Amplify (31 page)

"If you shoot me, you’ll end up hurting your sister and probably her babies in the process. I’ll go down and she’ll go with me. I’ll make sure she lands on the knife, blade side up," she threatens. God, she’s really and truly ugly, inside and out.

"Drop the knife," I tell her.

"You’re not going to shoot me," she says with a laugh. I know she has no idea what I’m going to do. She doesn’t know me well enough. But I know her. She’s a coward. She doesn’t do any of the dirty work herself.

"Drop the knife," I say again, this time a little firmer.

"Drop the gun," she challenges.

"Never gonna happen. Drop the fucking knife. Now," I bite out, my patience worn thin.

"I don’t think so," she says.

I sigh and shake my head. "Total fucking idiot," I say and Lucy nods her agreement. "One last time." That’s the signal. "Drop." Three. "The." Two. "Knife." One.

Lucy stomps on her instep and I pull the trigger.

Carina cries out and falls to the floor, then again when Lucy kicks her in the face.

"Fucking bitch." She kicks her again. "If you knew anything about us, you’d know that I am the princess. Do your homework. Sheesh. Who taught you how to be a criminal?" Lucy asks, her foot on Carina’s neck. "It sure wasn’t gampy. He doesn’t train idiots." One more kick to the face and Lucy grabs the sash from her dress and hands it to me. I hand her my gun then walk over to Carina, rolling her on her stomach, smirking when she squeals in pain from the bullet wound in her shoulder.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I wanted to kill her too. One bullet right between the eyes, but there’s work to be done before I’ll get that satisfaction. I tie her wrists, then push her face into the floor. I lean down close so only she can hear me.

"I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you. But before I do, I’m going to make you suffer for every fucking vile thing you’ve ever done." I stand up then step on her back on my way to the door, but then stop. The only way she could have gotten in here is if she was working with one of the guards. These are Giovanni’s and Cage’s most trusted. Heads are going to roll.

I grab my cell phone and dial.

"Fee."

"Hi honey. There’s a bit of an issue here," I tell him and Lucy snorts.

"I’m on my way." I hear him call for Damian and a few others.

"Be careful. One or more of the guards are disloyal. Carina whore is here."

"Alright. I’m almost there. Is Lucy okay?" Cage asks.

"Fine." I hold out my hand for the gun because the look in Lucy’s eye tells me she’s thinking about how Carina threatened her babies’ lives and would love nothing more than to put another bullet in her, only this one she’d make lethal. When she hesitates to give it back, I knew I was right. "Luce," I coax.

"Fucking bitch," she says, before handing me my gun.

"Hurry," I tell Cage, "before Lucy kills her."

The door opens. "I’ve got it, Luce," Cage says.

Her hands on her hips. "Where’s the fun in that?"

He nods. "It’s safer."

"She held a knife to my babies," she tells him, venom lacing her tone. She pushes her foot down on the shoulder with the bullet hole. When Carina whimpers, Lucy presses harder. "Just as Sera said. You’re a fucking idiot." She steps back. "And now you’re going to die."

Carina snorts.

I bend down and shove my face in hers. She shuts up immediately. "That’s what I thought." I look to Cage. "She hurt Spenser. I don’t know where he is but she said she stabbed him." Cage nods and sends out a text.

Jesse bursts through the door, fear and anger marring his features. "Luce," he breathes and pulls her into his arms.

"We’re alright," she tells him.

"Who the fuck is that?" Jesse bites out.

"That’d be the dumb-as-a-rock Carina," I tell him.

"You gonna kill her?" he asks Cage.

"Someone will, yes," Cage answers honestly.

"Make sure they torture her good and long first," Jesse tells him.

Cage nods once. "Consider it done."

"How did she get in here?" Jesse asks.

"Let’s just say, more than one person is going to die tonight," Cage says, his eyes steady and angry, his tone menacing.

I’m going to break every fucking bone in that hand of hers—the one that held the knife to my sister’s babies. It’s all I can do not to beat her to death with my fists. But I know they need answers and I know I’ll be the one to get them.

