Chapter 1
Chapter One
PRESENT DAY
Waverly
Four of my male cousins sit around a tiny screen, whispering to each other, shaking their heads and bickering. Each of them are vital parts of our families’ organization, they’re the future our grandmothers planned for. And they’ve been in this bitter argument for twenty minutes.
Uri throws his hands in the air and says, “I don’t even fucking care anymore. Pick!” He’s the youngest of the boys but has the best grasp of the family business.
Thiago is the default leader of the cousins since he was the first to learn how to ride a bike and, later, how to drive. And it’s his cell phone they’re all looking at. The others agree it’s the right move… but in all fairness, they’re distracted because Izzy is finally home and on her way here.
My oldest cousin pushes his rook and it slides on my board. I tap my queen. The screen fills with confetti and a dancing frog yells, “Checkmate, suckers!”
“Oh, fuck you, Waverly,” Uri snaps but gives me a quick wink. “Twenty-five moves… unfuckingbelievable.”
Thiago tosses his phone on the coffee table and huffs, “Do my programmers need to fix the code?”
I shake my head. “The gameplay is awesome and I like the player interface. No, it’s user error more than anything else.”
The boys don’t laugh at my joke, grumbling and pouting until one of them says, “Let’s go get food.”
Afterall, it is a Four Families dinner party.
I’m on the way to the kitchen when my phone buzzes.
Adam: Working late tonight.
My boyfriend’s text isn’t surprising. At least twice a week, he gets a text to come into work at all hours.
Me: Okay, I’ll wait for you to watch “TKOTN.”
TKOTN is short for my favorite show, The Knights of the Night. Do I listen to fan- podcasts and avoid the internet for all spoilers? Yes. Yes I do.
Three dots bounce on the screen.
Adam: Watched it already, Prince Adtrona dies.”
SON OF A BITCH! He just broke two of the cardinal rules of fandom in one text message: Thou shall not spoil, and thou shall not jump ahead of your partner.
I’m pissed but not surprised. Lately I’ve been living in a state of constant annoyance with Adam. But I hate confrontation.
The doorbell rings and the energy in the house changes. Izzy is here.
Ten years ago, she ran away from home because she was pregnant and scared of her father. But now she has a sexy new bodyguard to keep her safe—from the family and her son’s dickhead baby daddy who showed up and beat the shit out of her.
That night I had a bad feeling in my gut and called her on a whim. It was the first time in years I’d heard her sound hurt and afraid. I sprung into action, called the family and they dragged her home. Now she’s back and I finally have someone to talk to.
She walks in, her long brown hair in a ponytail, and the panic in her eyes tells me we need to find a quiet place to talk. I squeal and wrap my arms around her. After Izzy gets her food, we discuss the important things: hot guys and entertainment. We sit on the couch, and I ask her about the latest Amanda Chase release. I’m horrified when she states she hasn’t listened to it.
“How is that possible? It’s amazing. So danceable, but has so much depth in the lyrics. It’s a borderline masterpiece.”
“Yeah, because she has that guy writing all her music,” she says between bites of her pasta.
Oh, Izzy did not just defame my idol. I present my case in all the ways she’s wrong because Grae is not only my celebrity crush, but he’s a unicorn—smart, sweet, and was beaten by the sexy stick. “First of all, they co-write the songs. Second, he also wrote most of Lena’s biggest hits. And third, he’s so hot it’s basically a sin. There are three guys I use to get myself off when Adam is fucking me. He’s one of them”
We start to discuss Grae, the human angel, and his phoenix tattoo, when Izzy asks, “Who else is in your flick the bean rotation? Hot song writer guy and who are the other two?”
“Well, the actor who plays the Pirate King from The Knights of the Night, and someone who I probably shouldn’t be thinking about.”
She looks at me like I’m crazy. “You never think about your boyfriend to help finish the job.”
“Why?” Fantasy is always better than reality.
“Um, yeah, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to.”
“I guess the downside to dating your best friend’s brother is it makes it hard to break up with him.” Oops, I said the quiet part out loud.
My phone buzzes again and my heart drops to the basement. “No.” Blinking at the screen in disbelief, I’m vaguely aware Izzy is waiting for an answer. “Angie picked out the bridesmaids’ dresses.” The dress is beautiful, but it’s the back of it that scares me. It’s low, really low. There’s no way to hide the inked monstrosity on my lower back.
Logical Izzy asks the problem-solving question. “Is there any time to get it removed?”
I already researched it. It’s twenty-four weekly treatments, and the wedding is in two months.
“No.” I hang my head. “What am I going to do?”
My phone bings.
Angie: Hey Girlie. Thoughts?
Me: What did I do to deserve this punishment? More importantly, what the hell happened to the dress you picked out and we paid for already?
Angie: You didn’t do anything wrong. The first set of dresses were on a cargo carrier that was raided by pirates and sunk.
Me: How are pirates STILL a fucking thing.
Angie: Thievery never dies.
Angie: What are you worried about?
Me: My tattoo will give your family and God nightmares at your wedding
.
Three dots appear on my screen and vanish.
By the time I look up, Izzy’s gone and Uri’s staring at me from across the room. “You okay?” he mouths. He doesn’t wait for me to answer andhe’s by my side as I watch the little dots dance again. He scrolls up and sees the dress and then the rest of the texts. “How bad can it be?”
I sigh in defeat and lift my long sweater, exposing only the top of it.
Uri pulls away and gasps.“Wave, I’ve seen truly awful things, but … shit… How? You know what, how doesn’t matter, why?”
“I was drunk.”
“Obviously.”
My phone chimes again.
Angie: Bad news--there’s not enough time for laser treatment.
Me: I am well aware.
Angie: But I’m cashing in a favor with a tattoo artist.
Me: Really?
A new dread sinks in my soul.
Me: Who?
Angie: I told Lukas it could be his wedding gift.
The vomit crawls up my throat. My fingers shake as I type.
Me: I can’t.
Angie: Girl, I love you, let me help.
Me: I’ll find someone else.
Angie: As good as my brother?
Shit, no one is better than Lukas.
Angie: He says he has an opening in a few weeks, which gives you plenty of time to heal before the wedding.
Me: No thank you.
Angie: Girl, let me fix it, or step down as my maid of honor.
Wow, not a card I thought she would use. In a room full of underworld crime lords, my best friend is the most.
Uri looks over my shoulder and exhales. This house is filled with people who can keep a secret, but Uri’s the only one here who knows why I’m panicking. He presses his lips to my forehead. “It’s going to be alright, Wave.”
Me: Set up the appointment.