Page 61 of Nicoli

“He, uh…” He seems confused. “He called to, um…apologize.”

“What?”

“Yeah.” Alexius walks in and drops his phone on the table. “He expressed his deep regret over his cousin’s actions.”

“Oh.” I frown. “Is it weird that I find that confusing? And how does he know what exactly his cousin did?”

“They got it all on security video footage.”

“Okay, well,” I say slowly, “that’s great, then. Crisis averted.”

“There’s one little hiccup.”

I roll my eyes. “I knew it wouldn’t be that fucking easy.”

“No man shall ever lay a hand on or bring harm to the wife of another.” Alexius starts reciting one of the cardinal laws. “Such an act warrants irreversible consequences, including death, without the risk of retaliation from any other members of the organization.”

I clap my hands. “You know your laws well, brother. Congratu-fucking-lations. But I fail to see how that has anything to do with Nunzio’s apology.”

Alexius’ eyes find mine, and my twin telepathy instantly goes apeshit, warning me that whatever comes out of his mouth next will fucking floor me.

“Nunzio thinks Mirabella is your wife.”

I’m frozen to the spot and confused as fuck. “What?”

“Yeah. That’s why he just spent five minutes assuring me that no member of his family will retaliate over Felix’s death.”

“Why would he think…Oh shit,” I mutter, remembering the conversation Nunzio and I had. “He referred to her as my wife earlier at the club, but I didn’t correct him because I was too busy mentally stopping myself from pulling his liver out of his ass.”

“Well, that just proves that you keeping your mouth shut sometimes has its uses.”

“Okay.” Caelian holds up his hand, staring pensively in front of him. “I’d hate to state the obvious here, but Mirabella is, in fact,nothis wife.”

“We’re all aware,” Alexius says, deadpan.

“And you didn’t correct him during your phone conversation with him?”

“I did not.”

“So, you just handed him a nuclear fucking weapon because by this time tomorrow, Nunzio will know you lied to him.” He falls back in his chair, throwing his arms in the air. “That’s great. If we weren’t fucked ten minutes ago, we sure as shit are fucked now.”

“No, we’re not,” Alexius says, then turns to face me. “Because Nicoli is going to marry Mirabella. Tonight.”

ChapterTwenty-One

MIRABELLA

Every girl wants a fairy tale wedding. A white dress, beautiful flowers, hundreds of guests, champagne towers, and a four-tier cake. Everything will be perfect, from the red carpet rolled down the aisle between the church pews to the delicate sunlight shining through the colored glass of a cathedral rich with history. The day would be filled with moments that become memories that would last a lifetime.

It’s a day I’ve dreamt about my entire life.

And now here I am, living the exact opposite. I’m not wearing a white wedding gown. In fact, I’m not wearing a dress at all. There are no flowers except the pink potted orchid on the coffee table. There are no champagne towers, just half an empty bottle of bourbon and dirty glasses. The living room is not a church, and there’s no sunlight shining through the clear windows because it’s twenty minutes to midnight.

It’s all wrong and distorted. There’s only one thing about this that comes close to the dream, and that’s Nicoli standing next to me. The only difference is he looks indignant and not at all like a man in love. Same goes for me. I’m not the blushing bride I always thought I’d be. I’m scared. Uncertain. Insecure. And I’m still reeling from almost getting raped in a parking lot. Yet here I am…about to marry the man I’ve loved virtually my entire life, and we’re both fucking miserable.

Tears burn the back of my eyes while I listen to the priest recite scripture about how sacred marriage is. The Dark Sovereign might have this priest on their payroll, but he insisted that the marriage ceremony take place, or he won’t put his signature on the backdated wedding certificate. It’s like getting God’s stamp of approval on committing a felony. I guess that makes it better, then.Not.

“Nicoli Del Rossa, do you take Mirabella Tirelli to be your wife? Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and to honor her all the days of your life?”

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