Page 18 of Aldo

Mason spoke directly to Justine, fury and ice dripping from his tone. “You’re going home with me today.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. We’ll get this farce annulled, and no one will be the wiser.”

Justine crossed her arms. “Too late for an annulment.”

Mason’s angry expression turned lethal. His hand moved toward his weapon again, and I tutted, shaking my head in warning. “Leave those hands where I can see them. I’ll shoot you even with your sister in the room.”

“I’d let you,” she scoffed, straightening her shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Luca gripped her arms. “I’m not letting you take my wife.”

Mason barked out an angry laugh. “You won’t have a choice. I’m going to kill you.”

Justine shook her head, stepping in front of Luca. “You hurt him, you hurt me. And I will never forgive you, Mason.”

He stared at her. “You were supposed to come for a weekend of museums and galleries.”

She laughed. “Those were your picks. I did them to please you. Luca took me everywhere I really wanted to go. Listened to me talk. Encouraged me to follow my dreams. I love him, Mason. With everything in me. I know it’s fast, but it’s real. I am staying here. With my husband. Now, you can either accept it or fight it. If you fight it, I will never speak to you again.”

He stared, shell-shocked. “Father, Mother…”

“Will have to accept it. I’m not leaving.”

He seemed to recover from his shock. “You’ll do as I tell you⁠—”

Luca cut him off, shifting Justine behind him and glaring. “You will speak to my wife with respect and remember you no longer have control over her. She is her own person, and I will protect her choices. I will protect her.”

“This is war.”

Roman stepped out from behind his desk. “Or is this love?” he said quietly. “I have never known Luca to act with anything but respect and clear thinking. He must love your sister a great deal to put aside responsibility and rational thinking to marry her.”

“I do love her. She makes me happy.”

An icy silence descended, every person in the room frozen, unsure of the next step. It was as if we were waiting for a sign to start.

“Was it the bowling?” I asked, trying to lighten the room.

Luca laughed, Roman joining him. Mason looked confused, and Justine shook her head in amusement. Roman indicated for me to lower my weapon. I did so but didn’t put it away. I was worried about the vein throbbing in Mason’s head.

“It was her,” Luca replied, looking down at his wife with a tender expression. “She saw Luca. I saw Justine. That was all that mattered.”

Mason stared at them, his shoulders bowing in defeat.

“Father will not accept a Vegas wedding.”

“Then we’ll get married again. Here. But nothing is changing the fact that we are legally married now. She is mine.” Luca slid a possessive arm around Justine, pulling her close. “I will not let her go.”

Mason dropped his head, shaking it in sorrow. “Why didn’t you take her to the galleries, Roman? I knew she’d be safe with you. You have no appeal to most people.”

Roman threw back his head in amusement, and I grinned. It was true. Unless he wanted you to like him, Roman couldn’t give a shit about your opinion. He’d had zero interest in playing babysitter for Mason, and by turning the job over to Luca, he had set them on their path.

Roman approached Luca, holding out his hand. “Congratulations, big brother.” He smiled kindly at Justine. “Welcome to the family.” He looked nonplussed as she hugged him. He wasn’t used to people touching him, but he accepted it, albeit awkwardly.

Mason sighed. “We need to talk.” He looked at Justine. “Alone.”

Luca bristled, but Justine nodded. “It’s fine. We’ll go to the suite.”