1.

B ELLA

“There you are!” Bernadette, the woman who I’d been in almost daily contact with for the last few months, exclaimed. I walked into the portion of the tent that was blocked off for the waitstaff and caterers to do their thing out of sight of the guests as she said, “I saw you from a distance earlier and then lost you again.”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you were looking for me. Is there a problem? I knew the . . .”

“There hasn’t been a single issue so far, knock on wood! You’ve made this the most seamless event I’ve ever organized, and that’s saying something considering that neither of us live in the vicinity.”

“It helps that I know so many people in and around Colorado Springs,” I admitted. “The fact that Elizabeth is the most chill bride I’ve ever worked with doesn’t hurt either.”

“I think she’s just glad to have all of this over with. I know Dub is ready for everyone to just go away.”

“He better get used to having people all over the place because, believe me, this doesn’t even scratch the surface. We all love Elizabeth and will be visiting often.”

“Speaking of visiting, I have a proposition for you.”

“I hope it requires traveling because I’ve decided that’s in my future,” I told her with a laugh, not sure what made me blurt out that information to a woman I hardly knew when I hadn’t even spoken to my boss or family about it.

“Actually, it does,” Bernadette said with a grin. “I’d like to offer you a job.”

“Really?” I gushed before I remembered that I was a professional . . . or at least trying very hard to be after the four shots I’d taken with the girls over the last hour. “You’re near Dallas, aren’t you? I bet there are some extravagant events down . . .”

“I live near Dallas in Tenillo, but that’s not where my business is located.”

“Okay?” I said, more of a question than an agreement.

“My business is in New York.”

“Oh.”

“I need someone I can trust to keep things organized, and the second you shared that first spreadsheet with me, I knew you were the one.”

All of my bravado about travel quickly faded at the thought of moving so far away from home. I fell back on my professionalism and said, “I’d love to share my organization methods with you if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“I’m looking for something a little more in-depth than that. The woman I hired to help me get my business off the ground has fallen in love and is planning her own wedding to a man from Florida.”

“That must be quite a culture shock to move from Florida to New York.”

“He’s not the one that’s moving. She is.”

“Oh, no.”

“That’s a much tamer reaction than I had,” Bernadette said. “I’ve still got a few months with her, but I’d love to get someone hired to help the transition go smoothly. Especially since we’ll be planning my stepson’s wedding soon. We already have the church reserved and the invitations have gone out, but there’s a ton of work to be done since half of New York has been invited.”

“I’ve never even been to New York,” I admitted.

“You did say you’d like to travel, and that would be a requirement in this job. My old man has contacts all over the United States, and I’m always on hand to help them plan whatever events that come up, like this wedding for Dub.” Bernadette put her hand on my arm before she said, “And there will be quite a bit of traveling out of the country too. One of the weddings we just finished planning took place in Tuscany, and we’re working on one in Aruba.”

“And she gets to go to all these locations?” I asked in awe.

“She has to go for at least the initial consultation to gather information on the site where the event will be held and get a feel for what she’s working with. Then, of course, someone will need to be there a few days before the event to make sure that setup is on schedule so that the big day goes off without a hitch.”

“In Tuscany? Oh my goodness.”

“And Aruba.”

“I’ve never been to either of those places.”

“To be honest, the majority of the travel is in Italy, but there have been several destination weddings that she’s undertaken. She’s been such a wonderful employee that I just hate to lose her, but I understand she’s ready for the next stage of her life. That poses a problem because my future daughter-in-law is in the middle of planning her wedding, and I need help with such a huge event.”

I watched as my brother walked into the tent with a scowl on his face, probably because something wasn’t going the way he thought it should. I put my finger up and said, “One sec. Let me check on my brother. He looks like he’s about to explode.”

Bernadette nodded, and I walked away, my mind reeling at the opportunity she’d just offered me. My brain was yelling that I should take this shot almost as loud as my heart was yelling that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to work with my brother all the time and see my family and friends every day.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Everyone loves the food!”

“It’s nothing to do with the food,” Dylan grumbled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Hold onto this for me.”

“What?Why?”

“I’m fucking done, Bella. Done.”

I looked down at the phone as it started vibrating and sighed. Dylan’s ex-girlfriend, who also happened to be a former employee of his, had turned into quite the problem. I didn’t know her well because she’d resisted every attempt I’d made to become friends. After a while, I stopped trying and just avoided her, which sucked because I loved to spend time with my twin.

Finally, Dylan had enough of her alienating everyone around him and dumped her needy ass, but then she somehow wormed her way back in. Of course, his eyes were seeing her machinations by then, so that reconnection was rocky at best, and now, it seemed that he had finally decided to wash his hands of her.

Hallelujah. I didn’t want to go to prison for life, and if I had to watch her tear my brother apart piece by piece for any longer, that would most likely happen.