"Well, Luce, what do you say we get changed while they take out the trash?"

Carina slants me a look. "You’re nothing. A worthless excuse for a human being. You should have been there that day."

I narrow my eyes. "What day would that be?" I ask, but I already know. I want to hear her say it.

"The day your parents were murdered. You should have been there. You should be
dead!
" she seethes.

"Well, isn’t it too bad for you and
them
that I’m not." I pat her cheek, two rough slaps. Then I whisper, "Later you’re really going to wish I had died that day because I’m going to make you wish
you
were dead."

She sucks in a breath. I look to Cage who is working so hard to restrain his rage.

I walk over and hug him tight. "It’s alright, babe," I reassure him.

"It’s not," he says tightly, holding me close, so close it feels like his heart is beating in my chest. "But it will be. Before everything is done, it will be. I promise you."

"Cage, you don’t have to promise me that. I already know you’re going to make it happen," I tell him, letting him know I have one hundred percent faith in him.

"I love you, Fee."

"I love you too. Now I need to get changed so we can get our wedding reception freakness on."

"Freakness?" he asks with a smirk.

I raise a brow. "With this bunch, do you imagine it’s going to be normal?"

"Point taken."

I snicker then give him one last kiss before going to change with Lucy.

I
Found In You by Sarah Darling

Suspicious Minds by Elvis

Celebration by Kool & The Gang

What I Like About You by The Romantics

P.Y.T. by Michael Jackson

Walk This Way by Aerosmith & RUN-DMC

Jessie's Girl – Rick Springfield

––––––––

"A
ND THERE THEY ARE!
The brides and grooms!" Xander announces from the stage.

"Oh dear God," Cage says and I snicker.

"Xan my man!" Lucy shouts.

"Luce my goose! Time to dance with your husband—again! Only this time you’re going to remember it!"

Trace drums out a comedy beat.

"Elvis lives!" Xander shouts, then starts singing
Suspicious Minds.

"Ha!" I say and pull Cage to the dance floor. I know my big man doesn’t do the whole dance thing, so I wrap myself around him and sway to the beat, occasionally singing a line here and there.

"There’s nowhere you can run that I won’t find you now, Fee," he says with a grin.

I smirk. "I’m done running. The only place I’ll be running is to you."

"Aww, that’s so sweet," Jace murmurs, dancing with some woman I’ve never seen before.

"Suck it," I tell him and he chuckles.

"Congratulations." Cage and I murmur our thanks. "I’m really glad you caught her."

Cage smirks. "Me too."

"Me three!" I say.

"Me four!" Lucy announces.

"Me five!" Jesse says, weighing in.

"Me six!" Xander says from the stage. "I don’t know what we’re sixing, but I’m all for a six-some."

"Xander Mackenzie," mama scolds.

"Sorry mama. It’s a double wedding, a party, and I’m getting inebriated. Brace yourself."

"Lord have mercy," Jesse says.

"I second that," Cage agrees.

Ethan steps up on the stage. "I have a little song for the brides, grooms, and everyone here. Let’s
celebrate!
" he announces. I laugh out loud when Ethan—our quiet Ethan—breaks into
Celebration
by Kool & the Gang, mimicking what I can only suspect are some really horrible eighties moves.

Kennedy and Xander are doing the same dance and I look at Ben and Jesse.

"Hell
no
," Jesse says and Ben laughs.

"They made us do this in high school for some talent show bullshit with the cheerleaders," Ben tells us.

"Ridiculous."

I laugh, then sing really loudly, "Celebrate good times, come on!" throwing my hands up in the air and wiggling my hips. Cage just keeps his arms wrapped around me and smirks.

"You keep rubbing up on me like that, wife, we’re going to need to have a quickie."

I wiggle my eyebrows. "Oh husband." My eyes widen and I giggle—I never giggle. Ever. That’s Lucy’s thing, so when I do, Cage’s smile stretches across his face and he laughs with me.

"Look at that," Ben says. "Hell froze over. Serafina giggled like a giddy school girl."

