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Chapter Twenty-Four
LEO
“When your dick and heart agree on something, you should listen to them even if it might get you killed.”
We are less than 48 hours from our wedding and there is so much left to do. My father has paid for a wedding planner to make this a mafia elegant extravaganza with little to no effort on our part. The only thing that I asked was for Ella to be able to pick out her wedding dress. As for my wedding day attire, it won’t matter because no one will be able to take their eyes off of my beautiful bride. In the background, I have been working on the plan with Rome for the wedding which will be a way to make an impression.
Taking a sip of my coffee, I sit at the island looking over the latest version of notes that Rome and I have drafted and all of the precautions that we can take to ensure our survival. He is downstairs right now with Ella going over some hand-to-hand combat skills that I hope she never needs to use. With the impending power struggle, I will do my best to keep her safe, but I need to know she has skills to rely on just in case. The buzz of the gate pulls my attention from our plans.
I quickly shoot off a text to Rome to make sure he and Ella stay downstairs while her present is delivered. Once I open the garage, the men come through to the open doorway with the perfect custom writing desk and all the unique matching furniture that I got for this room that have carved butterflies in the wood. The centerpiece of the desk pulls out so she can use it portably wherever she would like in our home or in the various seating choices I have put in what I have nicknamed her writing lair. There is a soft oversized reading chair for one corner of the room and the bed has been given to a family in need. While I cannot save her from the life we were born into or the trauma that she has endured, I can support her dream.
Tomorrow night we marry, but when Rome leaves, she will get her present. He may be my best friend and a true ride-or-die but that does not mean that she will be able to express herself fully without feeling embarrassed. She is used to gifts coming with strings attached, but even if things ended between us it would never change the way I see her or her access to these gifts. This room is her safe space that started with the desk that I secretly ordered for her after our first date.
I know that nothing about this wedding will be what she dreamed, as the customs of these things are out of our control, but I can give her this. A space in my home with a lock I don’t even have the key for. She deserves a private space, a space to truly feel secure and safe like she never has before. I could spend thousands of dollars on lavish things for my Butterfly, but what she wants most cannot be bought. She wants to be happy and safe. The only way that I can guarantee her safety is by killing her father and dismantling the empire that he used to abuse her for years.
Leo:
Her present has been delivered, you are free to come up any time.
Rome:
Your wife is busy kicking my ass, we will be up when she gets this out of her system
Leo:
Try not to mess up that pretty face Romeo, the wedding pics are right around the corner.
I take the extra time I have to prepare lunch for everyone since they will need to replenish after hours of working out. I grab the pan from the dishwasher and place it on the stove with some garlic oil. I remove the chicken from the fridge and add the Mediterranean seasoning before placing it in the hot pan. Next, I cook the orzo in chicken stock to infuse extra flavor. Looking for a vegetable to balance the meal out, I locate the caesar salad that was prepared earlier this week to be the final piece of our lunch. By the time I hear the door to the basement open, the chicken is resting and everything is ready to be plated.
The sounds of her soft footfalls on the wood floors has me physically following the noise to find my bride. She is sweaty and flushed from the extensive workout but as beautiful as I have ever seen her. On instinct she finds her way to my side and I place a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Lunch is ready, all we need to do is dish up and grab drinks,” I say to both of them without looking away from her but making sure Rome can hear me. They both nod in response before I reach into the cupboard and pull down three plates. We eachplate our own lunches and walk over to the table, each of us grabbing our drinks before we take a seat.
“Romaine as a side for lunch. Leo, are you making a mockery of your best friend getting his ass beat?” She asks, and the whole table erupts in laughter. A smooth and easy cajoling of my best friend is the best way to set a mood for a meal.
“I was a little preoccupied with your present to watch you hand him his ass this morning, and before you ask, I will be sharing the surprise after lunch,” I respond looking at both of them.
“Before we get too distracted, we need to discuss the wedding and what precautions we are going to need to take to ensure you both survive,” Rome interjects between bites of food. Silence overtakes the dining room as the weight of the next few days slams into the levity and wipes it out. I clasp her hand above the table before locking eyes with my best friend.
“Here is the plan, Ella. Your gown is customized and bullet proof under the satin style material. Your sister Eva has helped source the material custom and quietly to help ensure that you are safe during and after the ceremony,” Rome fills in Ella with as much kindness as he can implore her with. The bond that these two have formed in such a short time is incredible, especially since she has a bad history with men abusing their power with her. She smiles at him while she squeezes my hand to let me know the level of understanding that she has.
“The explosives are planted in the crowd where big players will be seated. There is to be bloodshed between the families, so as long as our sisters and Rome are standing with us they should be safe. Guns will come out after the first explosion lets off and we will need you to stay close so we can protect you in the chaos,” I continue the plan before stabbing my next bite with my fork. We all continue eating while we process the new information.
“What is the expected outcome of the way we have things planned at this moment?” she asks before taking another bite of food looking at us expectantly.
“We hope to shake the foundation of the leadership and unseat both of our fathers in one go,” I answer. With as smart as my bride is I knew she would need to be properly briefed on all of the plans so that she could mentally prepare. Trust is typically earned before it is given in our world, but she has proven herself time and time again to be trustworthy. While I have not shared my entire history with her, I will not hide things from her unless it is a surprise. She deserves my honesty if nothing else because she is my equal, not my subservient.
“Are there any other specific advances that I should be aware of? I don’t want to make the situation worse by accident, and if I can be helpful, even by staying out of the way, I will,” My bride asks with poise and caring that warms me from the inside out. She wants to support my plan and make sure that it goes the way it should.
“I need you to focus on staying safe. No matter what happens, your safety needs to be your sole focus. If you focus on keeping yourself alive, we can work on taking out as many of the corrupted men in our world as we can,” I answer her to the best of my abilities. We won’t have all of the answers until the bombs go off, but if her focus is on her then I can try to make this world one deserving of her.
We finish the rest of our lunch in comfortable silence together just enjoying the peace and relaxation with one another. Putting our plates in the sink before Rome goes to leave, Ella turns to him and gives him a side hug.
“Please, be safe Rome. I don’t know what I would do without all of your help,” She whispers softly to him. The way that my heart grows and warms is unnatural for the cold blooded killer I can be. He releases her into my arms where I hold her, noddingin acknowledgement to my best friend and brother from another mother.
“It’s time to give you a present from me for agreeing to be my queen,” I whisper in her ear with a smile on my face. Releasing her, I take her hand in mine and we walk down the hall to the room that she first stayed in. The door is still closed and she looks up at me with excitement in her eyes. Using my free hand I open the bedroom door and watch the way her face lights up with joy.
Chapter Twenty-Five
