Page 52 of Filthy Little Games

They look at each other, then both give me a nod of assurance.

Slipping my hand into my pants pocket, I pull out my wedding band and hold it up. “Zara and I got married yesterday.”

“You did what?!” Dre exclaims.

“Are you high?” Tristan asks. “Trippin’ on pussy, boss?”

“I have my reasons, more so than being pussy-whipped. It’s nothing you two need to worry about right now. But I do need one of you to help me out with something tonight.”

“I can’t believe you got married without telling us!” Dre grumbles. “Who else knows?”

“Only Lorenzo. He was our witness. The clerk’s holding the license, so it’s not even on the public record yet.”

“Damn. You picked Lor over us?” Tristan mutters. “That’s fucked up, Creed.”

“We were in a hurry and wanted to keep it under wraps for the time being,” I explain to them. “So, can you two keep your mouths shut? Aldo?”

“I won’t say a peep, boss,” Aldo replies, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. It’s not news to him, since he drove us to the clerk’s office and back yesterday.

“Tristan? Dre? I need you two to accept this, accept Zara. Don’t give me or her any shit. I didn’t have a choice but to marry her.”

“What the hell does that mean? You’re Creed fucking Ferraro. Nobody makes you do anything,” Dre remarks.

“It was solely my decision, but…necessary.”

“Is she knocked up?” Tristan asks.

“No, she’s not knocked up,” I reply, then decide to quickly change the subject, since I like the idea of putting my baby in her way too much, and we haven’t even had sex yet. “The reason I’m telling you this now is so you’ll understand why I can’t marry Stella Rovina, but I don’t want Emilio to know about Zara yet. Which means I need one of you to agree to marry Stella instead.”

“Whoa, buddy! Didn’t see that one coming,” Tristan chuckles. “Hell yeah, I’ll let the viper bitch sink her fangs in me any day of the week.”

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Dre grumbles. “Her fangs aren’t going anywhere near you.”

“So does that mean you’re in, Dre?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’ll do it,” Dre says with a heavy sigh.

“I’m sure Stella will love your enthusiasm.”

“Could you at least tell mewhyI have to marry her?”

“We need to distract Emilio, and the best way to do that is by promising his family an alliance with ours. There may or may never be a wedding.”

“So, I’m just supposed to pretend that I’m going to marry Stella?”

“For now,” I reply.

“Fine.”

“Try to find her tonight and see how she’s doing,” I order him. “I’m sure she’s also worried about her brother.”

“That viper bitch probably hopes Izaiah is dead so she can move up a notch in the family succession line,” Tristan remarks.

“How far do you think we’ll have to take this distraction?” Dre asks.

“I don’t know yet,” I admit. “But set a date. Pick out a cake, start planning that shit anyway.”

Focusing on the wedding will give Emilio something to think about other than his missing son. And keep the heat off our family.

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