Page 43 of Unlawful Lies

Nicola widens her stance and grows roots. “Now, Eddie.”

The fire in her blood is exactly what I need to thaw the chill in mine. It radiates off of her in blistering waves, demanding justice for all the ways life has wronged her. And so, as the hours pass and the three of us take care of our murderer, I tell them everything.

Halfway through the tale, Nicola stops me for a scathing screaming match, ending with a slap on the hand and an extracted promise not to gamble our fortunes away.

Our.

It’s not the only promise I make that night.

The night gets warmer the moment we stuff the body in my trunk. The chill I’d felt in the garden vanishes when I press my lips to Nicola’s mouth, as does the feeling that I’m only meant for the bloodshed. That I’ll never get the happiness other people have gotten.

Then, the only person watching me is Nicola, who stares at me like I’m the most important man in the world, and I’ve stopped wondering if it’s enough.

She is.

She will always be enough.

“You’ve got a very loyal woman in the house,” I say as my hands land on her hips.

I still don’t know half of what happened with Louisa or Arden’s murder, but we don’t need to spell it all out tonight. Being here with Nicola alive and unharmed leaves me breathless.

“I should have known she’d try to protect me,” Nicola whispers. “It’s what she’s always done.”

It’s not impossible to buy that kind of loyalty, but it’s tough.

“What would you say about keeping her on when we start things up on our own.”

Nicola chuckles. “On our own? You’re not serious, Eddie.”

“I think I’ve made my intentions pretty clear,” I argue grumpily.

“As clear as mud, yes.” She bobs her head.

“I’m going to marry you, Nicola Salvatore. Wherever you want to live, that’s up to you, but you’re going to say yes to me. And we’re going to keep Louisa on to manage our house and our affairs.”

Nicola steps out of my arms, and for half a heartbeat, I’m terrified she’s going to say no. Then, a wicked grin warms her cheeks. “I suppose you’ll have to catch me first.”

She takes off into the garden, and with a yelp of victory, I bolt after her.

Edward

I’ve never been a fan of weddings.

There’s always too much pomp and circumstance and protocols to carry out. And if the slightest detail is missed, then it throws everyone into a tizzy. The brides are only a hair worse than their mothers from all the horror stories I’ve heard in the past. Weddings? Not for me.

But when Nicola insists on a big giant display, what the hell am I going to say? No?

Not in this lifetime.

She’s been through enough at this point to get her whatever unlimited genie wishes she desires. If it’s in my power to grant my little fox the massive lace-drenched ceremony of her dreams, then I’m going to fucking bend heaven and earth to my will. She’s got no father to walk her down the aisle and no brother to stand beside me as my best man.

If Scott is still alive, he’s so deep underground I wonder if he’ll ever resurface again.

Outside of a hysterical mother, Nicola is alone in this world, so I’ll paint the roads gold if she asks me to.

Luckily, gold paint isn’t on her sizable list of demands.

There are plenty of them, but nothing too unreasonable. By the time the day arrives, I’m standing underneath an arbor of red and white roses, the colors combined with some kind of meaning about unity, from what I understand. At my side are my cousins, all looking like fucking quelled beasts in their tuxes.

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