Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
He spends most of his time alone and speaks only when he has something worth saying. That’s why it comes as a shock to all of us that he’s the first to ask me what everyone else is thinking.
Fortunately for me, Nicky saves me from answering the question.
“I’ll fill everyone in after the ceremony.”
Alessio meets his gaze, something silent passing between them as they share a nod. It makes me wonder what else is happening behind the scenes that I’m not aware of.
“You have five minutes,” Nicky says. “Let’s wrap this up.”
“We’ll help you with your veil.” Mariella pulls me in for a hug and whispers in my ear, “He’ll pay for this.”
I nod, more out of reflex than thought. Right now, my more immediate concern is this wedding.
The girls fuss over me for the next few minutes, attaching my veil before they hand me a bouquet of black and burgundy roses. At this point, I’m not surprised those have been changed, too.
Right before we’re set to begin, two guards appear with my father in tow. He’s been cleaned up, but his black eyes and barely concealed rage are all too visible. I have no doubt he’s already planning to wage a war for this humiliation, but there isn’t time to dwell on it.
The notes of Canon in D drift from the small string ensemble near the wedding pavilion, and I draw in a shaky breath.
It’s officially show time.
Each of my bridesmaids gives me a hug before reluctantly leaving me to join their groomsmen for their journey down the aisle. Gabi remains with me until the very last possible second, squeezing my hand so tight I’m certain neither of us can feel them anymore.
“That’s enough,” my father growls under his breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
To my surprise, Gabi levels him with a glare that nobody would expect from her, let alone a woman the size of a pixie. My father grinds his teeth, but a quick glance at the guards makes him think twice about responding.
“Through every version of us.” Gabi leans closer, murmuring the words only for me.
I nod at her, my eyes brimming with tears. It’s the pact we all made with each other. No matter what life throws at us, we’ll always have each other—through every season, every storm, and all the things in between.
“Through every version of us,” I repeat the words back to her.
She gives me one more small smile before she follows the procession, leaving me there with only my father and an army of guards ready to contain me if I should run. I glance at Nicky, and he nods at me, offering his quiet reassurance.
The final chord of Canon in D fades into a beat of silence that makes me hold my breath. My father says nothing as we step up to the gate, taking our positions side by side. He just stares straight ahead as he holds his arm out for mine.
Somehow, I manage to dissociate while I slip my arm through his and stare up at the sky, imagining I’m floating away on a cloud.
The first ominous notes of a cello fill the air, and it takes me only a moment to recognize the haunting crescendo of Mozart’s Lacrimosa—a requiem often reserved for funerals. It’s a piece I definitely didn’t choose.
That dark, haunting melody wraps around me like an omen as my father drags me forward, and I nearly stumble over my dress in his haste.
We pass through the gate and round the corner, and I get my first glimpse of the wedding guests. Packed into rows of black chairs lining both sides of the pavilion, at least two hundred sets of eyes fall on me. Many of them are families within the Cosa Nostra, but there are also members of IVI present, including the traditional men in cloaks to witness the event.
By some small miracle, I force one foot in front of the other as I finally set eyes on the man waiting for me at the end of the aisle. He doesn’t turn to face me, and my brain doesn’t fully register how strange that is as I take in his details in rapid-fire.
Broad shoulders. Sharp edges. A suit cut to perfection.
Something feels off. Maybe it’s just that my heart is beating too fast, and I’m lightheaded…but that doesn’t look like Matteo. And when I make eye contact with my bridesmaids, they all appear equally unsettled.
Without being consciously aware that I’m doing it, I come to a dead halt. A few audible gasps echo throughout the space. Some of the women in the audience glare at me, while the men look at my father to act. His fingers claw into my arm so brutally, it’s sure to leave another mark. I open my mouth to say something, though what, I’m not certain. At the same time, the man at the end of the aisle finally turns, and my entire world tilts.