K Y Z E R

Chicago, USA

I could never quite pick my favorite between weddings and funerals, and I'd crashed my fair share of both. Some hammered, some I was too sober for. Except I wasn't crashing the wedding I was supposed to be at today. It was quite unfortunate that I was the groom.

It hadn't been in my plans to marry Astley's daughter, but Samuel had insisted I get the girl off his hands if he was going to work with me. I suppose it wasn't the worst thing that I was becoming his son-in-law. There was nothing quite like getting stabbed in the back by family, and I was going to make sure Astley got the worst kind of torture.

There was a knock on my door before the knob moved, and Nikolai barged inside. The scowl on his face told me Angelo had already ruined his day.

"That eager to see me?" I arched my brow as I swung my legs off the bed and sat up. The covers still covering my lap.

"You better not be naked, Knight." He shrugged his jacket off and took a seat on the couch in the room.

"I would tell you to find out, but my sister wouldn't appreciate that," My lips tipped up into a smirk as I got up, the sheets falling away, but before Nikolai could say anything, I beat him to it, "your innocence is safe, I'm not naked,"

"I would've thought your impending nuptials would have leashed you,"

"You wish," I chuckled as I stepped inside the restroom and got rid of my boxer briefs before stepping inside the shower.

The cold water did a lot more than make me shiver. It was quite the reminder I needed that no matter what, Mallory Esposito was going to burn in the same fire her father had pushed me into. I hadn't managed to figure out her game yet, but even her ocean eyes couldn't drown a man like me.

I pushed the wet strands of hair off my face and wiped my hands on my face as I cleaned myself with my shower gel and washed my hair before wrapping a towel around my waist and stepping out in front of the vanity. I picked another towel off the rack and dried my hair before taking a few drops of styling gel on my palm and passing my fingers through my hair.

After drying my hair and applying my moisturizer, I packed up my toiletries again and walked out of the restroom. Nikolai stopped typing on his face, his head tilting up to look at me,

"Finally! Angelo has called twice asking for you."

"Well, he can wait. After all, if I'm going to kiss my father-in-law's ass, I might as well be dressed for it."

"Fucking hell." Nikolai shook his head, got up from his place, and slapped a tux on my chest. "Get dressed. Or I am going to drag you out like this. I can't deal with Angelo anymore."

"I'm sure you'll be doing everyone a big favor taking me out like that." I pointed towards my ripped stomach, and Nikolai's scowl deepened.

"You are so vain."

"You are too irritable, darling," I winked at him before going back inside and quickly changing into the tux.

I would've gone with my leather jacket had Angelo not insisted on this fucking tux. I sighed, running my hands through my hair when I couldn't figure out the bow tie. Giving up, I walked out, "do you know how to tie one of these?" I held up the bow tie, and Nikolai looked up from his phone.

"Obviously,"

"Oh good, then you can help me."

"I almost don't want to, but I don't want to hear Angelo's bitching."

"You forget it's also your job description as my best man." He muttered something under his breath before walking toward me and snatching the tie from my hands.

Nikolai and I made our way down after he had made sure I looked fit for the occasion. The walk to the aisle was mostly quiet, with a few nods, but Keira couldn't take the memo and approached me. She reached up and brushed her lips against Nikolai's before hugging his side, "You ready, Kyzer?"

"I'm not going to war, Keira." I chuckled as I turned around to stand straight.

Nikolai whispered something in her ear, and she gave me a stink eye before taking her seat in the front. Nikolai stood beside me, a low grin on his face.

Soon after, the music changed, and the priest motioned for everyone to stand up. And then she came with her hand in her father's arm, her eyes downcast like the obedient daughter she was, and her face veiled. Her dress was made with lace, the color of summer clouds, with the neckline plunging low, nothing too scandalous for the dutiful principessa. I moved my gaze to her face, not even surprised to see a veil covering her face, her eyes downcast as she walked beside her father to me.

Angelo stopped a step below and offered Mallory's hand to me. I took her frail hand in mine and pulled her up, but before I could, Angelo leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

"Don't hurt her, Knight, or the deal is off,"

I knew what was going to come out of my mouth was shitty, but I just couldn't leave the chance to make Angelo uncomfortable. "I can't help it, given your bloody sheets tradition and all." I pulled back, offered him the fakest smile I had, and turned towards my wife-to-be just as the priest started going on about love.

