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“Okay enough,” Rocco snaps as he enters the room. “We don’t need Dario bleeding before the ceremony.”
I release him and move away, my chest heaving as I glare at him.
Dario straightens his jacket. “The sooner he gets laid, the better. I’m not sure how much longer any of us can take him being a fucking moody bastard.” He walks out of the room, muttering to himself, no doubt cursing me with every name under the sun.
“Dario’s just being Dario,” Rocco tells me. “He always pushes our buttons, but he’s right, Elio. You’ve been a surly shit since things went down with the Demons. But it’s not just that. This woman… she gets to you, doesn’t she?”
“I don’t need a shrink, Roc,” I snarl, pissed that he couldn’t have left when Dario did. Neither are helping matters. “What I would like is for someone to tell me who the fuck killed Raul.” It’s been weeks and still no word. I’m even more certain that it was the Bratva. Those fuckers have taken out some members of the mob. They’re walking a fine line, staying away from the heavy hitters but still going after those who have enough power to help them grow.
“We’re working on it. Niccolò is waiting for his contact within the Bratva to get back to him. Those fuckers are keeping things close to their chests.”
“It’s not fucking good enough, Roc. This shit should have been dealt with the moment it happened.”
He nods. “It should have, but we have no fucking clue who’s done it and we can’t just act on our gut now, can we?”
I raise a brow. Given the chance, I would do exactly that.
He shakes his head. “We’ve got Lorenzo, Niccolò, and Andrea working on it. After the wedding, I’ll talk to Kelvin and see if he has anything for us.”
Kelvin Acaster is one of the biggest players in Indianapolis. The man thinks he runs things, and to a degree he does, because he’s got his fingers in everyone’s business. I have a feeling that he also has spies in everyone’s organizations. If I find out he has one in ours, I’ll take out whoever the fuck it is.
There’s a knock at the door, and Ade peeps her head around it. “Hey, am I interrupting?”
I shake my head. Never. My sister is without a doubt one of the most important people in my life. I let her down before and went through life keeping her at arm’s length. In doing so, I missed the signs of abuse she suffered at our father’s hands. Had I kept a closer eye on her, I’d have known that she was being hurt.
She smiles as she walks in. “I’ll leave you two alone,” Roc says as he presses a kiss against Ade’s forehead.
“Are you nervous?” she asks softly as she steps up to me. “You look angry,” she comments.
“I’ve a lot on my mind,” I say, not wanting to hurt her feelings by telling her to mind her damn business. “I’m not nervous, just wanting this day to be done already.”
She rolls her eyes. “Today is a joyous occasion, no matter how you both came to be here or the reason for it. Remember that she’s probably going to be scared. Don’t be a monster to her, Elio. Be the man I know you can be.” She gives me a bright smile, rises to her tiptoes, and presses a kiss against my cheek.
I don’t say anything. She has no idea what mine and Teagan’s relationship—or lack of one—is, and I understand that she wants everyone to have a marriage like she has, but life doesn’t work that way. We’ll do whatever we have to in order to survive, and I need revenge.
She walks out of the room, giving me a bright smile as she does.
“You good?” Rocco asks as he enters, and I have a feeling he was listening to what she was saying at the door.
I nod. I’m ready as I’ll ever be.
He gives me a grim grin. “Then let’s get you married.”
Waiting at the front of the church for Teagan to join me feels like an eternity. I can feel the gaze of every man and woman here. They’re all no doubt confused as to why the announcement happened, and within the week we’re getting married. It’s not how things are usually done. Sure, there are quick marriages, but nothing like this.
I hear the heavy doors opening and the sharp intakes of breaths, along with a few gasps. Turning, anger burns in the pit of my stomach as I watch Teagan walk in wearing a fucking black dress. I can’t deny that she looks beautiful. Without a doubt, she’s the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her jet-black hair is flowing down her back, weaving in with the veil that matches both hair and dress. She has every man and woman’s attention as she walks toward me.
She holds her head high as she makes her way down the aisle. Even though she’s short, she’s got a huge presence. I’ve noticed that although she’s skittish and jaded, she’s extremely fiery, especially when pushed. There’s so much she’s hiding. I can see it in her eyes—the sadness, the pain, the determination. It’s all there in those gray eyes of hers. She’s good at hiding her expressions, but sometimes she lets slip, and when she does, it’s an onslaught of emotion.
“Hi,” she whispers as she stands beside me at the top of the church. Her floral scent hits me like a freight train. It assaults my nostrils and surrounds me completely. Christ. This woman is driving me insane. “Thank you for the dress,” she says.
I nod tersely. I can’t speak right now. She’s too close. I need this ceremony to get started and finish as quickly as possible. Never did I think I’d be standing here wanting to fuck a woman I hate. I always knew that I’d marry someone. It’s what’s expected of me. It’s what I’m meant to do. I thought either my father or Rocco, when he took over at the helm, would be the one to dictate who I marry. Instead, I’ve taken it upon myself. Rather than strengthening some of the bonds the Famiglia have, I’m doing the selfish thing for revenge.
I couldn’t give a fuck. I’m doing what I want and fuck anyone who has an opinion about it.
The ceremony begins, and I stand tall, looking forward at the priest as he gives his mass, blessing both Teagan and I and the union we’re about to take. Christ, his tone is very slow and droning. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were people in the back asleep by the end of the ceremony.
“I, Elio, take you, Teagan, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.” The words are like gravel leaving my lips. Every single word is said begrudgingly. In this life, there are no divorces. The only way out of a marriage is via death. Something that can be arranged for Teagan, if she’s anything like her father.
