Page 20 of Finn

His hand is resting on my shoulder as though he has a right to touch me. I don’t want to cause a scene, but I want him away from me even more.

“You make me sick, Orlando. I would rather marry Finn a thousand times—”

Before I can finish my sentence, Orlando’s hand is knocked from my shoulder, replaced by a warm palm and a reassuring squeeze.

“Orlando Farina,” my husband says in a dark tone. “I’m sorry your father couldn’t make it, though I’m sure my beautiful bride was thankful for your company while I talked to my brother.” He nods at Eoghan, who is standing at the bar with Cillian, neither of them wearing a smile as they shoot cold looks in my ex’s direction. “I’m sure you’ll understand it’s been a long day, and Alessia and I are tired. We need to say our goodbyes.”

Orlando looks at Finn with an irritated scowl. Though I can’t see the man standing behind me, there’s no missing the tension radiating from him.

“Goodbye, Orlando,” Finn says in a low voice which leaves no room for argument. A small thrill runs up my spine. I must be losing my damn mind.

Orlando gives Finn a tight smile but doesn’t look my way again as he slithers off and disappears into the crowd.

“I’ve never liked Orlando Farina,” Finn says, taking his seat next to mine.

I don’t reply because what is there really to say? He’s an absolute piece of shit, and I’m afraid if my mouth opens right now, I’ll scream. I haven’t seen him face to face in nearly ten years, and I’d have been perfectly happy to never lay eyes on him again.

Gemma walks up to the table and looks behind her, then back at me. “Was that Orlando?”

When I nod in affirmation, Gemma looks ready to follow him out the door and shoot him between the eyes. She was never a fan of his, but I chalked it up to her being overprotective when we were in college. I wish I would have heeded her warning. Gemma was by my side in the aftermath of that horrible night and then after losing my brother to a “mugging.” I never believed that fucking story, and neither did my father, especially knowing Gio beat Orlando to bloody hell for what he did to me only days prior to his death.

No one knew we were dating except Gemma and Enzo, who I made take a vow of silence. He’s older and didn’t want to involve our families right away. He said having the children of two powerful Mafia dons in a public relationship would put too much pressure on us as a new couple. Now I know it was so he could fuck around, but at the time, I thought it was romantic. Like Romeo and Juliet or some stupid shit. Of course, Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, not unlike the ending of my relationship with Orlando.

Gemma looks at Finn and smiles. “Your brother is a pig,” she tells him, and he barks out a loud laugh.

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.”

When Finn’s gaze turns to me, he studies the plastic smile I’ve tacked on. It’s obvious he wants to ask questions about the little scene he walked in on, but thankfully, he lets it rest. “You about ready? I think I’ve done all the smiling and shaking hands I can stomach.”

Sounds like Finn is about as much of a social butterfly as I am.

“Yes.” I let out a sigh. “I’m ready to get out of this damn dress.”

Finn’s eyes sweep over me. “You look beautiful in it. I don’t think I told you that.”

“No, you only complained about my lipstick.”

He shrugs. “What can I say? Red’s my favorite color.”

“You don’t strike me as the type to have one.”

“I never did before.” He pauses before shaking his head a bit. “But you do look stunning, Alessia.”

It’s a strangely tender moment, well, tender for us, and I don’t know what to say in response. Do I tell him I’ve never seen a man fill out a tux the way he does? Or say when his lips brushed mine at the end of the ceremony, I felt it down to the tips of my toes? Those things may be true, but there’s a reason I don’t let gorgeous men cloud my judgment anymore. And that reason had better be leaving this damn building after getting the brush-off from me and my husband.

Gemma leans over to hug me, and before letting go, she whispers, “If you want me to poison Orlando for you, I would do it in a heartbeat, you know that, right?”

“Where on earth would you get poison?”

“I have my ways.”

I chuckle as I pull away from her embrace. While my best friend never met a challenge she couldn’t face head-on, I’m pretty sure poisoning my ex is beyond her capabilities.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I tell her before turning to my new husband. “Let’s at least say goodbye to our parents.” My mother would probably have a conniption if we just up and left.

Finn stands, taking my hand in his as we make our way to his parents and say good night before finding mine at their table, laughing with a couple of my aunts and uncles.

My parents stand, and my mother holds me in her arms. “You made a beautiful bride, sweetheart. Even if it wasn’t the groom of your dreams, I hope it was at least a wedding you loved.”

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