“Oh, good. I’m always afraid she’s going to remember how bad it is keeping them and decide to not show up.”
“They’re not that bad. They’re just numerous.”
“The boys are bad, Elli. I’m their mother so I can say that about them.”
“I feel bad they won’t be at my wedding.”
“Well, don’t. I’m certain they’d turn it into a three-ring circus.”
I’m their aunt. They should be there but Bleu insisted they skip the ceremony and come to the reception.
A look passes between Bleu and Sin, and I don’t know what it means. “What? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Sin has something really special for you.”
“Something old? Something new? Something borrowed? Or something blue?”
He reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket and takes out an envelope. My heart nearly stops the second I see Princess written across it in Dad’s handwriting.
“Harry wanted to be with you in spirit so he asked me to give this to you on your wedding day.”
“Oh my God.” My hands are trembling when I take the envelope from Sin. “I can’t believe you’ve had this for two years and never mentioned it.”
“What would have been the chances of me hanging on to it had you known your father’s last words to you were in my possession?”
“Right.” I would have demanded he hand it over. And I would have ruined this unexpected surprise.
“This is amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.” I inhale deeply and exhale. “Did you know Sin had this?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for not spoiling this surprise.” Bleu has always been able to keep a secret. I, on the other hand, tend to open my big mouth.
“We’re going to step out and let you have this time to yourself. Do not cry and mess up your makeup.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Dad wrote that letter so he could be part of your big day. He wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
Sin takes out a second envelope labeled Ellison’s Husband. “He wrote a letter to Jamie?”
He nods. “He entrusted me to watch over you. That included making sure you chose a husband who would protect and cherish you. I knew Jamie was that man, and that your future would be in quality hands.”
Sin holds up the letter. “And now we have another delivery to make.”
My knees feel weak so I move to the sofa and sit before breaking the seal. God, this is going to be rough. I feel it coming.
Princess,
You are no longer a princess. You are now a queen marrying her king. I know you have chosen a man who will give you love, protection, honor, and respect, but it’s important you remember marriage is a two-way street. Give and take. That, aside from love, is the base for a wonderful marriage.
It is my greatest hope that you have found love and happiness with the man you marry today. It is his responsibility to love, honor, and cherish you, but you owe him the same in return. Be there for him. Always remind your spouse how lucky you feel to call him husband. He should wake every morning knowing how much you love him without hearing the words.
Marriage won’t always be easy. There will be times you want to quit so I’m giving you and your husband the same advice. Learn how to argue AND how to make up. Get it out of your system. Address the problem. Never, never, never go to bed angry with each other. Be willing to negotiate—but don’t confuse that with being a pushover.
For my grandchildren. Let them see true love in your relationship with your husband. I challenge you to have a magnificent love story. Don’t read them the fairy tale. Live it daily for them to see.
Now is the time for real life to begin, the one you’re building with your husband. I’ll be watching from afar. I’m always with you. I love you.
Love,
Dad
Chapter 19
Jamie Breckenridge
Dear Ellison’s husband,
I don’t have to tell you what a lucky man you are. If you’re marrying Ellison, then you already know.
As a father, there are many things I want for my daughter—health, success, satisfaction—but above all I want her to feel love and know happiness. It is my greatest hope that she has found these things in you. I taught her to never settle for less than the best when it comes to her choice of spouse. You are the best. Don’t let her down. Be there to catch her when she falls. Remember how lucky you are that my princess chose you and never forget that she’s your prize. Never let her forget how loved she is.
You will be the father of my grandchildren. Show them what real love is in the way you treat their mother every day. Have a love story all your own and lead them by example. Respect each other always. Be proud of Ellison and have true pride in the human being she is.
It won’t always be easy. Ellison can be downright difficult at times, so it’s important you learn how to argue AND how to make up. Get it out of your system. Address the problem. Never, never, never go to bed angry with each other. From one man to another, learn to give an excellent apology.
Love her. Protect her. Cherish her. Honor her. Always.
Harry
“Damn. I never expected my deceased father-in-law to reach out to me.” It’s unsettling to think about him writing this letter to me—a stranger to Ellison two years ago—while he lay on his deathbed.
Sin chuckles. “That’s Harry. Always taking care of his family. Even looking out for his daughters from the grave.”
Ellison often talks about how much her father loved her mother and how well he treated her. She has big expectations. “Ellison’s parents’ marriage is the standard by which she measures what ours should be like.”
“Bleu is the same way. Trust me when I say that Harry set a high bar. It’s pretty hard to live up to his legacy but when I looked at Harry, I saw the kind of man I wanted to be for Bleu. The kind of husband. The kind of father for our children. It was an honor to meet him and know him, if only for a short time.”
Sin grew up like me. His parents hated each other. They didn’t lead by example except in how to twist the knife the hardest. “Is it ever a problem between you and Bleu? Not living up to Harry’s caliber?”
