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Sophia
“I’ve gotten you a veil.” Carlotta hands it to me. It’s a pretty lace one with a clip covered in diamonds that pairs perfectly with my shoes. I know the diamonds are real without having to ask, but I don’t want to cover my face this time. I’m going to walk down the aisle with my head held high and my brother at my side. I want to see the look on my father's face as I do it. Before I can put voice to those words, Carlotta stifles that thought.
“He’s having an issue with the back of the dress. This might cover it some.” She reaches up, clipping the veil into my hair. She doesn't push it forward to cover my face, but has it lie behind to cover some of my back. I admit I was a tad uncomfortable with how much skin I’ve been showing. It isn’t something I’m used to, but feeling Nick’s hands run up and down my spine made me forget about everything else. Well, mostly everything else besides the fact that my father had shown up. A shiver runs through me, even though I know Nick would never let Lorenzo do anything to me. It’s not that I’m scared for me, not really. It’s more of a worry about what will happen to Nick. Will my father try to kill him? That thought sits heavily in my chest. Now, I not only have to worry about Marco but Nick as well. I resist the urge to rub my eyes.
I’m still surprised about how Nick talked about his business in front of me. I know better than to speak of the things I’ve heard, but my father and grandfather never went around openly talking about business. Not like Nick. It’s as if he wants me to know what’s going on. Or maybe it isn’t so much that he wants me to know, but more that he would share it with me if I showed an interest. It’s eye-opening and oddly refreshing to be included, but I have a feeling there will be many things I’d rather be kept in the dark about. Call me foolish, but this is the life I’ve been dealt. It doesn’t mean that I have to let all the ugliness that comes along with it coat me.
When I hear yelling coming from down the hall, I turn toward the doorway. I know the voice. A chill settles deep in my bones. The warmth that Nick had put there fades away. My father is really here. How easily he controls my mood strikes fear inside of me. It’s a power I think he will always have over me no matter how hard I try and fight it.
“Where’s my brother?” I ask Carlotta. He hadn’t stepped into the office with me and when I’d exited, I hadn't seen him.
“He’s here. Waiting to walk you down the aisle. That’s what you want, no?”
“Yes.” I’d forgotten to ask Nick about that. “We can do that?”
“Of course.” She gives me one of those big smiles. “You’re still not getting it.” She squeezes my arm. “You will.”
She’s my main resource when it comes to Nick. I’m just not sure she’ll answer all my questions. Loyalty runs deep, and I’m practically a stranger to them despite being moments away from joining their family. From the way Nick is acting, I am a part of it in his eyes. The thought sends another one of those warm tingles through my body. My mind goes back to how he touched me in front of his men. He hadn't put me on full display, but he did show that I was his, and if he wanted to give me pleasure, he would. He didn't care who was around. It’s so different than what I’m used to. He even shows affection to his men in a way, letting them speak to him with a familiarity that my father would hate.
In the Scalingi family, women are used for sex, nothing more. But Nick’s eyes light up with heat whenever he sees the desire he can pull from me. He enjoys getting me worked up, continuously taking me to the edge only to leave me with a promise of his pleasure. He’s trying to win me over. It might be another one of my silly, naïve thoughts, but it’s starting to truly feel that he wants to win me, not just take me for granted. He’s made it clear that I’m going to be his, but he’s still easing me into it. He wants me to give myself over to him, and I’m finding it shockingly easy to do.
“Has Nick been married before?” The question just pops out. I mean, Nick is older than me. He’s probably in his early thirties. That’s a lot of time spent in this world without me. Ugh. This jealous crap is eating at me. It should be the furthest thing from my mind, but here I am poking at it once again.
Carlotta raises one eyebrow. “No. To a Davinci, marriage is for life. There will be no divorce. I don’t think that word is in their vocabulary.”
Hmm. No wonder he shot my ex, making me a widow.
The way he killed Antonio and just stood there staring at me with dark, hungry eyes. It was as if I was as much of a surprise to him as he was to me. “He didn’t plan to bring a bride home today, did he?”
This only makes Carlotta smile bigger.
“No, I was shocked to see you here. Nick has always been discreet. I’ve never seen any woman he might have had in his past--and I would know--but here you are. I almost fell over in shock, to be honest. Him declaring that he was going to marry you and telling me to take you to his room almost did me in.” She laughs and shakes her head, her salt and pepper hair tied up in a neat bun. “The Davinci men go for what they want. It is why he’s come so far. Further than his own father. He knows within seconds what the right decision should be. I’m guessing he took one look at you, and your fate was sealed.”
“My fate was sealed long ago.” I sigh and turn to take one last look in the mirror with the veil now in place. Somehow, Nick has managed to pull off my dream dress. The man really is good at reading people.
Another bellow echoes down the hall. My father is beyond worked up. I’m suddenly hit with the fear of this wedding not happening. Sure, my fate was always set, but could my father stop this? He could try and make Nick a better deal. At the end of the day, power is always what these men want most of all. I’m a little shocked that I don’t even fear for my father’s life. I’m so hardened by that man that I don’t care what happens to him as long as Marco is safe.
From the loud thud I hear and the crash that follows, I know someone was hit and without a doubt they hit the floor. The commotion grows, and I can’t mistake the sounds of guns being pulled and cocked. I rush to the door and swing it open. Marco stands there blocking my path.
“What is going on?” I try to peek around his large frame, but he steps more into the room, blocking my line of sight.
“Your soon-to-be-husband is putting our father in his place.” Marco has the biggest grin on his face that I’ve ever seen. His smugness puts me at ease for once.
“You’re enjoying this a little too much.” I reach up, fixing his tux.
“Nick backhanded him.”
I gasp a little, sorry that I missed it. I would love to see my father smacked around a little. Okay, a lot.
Marco reaches up, moving my hair to show the small mark my father left so long ago. “Now he’ll wear his own mark. Nick might not have said why he hit him there, but I know why.”
I stand there in shock for a moment. Violence like this shouldn't turn me on, but it does. At each turn, Nick is proving his devotion to me.
“He did it for me.” I touch the scar. “For this.”
“Things are different here. Nick isn’t like Lorenzo or Antonio,” my brother admits. He glances around, and I see a few guards watching us. I wonder if they fear I’ll make a run for it, or if they’re stationed here for my safety.
“They are,” I agree. “Nick might have killed my husband this morning, but I think he saved our lives.”
My brother nods as he offers me his arm. “Think our father will sit through the ceremony?”
“I don’t think he really has a choice.” This time it’s me that smirks. It wouldn’t bother me if my father wasn’t at my wedding, but the thought of him being forced to do something he doesn't want to gives me great pleasure. I smile at the realization that he’ll finally know what it feels like to be under someone else's thumb. I love that it’s Nick who’s putting him there.
I, too, am looking forward to being under my husband’s thumb tonight. My father might hate it, but I have a feeling I'm going to love every second of it.
