Page 72 of Syndicate of Sin Bundle

“We’re going to have a real wedding one day,” Cristian said to me. “Invite all the family, rent out a beautiful dining hall for the reception, get you a ring as big as your finger, and go on a fucking amazing honeymoon, but tonight, it’ll be quick and intimate.”

I walked into his high-rise, both shocked and excited that this was happening, and skipped with him to the bedroom. “I know we will. I’ve always wanted something big, but this is more important to me at the moment, just being with you.”

“And taking my last name.”

Rolling my eyes, I playfully shoved him back. “And taking your last name.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me farther into the room and to one of his dressers, opening it up and grasping a small box. A beautiful diamond ring sat inside it, sparkling under the room’s dim light.

“It was my mother’s. I was planning on getting you a new one, but that’ll have to wait. I want to get you the most perfect one.”

“This is beautiful,” I whispered, drawing my finger against the stone.

Cristian pulled it out and slid it onto my finger, taking my hand and placing his lips on my knuckles. “You deserve more than this. You deserve a wedding with a family that’ll always protect you, and you deserve to finally be happy.”

My lips curled into a smile. “I am happy now.”

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. “I vow to make you even happier, to kill anyone who tries to hurt you, and to get rid of all the women who bother you, like I should’ve done before. And…” He paused, a smirk crossing his face. “All your debts will be relieved once you have my last name.”

I rolled my eyes and playfully slapped his chest. “As they should. That was the deal.”

Suddenly, someone banged on the front door.

“Open up!” Chiara yelled.

After kissing Cristian, I took his hand and pulled him to the front door.

“What is going on?” Chiara asked, gripping Alessandro’s hand and pulling him into Cristian’s high-rise apartment in the center of the city. “You called me, like, five times and wouldn’t tell me anything. What happened?” She wrinkled her nose. “And why does it smell like ten thousand liters of cleaning products were dumped in this living room?”

Cristian and I stood in the room, my hand intertwined with his.

I grinned at her and wiggled my brows. “Alessa is taken care of, and I—”

Before I could say another word, Chiara dropped her purse and placed her hand on her chest. “No, you didn’t … oh my God, you did. You fucking killed that bitch. I told you she would, Cristian. I freaking told you. God, I’m so excited! That’s why you look like a boss-ass bitch tonight!” She enveloped me in a hug. “You’re officially part of the family.”

“Actually, she’ll officially be part of the family tonight.”

“Tonight?” Chiara asked, brow furrowed.

As she pulled away, I held up my left hand and let her see the rock on my ring finger.

Chiara gasped and looked over her shoulder at Alessandro. “Step up your damn game. They’ve been together for a day, and they’re already getting married. I’m waiting.” Then, she turned back to me and pulled me closer again, jumping up and down. “I’m so fucking happy for you!”

“You’re going to squeeze the woman to death, Chiara,” Alessandro said. “Let up.”

When Chiara pulled away, she grinned at me. “How long do we have? We have to get you all dolled up! We can slip you into that white dress you bought when we went shopping and make you glow like the fucking moon. This is your night, girl.”

Cristian looked down at his phone. “Twenty minutes, and we can’t be late.”

“Twenty minutes it is,” Chiara said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the other room. After sitting me on the bed, she pulled out my makeup bag from one of the dressers and found the white dress in the closet. “You’re going to be smoking hot.”

She finished with three minutes to spare and pushed me in front of the mirror, her hands on my shoulders and a huge smile on her face. “Cristian had better give you a real wedding sometime in the coming months, but you’ll remember tonight forever.”

Yeah, I’d remember tonight forever—for a couple of different reasons. Learning what my parents had done to me definitely being one of them. Which made me remember that … I wanted to call them before this all went down. I thought congratulations was needed.

So, after ushering Chiara out to have a few moments of alone time, I picked up my phone. My stomach tightened in fear and anger as my fingers moved along the screen, dialing my parents’ home phone. I hadn’t talked to them in months, years maybe. We had never been close, and I liked to keep it that way, but now, it was fucking payback time.

Mom answered the phone on the third ring. “Roxanne, it’s so nice to hear from you! I thought you’d changed your number. You never answer any of my calls.” That was because she hadn’t called. “The whole family is here. We’re so excited to chat with you.”

---