Chapter 84

I told her to shut her mouth and lay down. It'd earned me her slicing eyes and wild cursing lips. Eventually, she ran out of threats and temper. She crawled into bed, fire forest eyes still burning through the coils and ashes of her thoughts. Nevertheless, I fucked them into bliss.

I took her rage and stinging nails for my own pleasure and devoured her fighting tongue until satisfaction.

It wasn't until she lay over me that I asked her about her childhood.

It wasn't until our bodies cooled and our breathing settled that I asked her about Italy.

It wasn't until she closed her eyes that she asked me for another day of peace.

It wasn't until her breathing evened in sleep, that I replied.

"One more day."

ALESSANDRA

Church bells rang in loud harmony. Each chime collided with the uneven beat of my heart. A numbing sensation scattered between my fingertips and swept over my nerves, casting chills beneath my skin. The thundering bolts of merciless clouds above had settled into a lullaby of soft sprinkles. A dull mist carried along with the shadowed sky that passed through the church as a glimmer of sunshine infiltrated the horizon.

I kept my eyes high above the second-story window of the church, watching as a few seagulls flew quickly while they had the time to escape the threatening return of rain. Their beaks opened in the air as they let out aha-ha-ha, and huoh-huoh. It was a natural call they made, but I smiled as I imagined their laughter for defying nature.

They disappeared into the open air, and I lowered my eyes to the countless bodies that walked with closed umbrellas into the church. Oblivious of my gaze on them, or the short time we had to perform the outside wedding I wanted.

After all, you could only defy nature and fate for so long.

Nature, the rain.

Fate, marriage.

My thoughts quickly shifted to the man I would meet shortly next to a priest. In front of witnesses and under God's eyes.

Today, I would marry Massimo.

Today, I would bear his name.

Today, and so forth, I would be called Alessandra Lombardi.

Mrs. Lombardi.

I played with my smile with a cherry pinched between my fingers, thinking, andhopeful?

I had given up hope, and yet, here it was, knocking the air out of my lungs and punching my chest with worry for heartache. I shook my head.

I had asked for one more day of peace. I wouldn't waste it in fear. Not today. Instead, I pulled the memories I'd spent underneath his body this morning, dragged the unsaid words, and bathed in the lips that stole my breath. I listened to the echo of his promise as he left me in the room I now stood in alone.

"You will meet me shortly, and even God will know you are mine."

A shiver scurried in sweet possession. The idea to belong to one man and him to me.

The idea of our spirits uniting and our souls meeting.

Even if he only felt the hold and the idea of me being his.

It was more than I had anticipated. More than most arranged marriages had.

So I would agree to his seizure of my being. I would agree to the terms of who I was to him and who he was to me.

It was more than I had imagined.

More than what a cruel mafioso should be capable of, and yet, given to me.

It was not settling, It was twisting and mending.

One inch, one wall, meant more could be broken.

And today, time wasn't my foe but my friend.

Soft knocks bounced against the old wooden door. My eyes snapped as it opened slowly, and a glimpse of blonde hair fell to the side before deep ocean eyes peaked in.

"Can I come in?" Nate asked as he walked in, and I chuckled.

"Why ask?"

"So you can't say I didn't." Playful white teeth shined with a smirk.

Nate and all of the brothers dressed identically. Black tuxedos, black bow ties, black buttons on a white shirt tucked beneath a black vest. A white rose with touches of cream, gold, and champagne encircled the tiny flowers and was pinned over the right side of his jacket with a needle. On the opposite side, the color of steamed milk pressed and popped in the fabric sticking out of its pocket.

Watching Nate, I imagined Massimo matching him, but his bowtie wouldn't be black. It would match my gentle white dress.

My gaze was drawn to his hands. They were wrapped in a small black box.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, raising my eyes.

"Well." He looked around the empty room, proving a point. "Keep you company. What else?"

I chuckled.

"What do you have?"

"Oh, this?" Nate waved the box as if it was meaningless. "Oh, justyou know? Massimo's little and inexpensive wedding gift."

A gift?

I'd said I didn't need or would ever ask him for anything. Yet, my lips parted. Smiling. He wanted to.

"I can take it back or throw it away if you want. You know, no fuss."

I felt my brows raise as he took a step backward, keeping a close eye on me.

"Take another step, and you'll learn how I can reach my knife even through a weighted dress."

Nate burst out laughing, and the gleam of pure ease and cheer that erupted from his chest was contagious. The smile that agreed, and the eyes that shone.

Nate seemed light and happy. Hopefully we could spread that feeling out to the growing crowd outside. But who was I kidding? It was filled by made-man.

"Since you've asked so nicely, I'll leave it with you."

I reached out until I cupped the leather box and looked up.

"It also comes with this." His hand disappeared inside his tuxedo and revealed a small envelope.

