10. Wedding Day

TEN

Wedding Day

JULIAN

T he last couple of weeks have been insane. It started with getting Barry off the plane and convincing him to stay for a visit. Mom and Dad generously offered to take him in, but that was a hard no for Barry. He was happier on his own and wanted to be alone. I got Barry to agree to stay two nights at my condo. The deal closed on our new place, and although it wasn't much, the shed on the property was cleaned out and was made habitable for Barry. It's the happiest I've seen him.

Alessio had me out hunting with the rest of the men he could spare for Jasper. The fucker was no fool and saw he was in way over his head once he made a deal with Anton and went into hiding. Alessio is patrolling the borders, but there's no way Jasper could take a plane or train without us knowing about it. That means car and bus routes.

Our hunch paid off, and we finally caught up with Jasper. His death wasn't quick. Alessio was in fine form that night. He took out all his pent-up anger over the betrayal on Jasper's flesh. After that, Jasper was unrecognizable. His family has nothing to bury that would resemble the man he was. Jasper didn't even try to hold out on information; he knew his fate. He was hoping for a more painless end to his existence, but Alessio wasn't willing to finish him off so soon.

"I promised four families I would make the enemy pay for taking their fathers and sons," Alessio growled when Jasper begged for death.

Jasper gave us the reason for the hits. Mainly retribution for killing Anton's cousin. Anton wants Milana, and she's marked for death because of her role in Boris's demise. This made me ask my father for an extra bodyguard for Milana. Unfortunately, Jasper had no clue where to find Anton.

Marco Moretti found his man Tom as well. The information was similar, but he also didn't know where to find Anton. Tom did say that the Russians were preparing to attack on a grand scale. We put Raffaele and Reno on alert.

Due to the circumstances, Alessio has assigned more men to guard the church and reception banquet. Fausto stayed the night last night and is getting ready in the extra bedroom. After the wedding, the rest of the furniture is being delivered. I'm hoping that once we move into our new place Milana will get some space of her own. Milana needs a break from my mother. Mom's great, but can be bossy, and I want Milana to find her own rhythm and thrive in her own space.

Niccolo and Alessio will meet us at the church with Josie and Valentina. We're taking an extra precaution by not having all the women in one place at the same time. I heard from my father just a few minutes ago. He let me know they were ready to leave for the church.

Normally, my parents would accompany me on my way to get married, but with the threat looming, Dad and I decided that we would forgo that tradition and he and several of his men would make sure Milana made it to the ceremony.

* * *

Milana

I t's my wedding day, and as frightened as I am, I'm also excited. The more time I spend with Julian, the more I think I'm falling in love with him. I dare not even hope he feels the same, but he must feel something for me. Julian didn't have to concern himself with Barry, but he did. He even has him set up at our new place so I can persuade him to make Las Vegas his permanent home. For now, we've convinced him that he's needed here to help us settle into our new place and to protect me whenever Julian isn't around.

I wish Barry would come to the wedding. Julian did ask, but to no avail. Joe Sr. took me to our new home to visit Barry very early this morning before the barrage of hair and makeup artists were to arrive. I saw Barry for a short visit and brought him fresh coffee and pastries. He knew today was my wedding day, and he hugged me tight in his arms when I left.

"I have nothing to give you as a wedding gift," he said sadly. "I used to dream of the day my own daughter would marry and how I'd feel. I thought it would hurt like hell, but it would also make me happy to know there was a man who cared for her as much as I do. I didn't get to do that with my own daughter, but I think this is exactly how I feel now. Somewhere along the line, you became mine. I love you, Linny. Whether we're blood or not, you're my girl," he whispers hoarsely in my ear.

My voice cracked, and I began to sob. I begged him again to come with me.

"Look at me," he said. "I don't fit in with all those fancy people. Go, girl, and then I want to hear all about it."

I left with a heavy heart and cried all the way home. Poor Joe tried to console me, and eventually, I pulled myself together.

The photographer must already have taken thousands of shots as we were getting ready, but the crew of three have their cameras clicking even as I try to find a moment of quiet. Lilliana scoots them out of the room and stands me before the full-length mirror.

"I think you're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen." She dabs a tissue to her eyes.

"No more crying," I tease. "They've already had to fix my makeup twice." The woman who did my makeup was lovely and did exactly as I asked, keeping my face simple, with shades of peach and taupe, and highlighting my eyes with lots of mascara and my lips with a coral lipstick.

It looked amazing with the bun twisted in a messy but elegant pattern with a diamond hairpiece to which my veil is attached. It will come off later at the reception. My dress is a simple satin gown with a sweetheart neckline with beading all around the waist, then moving down the A-line skirt in a beautiful intricate design.