I used his PIN to unlock his phone and then scrolled through his messages to find some very concerning threats that I knew I needed to look into a little further.

“Your part of the work for today is finished, Dill. Go find some of our friends and enjoy yourself for a while. Have a few drinks and don’t let her bring you down.”

“That sounds like a great idea. What would I do without you around, Belly Button?”

I glanced over at Bernadette, who was talking to Holly, my boss, and then smiled at Dylan before I said, “You’ll never have to find out.”

◆◆◆

MATTEO

I heard someone coming up behind me but wasn’t worried. I knew my men were watching my back and wouldn’t let anything happen, not that it would considering we were in the middle of nowhere Colorado - far away from my life in New York. However, stranger things had happened. I chuckled to myself when I realized how apt that scenario was, considering that my father traveled all the way to Texas to kill his enemy, which had sent him to prison for the first eighteen years of my life. However, my guards were always on point, even when I told them over and over to relax and enjoy themselves.

“You know, if you’re going to be a wedding crasher like those guys from the movie, you’ve gotta get right in the middle of shit, make yourself at home with the people, and enjoy the open bar.”

“That was a great movie,” I admitted without looking at him. I was focused on the trees in the distance. The canopy was so thick that the ground out there had probably never seen sunlight, and I wondered what it would be like to live in a place like Colorado.

“What are you thinking about right now, son?”

“I was wondering what it would be like to live here.”

My father laughed before he slapped me on the shoulder and said, “You’re a New Yorker through and through. After being raised in the city, you’d be fucking stir-crazy in a week.”

“Maybe, but I might give it a try.”

“And leave New York? I did that, not of my own free will, but in the end, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

“Because if you hadn’t gone to federal prison, you’d be living in the same prison I am now?” My dad was silent for a little too long, and I could feel his eyes on me, so I turned to look at him.

“What’s going through your head, Matteo? I’ve wanted to ask since you called the other day and asked if you could come visit for a while before your next trip to Vegas. I realized something major must be going on when you decided to bring your entourage to Colorado for the wedding of a man you’ve only met a few times.”

“I guess I’m at loose ends because of everything that’s going on with Luca.”

“Are you still upset that he didn’t tell you he was marrying Tabby?” My father didn’t give me a chance to respond before he said, “You know he was trying to protect you just in case that went the wrong way, don’t you?”

“I know that he didn’t have faith that I’d have his back when I’m the one he’s supposed to depend on no matter what.”

“I can’t even pretend to understand the twin thing, but I get what you’re saying. However, what’s done is done, and your brother is happy.”

“And I’m happy for him, but his life is filled up in a way that I don’t understand because I’ve never experienced it.”

“Then experience it with him instead of running away.”

“You know I can’t run away for long,” I said, admitting that he was right. That was exactly what I was doing and I knew it. So did Luca, but my father was the only one who had actually called me out on it. “I’ve got responsibilities at home. I can’t just up and leave everything to Luca even if he’s got the guys from the other families to work with.”

“You can’t just up and leave like I did, you mean.”

“It’s not like you had much choice. You did what you had to do.”

“And the only reason I would change it is so that I could have watched you and your brother grow up.”

“You didn’t even know Mama was pregnant.”

“If I had, I would have done things much differently.”

“I know.”

“What are you going to do Matteo?”

“I’m going to relax for a few days in Colorado and then spend some time in Vegas to avoid all the craziness of wedding planning. I still have nightmares of how much went into planning Frankie’s wedding and then the shit that went down that day, so I think some distance might help.”

“Are you talking about wedding planning for your brother and Tabby or for Alexandria?”

I looked over at him, stunned that he’d read me so easily, and answered, “Both.”

“Son, I know you felt something for her, but it was obvious that she wasn’t cut out for your lifestyle.”

“I know she wasn’t, but the problem is that I’m not sure I’ll ever find a woman who is.”

“I want you to promise me something, Matteo.”

“What?”

“That you won’t settle.”

“For what?”

“I want your solemn promise that you won’t tie yourself to someone just for the benefit of the family, and you won’t settle for a woman who’s not right for you just because you’re floundering in waters you don’t know how to navigate without your brother swimming by your side.”

“I’ll always have Luca . . .”

“I’m not saying that, son. I’m saying that for the first time in your life, he’s on a different path than you. He’s got Tabby to focus on and help him find his way while you’re left alone.”

“That’s a pretty good description of how I feel right now.”

“Come join the party for a while and then go to Vegas and live it up before you go back home.”

I pushed away from the fence I’d been leaning on and smiled at my father before I said, “You know, you’re not too bad at this dad shit.”

“That’s a pretty high compliment considering I missed out on the first eighteen years of your life.”

“You’re a quick learner.”

“It’s a good thing too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Bernadette. That woman never stops surprising me.”

