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When she reached me, my brother lifted the veil frorated on my nerves They’d become fast friends

Before handing her over to me, he piercedwas just for me As if it weren’t for hi I took, after what I’d been put through His look accused in bride as if I were some sort of monster

Well, he hadn’t walked the last few years in o fuck himself

I shifted aze fro her in the dress I’d chosen She only narrowed her shadowed eyes at ht, not when I covered her hand with mine, not when I drew her down to kneel before God And when time came to promise to love, cherish, and obey—yes, I made sure to include the vow of obedience—Sofia spoke the words that would seal her fate and mine

I do

That was all it took, and she was mine

And e stood and faced each other as husband and wife, I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck and drew her toto anyone who had any doubt at all, that I owned this woman

That she was mine

And as mine, no man had better put asunder

Because I’d fucking kill any bastard who tried

Chapter One

Sofia

Christmas 2015

The Christmas holiday was my favorite time of year, and this year, because the twenty-fifth fell on a Saturday, St Sebastian’s Preparatory School gave us a full additional week off This wasas the as and as uptight as the nuns could be, I kind of liked it The old irls was beautiful The boys lived across the vast property in a second, rounds, the thick woods that surrounded the remote school, and even the small room I shared with another student

My grandfather’s h beautiful, was very different fro driveway and seeing the large, white stone house come into vieas always a bittersweet moment for me It made me e

Then I sawout the ished Lina attended the saift for piano that I did not, though, so she went to a special ers orn-out, but I knew she loved playing