I'd gone through the motions of getting married, and there was no vow that I'd said that I meant. The only vow I was a slave to was my vengeance, and Angelo fucking Esposito would burn, even if I had to burn with him.

Mallory's expectant eyes met mine as I slid the ring on her finger, and it hit me like lightning that I was going to break each one of her dreams like glass castles because the matching ring on my finger was nothing more than a reminder of what I had to do.

"You may kiss the bride,"

I made a point to smirk at Angelo before I removed the veil from her face and cupped her jaw. It wasn't hard for me to feel her racing pulse, or her fluttering breath, even though I had to say she was doing a good job at hiding it. If I were a gentleman, I wouldn't kiss a girl who looked at me like I was going to love her when I would do anything but. But we've already established that I'm anything but a gentleman, so despite my distaste for kissing, I leaned forward and pushed my lips against her.

I wasn't trying to deepen the kiss. I was trying to warn her away with the bruising hardness of my lips against her. Mallory's lips moved against mine, and her hands fisted the lapels of my jacket as she stole my oxygen, thriving in the violence I'd shown her.

I lost my sense of time and only realized I was standing in front of a crowd when their whistles and claps pulled me out of the trance. Shaking it off, I faced the crowd with a smirk, my hand around her waist as I met Angelo's narrowed eyes with a raised brow.

It was all a blur of a couple of meaningless congratulations and conversations until we had to leave for the reception. Fucking hell, this day had too much chatter for me. I was just about done with the giggling girls and the snickering men.

*

Nikolai and Mallory were sitting beside me, but Angelo's presence at the table had my stomach turning. And to think I had to at least eat something, or I would raise suspicions. Reaching for the glass of water, I brought it to my lips and tried to reduce nausea before I had to eat something. By the time they rolled out the appetizers, I was just about ready to bolt, but instead, I fisted my hand underneath the table and ate a little bit of it.

Angelo had barely taken his eyes off me, and he was keenly eyeing my untouched glass of wine. It wasn't that I didn't indulge in the act of drinking, I did, but I'd rather not be hammered and accidentally shoot his skull open.

After a horrendous meal, it was time for my first dance with Mallory, and I forced the smirk back on my face as I turned toward her,

"You ready for our dance?"

Mallory nodded and took my hand without a word when I extended it for her. This girl was so docile that if I asked her to jump, she would quite literally ask me how high, and that was not very comforting. She was the dutiful daughter, her father's shadow, and I was hoping that it wouldn't prove to be a kink in my plan.

We walked to the center of the dance floor, and just as soft music began to plan, I took her hand in mine and lead us with the rhythm. For all her soft smiles and submission, she was tense as fuck dancing with me. I pulled back at the last minute before she could step on my feet, and her breathing hitched as she blinked, looking at me through her eyelashes.

"You can dance,"

Her soft voice filled the silence between us as I pulled her closer. My eyes stayed on her father, even when I leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Dancing isn't the only thing I can do,"

Mallory's fingers tightened around my shoulder, but I stayed where I was, mere inches from her, even when Angelo approached us on the dance floor. He stopped beside us, and it was like her entire face lit up at the sight of her motherfucking father,

"I believe it's my turn for a dance,"

I took a step away from Mallory, "Of course," smiling, I offered him to stand where I was standing, but before he could lead her away, I said, "but don't be too long, or I'll get bored," Angelo arched his brow, "and you know what happens when I'm bored. People. Die."

I turned around and walked back to my seat at the table, uninterested in hearing what Angelo had to say. The moment I got back to the table, I snatched a glass of wine and downed it in one go, uncaring that I'd decided not to drink today.

"If you keep provoking him, one of you will end up dead long before you've accomplished whatever it is that you need to do," Keira whispered in my ear before patting my shoulder and sitting in her seat.

"I didn't get dressed like a circus lion just so I could fuck everything up," I reached for the glass of water and took a sip before speaking again, "besides, when I ruin him, it's going to be at the hands of his most prized possession. His fucking daughter."

* * *

So what do you think?

Any theories yet?

I must warn you guys again, Kyzer is not your conventional character, and he is unlike any character I've ever written before. He is hostile, cunning, manipulative, and, most importantly, vengeful. He will do things that will make you hate him. Therefore, if dark romance is not your cup of tea, please don't read this book further. 

If you choose to stick around after that, I hope you enjoy this twisted ride!

Thank you for reading. Please vote and comment and let me know what you think!