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I think my sister was right. Mark has looked at my legs again and again. My dress tonight is a thin white sparkling fabric with puffed shoulders. It has a high neckline and back too, but it is short. Very short. Obscenely short, in my opinion, though Luna said that’s just my nunnery showing.
It hugs my chunky behind like a glove. A child’s glove on an adult hand. I fight the urge to pull it down every two seconds. Still, I could be imagining it, but his hand on my lower back feels firmer, warmer and lower.
Not that I’ve felt it much. He’s never met many of the men in the room, so Papá is taking him around. Which has given me time to have a little fun.
My female cousins have gushed about every detail of the wedding. My brothers have teased me. Luna has been gliding around me and everyone else like the queen that she is. She whispers hilarious comments in my ear and makes sure my drink stays fresh. Annabelle watches over me too, more so than my own mother who is cornered by the other wives near the bar.
When there’s a break in the greetings and well wishes, I wave her over. “Annabelle, I wanted to thank you so much for the gym.”
“Of course, sweetie. Consider it a wedding present.”
“And the blanket?”
“Is that not the softest thing you’ve ever felt in your life? I’ve ordered five for my house!”
I nod and smile. I had hoped he was lying about the blanket. Yet another thing I’ve been dead wrong about so far. I’m having trouble maintaining my fake cheer until I hear one very loud Italian voice cut through the din.
“Ellie!” Zeno makes a show of checking me out before giving me a bear hug and lifting me off the ground. He’s greeted me that way since we were kids.“Fuck me,Fai una bella sposa!” You make a beautiful bride.
“Grazie, anche tu stai bene, Zeno.” Thank you, you look well yourself, Zeno.
“Ah, your Italian has improved.”
“It’ll always be better than your Spanish, Z.”
He laughs loudly. “True. The senator is a lucky bastard, Ellie. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” He kisses me on both cheeks before moving on to rough up my brothers who are calling for him. As he leaves, Luna returns.
“What were you talking to Z about?” She asks me.
“Nothing, just hello.” I say, trying not to sound sad or show my sudden feelings on my face.Because in those two seconds that he hugged me, I wondered.
I let myself ponder what it would be like if it was Zeno walking around with Papá. Is he a brutal enforcer forla famiglia?Yes. Is he handsome, funny, kind and passionate? Also, yes. He expressed more to me—and for me—in four sentences than Mark has in our few months together.
“Didn’t look likejust helloto your fiancé.” Luna whispers. “Were you trying to make him jealous? Because I think it worked.”
I look at Mark, but he’s not facing us. “I doubt that. Rather, him hoping I’ll take up an affair with Z so he can screw every staffer on The Hill and not feel bad about it.”
“You honestly think he’d be fine with you cheating?”
“I told you what he said, about me having someone else’s kids. He didn’t even blink.”
Luna shakes her head. “He’s an idiot. I’m going to go get you another plate of tiny food, or you’re going to get tipsy.”
“Wait. Stay.”
I grab her hand for dear life. Because I smell the man before I see him. I avoid him as much as I can, but there’s no real escape. Leather, foul breath and bad cologne. And then my mind can only smell hairspray.
So much disgusting hairspray.
CHAPTER 13
Mark
My entire being feels like a live wire right now. Every Spanish mafioso worth knowing is in this room. There are cartel players too. Some Italians, I’ve heard some of the Russians are here, and even the Irish are coming for the actual ceremony tomorrow.
I’d be worried about security if Fausto hadn’t rented out an entire hotel and replaced security from top to bottom. I think even I miscalculated his wealth and pull. There are a couple ambassadors and foreign dignitaries here that weren’t invited by my family. There’s no question that the bride’s 300 guests on her side of the aisle will far outrank my 300 in nearly every way. Except maybe beauty. Some of these Made men are the ugliest sons of bitches I’ve ever seen.