I snatched it out of his fingers before he could keep it out of my reach and turned to the table. I placed the letter and box on the marble top and pulled out a diamond flap envelope.

"Will you give this to him?" I placed the envelope in his palm.

Nate flicked his wrist, eyes catching the hands of his watch.

"Fine, I'll be quick. We don't have much time before the sky pours over us."

His body twirled, and I faced his back.

"Wait." I hurried.

Nate's eyes rushed.

"His ring." I took the loose ring off my thumb and stretched it out between us.

His face warmed, and he took the ring.

"You look beautiful, by the way," Nate said, leaving me behind with the gift Massimo sent and the words trapped inside a closed envelope.

I turned, picked it up, and tore it open.

In neat writing and messy ink, his words marked the paper and stamped my heart.

Something blue.

Something new.

Forget something old.

Forget the war around us.

We are past the rules and the war of us. Now, tell me. How does infinite peace sound?

With me.

M.

My heart soared. It yelled as my heart opened and clung to his written words. The promise, the question.

Tears pricked my eyes. Threatening to ruin the makeup that took the artist an hour to create, threatening my soul to pour with the feeling of belonging. Of finding a brutish bastard who cared for me. Who wanted me by his side without saying the words out loud for the wind to carry them away. But instead, engraved them in ink to be re-read. To be touched.

Massimo might believe he was incapable of love, but this, this was the beginning. And I'd never been more eager for my future. Giddy and optimistic.

I clutched my chest between my hands as a smile broke. As time slowed. As the weight freed by emotion and fervor.

In just a few short minutes, I would say I do. But now, it would be true, real. Bonding.

I carefully dropped his letter into my tote bag, afraid of losing such a gift if placed anywhere else but in my belongings. The black leather square box stared at me, and I couldn't wait anymore. I cracked the lid open.

A tear fell on the beautiful and rare light blue diamonds that adorned a comb hair piece. But it wasn't a normal comb. They were thin and dangerous needles. They would easily penetrate skin and slice while deep in flesh, only to continue its torture when ripped out. And as tears fell, I laughed, smiled, and wiped my nose.

It was gorgeous.

It was me.

It was mine. From him, and it made it that much more meaningful.

Without hesitation, I turned to the full mirror on my left and placed the intricate silver hair piece. I dabbed my eyes from any remaining tears and pushed back. Staring at the woman who looked back in a wedding dress fit for a queen, his queen. A woman who stared into my eyes with a hairpiece that took the place of a crown, and as she mimicked my curling lips, I felt complete.

Ready.

I was walking out of this room as Zanetti and walking out of the church as Lombardi.

May the living be ready for another Lombardi.

MASSIMO

Alessandra wanted a black and white wedding.

Not a touch of color.

There was nothing colorful but the deep dark colored dresses of women scattered across the large lawn. Some guests were seated on the adorned chairs while the wedding planner and staff worked diligently to dry and cover the remaining seats. Time was of essence as clouds rolled, mocking the shimmering sun and hiding it over again with heavy pools of smoky pearls high in the sky.

The chatter thickened in the large crowd, and familiar faces stopped to congratulate me. I heard endless wishes for our union and saw flashing smiles for days.

Some seemed sincere, others felt forced, and a few were out of respect.

Blurs of wedding workers passed through my vision. Scurrying with flowers at high speed.

So many flowers.

She'd said enough flowers to drown the smell of corruption.

Say no more, Alessandra.

Quickly and in record time the lawn transformed into a bed of flowers. They bled from above and swept through every inch, dripping with fantasy and poise.

Their perfume lingered in a condensed dome around the premises. The smell of corruption was extinguished by nature, the leftover odor of pet rich or, and white blooms.

I thanked the couple in front of me, and politely stepped toward the wheelchair pushed by Mrs. Carmine.

"Is everything running smoothly? Would you like me to check-".

Sliding my gaze up, I shook my head, cutting her stressed tone.

"Everything is perfect. Thank you for all your work."

Her timid smile formed wrinkles around the corner of her warm eyes.

"A wheel chair, Leonardo?" I jabbed and concealed my smile.

"She won't let me walk!" he spluttered in Italian.

"Oh please, you won't make it through a Catholic wedding on two feet." Mrs. Carmine snapped back into an old Italian accent.

Her eyes widened, catching my glance.

"My apologies," she mumbled quickly.

My chest bounced in a scoff.

"Please don't. Feel free to knock his ego anytime."

Leonardo's features contoured into displeasure, and his lips shook into angry incoherent mumbles.

"I'll give you both some privacy," she added and dashed a few steps behind to meet Thalia and Alvize.

"Can't believe a boss invited the help to his wedding."

It held no conviction. I almost cracked a smile at his bad-tempered snap.

"Says the man who enjoys the company of some of the help."