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Rubbing her arm, Char says, “Yes, sweetie, and I’m so proud of you.”
“Okay, stop. That’s enough of the mushy gushiness. You’re going to ruin her makeup, and I willnotstand for that,”Isabella calls out from behind Lux, and we can’t all help but chuckle at how high strung she is about it.
“You look stunning, Little Lux.” I take her hands in mine once more. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you in my life, but I can’t wait to sayI doto you all over again.”
A tear escapes her eye, rolling down her cheek.
“Ooh, she’s crying, Izzy,” Enzo says from behind me in his little shit starting way.
“I swear, Teo. I worked hard on her makeup!” my sister yells.
We all laugh, and I can’t help but pull Lux into my arms and lightly wipe the tear from her cheek. “I love you, Little Lux,” I say before jumping ahead to the part where I get to kiss my wife, giving her one so full of emotion I could get lost in it and never find my way out.
Finally pulling away, I gaze down into Lux’s sparkling eyes as she says, “I love you too, Teo. More than life itself,” before a playful smile breaks out on her face. “Now let’s do the damn thing.”
EPILOGUE
LUXTYN
“I would like to make a toast to the birthday girl,” I announce, raising my champagne flute in the air to toast Izzy. Teo, Enzo, and Izzy raise theirs to join me before continuing.
“I know we haven't known each other long, but you quickly became not only my sister-in-law, but also my best friend. You’re one of the greatest people I’ve come across in my life, and I’m so happy to be here with you celebrating your special day. Here’s to a freaking fantastic year. I have a feeling twenty-four is going to be your best one yet.” We all clink our glasses in cheers before taking a sip of our champagne.
We’re at Izzy’s favorite Italian restaurant celebrating her birthday. It’s a tradition her parents started when she was young, and a tradition that Teo’s continued to uphold even after they passed.
Izzy mouths,I love youto me as she sets her champagne flute down, and I blow a kiss back to her.
Life in New York City has been nothing short of amazing. After the vow renewal Teo surprised me with last month, he’s been able to focus on the transition of taking over Angelo’sterritory. To my surprise, there wasn’t much backlash when he returned the dead bodies of Angelo and Fausto to the Mancini family, informing them of the consequence of his actions for kidnapping my mom and me.
There’s not much they could do. Angelo’s territory is now Teo’s, which makes him their new don. Many of Angelo’s men had caught onto his crazed behavior and his lack of leadership prior to his death, so they had no issues with Teo stepping in. He gained the respect and obedience from most of his men quickly.
There were some that went back to the Silvestri family, like Elena and Giuliana, along with the men with previous loyalties to Giuseppe Silvestri, like Mauricio. There weren’t many, but there were some, and Teo let it happen, knowing he wants none of those men working for him.
A warm hand finds its way on my thigh, rising slowly past the hem of my sweater dress. Clasping it in my own, I give Teo a playful side-eye. “And what exactly do you think you’re doing?” I ask, bringing my gaze to his already darkened one. I can tell by that devilish grin that he’s ready for this night to be over so he can take me to bed.
Leaning in, he whispers, “I’m ready to take my wife home and spend all night worshipping her perfect fucking body.”
I clench my core at his words, which I’m sure will have me dripping in seconds if he continues. “We haven’t even finished our main course yet, Teo. You’re going to have to practice some patience tonight.”
“Or how ’bout I take you in the back of the restaurant somewhere and enjoy my dessert first?” he rumbles in my ear. The vibrations quake through my entire body, and I swear I’m about to melt for him right here in my seat.
I’m about to take him up on his offer when our private room is invaded by unwelcome people. I recognize the threemen from the strip club: Giuseppe and Niccolò Silvestri followed by Mauricio.
Just when I fear this will be one of those scenes you’d see in a Mafia movie, where everyone draws their guns, Teo and Enzo surprise me by acknowledging their presence with unimpressed facial expressions and by merely leaning back in their seats.
Pointing his finger at Teo in a threatening way, Giuseppe snarls, “What the hell do you think you’re doing denying me access to Angelo’s port?”
“Giuseppe, now is not the time nor place to speak business,” my husband says coolly. His disinterest in this conversation only adds gas to the flames in Giuseppe’s eyes as he steps closer, looking like the predatory monster he is.
“Matteo, you either give me access back to that port immediately, or?—”
“Or what?” Matteo spits out. “You’ll kill me like you did my parents?”
Giuseppe’s jaw twitches. “You’re asking for a war if you do this, kid. I’d think twice before entering that dangerous territory. You might’ve gotten lucky with taking out Angelo, but I promise you it won’t be the same with me.”
Teo leans forward, pushing back his plate before interlacing his fingers and setting them down on the table before him. “I’ve had a few years to think about this, and if a war is what you want, then a war is what you’ll get.”
The tension rises in the room as Giuseppe stares down at Matteo, his gaze dripping in anger. Glancing over at Niccolò, I notice he’s focused on something else. When I locate the source of his attention and see it’s Izzy, whose dropped gaze remains in her lap, my mind shoots me back in time to that night at the strip club at her reaction to seeing Niccolò beside his father. That falter in her step as if she’d seen a ghost.
