Page 8 of Mafia Wedding

He was one, actually, but it was also his first time to hear a woman to call him that to his face.

"Let's just say that's true. Will it make you more or less likely to marry me?"

"Neither, of course." The girl's tone was one of surprise. "I just want to understand you better, that's all."

And there it was, Stelios thought.

Astro had said his granddaughter was special, and he was beginning to believe, albeit grudgingly, that there might be some truth in the older man's words. Women only cared about using him while Bailey here...

"Do you know of the ties that bind our families?"

Bailey looked horrified. "Are you saying we're relatives?"

Stelios almost choked. "No, of course not—-"

The girl sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. I'm not into incest, you know—-"

"Neither am I."

"Really?"

Stelios didn't know whether to feel exasperated or insulted by the girl's dubious tone. "Yes, Bailey. Really."

"Then what's that all about our families—-"

"When my parents entered the witness protection program, the people after them believed that your parents would know where they were hiding."

"Blood debt," the girl realized out loud, and her expression turned grave. "It's why you married me."

"It's the least I can do, even if I know it won't make up for the loss of your parents—-"

Bailey shook her head. "You lost your parents, too—-"

"They knew the risks they were taking when they turned themselves in to go against Familia's former leader. Their death was the consequence of that risk. But your parents, Bailey. The only reason they died was because they were friends with mine—-"

"You don't have to apologize or make up for anything. You weren't the one who killed my parents, and those who did have already been made to pay."

He could see that she meant every word, and for someone who had grown up in a world dominated by vengeance and violence—-

Was this another thing that made her special?

Her ability to remain untouched by cruelty and anger, despite being born in the same world as his?

"I want to do this, Bailey," Stelios said quietly. "I need to do this. Will you let me?"

"Dude"

EIGHTY-EIGHT DAYS LATER...

"Hello, wife."

Oh, dear Lord.

Please save me from the diabolically sweet voice purring into my ear.

I excuse myself from my friends and walk out of the library before answering him. "Yo, dude."

Stelios sighs, and even though I know he's just faking it, I'm still tempted to delude myself into thinking it's all real, and that Mr. Billionaire here is genuinely disappointed I never call him 'husband' in return.

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