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Everything was falling into place. I had the love of four incredible men, even though I still hadn’t heard the words from Damian. He didn’t need to say them. In his own way, Damian loved me and his baby growing in my belly.
After years of having nothing, and no one other than Aiden, I had a family that would do anything to protect me. A queen with Knights loyal to me for the rest of my life. Despite the lingering fear of Lorenzo showing up at the hotel, I told myself it would all be over soon. My guys had prepared for Lorenzo to seek his revenge. Our intel had shown him on his way to Connecticut last night.
Aiden stood behind me, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror. He brushed the hair off my shoulder and smiled. “You look beautiful, Lexie. Like the Black Swan.”
That was the point.
Luca had seen the sketch but not the dress. I couldn’t wait to see all of their faces when I walked down the aisle.
Charcoal lined my eyes, my cheeks dusted with a pink blush, and a light pink gloss on my lips. I rarely wore makeup, but since this was a special occasion, I told the makeup artist to go wild. The second she saw the black feathers, her eyes widened, and she said my dress inspired the look.
He wrapped his arm around me. “I have to leave soon to finish my initiation.”
“Can’t you stay a little while longer?”
He shook his head. “I’m lucky the Knights let me stay this long. Luca only made the exception because of Lorenzo. After the wedding, I won’t have any more excuses not to return to the safe house.”
“What did they make you do?”
He turned his head away, unable to meet my gaze. “It’s called a secret society for a reason.”
“I’m the queen now,” I reminded him.
“Every pledge class has different tasks they have to complete. I doubt my experience is the same as Luca and his brothers.” His knuckles brushed my cheek. “I took a vow of secrecy. By telling you the details of my initiation, it could compromise other men in my class.”
“Don’t tell me. I hope you’re careful and that you’re not doing anything that will get you hurt, killed, or sent to prison.”
He laughed. “Pops would never let that happen. Now that he controls The Founders Society, we’re untouchable.”
“That will be your legacy someday.”
“No way,” he shot back. “I already made a deal with Luca and Pops. After I become a Knight, I’m going to work with The Serpent Society. They need another forger.”
I shook my head, unhappy with his decision, even though it made sense given his talents. My brother could imitate famous sculptors like Michelangelo and Bernini when he was in his freshman year of college. He blew away his professors when he recreated a smaller version of Michelangelo’s Bacchus.
“Does this mean you get to stay in Devil’s Creek?” I asked him with a hopeful smile.
He nodded. “Three more months, and we’ll never have to be apart again.”
I rubbed my hand over my stomach. “You’ll be an uncle soon. This baby will need you.”
He touched my stomach, and a smile illuminated his handsome face. “Whatever you need, I’ll be here.”
The event planner popped her head into the room and announced it was time. Aiden held my hand as we followed her down the hallway. Because of the situation, Luca bought every room in the hotel. He even arranged for armed men and women to pose as hotel staff.
Luca had posted a wedding announcement in every newspaper and invited all the Mafia families. Everyone in the real world and the criminal underworld knew about the event. So we went into this with a plan and a lot of allies who would have our backs. They had a lot more to gain from Lorenzo’s death than any of us.
We stopped in front of the doors to the ballroom. The guests were already inside. I spotted Pops in a tuxedo beside my grandmonster. Blair stood ramrod straight, her posture so stiff I couldn’t tell if she was breathing.
Since I didn’t have bridesmaids, it sped up the timeline of the ceremony. I walked down the aisle, with hundreds of eyes on me. You could easily spot which men were Made men, and which ones were regular guests. They had a hard look about them, like their lives had aged them in various ways.
We stopped in front of Luca and the middle-aged man posing as the wedding officiate. Our marriage was already legal and binding. This was just a show for Lorenzo, and also to give our families the wedding we denied them.
My brother dipped down to kiss my cheek and whispered to Luca that he better take care of me. Luca offered a smirk in response before Aiden took his place by my side. I had dreamed of my wedding day hundreds of times. And in all of those dreams, I always saw Luca next to me. Even when I hated him, I knew I would eventually marry him. He was part of me, etched into the very essence of my soul.
“You look beautiful,mi amore.” Luca slipped his fingers between mine. “Like the queen of the underworld.”
I smiled at his words, reminded of the diamond crown Luca sent to my dressing room an hour before the wedding, along with a drop diamond necklace and cuff bracelets. He made me feel like a queen in every way possible.
