Alyssa
Niko isn't as big of an asshole as King, but he still makes it his mission to piss me off. He's a little smaller and less muscular than King, with spiky, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.
Mason, on the other hand, is of medium height with a slender frame. He's a redhead with tapered hair, green eyes, and thick-rimmed glasses. Out of the three, he’s probably the chillest, never wanting to get his hands dirty. But just because he’s associated with them, it’s only fair that I hate him too.
I roll my eyes. "Fantastic, just what I needed—the full set of my brother's annoying-ass friends."
Niko chuckles, his voice laced with amusement. "So mean for no reason, Alyssa. We're just looking out for you, sis."
"If you were looking out for me, you wouldn't be tormenting me all the damn time," I retort, crossing my arms as I glare at them.
King takes another drag of his cigarette, his intense stare never leaving me. "It's our way of showing affection, Kitten. You know you love it."
No. I. Don't.
Niko throws an arm over my shoulder, and I stiffen at the unwelcome contact. "Like I said, I'm good. Nobody needs to worry about me, especially Gray. Isaac is my husband. He will take care of me.”
"Are you ready to go, Alyssa?"
Isaac's voice cuts through the tension as he strides across the lawn toward us. Relief washes over me. Finally, he's here to rescue me from my tormentors.
His gaze shifts between the three men surrounding me, a shadow crossing his face when he notices Niko's arm casually draped over my shoulder.
"What are you guys doing out here with my wife? Get your f*****g hands off her!"
His voice is loud and humiliating, drawing the attention of the few remaining guests outside.
I quickly create distance between me and the boys, rushing over to Isaac and placing a calming hand on his chest. "It's okay, Isaac. They were just saying goodbye," I whisper, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalates further.
I can already tell he's had too much to drink. His breath reeks of alcohol, and his eyes have that hard, unfocused look.
Fuck.
He’s going to start a fight.
"Do you want my friends and family to think you're a w***e?” Isaac snarls, his voice venomous. "Get in the f*****g car before you embarrass me more!”
Shame washes over me, thick and suffocating, even though I know I did nothing wrong. My heart sinks, and a lump forms in my throat.
I don’t want to fight on our wedding night. I just want to go back to the happiness we were having minutes ago.
"But what about everyone seeing us off?" I ask in a tiny voice, my eyes flickering back to my mother’s house where our guests are still celebrating.
"I'm too pissed off for that. We're leaving. Now.” His tone is sharp, leaving no room for argument.
He grabs my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my skin, and I wince.
It's okay, he's just drunk. This isn't my Isaac, I tell myself.
But when I glance up at King, Niko, and Mason, their expressions have darkened—tensed into something deadly.
King’s perpetual smirk is gone, replaced by a look that could kill. Even Mason, usually unbothered, has a jagged edge to his posture. Niko steps forward, his eyes flashing.
"Alyssa, I don't think we’re okay letting you leave with him,” Niko says, his voice dangerously low. “For him to think it's okay to speak to you that way…I think King and I should break his goddamn jaw."
Oh, no.
"Who the f**k are you to tell my wife who she can't leave with? Stay in your goddamn place, freak," Isaac seethes, yanking me towards the car.
"Be careful how you f*****g speak to him," King warns, his voice eerily calm.
Isaac snorts. “Or what?”
Okay. The alcohol has clearly given him a false sense of confidence.
Too damn much of it.
With King alone, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
King takes a step forward, towering over my husband like a shadow of death. At 6’2” and pure muscle, he makes Isaac look like a scrawny child.
And I hate to say that about my own husband.
"Or I'll have you eating out of a tube for the next six months.”
It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.
I quickly step between them, pressing a hand against Isaac’s chest. “Isaac, please stop. Not on our wedding night,” I beg, tears welling in my eyes.
The tension is palpable, thickening the once-peaceful air around us.
Is he really going to keep pushing this? Does he not realize that if my brother comes outside and sees this, he’ll join them in beating his ass?
Isaac's face twists in rage and humiliation. "Are you really taking their side right now?" he yells, his voice slicing through the night.
"She's actually trying to stop you from getting your ass beat, dude," Mace finally speaks, irritation flaring in his usually calm voice. His forest green eyes burn with restrained anger.
"I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to her!" Isaac roars, redirecting his fury toward me.
I don’t flinch. Instead, I lock eyes with him, desperate to reach the man I know is somewhere hidden beneath this raging monster.
"Please, can we just go?" My voice trembles, betraying my fear.
His nostrils flare as he glares down at me. "Fine. But I don't want to ever see you near these assholes again. Understood?"
I nod quickly, eager to calm him before he spirals further out of control.
This reminds me of the Championship football game our junior year, where he got into a huge fight with the other team's captain. But this time, the stakes are higher.
King and Niko will kill him, while Mason watches.
The last thing I want today is to watch my husband die right in front of me.
"Let's go," I murmur, pulling Isaac towards the car.
I don’t look back, but I can feel their eyes burning into me as I slide into the passenger seat.
Even when we drive off, Isaac speeding recklessly through the streets, I keep my head down, staring at my trembling hands.
The silence in the car is suffocating, heavy with unspoken rage and tension.
At a stoplight, I finally look up—just in time to see Isaac’s hand collide with my cheek.
The sharp sting makes me gasp.
"Don't ever do something like that again!” he snarls in my face. “You made me look weak out there. I could've taken those fuckers easily.”
A quiet, desperate sob escapes me.
He...hit me.
He actually hit me. And on our wedding night.
I consider jumping right out of the car. But then, the scene replays in my head.
It was my fault.
I know how possessive Isaac can be. I shouldn't have been out there with my brother's friends, even if it was unintentional. The moment I saw King, I should've gone back inside.
"I-I'm sorry, Isaac," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the engine.
"You should be," he answers calmly, his breathing steadying. "I didn't mean to hit you, but if we're going to make this marriage work, you have to stop making me angry, okay?"
I nod, my cheek throbbing. "Okay."
I mean…I want to make our marriage work.
My father was a dangerous man, but my mom was still happy. Still in love. That’s what I want.
A happy marriage.
I pushed Isaac over the edge tonight. But from now on, I'll do better—I’ll be more careful. Then, everything will be okay.
Isaac extends his hand, and even though my face still stings, I place mine in his. His grip is firm, possessive.
"I love you," he murmurs.
"I love you too," I respond, forcing a smile.
But little did I know his kind of love would break me bit by bit until there was nothing left.