Page 21 of Jealous Vows

Romeo lied to me.I don’t know who my mystery mafia man is, but I should have listened to my instincts.Embarrassment and an odd hurt pulse behind my sternum.From saving me in the smoking area, to rescuing me on the plane, to watching me in the changing room and supporting me in the boutique, he was mocking me.Testing me.For what, I have no idea, but he played me so well I ignored all the warning signs.

“Nice to meet you, Noah,” I manage through the emotions clogging my throat.

“We were worried you wouldn’t come.I’m glad you made it,” he says.

I force my lips into a smile even though I can’t tell if he’s being genuine or is issuing a threat.

“Me too,” I say.

The musician begins playing his acoustic guitar, and the officiant moves behind the podium.

“That’s my cue.How do I look?”Noah asks.

He adjusts his tie and rolls his shoulders back.

“Amazing,” I say.

His model-perfect smile probably makes all the ladies in his life swoon, but I don’t know him well enough to trust him.

“So do you,” he responds before striding down the aisle.

I take several deep breaths as I wait for him to clear the mark Becky pointed out to me, then walk toward the altar with as much grace as I can manage.None of the faces in the crowd are familiar, but I look anyway to gauge their response to me.The experiment offers me no insights.My uncertainty grows.I stumble but regain my balance and stop where the wedding coordinator told me to.As I turn to face the back, Noah nods at me.I offer him an unsteady half-smile.

My heart lodges in my throat asZioMario strides into view.Tears burn the back of my eyes.He looks so much older than the last time I saw him, but even so, he’s handsome.I fight the childish urge to run to him and wrap my arms around him.I lost that right when I freaked out and shamed Valentina into writing all those nasty things down in her journal.I had no right to be so judgmental.

Joy, peace, and eagerness shine from his grey eyes.Any doubts I may have had over his interest in Valentina fade into nothingness.He adores her and can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with her.

My heart yearns for the smile he aims at his best man.If he were my father, I’d kill to receive such a look from him.

Hell, I’d sacrifice myself a million times over just for one such look from him.There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to undo the horrors I caused.

I stiffen as he shifts his gaze to mine.Time stands still even as his long legs carry him closer.

His expression tightens.I search for signs of anger and find none, but the flattening of his lips and carefully neutral set of his eyes don’t scream forgiveness and happiness.

My heart cracks in two.Pain streaks up from my palm, but I rarely register it through the agony in my soul.

ZioMario pivots toward me and cups my shoulder.I wait for him to clamp down in a brutal grip, but he merely nods and moves to the other side of the altar.

He shares a half-hug with Noah.

Emotions clog my throat.

I don’t know what to make of the interaction.Does he forgive me?Is he annoyed I showed up?Is he going along with my presence just because his bride wants me here?Maybe he’s luring me in so he can deal with me in private.This could be him creating an alibi so no one suspects him of offing me.

Flooded with adrenaline and more unsettled now than I was before he appeared, I wring my hands around my bouquet.

Warmth trickles down my palm.I glance down and confirm my wringing hands tore the protective padding around the stems and sliced my flesh on a thorn.I close my fingers around the bouquet and pray the blood stays inside my fist.

Valentina steals my breath when she steps out from behind the partition.She’s gorgeous.Vibrant.Happy.

Too many emotions barrel through me.I can’t breathe.The world fades in and out, but I refuse to cause a scene by fainting and ruining my ex-best friend’s wedding to my uncle, so I loosen my knees and force my diaphragm in and out.

So many things happened since the last time I saw them.They remind me of a time when the world was bright and full of love.Sure, my childhood wasn’t perfect, but it also wasn’t horrendous either.I had my mother, Valentina, her mother, andZioMario to protect me.We were a family.My father and Valentina’s were important, powerful people, and they were around for most things but always felt a little detached, like they had too much power to really fit in.Looking back, I realize it was because they were skeptical of everyone and untrustworthy themselves.

Then my father betrayed my uncle, Valentina’s mom left, my father brought home a pregnant mistress, and my mother got sick.

My bouquet shakes in my trembling hands.I wring the stems, forgetting about my cut, and curl my toes in the high heels Romeo bought me.