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"I, Mattia Lucian Agostino, take you, Aurelia Roscoe, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." I tip her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. Her eyes are still wide and dilated. From the drug? From fear? From desire? I don't know. "This I vow."
She exhales a shaking breath.
"Very good," Abernathy says. "Now, you, Aurelia."
"I…" She hesitates, her gaze flitting across my face. Her eyes are so fucking blue. Cristo. I could drown in them and not regret a second of it. "I, Aurelia Joelle Roscoe, take you, Mattia Agostino, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." She licks her lips, her voice shaking. "This I vow."
Abernathy nods his approval before flicking his gaze at me. "Do you have a ring for your bride, Mattia?"
"I don't need a ring," Aurelia mumbles, but I'm already slipping the chain from around my neck, removing the ring that's been there for as long as I can remember.
It's the only thing I have left of my parents. I don't even know why the fuck I still wear it. Perhaps to remind myself that my mother ever existed at all. That, once upon a time, I had a family, and somewhere I belonged. I don't know. But I slip the ring from the chain as Aurelia stares at me with wide eyes, and then I reach for her hand.
"This belonged to my mother," I murmur, sliding it onto her finger, our eyes tangled. It's slightly too big for her. "We'll get it resized."
"You…don't have to do that, Mattia."
"We'll get it resized."
She huffs quietly and then nods. "Thank you."
"May this ring be a constant reminder of the promises you have made today," Abernathy says. "By the power vested in me by the State of Illinois and by the power of your own commitment, I now pronounce you married. Mattia, you may kiss your bride."
I tug her toward me and lean down, touching my lips to hers in a soft kiss. I intend it to be short and sweet, but my cock throbs as soon as I feel her against me.
Fucking hell. I've never wanted anything the way I want this girl.
I deepen the kiss without meaning to do it, devouring her like a man starving for another taste of heaven. Maybe I am. It's all I can think about since she let me touch her—claiming her, consuming her, ruining her.
I don't give a fuck about the bigger picture here. My mother's ring is on her finger because I wanted it there. It was pure selfishness. And goddamn, I should regret that. I should feel bad about it. My loyalty has always been to Rafe and his brothers. But for the first time in my life, I feel it shifting.
She'll own me if I let her. Destroy me if I'm not careful. And right now, I don't fucking care. I want it. Whatever destruction she brings, whatever madness this is, I want to feel every second of it.
She whimpers softly before I wrench my mouth from hers, panting for breath. Her eyes flutter open, locking with mine.
I groan, burying my face in her hair. "You're mine now, cara mia."
"Mattia," she whispers as if in a dream.
Dio. I'm fucked every which way one can be fucked. And I don't care.
We sign the license and then I show Abernathy and Coda out, leaving Aurelia in the living room.
"I'll deal with Rafe," I remind Coda.
"This is your bullshit to clean up, not mine," he says with a shake of his head. "I'm keeping my fucking mouth shut."
Can't say I blame him for that. He's had more than enough of his own shit lately. His wife was kidnapped because her father, the former Police Commissioner, was a corrupt prick. He murdered Coda's parents a long time ago. The bastard had the sense to save his daughter before Coda forced him out of Chicago, but they'll never forgive him for what he did.
Frankly, I would have killed him. But Coda didn't want her to live with his death on her conscience. He put her through enough. So at least Karina will have one decent memory of the motherfucker.
It'll never make up for the years of awful shit he did, but when she thinks about him, she shouldn't have to only remember the terrible shit for the rest of her life. Coda was smart enough to give her that measure of peace.
"Keep an eye on Brio," I mutter to him. "I want to know what the fuck he's doing."
"Will do." He ducks outside, glancing over his shoulder at Aurelia. "Keep an eye on her. She may shiv you in your sleep."
"Vaffanculo."
