Page 139 of Savage King

"I told you once that you were a barb in my heart—lodged so deep that no matter what I did, I couldn’t pull you out." My breath hitches at the memory, and his thumb brushes over my knuckles. "What I didn’t realize then was that I never wanted to. Because without you, my heart wouldn’t just be wounded—it wouldn’t exist at all."

Tears fill my eyes, I would have never thought that my proud, savage husband would lay his emotions bare like this.

"You are fire and fury, strength and softness, my little passerotta, my heart, my home."

His jaw tightens, his voice dips lower, "I vow to protect you, to cherish you, to never let you go. I vow to give you everything—my name, my loyalty, my life, my soul. I vow that no one will ever touch you, that no one will ever take you from me.

"You are mine, Scarlet. My barb. My heart. My world. And I will love you until the day I take my last breath."

Now, a tear does spill down my face. This pregnancy is making me way too emotional.

"Scarlet?" Dad prods.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and in a hoarse voice, I begin to recite,

"Antonio, you are the most stubborn, infuriating, overprotective man I have ever met."

A chuckle rumbles in his chest, but his eyes are molten with emotion.

"You are also the man who stole my heart before I even realized it was missing. You are ruthless and dangerous, but you are also the man who makes me feel safe. Who kisses my forehead when I have nightmares? Who looks at me like I’m the only thing that exists in the world?"

His eyes are so green, I nearly get lost in them and stumble for a moment. "You… you told me once that you would burn the world down for me. But you are my world, Antonio. And I don’t need fire or fury—I just need you."

He squeezes my hand.

"I vow to stand by your side, no matter what. To fight for us, for our family, for everything we are building. I vow to love you with everything I am, through the good, the bad, and the absoluteinsanity that is our life together. I vow to never run, to never hide, to always be yours."

Another tear slips down my cheek, dammit. Antonio reaches up and brushes it away with his thumb.

Dad clears his throat. "Antonio, place the ring on Scarlet’s finger and repeat after me."

Antonio slides the diamond-encrusted band onto my finger, his voice steady and commanding as always. "With this ring, I claim you as mine. In this life and the next."

Dad turns to me. "Scarlet, place the ring on Antonio’s finger and repeat after me."

I do as he says, even though my fingers tremble, and Antonio has to steady me. "With this ring, I stand beside you. In this life and the next."

Dad nods once. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss?—"

He doesn't get to finish before Antonio grips my waist and pulls me into him, crushing his mouth to mine in a deep, claiming kiss. The wind catches the edges of my dress as I melt against him. When we finally break apart, Antonio rests his forehead against me, his lips barely brushing mine.

"Mine," he murmurs.

"Yours," I breathe back.

We turn to the others, and cheers break out, congratulating us. A small, intimate feast has been set up on the beach, but I stop Antonio when he leads me toward the place of honor.

I push my hand hard against his chest.

"What are you doing?" He wants to know.

"Driving the barb in deeper," I tease, and he throws his head back and laughs.

EPILOGUE 2

There aretwo more things I need to do before I can go home tonight. The lust for revenge has been burning inside my veins since Scarlet told me about the two losers she dated before me.It's not that I'm jealous of them. She is with me, not them. No. It’s that I hate what they did to her already fragile confidence. A woman like her should be entering a room knowing she owns it. Knowing that she is the most beautiful person in it. Not wondering if one of her scars will be shown by a low-cut dress or a too-short skirt.

Tonight, I will give these two losers a taste of their own medicine. I promised Scarlet I wouldn't kill them. A promise I almost regret, but I gave my word, and I think for what I have in mind for them, this will be a far greater punishment.

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