"And all it took was marrying Cage Nichols to get her to do that," Meggie says while she bounces, dancing the ridiculous dance with Xander and Kennedy. Holy smokes, Kennedy! He’s hilarious! Busting a move.

Xander hops up on the stage and grabs the drumsticks from Trace and they segue into
What I Like About You
by The Romantics—again,
Ethan
singing.

"Are you serious? Are you all playing the entire wedding?" I ask.

Ben scoffs. "You didn’t think we were going to get a
wedding singer
did you?"

I shrug.

"This is so much better," Lucy says, busting into the eighties dance, arms swinging with Jesse’s, who stands there looking at her like she’s lost her mind.

"You have three babies in there, baby. You shouldn’t be hopping around like that."

"Oh for heaven’s sake, why not?" Lucy asks Jesse, exasperation clear.

"What if they’re bumping heads or something? They could get hurt."

Lucy rolls her eyes. "Amniotic sacs, remember?"

"So?" he asks.

"They’re like cushions surrounding the babies."

"There’s not much room in there. And remember, they’re all in
one
sac, not three," he tells her.

She sighs. "Fine. I’ll be a dud."

"It’s okay, Luce. I’ll be dorky enough for both of us," Meggie announces.

"That’s new?" Ben asks, which earns him a smack.

"Alright!" Ethan shouts into the mic and I gape. "We’ve got this joint hoppin’ now! Xander, this next one is all you!"

"That’s my cue," Ben says and heads up on stage, picking up his black guitar, flames shooting all over the place. To think, I nearly played that guitar on the set of the music video. I should have stolen it.

"What are they up to now?" Lucy asks.

The first chords are played and I burst out laughing, Cage along with me. There is no holding this back. Everyone’s cracking up when they recognize Rick Springfield’s
Jessie’s Girl.

"Oh hell no, man!" Jesse heckles. "Get your own girl!"

Xander just laughs through the words as he sings and whales on the drums.

"Awww, Xan my man!" Lucy shouts and Jesse just shakes his head.

All of Falling Down is up there except Jesse and they’re cracking me up.

"Eighties tunes it is!" I shout.

When the song is over, Ethan steps back up to the mic. "Hell yeah, eighties tunes. All for you Sera."

"What?" I shout.

"I know how you love the movie
The Wedding Singer
and I know it’s not because you think Adam Sandler is hot... so it’s gotta be the music!" Ethan shouts.

"Damn right! I love eighties music. I’ll own right up to that shit!" I tell everyone with a laugh.

"My turn," Kennedy tells us, taking Ethan’s place. I gape and Lucy meets my gaze. We let out a surprised squeal and start fangirling.

"Yeah! Woohoo! Go Kennedy!"

"Show us what you got, big boy!" Lucy shouts, earning a scowl from Jesse.

"Wow," Kennedy says. "Because you’ve shown such enthusiasm, I’m going to steal one of Xander’s songs."

"What the fuck?" Xander complains.

"Dude, you have a shitload so shut the fuck up and play."

"Aye, aye cap-e-ton," Xander tells Kennedy, saluting him with his middle finger. I snort.

When they start a Michael Jackson song I swear Lucy nearly swoons.
P.Y.T.

"Can you believe this?" I ask Cage incredulously.

"This is a first," he tells me with a laugh.

"He’s got to be drunk off his ass," Trace says.

"Kennedy doesn’t get drunk," Jesse says to Trace. "I’ll be damned if these two along with the rest of you Blushers didn’t bring Kennedy out of his shell."

I shout praise to Kennedy and Lucy and Meggie join me. We’re standing in front of the stage cheering and half dancing, like we were at a concert rather than our wedding reception. We’re not the only ones, even mama and daddy are out here. And Grandpa steps out of the corner with Nana.

"Nana!" I run over and hug her tight.

"My Serafina." She cups my cheeks in her hands. "You’re beautiful. I am so happy for you and your young man."

"Thank you, Nana. I’m so happy you’re here! How are you here? No one told me..." I look to Cage who’s standing behind me with his signature smirk. Tears well in my eyes. Is there anything he won’t do for me? "Thank you," I tell him.