I fasten my seatbelt and she burns rubber in the parking lot. I know the guys are going to give me shit over that forever. Not only that, but she drives like a race car driver all the way to our condo. Most of our stuff is packed but before we move into the new place, security needs to be installed and we want to remodel a few things.
Prende takes another corner and either we’re on two wheels or I’m that drunk. By the grace of God, we make it home in one piece.
It’s cocktail hour on the big day as Juliet insisted that we entertain our guests while they wait for the wedding even though it’s not our custom. Everyone is taking in drinks and I show up last, dressed in a suit as I’ll change into my tux later. This affair is another avenue to get more work and networking done before the ceremony so I can enjoy the festivities afterwards and give Juliet my attention. I walk around the swanky hotel, anxious for my bride to be to be ready to so we can get on with the ceremony. As I move around voices float like the champagne flows endlessly. And I get an earful.
“I hear her wedding dress was made and fitted by Vera Wang.”
I smile. People love to gossip, even snobs.
I go out of my way to shake hands with Antonio Viggiani. He’s elderly but flew all the way here from Miami, so obviously he still gets around well. Viggiani is important to us because he imports cans of jalapeños from Mexico and turns around and exports them to Europe. Only they aren’t really filled with peppers, some are, but not all of them. That’s one of the many methods he uses to smuggle drugs. Men like him have been in the business so long, they’ve had to adapt their ways to get the job done because there is no getting out of this business. We don’t retire, we die, is the age-old adage.
“You look so handsome, Marchello.” Prende comes up behind me. I turn and she slips a flute of champagne in my hand.
“Thank you, my love.” I slide my fingers over hers as she holds the glass. “I love you, Prende. I love making love to you, you’re so beautiful and my world is amazing with you in it. I’m so happy.”
She tears up a bit as our hands slip apart, the champagne flute is in my hand; I lift it, “Here’s to us. I wish I could have given you this kind of wedding.”
She raises her drink as her dark eyes tear up and she holds them back on sheer will power alone. She wants to look perfect today, but to me, she doesn’t need makeup, and she doesn’t even have to try to be perfect. She’s perfection.
“Oh, Marchello, my eye makeup will be all messed up if you keep with such sweet words. Our wedding was beautiful. All I wanted was you and for us to be safe.”
“It was elegant and beautiful.” I don’t tell her safety is always a concern, she’s been living that for longer than she knows. “We didn’t start off like most but you’re mine now and forever.” We clink glasses in our private mini re-celebration, and I marvel how my intentions to spy on her led to a forced marriage and teaming under the Albanian’s noses to find clues that we hope will keep Sal and Dante out of jail and us safe. Maybe it is over now that they have the book and codes.
It seems our lives have a way of coming full circle, even if there are many jogs in the road to get there.
We make our way over to the room where the formal dinner will be served later. The tables look gorgeous with the flower centerpieces from Prende’s shop. For good luck, there are monogrammed bags full of chocolate covered almonds.
We’re enjoying the moment with Prende’s extravagant flower arrangements when Gabriella appears out of nowhere.
“Well, my, my. Part of the bridal party is checking out the dining room.” She smiles, “Congratulations on your family's beautiful celebration.”
“Thank you,” I reply.
She drifts away and disappears into the crowd.
Prende leans into me and whispers, “She’s a bit weird.”
“I’ve always thought that myself. Dante calls her eccentric.”
“If that’s eccentric, then I’ve got coal in that rocket I have parked out back.”
“That’s a good one,” I have to laugh and kiss her on the lips.
“Really?” She snickers. “You know, she speaks French, Italian and English. She lived in Switzerland forever if a day. I can barely speak two. I’m like a toddler next to her acumen for languages.”
“You don’t say.” I frown a minute and wonder if it’s possible that there are two women who are a bit eccentric and speak numerous languages in our jet set bunch, and one may have been near Argon when he died.
“Come, let’s join the others.” Prende pulls me back to the crowd on the other side of the hall where we join others at the bar and it’s a who’s who of our real-life that meets the shady dark side of our world. There are political figures, some honest and some on our payroll, rubbing elbows with our nighttime, underworld figures from numerous countries.
It’s easy to pick out Tommaso and beside him is Massimo, dressed above his pay grade in my opinion but I’m sure he got the family discount. He loves his shoes as he has a pair like mine.
Tommaso is dressed in an ill fitted suit as he’s not into fashion and he’s a large man. He doesn’t have to look like us but I have the feeling Massimo either likes suits or he’s trying to impress us as management material.
Tommaso brought his wife as she waves from across the room and I raise my champagne glass in her direction.
Even though we have guards at the doors and blending in with the guests, my eyes survey the room for trouble. I take a mental inventory of our counterparts from the rest of Europe, Miami, New York and Miami and at time, we team up with the Russian mafia. Whatever it take to get products moved, sold and materials we need arriving on time we’ll work with about anyone.
I tell Prende, “We have an hour at the most, then we need to get everyone safely to the church.”