5. Julian #2
I pad out of the bathroom, almost tripping over my tracksuit piled at the door. My bedroom is gloomy, and when I glance out the window, I realize the sun has almost fully set.
Wait, did I sleep through the entire day?
“Mr. Corvath, if you would, please put on some clothes and follow me. The car is waiting up front.”
I frown at Samuel, then follow his gaze, which is trained on my torso. I look down at myself. My skin has wrinkled in many places and my flaccid dick is on full display. Yeah, I guess I need some clothes before heading to the venue.
“I thought Isidoro would have some fancy-schmancy shit for me to wear to the ceremony?” I say as I toss on the dirty tracksuit I wore last night. I don’t really have any other clothes with me as the suit I was wearing on the night of my kidnapping got left back in Mexico.
The moment I’ve covered myself, Samuel herds me out and down the corridor. “Yes. Your outfit has been prepared. You were meant to be putting it on”—he pauses and looks at the time on his gilded watch—“forty minutes ago. As I said, we are running late.”
I halt at the base of the stairs. Isn’t being late what important people do? And I’m the most important person around here. Besides, I’m sure it would tick Isidoro off.
“Mr. Corvath, please make haste.”
I study Samuel’s face, his features almost as elegant as Isidoro’s even though he’s got the body of a fighter.
I’d pick him as my right-hand man, too. Part of me wants to sabotage the ceremony at least a tiny bit, but if I do that, Isidoro won’t let me have Sanguine & Silk back.
I grind my teeth, stomach sinking. I want my baby back.
I built it from zero, and while it hasn’t been doing as well as I’d hoped, financially speaking, it was definitely on its way of breaking through as a brand for luxurious underwear.
“Yeah, sorry. Let’s go. I wouldn’t want to be late for my own wedding.”
In the car, I remind myself that I’m doing this for me. For survival, for closure, so that I can have my life back, my company. My father was killed and I must find out how and why, and once Isidoro learns the truth and gets over the part where I tricked him, he will want to know as well.
Samuel gets us to our destination surprisingly fast. It’s a tall cathedral, surrounded by pines and wisteria.
The front is brimming with activity as we drive by, people and cars everywhere.
We park out back and enter the building via the staff entrance.
I am taken to one of the backrooms, which looks like a storage area that’s been turned into a makeshift changing room.
“Finally!” A woman in a green suit rushes over to me. “The ceremony is about to begin, and we haven’t even dressed you yet! Why are you so late?”
I peek at Samuel, who’s already darting off somewhere. Technically, it’s not my fault we are late. If I had been woken up earlier, we’d have arrived on time.
“That doesn’t matter, Molly,” a man with a pink mohawk and a make-up brush in his hand says. “Let’s get him ready. We have less than twenty minutes.”
As the two of them fuss over me, I let my mind wander as I stare at the boxes and crates that fill up the space.
I can’t wait to get Sanguine & Silk back.
Those two months I spent in Mexico gave me plenty of opportunity to come up with some new designs, like twenty of them.
The surrounding nature inspired me too, and I need pen and paper or a tablet pronto, so I can doodle my ideas down.
“Oh, wow! You look stunning,” a vaguely familiar voice says, slightly high-pitched and excited.
I wait for the make-up artist to finish with the eyeliner and turn around. Two men with matching dark gray suits stand at the door. One is a short blond with a gigantic grin and pretty blue eyes, and the other one is a menacing-looking giant that looms over him like his personal bodyguard.
Ah, I do know this duo. They are the reason I ended up in this mess.
The blond, Tommy, approaches me, oh-ing and ah-ing as he inspects my outfit. I haven’t paid much attention to the clothes, but I guess they must look good on me. To be fair, anything looks good on me.
“You look like actual royalty! I think Isidoro will love it,” he comments, smiling and nodding and being all cute. Then he sort of hugs me. “I’m glad to see you are okay.”
I roll my eyes, but can’t really pull off the glare I was aiming for when he sounds genuinely relieved. “I wouldn’t be dealing with this nonsense if it weren’t for you two.” I aim a pointed look at the second man, ex-mercenary Nikolas ‘Niko’ Stavros.
“Sorry. I mean it. We really didn’t intend to kidnap the wrong vampire,” Tommy says, jutting out those full lips.
Yet, here I am.
I meet his gaze. It’s friendly and open, and he seems truly remorseful. I sigh. It’s hard to stay angry with a person like this. I can feel he’s got a big heart and not an ounce of evil in him, and besides, I’ve sorted myself out now. There’s nothing to worry about. I got this.
