I pulled out my phone and started a text.
“Pay attention. We’ve got serious shit to take care of,” Lucien snapped.
“I’m warning Joe. He deserves a heads up.”
Angelo snorted. “He deserves a lot more than that, but I suppose he won’t be getting it until after the party.”
I gave Angelo a look that would have made most men piss themselves, but he just laughed and flopped down on the couch in Lucien’s office. “So, what urgent business are we taking care of this afternoon?”
4
Joe
One of the Marchesis’ numerous guards dropped me off at DiGiulio’s. It had taken me several moments to comprehend what was happening when Devil had texted me a rant about the dinner Sabrina and Lucien had planned.
Devil: It’s their way of getting back at me.
Me: Sabrina loves you, and she wants us to have a celebration. That’s not a bad thing. It’s one dinner instead of months of planning and parties and showers and who knows what else. Not to mention being forced to be a spectacle for who knows how many people.
We both would have hated that. Instead, we were going to have a small gathering with his immediate family where we would eat amazing food and drink incredible wine and cocktails, but all Devil saw was his family cockblocking him from his new husband.
Me: We have the rest of our lives together.
Devil: No way in hell can my dick wait that long.
Devil was fucking insatiable, and it was one of the things I liked best about him.
When I entered the restaurant, I saw the Marchesis gathered on the upper floor, overlooking the bar. I took the stairs quickly, but before I could reach my husband, I was swept into a tight hug by Sabrina, then confronted by Lucien.
He stepped in front of me, blocking me from circling the table to sit with Devil. “I realize it’s far more likely my cousin will give you trouble than the other way around, but if you hurt him, there will be hell to pay. I won’t end things fast. I’ll make sure you know how merciless we can be when it’s needed.”
I held Lucien’s gaze, knowing how important it was not to show fear around a man like him. I already knew how ruthless he could be, but I had no reason to worry because I wasn’t going to hurt Devil. I’d frustrate him, push him, tell him off, but truly hurt him? Never. I loved him in a way I’d never known existed before we’d met.
“You’re right,” I said. “You should be a lot more worried about what Devil might do than about me, but I swear to you, I would do anything to protect him.”
Lucien gave a sharp nod. “You’re good for him. Stay that way.”
“Stop being all dramatic. Joe loves Devil. Everybody knows that,” Lucien’s boyfriend, Peter, scolded. “You don’t have to do your tough act all the time.”
Lucien raised his brow and looked at Peter. “Are you—”
The younger man waved off whatever Lucien was about to say. “Just relax and enjoy tonight.”
Lucien’s stern expression softened, and he pulled Peter to him for a quick kiss. “Only because I’m feeling indulgent.”
“Right.” Peter rolled his eyes as he pulled me into a hug. “Congratulations. I knew if Devil ever proposed it would go like this.”
I smiled. “He likes to cause trouble.”
“They all do.”
Angelo and Cameron were already seated, but they pushed back their chairs and came to congratulate me as well.
Then Lucien tapped on the side of his glass and gestured for us all to sit.
Devil groaned. “How about we skip this and just eat?”
“No, little cousin. I might not get to do this in front of a whole crowd, but I’m at least going to do it in front of Joe.”
Devil frowned. “Do what?”
“Embarrass you with some stories and a toast.”
I patted Devil’s thigh. “Just let him talk. It’s one night.”
“A night I want to be spending with you.”
“You are with me.”
He scowled. “In bed with you.”
“Are you sure you want to miss the food?”
He gasped. “Are you saying Lucien’s food is better than—”
I placed a finger against his lips. “Hush.”
Lucien was glaring at us. “Are we all ready to be quiet now?”
Devil huffed. “What is this? School or something?”
“The least you could do is let your cousin have some part in your marriage,” Sabrina snapped. I knew she wasn’t truly mad, just disappointed. She’d manage to make up for it somehow. This was only a start.
Lucien continued. “Joe, I hope you truly know what you’ve done, linking your life with my cousin’s. His name should have served as a warning.”
Devil tensed, and I reached for his hand.
“I know you’ve heard plenty of stories about your husband, but do you know about the time he snuck into our grandmother’s kitchen and ate all the Christmas cookies she’d spent hours decorating?”