Lilliana helps me down the stairs and into the car. She places the bouquet in my lap as she climbs in beside me, with Joe on the other side. The church isn't too far, and from the looks of the parking lot, everyone else must already be inside.

"Stay put," Joe says as he exits the limo and commands his men to take their places. I know I'm the main target for Anton. I also know that none of us can escape our destiny, but I pray that my life doesn't end quite so quickly and that I have a family with Julian and am able to enjoy it before my time comes.

Joe yanks open the door and quickly escorts Lilliana inside. I'm about to get out of the limo when a hand reaches in to assist me. It's Alessio. I take his hand, and he helps me out and walks me up the dozen stone steps that lead to the church entrance.

"You look beautiful," he says. I'm expecting the next words out of his mouth to be a warning. I haven't been Alessio's favorite person. Not that I blame him. I did bring trouble to his doorstep. "I have a surprise for you." He nods toward the hallway to the side, and out walks Barry in a full tux, his hair cut. He's clean-shaven and looks utterly handsome.

Stunned, I glance up at Alessio. "Thank you. Thank you so much. But why? I thought you hated me."

"Weddings are about bringing families together. You have none from your past except the man who would have died to keep you hidden. Joe told me about this morning, and I think that your father, Barry, should be present. We'll both be giving you away. You're a good woman, Milana, but as a capo, my role is to take care of the family. This means that I must be sure you mean Julian or Il Destino no harm." Alessio motions for Barry to approach. "Just like I told you, Barry. We walk her down the aisle together, and you sit with me until the end."

Valentina and Josie file out. They've been watching from the wings, tears in their eyes. Josie rushes to her husband's side. "I love you with all that I am, Alessio Cassini."

He drops his head and kisses her sweetly.

"I could kiss you myself," Valentina says.

"No time. The wedding is about to start," Alessio says with a chuckle.

I hook my arm through Barry's. He looks nervous but dapper, and I tell him so. I also tell him this is the greatest gift he could ever give me. Alessio takes his place on the other side of me, and I band my arm with his.

The music starts. Valentina is the first to go down the aisle, followed by Josie. But before Josie takes her place, she comes to fix my train, plants another kiss on her husband's cheek, and then traipses down the aisle.

Barry holds on tight, and I whisper, "Keep your eyes on Julian. He'll be so pleased that you changed your mind." I give him a nervous smile, but we begin our walk. People eye us with confusion when they see Alessio and a man they don't know walking me down to my husband-to-be. The whispering grows louder. "Who is he?" is the prominent question. I ignore them and keep my gaze fixed on the man I'm soon to call my husband.

When we reach the altar, Julian comes to meet us. The priest asks, "Who gives this bride in marriage?"

Alessio and Barry answer in unison. "We do." Alessio places my hand in Julian's, and Barry kisses my cheek. Alessio guides Barry to his pew while Julian leads me closer to the altar.

The service is brief and simple, with the most important words being spoken by us both and finishing with our vows to love, honor, and protect one another until death do us part. I was surprised when I heard the word protect and not obey , but I think the change is appropriate. Our entire relationship started with me saving Julian, and we are married today because Julian saved me from a terrible fate.

"You may now kiss your bride," the priest announces.

Julian cups my cheeks between his palms, and before lowering his mouth to mine, he whispers, "My beautiful bride. Mine at last." All Julian's kisses have been delicious, but this kiss is a toe-curling, warm-you-to-your-bones, make-your-legs-feel-like-jelly kiss. I forget that there's a room full of people. My fingers cling to his lapels as his soft lips move over mine. When he lifts his head, his warm breath hovers over my skin.

"Oh my," I murmur.

"Oh my is right. And tonight, I will teach you even more," he murmurs in my ear. A shiver of excitement runs down my spine. The room erupts with applause, and Josie hands me back my bouquet. Julian and I make our way back up the aisle, stopping to shake hands every so often until we get to the church doors.

Normally, we'd stop and wait for our guests to give us their congratulations, but we're moving along to the reception instead. Julian helps me into the car and gets in after me. I see Barry getting into the same vehicle as Joe, Lilliana, and Fausto. I hope he makes it to the reception, but if not, I'm pleased as punch that he was able to walk me down the aisle. Alessio is a complicated man. He's hard and impenetrable on the outside, but there is a small piece of him that holds a warmth he rarely allows anyone to see. I truly think that's all Josie's influence on him. They make a wonderful match.

* * *

Julian

M ilana is mine. When she appeared in her dress before me, she looked like a princess. Her smile was so wide and genuine, her happiness was beaming all over her face. And when I kissed her as my wife for the first time, I knew it was a promise of a wonderful night ahead.

