Shattered Vows: An Arranged Marriage Standalone Romance (Tarnished Empire)

He kissed like he owned my mouth, the ride, the butterflies in my stomach and the whole aura around us.

I went with the flow. I tried not to get too riled or feel anything too deeply. It was easier that way.

Yet, Bastian captured a moment on that ride where I was feeling a little too alive and then he injected himself into the equation, amping my emotions to catastrophic levels.

I’d dropped 49 feet with one of the most powerful, yet questionable businessman in the state making out with me.

I didn’t even feel the splash of water at the bottom.

I was lost in the way his lips commanded the kiss, the way his hands tracked down my throat and then gripped onto me like he had a right to.

My heart beat like a jackhammer on high speed and that jackhammer chipped away at the idea of having him as just a fake husband for six months.

His mouth would be so underused, and his hands—so strong as they gripped my neck in our kiss but gentle when he dragged his fingertips over my collarbone—wouldn’t get to make anyone feel that good for a long time.

I moaned as I shifted in the seat and tried to get closer to him. We’d passed the point of a photo and now I was just being greedy as my fingers threaded through his hair, and I kept taking what really wasn’t mine.

As the songs faded and we emerged from the cave of wondrous animation, returning to the sunlight, Bastian pulled back.

I snatched my hands back and covered my mouth, looking away.

“Sorry.” I’d taken it too far by biting his lip and trying to practically climb him, despite the bar in my way.

As it lifted, I jumped out like the ride was on fire. Our part of it was.

I didn’t even glance his way as I hurried toward the exit. I shouldn’t have expected us to be able to forget and avoid the topic so easily though. As we weaved through barriers on our way out, there on shiny, big screen TVs were the photos of the drop.

“Guess we didn’t disappoint in taking advantage of that moment, huh?” Bastian pointed to us.

His hand was on my neck and mine were in his hair. We looked absolutely, disgustingly in love. Nothing in me should have twisted and coiled around the idea. I chanced a look at him. That set jaw, the lines of concern on his face, and his pursed lips definitely weren’t showing any signs of enjoyment as he stared at us.

“There’s a few people behind us that will most likely buy that photo.”

“What, like for evidence of us being together?” It sounded absurd.

“Exactly.” He nodded. “Want one for our penthouse? Could put it on the fridge for guests.”

I bit my lip. This display was beyond a show for me, and that exposed something I wasn’t sure I wanted to stare at frequently.

“I don’t need it if you don’t.”

He hummed, his signature sound as his hands went to his pockets and he rocked on his heels. “Why don’t you go get something in this little gift shop for Ivy? She’ll probably want a snack and a toy by the time we meet up with her. I’m going to go fight the cameraman to make sure our photo stays up for a few more people to see.

I nodded and took him backing away as a sign that he wanted a little time on his own. Fair enough, since I’d practically mauled him.

I hurried to a sliver of mirror near some cheap sunglasses on display and smoothed my hair down. My lips looked swollen and happy. The blush on my cheeks appeared fresh. “Get it together,” I grumbled and went to find a bear stuffed animal for Ivy.

Bastian met me at the counter and handed his card over before steering me out of the store.

Cade and Ivy met us with smiles on their faces. Cade’s tattoos on his hands and arms and up his neck were probably one of the things that deterred people from us. It could have also been that following Cade and Ivy were three large men in suits.

While I stared at them, Bastian leaned in. “They’re completely unnecessary. Most everyone here is trying to make sure their kid doesn’t scream to go on the next ride before the line moves. We’re surrounded by families and that’s not a place for anyone to do anything.”

“Would you be nervous about that otherwise?” I tried to gauge what my grandma had said to me before: these were businessmen now, not vicious, ruthless men.

“Not really anymore.”

“The food truck?” It still presented to me like something out of a movie. Would they have tortured me or got straight to killing me?

“That wasn’t someone like us. Underground and completely unorganized. It’s been taken care of.”

I didn’t ask further questions. I let our day unfold instead.

“Uncle Bastian, will we stay for the fireworks tonight?” Ivy asked about a minute later. “The castle lights up and then fireworks come and another little girl said they play all the music from the movies.”

“We did a lot of talking with another family in our fast lane before the ride.” Cade nodded.

“I think your mom and dad are going to want to see you before then, kid.” Bastian patted Ivy’s head when her face dropped.

“But Mommy and Daddy could just meet us.” She huffed and plopped into her stroller. She had the four year old attitude down pat.

“I see she’s quickly adapted to that stroller,” Bastian grumbled to his brother. “I’ll push it for a few. You want to run surveillance and see if we’ve got any business updates?”

Cade wheeled Ivy over to Bastian, but I stopped him. “I can do it for a while.”

He nodded and I took the stroller to push Ivy as we walked for a few minutes as they talked. A man bustled by and knocked me so hard at one point, I gasped as I whipped around to see what his problem was. Instead of apologizing, he glared at me and said, “Watch where you’re going, bitch.” Then, he tried to hurry on. I thought that was the end of it, but my fake fiancé caught the man’s arm just as he was passing Bastian behind me.

Bastian stood much taller, bigger, and more menacing as he whispered, ‘Say excuse me to my fiancé.’

The man glanced around and his eyes widened. “What?”

Bastian grabbed the man’s face and turned him so that he had to look at me. My heart was beating fast at either the display or at this man sticking up for me. His cheeks were mushed together and I could tell the grip on his arm must have been painful from the frown he had on his face.

