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I stand up from my seat, offer her my hand, and like a good little girl, she takes it.
The minute we step out of the office, Oz smiles, Don Rossi nods solemnly, and Father Andrews? Well, he looks like he's about to puke. Lorenzo stands beside Jenkins, that smug motherfucker who's liable to make this marriage harder than it needs to be.
Evelyn's stiff beside me, standing a few feet in front of the altar as Father Andrew recites passages for weddings, talking about the sanctity of vows and marriage. I can't stop myself from dragging my gaze down the contours of her silhouette.
Her hair looks soft to the touch and her scent is something sweet. I can't place the aroma, but it's reminiscent of candy with a hint of something floral. The arch in her lower back dips in just enough to show me she's working with a nice ass, probably a nice set of tits to match.
I don't need this kind of distraction. If she's as smart as I think she is, she'll use this marriage against me, somehow. Isn't that what love is all about? Letting love or anything of the sort near me is a death sentence. All anything like that does is leave me open, vulnerable, with a weakness to exploit.
I can't have that. I won't.
"Alessandro De Luca, do you take Evelyn Rossi as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
I look at Father Andrew, beads of sweat pouring down the side of his face. He's trembling because if I don't go through with this, it's highly probable that his life's in danger simply to keep this shit quiet. However, I'm a team player, loyal to my Family, and I won't go back on this decision. Especially hearing Evelyn already agree to the vows.
"I do." I say the words to the relief of everyone around this altar. "And now, do I kiss the bride?"
Evelyn scoffs, rebuffing the very idea of putting her mouth on mine. Still, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her in close.
"Come on, mio dolce," I coax her. "We gotta sell it."
While her expression remains icy, her posture softens just enough for her to lean closer to me. She turns her face toward mine, and I claim those supple lips like they've always belonged to me. The tiniest moan seeps from her throat and forces me to pull away. She's not to enjoy this. I have to keep her on her toes or else that means the end of me.
My eyes shift from Evelyn to her father, then to the man called Jenkins. "Now that this is done, we can focus on getting our house in order. My first task is to make sure the Rossis’ baggage doesn't taint the De Luca Family."
"What does that fucking mean?" Evelyn snaps as she snatches herself out of my grasp and takes a step away from me.
"That means making sure no rats get next to me. The way I do that is by making sure everyone around me is vetted. Your guy, Lurch, Jenkins, whatever the fuck his name is over there. He's off your detail, mio dolce."
"Absolutely not!" Evelyn contests my decision, and I have to make sure she understands that my word is final.
"You will learn to honor me as my wife in public, Evelyn, or you will fear me in private. He's gone." I reiterate the words to everyone in the room.
The darkness of my tone leaves no room for negotiations. Everyone nods in acceptance, but Evelyn, her steel resolve tightens even though she keeps her mouth shut. That's okay, it's better for her to keep it shut unless, of course, I have something better to stick in it.
4
EVELYN
The tightness blooming across my chest makes me feel like a giant wave is crashing over me. Jenkins goes blurry in front of my eyes and the walls of the church swirl as my knees buckle. Why is this happening to me?
Everything I care about, yanked right out from under my feet, and there's nothing I can do about it. I want to rage. I want to scream.
Fuck this shit. It only takes two deep breaths to regain my composure.
"It's going to be fine, Evelyn. Just do as you're told." Jenkins's voice is calm, stoic as ever.
The confidence in his tone tells me that, once again, he knows more about what's going on than I do. Instead of saying anything else, Jenkins rubs my shoulder, pulls me in close to kiss me on the side of my forehead, and takes a step away from me.
I turn to my father, Don Rossi himself, who wears a look of frustration and annoyance. It reminds me of my teenage years when I wouldn't get in line. The look in his eyes isn't unfamiliar. It insists on my compliance. But my anger is like a heat-seeking missile with too many targets.
"Evelyn, honey, what you're doing?—"
I cut my father off before he can finish. "What I'm doing is sacrificing my life for this Family, and no one has the fucking balls to tell me what the game plan is."
My father sighs, leaning in to whisper as if Alessandro can't overhear us. "You just need to do what you're told. You know Shana would never hesitate to do this for the Family. No questions asked. Don't ruin this opportunity for us."
"Shana's in a fucking jail cell for what she wouldn't hesitate to do for Family. Just… just leave me alone for right now. I don't want to look at any of you." I push away from my father, storming out of the church, wondering if he's going to stop me.