However, we must first face the tedious ordeal of speeches, dances, and obligatory chitchat. I hold Milana's hand in mine all the way to the reception. She's quiet, but that's understandable. It's been a supremely hectic morning, and from what Dad's told me, Mom was fluttering around, giving orders left and right. Milana prefers the quiet, and this short ride gives her the break she needs.

After formal pictures of family and friends, we prepare to greet our guests in our reception line. Barry opted to go home. I thought this would upset Milana, but it doesn't seem to faze her.

"I didn't think he would be here at all. I'm just grateful," she replies. I hold her waist and pull her to my side, kissing the top of her head.

"Good, babe. We've just a few more hours to get through," I tell her.

The guests file in one by one, leaving envelopes as their gifts, shaking hands and wishing us well. The women are cold. I can see the difference in the way they speak with Josephine and Valentina, while they don't even meet Milana's gaze. The longer it goes on, the angrier I become.

I'm not the only one who notices, because I can see Niccolo's jaw tighten when one of the underbosses' wives forgoes greeting the bride at all and steps out of line after giving her respects to Josie. It's the first time I hear Milana's sad sigh. Alessio told me to expect some pushback from my choice, but this is out-and-out rudeness. They should have refused the invitation and stayed the fuck home.

Niccolo catches my expression and quickly shakes his head. He knows I want to deal with this head-on, but he's correct. This isn't the time or place. Instead, I tighten my hold on my wife's waist and whisper in her ear, "Smile, miele mia. They won't beat us down." She turns her face up to me and smiles shyly. It's not as bright as I wish, but it's a notable improvement. "Good girl."

My father is the first to speak and acknowledge and thank everyone for attending. It is a typical dad speech, but he makes sure to state that he's pleased to have Milana as part of our family. The majority of the underbosses don't seem to care one way or another about Milana's past. They trust our capo to make the best decision for Il Destino and accept his ruling. But it seems that Angelo, from the blood oath ceremony, and a few of his old cronies are sitting together and openly snubbing my wife.

Fausto comes to find me to let me know that they are talking shit about Milana and her family. They can talk all they want about her parents, but they're wrong when it comes to Milana. Alessio overhears Fausto's angry recounting of some of the things they were saying and rests a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, my friend," Alessio replies with a crocodile smile. "Milana is a topic. The insult belongs to me, and I shall handle it." We both watch as Alessio moves to the podium, where he taps the mic to get everyone's attention. He waits until the room goes silent. "I'm not one for long speeches, but weddings are a time when we celebrate two people coming together and making their bond stronger. In turn, this makes the entire family stronger. In the old days, we spoke of bloodlines, social status, and position. Il Destino, as far back as my great-grandfather, was built on the grit, tenacity, blood, sweat, and tears of my ancestors and the men who followed them. In one untimely moment, our lives can change. Of this, we are well aware. Most of you have experienced this in your own families. There are circumstances we can control and those we cannot. Milana has complied with all that I have asked of her, and she has done this with grace and tact. I sanctioned this marriage and did not make this decision lightly." Here's where it gets good; Alessio looks directly at Angelo and the men and women around him, then says, "Just as I decide and reign over all of this family. Times will change, and Il Destino will grow alongside the other families that have graced us with their presence this evening. Many marriage bonds have proven fruitful, and it is my desire that Julian and Milana have a full and prosperous life together. Raise your glasses, and let's toast to the happy couple."

Never once does Alessio's gaze waver from Angelo and his crew. He waits it out until Angelo has no choice but to lift the glass to his lips and swallow both the champagne and his pride as he's reminded of his place in the family.

You can hear a pin drop until Sebastian begins to clap his hands, and Dante, Reno, and their wives join in. Raffaele rises to his feet and does the same, as do Nero and his wife, and last is Marco Moretti. Soon, the entire room is on its feet.

The DJ starts the music and asks Milana and me to move to the center of the dance floor. The song "What a Wonderful World," by Louis Armstrong, begins to play, and I gather Milana in my arms and sway to the melody. I hold her close as she lays her cheek on my chest and closes her eyes, softly singing the words of the song I chose for our first dance.

A parade of obligatory dances comes next, and soon, we're nearing midnight. I've kept Milana close to me, except for the few times when either Valentina or Josie accompanied her to the ladies' room.

The young girls gather around for the bouquet toss, and Milana doesn't delay to throw it behind her and turns to watch as hands grapple for the flowers. I also don't hesitate to remove the garter that was chastely placed above Milana's knee under her dress. I just want to get this done and get us the hell out of this stuffy room and back to my place. I throw it back and see that Jack catches the garter. He chuckles when it partially lands right in his hand.

"Ready to go?" I ask Milana.

"Yes." She sighs with a smile.