoughts, not on the day after my wedding.
I killed the men who abused Josie. Maybe I was thinking about doing the same if anyone hurt Catalina, not only physically, but if the men downstairs degraded her in any way. If we were in Roríguez’s territory, my family would be on their best behavior. We weren’t. We were in our territory—in Father’s castle. If anyone on either side fucking said anything against my wife, it would be the last thing they said.
Catalina’s fortitude last night was a welcome surprise. I didn’t want a cowering, subservient wife. The idea of her protecting her virtue with her brother’s knife made me grin. Before I reached the staircase, Dante appeared. Considering the amount of alcohol he drank last night, he nonetheless looked like his usual self.
His eyebrows danced at the sight of my smile. “Look at you. How is the bride? Can she walk?”
Asshole.
“Catalina is well.”
He bumped his shoulder against mine. “Been a long time since you popped a cherry.”
My jaw clenched as I scowled at my brother. “If you were anyone else, I’d kill you.”
Dante leaned closer and lowered his voice. “You did pop it, right?” He opened his eyes wide. “Fuck, she wasn’t what Jorge promised.”
“Shut the fuck up, Dante. She was exactly what Jorge promised. I’m not discussing my sex life with you or anyone.”
My brother’s expression morphed as he pressed his lips together. “Good luck with that.” He tipped his head toward the stairs. “There’s an audience down there waiting with bated breath for details.”
“Fuck them,” I mumbled under my breath. Inhaling, I stood taller. “Let’s get this over with so Catalina doesn’t have to hear them.”
Dante and I headed down the staircase and toward the male voices coming from the dining room. My blood boiled as I took in the room. Our father was seated at the head of the table. Moretti was at his side. Rocco was next to him in what should be my chair. Catalina’s father, Andrés, was to his other side with Emiliano next to him. With nearly every chair filled, some men were standing. Others present included my uncles, Carmine and Salvatore, Jorge Roríguez, his sons, Aléjandro and Reinaldo, and other members of the Ruiz family.
Dante whispered, “This fucking alliance is going to give Carmine and Salvatore strokes.”
I stifled a laugh. My father’s younger brothers were standing against the wall near large windows. By the look on our uncles’ faces, they were about as happy to be drinking coffee and breaking bread with the cartel as they would be to be lowered into a pit of venomous snakes. They weren’t the only ones who looked ready to start a bloodbath. Catalina’s brother, uncles, and cousins appeared ready to shoot their host.
If they stopped at my father, I wouldn’t interfere.
All eyes turned to us.
Emiliano sneered.
My father stood. “He rises. Hopefully more than once.”
Everyone laughed.
Father waved us into the room. “Where’s the blushing bride?”
“Upstairs with the women.”
With the exception of Emiliano, the men chuckled as if I’d said something funny. Since learning that Catalina’s brother armed her with a knife on her wedding night, I was certain that he hated me. I didn’t know him well enough to have that kind of emotion; however, if he didn’t stop with the death stares, I was ready to cut the sneer from his face.
Jorge spoke up. “Can we assume you’re still happy with our agreement?”
“I am.”
Aléjandro laughed. I noticed the bruise on his cheek. Jorge’s eldest son was a piece of shit. I had that assessment of him before this weekend. He was a loudmouth, and the way he looked at my wife during the reception didn’t help my opinion. The fact he had Jasmine on his arm was the bone of my contention.
“Was she nice and tight?” Aléjandro asked.
Dante grasped my wrist. I hadn’t even realized I’d reached for my knife. The room filled with a low murmur. This alliance would be short-lived if everyone reached for their weapons.
Salvatore patted me on the shoulder. “Overprotective already.”
“There’s no such thing when it comes to my wife, Uncle.”
“Give us a little more information, Dario,” Carmine said. “It’s been a long time since my bloody wedding.”
The men laughed and cheered, again with the exception of Catalina’s brother. To my disgust, Andrés joined in the merriment. What kind of father would sit and listen to a roomful of men discuss the loss of his daughter’s virginity?
“Mia was so tight,” Rocco said, “I ripped her open. She bled like a sieve. You’d have thought I used a knife instead of my dick.”
My eyes narrowed as I waited for my father to admonish Rocco for speaking that way about his daughter. Of course, no reprimand came. Instead, there were more laughs as the married men chimed in with stories of their wedding night.
Dante nudged me with his arm. “Let’s get some coffee.”
With a nod, I turned toward the buffet where the house staff had multiple silver pots and cups.
“In the kitchen,” my brother said. Once we were out of the dining room, he continued, “You have to give them something. They’re like a pack of hungry wolves in there.”
“Two packs.”
Dante nodded. “Two packs who are ready to rip out each other’s throats. Fuck, your wife’s brother would as soon kill you as look at you.”
I hummed. “He gave Catalina a knife and holster for her wedding night.”
Dante scoffed. “No shit.”
“No shit. He probably hoped she’d kill me.”
“Points for Catalina,” Dante said. “You’re still here.”
In my opinion, she deserved kudos for more than just not killing me. Her beauty had captured my attention, but her loyalty, honesty, and resolve were beginning to wear away at my coldness to this marriage. As she said, neither of us wanted it, but here we were.
I thought about the tension in the dining room. “There are a lot of unspoken death threats out there, aimed at about everyone.”
“You can cut the tension with a fucking knife.”
“You can cut more than tension.”
Dante nodded. “Then give them a bone to chew so we can get the cartel assholes out of here. Otherwise, this alliance will be over before it starts.”
“They are my wife’s family.”
Dante lifted his hand. “Calm down. You have to admit this is some strange shit.” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “You know I’m right. If you would have pulled your knife on that asswipe Aléjandro, you and I might be the only ones left standing.”
He was right.
“They’ve had their fun. When we go back in there, I’m changing the subject.”
After getting our coffee, the two of us went back into the dining room. I tapped Rocco’s shoulder. His glare only lasted a second before he stood, giving me the chair beside Moretti.
“When can we expect our next shipment?” I asked, speaking to Roríguez.