“I thought it would be but it’s not. I don’t have to work at loving and cherishing Bleu. It comes naturally. And I’m certain it will with you and Ellison as well.”
“I’m ready for the challenge.” I’m ready to love your daughter, Harry. I’m ready to protect her. Cherish her. Honor her. Always.
Ellison is fire. I didn’t know how dark and cold my life was until she gave me her warmth and light. Her flame lit a spark inside my heart and her inferno engulfs me daily. I will always burn for her and be consumed by her love. Although endurance was the most painful experience of my life, it was as necessary as breathing. My sacrifice brought her into my life forever. She is my life. She is my future. She is my one. My family. I will always remember how lucky I am that Harry’s princess, my Elli, chose me, and I’ll never forget that she’s my prize.
“Let’s do this.”
Epilogue
Westlyn Breckenridge
Today I stand before these Fellowship and Order members in a long flowing dress with a bouquet in hand as a bridesmaid. A week from now I’ll be the bride. The one wearing white, walking down an aisle toward her husband-to-be, joining herself to a man forever.
A man who stole me.
A man who held me captive.
A man who brought me to ecstasy.
I’ve always known I’d marry for duty over love. How could I not when my father pounded it into my head almost daily? But I’m still disheartened. Sad I won’t see adoration in Kieran’s eyes as I walk down the aisle. Sad his face won’t alight with pure love and reverence as he makes me his wife.
Ellison isn’t the only one wearing a veil today. Hers is white and sheer. Perfectly placed just below the crown of her head. Flowing down her back.
My veil is a s
mile. A straight spine with shoulders pushed back. Chin a little higher than usual.
Despite the joy of today, and I am truly thankful for this marriage between these two amazing people, my heart breaks. But there will be no tears, only a mask of happiness. It’s my job to hide my heart, and forever keep it locked away.
When Elli says her vows to Jamie, and I see peace and radiant delight in her face, the mask is not hard to maintain. She is stunningly beautiful inside and out, and my heart is full because she’s found her home. Her forever alongside her husband and best friend. My brother.
For that I can rejoice.
For that I can smile.
For that I can be the treaty bride who marries Kieran Hendry.
The End
Unintended
Kieran and Westlyn's story
Captor becomes lover…
I’m a marksman. Mobster. Deadly assassin.
My job is to protect my brotherhood, but that isn’t my only responsibility.
I’m Kieran Hendry, the up-and-coming leader of The Order, and a new duty calls. I must take a wife.
A wife I don’t know.
A wife born into a position at the top of The Fellowship hierarchy.
A wife who will forge a strong alliance between her brotherhood and mine.
A wife I don’t want.
I knew next to nothing about Westlyn Breckenridge when I abducted her, but I quickly discover that she’s intelligent, strong, defiant, selfless. And beautiful.
One night with her is all it takes for me to see that she is no typical Mafia princess. I’m hopeful this arranged marriage won’t be the miserable union I imagined it to be. But convincing my intended to give us a chance won’t be easy when she sees me as the enemy. The brute who kidnapped her. The vile fiend who threatened to do as he wished with her body.
It’s true. I am all those things. I had cruel intentions. But everything has changed. My affection for her is unexpected. My love, unintended.
Prologue
Kieran Hendry
This day.
It’s been a jack-in-the-box ever since I became a man. Dormant, but hiding inside its refuge, always threatening to make an appearance at any time. Each day has represented a crank of the handle controlling its release.
Today, it escaped.
It’s time for me to fulfill my obligation to my new brotherhood. It’s the burden that comes with being in a leadership role.
I must take a wife.
A wife I don’t know. A wife born into a position at the top of a hierarchy. A wife who will forge a strong alliance between The Order and The Fellowship.
A wife I don’t want.
I am Kieran Hendry. Eldest son of Lennox Hendry and Arabella Grieves Hendry, the new leaders of The Order. Many would kill to be in their position. Literally. But that isn’t how the brotherhood works. We are born into the role. Like royalty.
My mother has been called home to preside over the brotherhood that her father and brother once led. My dad will act on her behalf until I’m ready to take my place as the leader of these people. My first act as their future leader will be to enter into a marriage treaty with a Fellowship woman. Bring peace between The Order and their enemy, The Fellowship.
I’ve been conditioned to accept an arranged marriage as my fate for as long as I can remember. Doesn’t make it any easier though.
I always thought I’d marry from within The Syndicate, the brotherhood in which I was raised. I expected to forge a union with a woman I’d known my entire life, whose position within my brotherhood would strengthen my claim to leadership in the event of my paternal uncle’s and cousins’ deaths. A woman with virtue and purity who’d saved herself for her husband. Who the hell knows what I’ll be getting with a woman from The Fellowship?
The Fellowship killed my maternal uncle and the brothers want retribution. They demand blood. A lot of it. But vengeance isn’t our way. Revenge and death only yield rotting corpses. That isn’t profitable: a dead man can’t make money for us. Alliances. Those yield gain. Profit is always our focus.