“I won’t tell you again. Say excuse me and apologize to her.”

‘I’m sorry. Excuse me,” he stuttered out as he saw how the black suits had surrounded us.

“Watch where you’re going around women and children, motherfucker,” Bastian said and then shoved him away like he was garbage.

I bit my lip, trying not to kiss the man for sticking up for me and women everywhere as he came over and put his hand on my lower back. He leaned in. ‘Let me take the stroller for awhile, ragazza.”

So vicious and then so gentle, all just for me.

I looked up at his eyes all gooey and warm and I stepped back fast because if I didn’t, I’d do something stupid.

He hunched over and pushed the little umbrella stroller as he continued talking to his brother. I didn’t hear a thing coming out of their mouths. The sun shone, families bustled around with smiles on their faces, happy music played from speakers on every corner, and Bastian was pushing a pink stroller.

The man was all suit and muscle and tattoos peeking out from under his cuffs, yet still a tiny pink stroller was his top priority right now.

He navigated the crowd with ease, or maybe they navigated around us–either way, we made our way through the park quickly.

With the fast passes, we were able to get on most of the rides. I had a feeling Cade was glitching the system though, because I overheard other families saying they could only book rides at certain times. With us, that wasn’t the case.

Ivy rode the flying carpets and she went higher and higher on the elephants with Bastian at her side.

The little girl loved her uncles and they loved her too. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation throughout the day until they realized Ivy had to go to the bathroom.

Bastian said he would just walk her to the guy’s bathroom and she could use a stall but I rolled my eyes.

“Ivy, want to go to the girls’ bathroom with me?” I held out my hand. She nodded, handed over her giant lollipop to Cade, and took my hand with a big smile.

The park held magic that I knew children would remember for all their lives. Yet, I think a lot of the adults were here just to remember the faces of their children too. Just like Ivy’s face in that moment, their innocence was the magic of it all.

Ivy fell asleep as the sun was set, and we navigated through the crowd back to the entrance.

“She doesn’t need to see fireworks. I’ll bring her back again when Katie and Rome aren’t down our throats.” Cade shrugged.

Bastian even stopped to consider it. His eyes bounced from the castle to his little niece curled up on his suit jacket that he’d bunched up as a makeshift pillow. I knew it was thousands of dollars and still he didn’t even hesitate when her neck looked kinked. “She had fun right? This was good enough?”

The man was asking me.

As if I knew any better than him, I glanced down at her too. “She looks really tired.”

“Right.” Cade nodded, still staring at her.

We all stood there with guilt coursing through our veins at skipping the fireworks. The magic of this park was that you were pushed to give kids everything too. It was a great marketing scheme.

“Sir, Rome and Katie are waiting in the parking lot,” one of the security guys announced to Cade.

“That makes the decision for us then.” Bastian sighed, the muscles in his shoulders falling like that had removed the burden of having to choose.

We got Ivy into her car seat in the SUV and made our way back to the penthouse.

As we entered the garage, even more black cars joined us. I wondered if businessmen ever drove anything different.

Cade unbuckled Ivy who was just waking up. Another car’s door opened and the little girl screamed as loud as she could, “Mommy! Daddy!”

She wiggled out of Cade’s arms and ran straight to Katie who swooped her up and spun her around. The woman was all black tattoos and cut up clothing, but the smile she gave her daughter radiated pure love.

A man with bigger muscles than even the security guards stood behind Katie, watching like a wolf protecting his pack. He turned a cold stare to Cade. “You fucking want a bullet in your head?”

“Oh, fuck off. She wanted to go to the damn park.”

“You fly my daughter without my knowledge again, I’ll drag you to hell,” he growled at Cade.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cade waved off the vicious warning and walked up to the man like nothing was wrong. My eyes widened, my whole body tensed. The man was going to punch him or something.

Instead, Cade pulled him in for a hug. “You’re getting soft. I thought I had a gun to my head coming with that warning.”

A deep laugh rolled out from Ivy’s father as he hugged back, and I let out a breath.

Bastian smirked at my side. I’d forgotten for the first time in a while that he was near me. “He’s a lot of bark but not much bite when it comes to family.”

I dragged out an okay, not sure at all how to take all this in. Katie glanced at me. “Meet my husband, Rome.”

Rome walked up and shook the hand I extended immediately. “Welcome to the family.”

“Oh, I’m just…I mean…thanks?” Was I meant to be pretending with them or not?

“We’re heading up. We have to plan some things,” Bastian said after he hugged Rome too. There was no exchange of how are yous or other niceties.

I didn’t know whether to apologize for Bastian leaving or not but I opted not to say a word. This was his crew and I probably would never see them again.

“Morina, right?” Katie stopped me as we started toward the elevator.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for taking care of my daughter. These two dumbasses are untrustworthy.”

“Morina took me to the bathroom, and we washed our hands together,” Ivy announced and Katie’s eyes softened as she looked at me. Then they snapped to Bastian’s, a look of determination there. “Take care of her, huh?”

I didn’t know if the sense of foreboding I got as they left was only from her words.

That night, Bastian and I made a little small talk, but we both retired to our own bedrooms.

It didn’t stop me from thinking about him under the same roof as me. Or halt the way my mind drifted back to our kiss on the ride.

He hadn’t kissed me again that day, but he’d held my hand here and there, enough that it almost felt real.

Except it wasn’t.

This was all a charade.

A touch shouldn’t be that complicated and yet my mind liked to run away with an idea.

I rolled over and tried to picture anything else.