I feel the corner of my mouth twitch at the sight of Mia rolling her eyes. “Oh, yes, no reservations here.”
When the priest looks at me for my confirmation, I simply nod—I don’t trust myself to speak.
He instructs me next to take her hand, which would be easier if she wasn’t still gripping her fists together. But eventually, I manage to coerce her fingers flat against my palm while desperately trying to ignore the small tremors running through them as they are pressed against my skin.
The ceremony continues with us both monotonously repeating his words verbatim. It’s Marco who supplies us with rings, simple bands that complement the color of Mia’s dress.
I barely register the coolness of the metal as Mia slips the ring on my finger. I’m more focused on the way her fingers wrap around my wrist to hold it steady, as if she doesn’t trust me not to jerk my hand away.
When it’s done, we both look away from our hands at the same time and I’m suddenly very aware of how close she is, of how soft her fingers feel in mine.
“Leon, you may now kiss your bride.”
I don’t really think when I bring her hand up to my lips. But I’m rewarded with an unguarded moment of surprise as I press a kiss across her knuckles.
“May I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Natali.”
3
MIA
There is a heat in Leon’s eyes as he kisses my hand, that makes me momentarily breathless.
For a man who has only exhibited the iciest of demeanors since the moment I stepped into the room, this sudden shift is alarming.
It’s not fair, really. This would all be a lot more bearable if I could draw a very clear line under any physical attraction I felt for him. That way, I’d know for sure if I was acting out of duty as opposed to anything else.
Because logically, I know this man to be soulless, dangerous, and, quite frankly, controlling. I hadn’t missed how easily he’d spouted that nonsense about not tolerating male attention.
For that reason alone, I yank my hand from his grasp at the earliest opportunity.
But, objectively speaking, Leon Natali wasn’t the worst thing I could be looking at right now.
Which makes things a little blurry.
Leon Natali is confusing me with his stupidly intense eyes and gentle touches and his perfectly indecent scent of rum spice and black pepper.
My husband, ladies and gentlemen, I think sarcastically, having to prevent myself from rolling my eyes. What a sham.
“Congratulations,” my father whispers as he goes to kiss my cheek.
I let him, if only for the reassurance that he was still alive and that my decision to marry a mafia don was entirely warranted.
The thing is, there are only two people who would have the power to threaten my father’s life like that.
Fortunately for me, they’re both in this very room.
I turn on Teo Vitale in an instant. “There. Now I’m no longer a thorn in the Guild’s side. I hope you don’t mind taking a walk with me off the edge of Brooklyn fucking Bridge.”
“It was out of my hands, Mia.” The Guild’s don throws his hands up defensively. “I warned you this might happen if you didn’t join us formally.”
“Did I miss a memo? Last I heard, you wanted me to run a casino, not marry your brother-in-law!” I snap right back.
I can feel Leon shifting behind me, clearly growing impatient, but I stubbornly ignore him.
“Where is it you get off, Vitale? Pretending to be my friend, offering me a way out only to pull the rug out from under me? Not a word from you in months, and now this?” I begin to step forward. “I thought we had an understanding, but tothreatenmy fucking?—”
A hand wraps around my forearm, preventing me from throwing myself forward to strangle Teo with my bare hands.