“I need to find a woman like her.”

“Take a page out of your friend's books, and I bet you will.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rico has Bex, Zach has Brett, and Luca has Tabby. None of them grew up in the life or try to fit the mold of a mafia wife, and those couples are so happy together that you get cavities just by sitting too close to them.”

“God, don’t I know it.”

“And you want that.”

“I do.”

“Then open your eyes to the world around you and find it, Matteo.”

“My eyes are open.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then maybe you should go see an optometrist because there’s a field full of beautiful young women who have nothing to do with your lifestyle or the people in it, yet here you are on the edge looking in.”

“Do you know what happens when a woman finds out who I am?”

“I remember.”

“They’ll either run the other way as fast as they can or be so blinded by what they’ve seen in movies and television shows that they can’t even see me for who I am.”

“Then find one who doesn’t give a shit, Matteo. She’s out there somewhere . . . maybe not here right now, but somewhere.”

“I’ll open my eyes.”

“I guess we’ll see,” my father said before he slapped me on the shoulder. “I’m going to go join Bernadette and mingle for a while. We’ve got some nomads visiting that I want to catch up with.”

“I’m going to stand here and get my mind straight and then I promise I’ll go mingle.”

“It’s the perfect opportunity. The only people at this wedding who know for sure who you are and what you do are friends who won’t give that information out freely. You’ve got a clean slate here, Matteo. Make it count.”

“I will.”

My father left me there, standing alone next to the fence where he’d found me, staring at the forest of trees like I had been for what felt like hours. He must have been looking for me for quite a while because I thought I was far enough out of the way that I could find some time alone. For the most part, I had since I was behind the big tent where the servers and caterers were working. However, that had started to become a problem since the smells wafting around me from the smoker and the burners where they kept the food warm were making my mouth water.

I had just turned around to join the rest of the wedding party when a woman I’d never seen before almost ran me over. She had her head down staring at the phone in her hand, so she was shocked when I put my hands out and gently grabbed her arms to stop her from plowing into me.

She looked up, and I was lost in the bluest eyes I’d ever seen and charmed by the dusting of freckles across her nose that paired well with her dark auburn hair and creamy skin.

I let my hands fall to my sides and smiled at her before I asked, “What’s on there that’s so interesting?”

“Some texts that have me plotting a violent crime.”

I burst out laughing and asked, “How violent?”

“Just shy of outright murder, but well beyond felony assault with a deadly weapon.”

“Hmm. That sounds pretty serious. Is this the first not-quite-murder you’ve planned, or are you a veteran?”

“I have to admit that I might have dabbled in plotting someone’s demise, but I’ve never gone through with it.”

“I guess that’s why you’re here rather than in prison.”

“Possibly. But then again, if I’m good at it, I won’t get caught.”

“That’s a valid point.” I looked down at the phone in her hand and asked, “Who are we killing today?”

“My brother’s ex.”

“Does he know you’re plotting her death?”

The woman smiled at me and said, “He knows me better than anyone, so I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise him.”

“So, the two of you are close?”

“We’re twins. Most people don’t understand how special that is.”

“What do you think makes it special?” I asked. She was right. Most people didn’t completely understand what it was like to be a twin.

What were the odds that I would run into someone and have this conversation just minutes after my father and I spoke about it. Maybe he was right. There were plenty of beautiful women here if I opened my eyes, but I didn’t need glasses because she’d plowed into me.

“I’ve been part of Dill’s life since the second we were conceived. We were born within minutes of each other, and we’ve hit all our milestones together. Sometimes it’s like he can read my mind as easily as I can read his. People don’t get that.” The phone in her hand started buzzing, and she looked down at it before she said, “ She doesn’t get that and tried to pull us apart.”

“But she wasn’t successful.”

“No. No matter how much distance I had to put between her and I, my brother is still my best friend and I’ll always be his biggest fan. Someday, he’ll find a woman who makes his heart complete, and she’ll understand that I’m not a threat to her and won’t ever be, just like having her in his life doesn’t threaten what’s between us. Most people just don’t get that.”

What she said was so profound that I couldn’t think of anything to add, so I blurted, “I get it.”

“Do you have a brother? Are you close?”

I smiled as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and began to scroll through pictures. I found a recent one that Tabby had taken of us holding our godsons and then turned the phone so she could see the screen.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled before she glanced at me and said, “You do get it.”

I nodded and then said, “I have an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“Let’s go grab a plate and a couple of beers then come back here and have an impromptu picnic while I help you plot . . . What’s your brother’s ex’s name?”

“Jill.”

“Okay - let’s get some food, and then I’ll help you come up with ways to make Jill’s life a living hell while still remaining felony-free.”

“That sounds fun.” The woman stuck her hand out and said, “I’m Bella Conner, a criminal in training.”

“Matteo Russo, your partner in crime.”