Chapter 4 Aiden
FOUR
AIDEN
Jesus Christ, I was marrying a fucking toddler.
Okay, not literally.
She was nineteen, technically legal, but she looked like someone who should be stressing over prom dresses and final exams, not vows.
Then again, judging by the cheap vodka fumes rolling off of her indisposed mother, the girl clearly had bigger demons to deal with.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Marry her or kill her.
Two options and neither sat well with me. Not that the latter was even on the table anymore, since Uncle had learned who the girl was. I agreed to this disaster of a plan, and while I swore I’d protect her, I certainly wouldn’t be touching her or sharing a bed with her.
I took in the young woman seated on the edge of the worn-out chair, her spine straight, her fists clutching the material of her red dress—an outfit that would have made her look much older if it weren’t for her bare feet and wide, fear-stricken eyes.
Raven Croft.
The universe had gotten one thing right because the name suited her perfectly. Her silky hair resembled a raven’s feathers and her green eyes called to mind damp moss-covered forests. And despite her obvious fear, she emanated a quiet kind of defiance, an obvious “fuck you” shining in her gaze.
Neither of us was happy about this outcome, but she was handling it better than I expected, and that in itself warranted some respect.
Then the three sharp knocks came.
Raven flinched at the sound and her eyes flew wide, that “fuck you” swiftly replaced with dread.
“Come in,” I called out, and the door creaked open.
My brothers entered and I heard Raven’s soft gasp. We all stood at six five, but the twins mostly stuck to leather, making them look like they’d walked out of a bar fight.
“Hello, Raven.” Tyran greeted her while my other brother eyed her long, slender legs. I felt the sudden urge to step in front of her—to shield her?—and I had no idea why.
“Raven,” he drawled, smiling like it was his job to seduce her. I had to grit my teeth to keep from snapping at him. “You’re about to become family.”
She nodded wordlessly, her expression clearly portraying unhappiness.
They stepped deeper into the cramped apartment, clearing space for a short, bald man dressed in his holy cassock. He was in his mid-fifties, and clearly none too happy to have been dragged to a shitty part of town so late in the night. Or maybe I should say, so early in the morning.
“Father Hubbart,” I greeted, rising to my feet. “Thanks for coming.”
He shot my brothers a look as he muttered, “As if I had a choice.”
“I know what you mean,” Raven mumbled, drawing my attention back to her.
“I should’ve brought champagne so we could celebrate properly.” Tyran flashed her a grin, clearly not reading the room and opting to view this shitshow in a positive light.
“She’s not old enough to drink,” I gritted, my jaw aching from clenching it for the last several hours.
“I shouldn’t be old enough to get married,” she retorted wryly. “Drinking seems like the lesser of two evils.”
Tyran laughed but quickly disguised it with a cough. Kyran didn’t bother hiding his amusement at all.
“Miss, are you entering this arrangement willingly?” Father Hubbart asked, his eyes, full of suspicion, darting around the room.
Raven opened her mouth, and I shot her a warning glare.
Her back stiffened and her mouth twisted into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she said, “Yes, I’m oh so willing.”
Tyran leaned toward her, patting her back lightly as he whispered, “That’s the spirit. From everything I’ve heard, marriage is a blessing.”
“Then why don’t you marry him?” she spat out.
“My brother’s not exactly my type,” Tyran replied lightly. “Although, I must admit, women seem to find him appealing, so you’ll—”
“Tyran,” I growled in warning.
“What?” he said, throwing up his hands. “I’m trying to lighten the mood.”
My gaze shifted to the priest as I said, “Let’s get this over with before someone does something stupid.”
The priest clutched his bible. “Very well.”
“And keep the ceremony short.”
The priest opened the bible and, as we all stood awkwardly in the too-small space, began to read scriptures until the dreaded question came about.
“Do you, Aiden Callahan, agree to bind yourself in holy union with Raven Croft? To love and hold until death do you part?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I do.”
The priest turned to Raven. “Do you, Raven Croft, accept this union, and all that comes with it?”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and then she spoke, “I do, against my better judgment.”
My brothers shared twin looks of amusement.
The priest cleared his throat. “Exchange your vows.”
I let out an exasperated breath. “Just skip that part.”
He shook his head with disapproval. “I’m afraid I must insist. This is a holy union, not a handshake agreement.”
“Fine,” I gritted. “Raven, I promise to protect you, to care for you, until my dying breath.”
All eyes turned to the bride while she stared at me for several heartbeats. Finally, she said, “I promise to survive this and your criminally insane family.”
“Well,” Kyran muttered, “those are some heartwarming vows. I think I’ll hold off on marriage for the foreseeable future.”
“Shut up,” Tyran said.
“This can only end badly,” I said flatly.
The priest shut his little book and declared, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Raven shot me a glare. “Don’t even think about it. We’ll pretend this never happened.”
It was then that I realized she didn’t seem to understand the phrase “till death do you part” was quite literal in our world.
“A kiss must happen to seal the deal.” The priest huffed, clearly disturbed at the way this ceremony was unfolding.
Leaning forward, I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. I opened my mouth, raking my teeth across her bottom lip, before I bit down.
Hard enough to mark her. Hard enough to make her moan.