He pouts when I don’t say anything. “I tried to call and apologize, but Isidoro said you weren’t allowed any contact with the outside world.
For what it’s worth, he’s a total asshole for doing that to you.
I told him so.” He clasps my hands with both of his and flashes me a row of teeth.
“I’m glad that’s changed and you aren’t a prisoner anymore!
But I have to say I’m a little surprised you two are getting married… Congratulations!”
If only he knew. “Thanks.”
“Sweetpea, we have to go. The welcome address is about to begin,” Niko says, pointing over his shoulder.
Sweetpea? Coming from this giant, scary-looking brute who’s staring daggers at me? My jaw hits the floor. Oh my god, he’s a total simp, isn’t he?
Tommy squeezes my hands again. “Let’s catch up after the ceremony. Properly!”
“Yeah, sure.” I watch the two men leave as the stylist and make-up artist do their final touches.
“You are gorgeous,” the woman deems, nodding and humming. “Let’s get your handler,” she adds, typing on her phone.
My handler? What the fuck? Since when do I need a fucking handler? I’m not some wild beast in training!
Samuel appears a moment later, bowing from the waist slightly as he indicates the hallway with his hand. “This way, please, Mr. Corvath.”
I bet this is Isidoro’s doing. He’s the one going around telling people I have a handler. What an asshole. I bite the inside of my cheek. “Son of a bitch, just you wait. You’ll fucking regret messing with Julian Corvath.”
“Excuse me?” Samuel pauses, looking over his shoulder at me and frowning.
“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.”
The confusion on his face grows. “Right. Okay. Please refrain from that once you are on the stage.”
Now I want to do it even more. But I have a deal with Isidoro. If I behave, he will give me back Sanguine & Silk. I mustn’t ruin that.
By the time I am in position on the left of the podium brimming with décor, the welcome address has wrapped up and Samuel has run off somewhere again.
I peek out from behind the heavy curtains.
The ordinance hall has been transformed into a tangle of black and red, with burgundy drapes hanging from the beams and white lilies sitting in grand vases scattered around the hall.
The wooden pews have been tied with ribbons on each end, and a smaller, less grandiose vase has been placed on top.
Songbirds in cages provide an ambient background as the people and vampires quiet down, every one of them dressed as if they’re attending a medieval ball.
If I thought the Gala I threw while posing as my father was too much, it has nothing on Isidoro’s crowning ceremony. And our wedding.
“Nobody told me I’d need to dress up!” Tommy’s voice draws my attention away from the audience.
He and Niko are standing some distance behind me, fiddling with Tommy’s outfit. It seems it’s got a couple extra elements to it that weren’t there earlier and they are trying to get them to look right. I don’t think they noticed me.
“You know you could’ve asked one of the wardrobe people to help you?” Niko grumbles, holding a grand cloak so Tommy can squeeze in under it.
He whirls around, arms on his hips. “But I wanted your help.”
I hold in a snort as I watch Niko look to the sky and mutter something under his breath. “Turn around then and let me help you.”
Despite looking simple to put on, the crimson cloak has this drawstring that needs to be looped around the collar and hood section. It takes Niko a couple tries to get it right, but eventually, he does.
“Don’t give me that look or I’ll bend you over that altar in front of everyone and feed you my cock,” Tommy says, puffing his cheeks.
Niko chuckles.
“You think that’s funny, huh?”
Niko hums, then kisses Tommy’s head. “No. I know you are fully capable of screwing my brains out in front of an audience. It’s kind of hot imagining it, actually.”
The cute blond beams at him. “No way, are you into that? Because I’d be totally down. But I mean, you can be the one railing me so we can make everyone jealous of the monopoly I hold over your giant meat stick.”
That’s where I lose it, laughing so hard my stomach hurts. These two have no shame whatsoever!
Tommy blushes so hard when he hears me that I feel a twinge of pity for him. “Since when were you there?” He gasps, pointing at me in accusation.
“Since the start.” I cock my head. “I was here first. You two are the ones who didn’t see me.”
“Oh my god. Forget anything you heard. We were just messing around.”
Uh-huh. I’m sure they were just doing that.
“You don’t believe me. Whatever.” He rolls his eyes, pretend-insulted.
Then he hands Niko a ribbon the same color as the bloodstained royal ruby he’s got hanging on a black leather cord around his neck.
He’s in possession of it for the ceremony.
“This needs to go on my wrist. Make it a pretty bow, please, or I won’t blow you tonight. ”