Page 77 of Covert
She nods deeply, as if she understands exactly what I've been through.
"If you can promise an end to the skin trade, I can promise you our support."
My shoulders drop in relief. It's everything I could have asked for. It's more than I could have asked for.
"That's all I'm asking. That, when my father meets his end and my brother takes over, ending the skin trade, he's also not battling rival gangs. And I'll do everything to make that a reality," I say, finally realizing that all of our hard work and planning has paid off.
She chuckles.
"I think women should run these things. Five minutes in a bathroom and we've solved these wars."
I chuckle. "I agree."
We exchange phone numbers. She rejoins her boys, and I rejoin my brother. His brown eyes, so similar to mine, widen, asking without words if I was successful.
"They're on board," I say simply.
He nods and surveys the rest of the gala.
Next week, I'm going to kill my father.
Chapter forty-nine
Nikki
Iwalk down the aisle, smiling, head held high. One hand is wrapped around my father's forearm, and one is holding a bouquet I couldn't care less about. It's pretty at least, full of peaches and pinks. Not sure I would have picked this exact color palette, but this isn't exactly my wedding, either.
I do feel the nerves and excitement of a real bride, though. The smile on my face is real, and the angry bees vibrating in my stomach are real.
My fiancé stands at the altar already, in a bright blue suit. Not typical for weddings in our families, but I appreciate his flair. His black hair looks greasy, and he's a sickly shade of white. And a little green. Probably still hungover from the night before. I doubt he wants this wedding any more than I do. However, when his father was killed, it took the legs out of his organization. Giovanni is known for being a partier and womanizer. He never took anything seriously before, especially with his father's business dealings. But with his father out of the picture, it's suddenly his organization, and rumors are he's not handling it well.
My father roughly grabs my arm and squeezes it hard. I wince.
"Don't fuck this up for me," he growls through a fake smile.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Daddy," I reply in a sickly sweet tone. I'm seconds away from being free for good. I couldn't be happier. Angelo, Damiano, and Matteo stand behind Giovanni as groomsmen. Angelo shifts his weight nervously, and I widen my eyes at him in warning.
Our father is a ruthless and cunning man. If he gets any hint that things are about to go sideways, we won't make it out of this church alive.
The music plays as we walk down the long aisle. The audience is full of both mafia families, but no one believes this is anything more than a contractual marriage. I don't understand where the Italian families went wrong and started using their children as bargaining chips.
I stand before my fiance. I have to school my expression and not roll my eyes.
A low rumbling begins, almost unnoticeable under the wedding march music, but my smile widens, almost becoming maniacal. Giovanni frowns at me, clearly confused as to why I look so goddamn happy, but I can't help it.
This is it! My freedom.
As the music quits in preparation for the priest, the low roar of thunder gets louder. Until eventually the audience notices, too.
"Please rise," the priest says, holding his hands out to the congregation. The shuffle of fabric as hundreds of people stand simultaneously drowns out the rolling thunder.
"Who gives this woman away today?" the priest asks, his voice amplified with a mic.
"I do," my father replies next to me. He turns me and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and I have to fight the urge to vomit.
The roar of thunder hits a crescendo before cutting off suddenly. My smile widens impossibly.
'They're here,' I mouth to my brother before shooting him a wink. His face blanches. The priest clears his throat uncomfortably and breaks open his bible to start the ceremony.
