I step up to the top, and Gilly stands behind me, his head on a swivel for trouble. Climbing to the top has made me plenty of enemies, ones who’d love to ruin this wedding. I don’t expect they’d strike against Larone, though. They wouldn’t be that foolish.
The organ player shifts to the Wedding March, and the entire room full of the most powerful people in this city stand.
I glance at my watch. Once this deal is done, I have meetings set through the afternoon. A capo’s work is never done.
The doors at the back open, and a veiled woman stands there arguing with Lucrezia Larone. Their voices rise until Lucrezia pushes the woman, her daughter Angelica, down the aisle.
Angelica stands for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then she takes a deep breath and walks down the aisle. Not in a formal sort of way. Just a regular stride, though she wobbles a few times. She either can’t see through the thick veil or isn’t used to walking in heels–maybe both.
Gilly snickers.
I give him a death glare.
When she makes it to the bottom step, she turns and hurls her bouquet at the nearest bridesmaid. More gasps from the crowd.
Then she begins to climb the steps. Her feet tangle in her overdone dress.
I dart out and grab her before she falls, then wrap my arm around her waist and carry her up the steps to the priest.
She makes a raspberry sound with her lips, then starts fussing with her veil. After a bit of digging, she yanks it off her face and drapes it over her head.
“Fucking hell,” she mutters. “What a bunch of bullshit.” Dark hair, red lips, fair skin, and the mouth of a sailor.
My heart seems to stutter, my world turning on its axis as she looks up at me, her deep brown eyes narrowing. “The fuck you looking at?”
Holy shit, the mouth on her makes my cock go rigid and my heart thunder to a new beat. For the first time since I agreed to this deal, I … I think I might have made a mistake.
2
ANGELICA
Iglare at Antonio and wait for his response. I brace myself for it. I know one of two things are coming. He’s either going to call this whole thing off–that’s the one I’m hoping he’ll choose–or I’ll be paying for the disrespect that has left my lips. Even the priest is standing there with wide eyes waiting for Antonio’s response.
“I’m staring at my bride.” He grabs my forearm.
I try to yank it away from him, but it’s useless. He pulls me back toward him and snuggles me into his side.
“Begin,” he orders the priest. I can’t believe he’s actually going to go through with this.
“You’ll regret this.” I hiss under my breath to him, realizing it’s too late now.
He’s not backing down, and I’ve already run my mouth. Might as well say whatever I want. The outcome will always be the same. I learned that at a very young age. It didn’t matter how well you behaved, you always got knocked around for something. Might as well give them a reason.
“Regret? That wasn’t the word I was thinking of,” he whispers back as the priest continues babbling on. I swallow down my fear. He’s really going to do this. I don’t know why I thought my plan of being disrespectful would work. I guess I figured if he viewed me as a handful, he would just walk away. Panic starts to rise inside of me that that’s not the case. My throat goes tight.
“Breathe, angel.”
I suck in a deep breath, realizing I haven’t been breathing.
“Can’t have you passing out on me yet.”
“What does that mean?” I glare over at him but snap my head back forward when I realize he’s staring at me already.
Is he planning to knock me out? I grit my teeth at the thought. My heart is pounding so hard now it drowns out the priest's words. As if they matter. This is all a bunch of bullshit. To love and cherish my ass. The honor and respect part is also laughable. My father never had any of those things for me, so I don’t expect he picked a husband that will.
My life is over. Not that I had much of one before. I’m going from one hell to another. Only this one doesn’t have my older sister. Though I’m the one that acts older when it comes to the two of us. Only eleven months separate us.
It was supposed to be her up to marry next, but because Antonio hadn’t cared who he married, he was getting stuck with me. My older sister is now the last one of us who is not married.