My father pours two whiskies and brings one to me. “I know you need this; I still haven’t forgotten what it felt like to hear my father tell me that I was going to marry a woman from The Order as part of a marriage treaty alliance.”
I need more than one whisky. “I don’t want a wife.”
“I don’t have to tell you that what you want doesn’t matter. You’re a Grieves and a Hendry. Future leader of The Order. Being at the helm of this organization means you don’t get a choice. It’s your duty to strengthen your brotherhood with an advantageous marriage. You will marry a woman from The Fellowship.”
This marriage isn’t something I can refuse. “Do I at least get to choose which woman I’ll marry?”
“You have three choices.” Well, at least there’s that. “The most desirable is Abram Breckenridge’s older daughter, Evanna. The next would be his younger daughter, Westlyn. Last choice is Sinclair’s sister-in-law. Not a Breckenridge, or even a member of The Fellowship yet, but she will be soon.”
“Why is the sister-in-law a consideration?”
“She’s the sister of Bleu Breckenridge. Sinclair will do whatever it takes to maintain Ellison’s safety because he wants to keep his wife happy.”
An American who wasn’t raised in a brotherhood. “She’ll be weak.”
“Agreed. Hence the reason she’s your third choice. You’ll only marry her if the other choices don’t work out.”
I’ve heard of Abram Breckenridge. None of it good. “What do you know about Abram’s daughters?”
“Not a lot yet, but I’ve placed both under surveillance. We’ll learn as much as we can before you choose.”
It won’t matter that The Order is under new leadership. “The Fellowship isn’t going to willingly agree to an alliance with us, and Thane Breckenridge isn’t going to hand over one of his nieces as a treaty bride.”
“That’s why we’re going to force his hand by taking the bride of your choosing. He’ll have no choice but to consider our proposition.” My father pauses a moment. “And as a symbol of our good intention, I’m going to offer Shaw in marriage to his younger son or nephew.”
Shaw is only eighteen. Still a child. And so headstrong. She has dreams and plans and ideas about the way she wants her life to go. My sister won’t take well to being told she must marry anyone, treaty for the well-being of the brotherhood or not. “Won’t my marriage suffice so Shaw doesn’t have to marry?”
“Not with The Fellowship. There’s too much bad blood between them and The Order. We have to propose an equal offering, or they’ll never consider it.”
“When is this going to happen?”
“As soon as you decide which woman you want.”
I don’t want any of them.
“I’ll have a full report from the surveillance by the end of the week.”
“Then I guess I’m claiming a wife this weekend.” Which means I’m getting laid. I’m not pissed off about that.
“You’ll need to bind your union to her as soon as possible.” Bind my union. He means impregnate her. “Once your bairn is inside her, the claiming can’t be undone by anyone.”
A bairn. I don’t want that either.
I was born nine months after my parents married. My father didn’t waste any time binding his union with my mother. We’ve never discussed it, but I’m guessing he was persuaded to do so by his father just as he’s doing with me now. “How did you feel when Grandfather told you that you were going to marry Mother?”
“I wasn’t happy, but I knew taking Arabella as my wife was my duty to the brotherhood. Your mother and I both understood, and we made the most out of it.”
Maybe theirs hasn’t been a fairy tale romance, but my parents love and respect each other. And they share a common goal: they want the best for The Syndicate and The Order. That includes making this alliance with The Fellowship.
I’m the future leader of The Order. I
t’s my job to ensure the prosperity of my brotherhood and those we’re in alliance with. If that means taking a Fellowship woman as a wife and putting my child inside her then that’s what I’ll do.
Even if it’s the last thing on earth that I want.
Chapter 1
Kieran Hendry
I’m a marksman for my brotherhood. An assassin. A hit man. But tonight I’m not ending the life of a loose end or an enemy or an opposition. The man I’ve been for the last twenty-eight years is the one being ended; I’ll soon be mated to a Fellowship woman. Probably tonight.
“What can you tell me about the Fellowship women we’re considering?”
My father sighs. “Bleu Breckenridge’s sister is living with Thane’s nephew. They’re sharing a bedroom.”
Good thing that one isn’t a front-runner.
“And the older Breckenridge sister…” Dad pauses. “She’s spending a lot of time with a Fellowship man. Behind closed doors. And overnight.”
“What you’re telling me is that two of my three choices are fucking other men?”
“Aye.”
That eliminates both of them in my book. I won’t have my wife hopping out of one man’s bed and into mine.
“What of the younger Breckenridge sister?”
“My men saw nothing unbecoming.”
“She hasn’t kept the company of any man?”
“Westlyn’s only interactions have been with family and female friends.”
I could ask my father to tell me more about this woman, but the truth is that nothing he tells me will matter. She’s the only option I’ll consider for my wife at this point. “Where is she now?”
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