Page 44 of Where Quiet Hearts Scream
“Born ready,” I say with a smile.
“Yeah,” he laughs. “I know that, but are you ready formarriage? You know, you’ll have to at leastpretendto want to stay monogamous, for the first year anyway.”
My eyes narrow. “I don’t plan on straying.”
He tips an ear toward me. “I’m sorry, what? I’ve known you for sixteen years and I’ve never seen a woman hold your attention for more than a couple ofweeks.”
I shrug and adjust the button hole rose in my jacket, then swallow the remainder of the whiskey.
“I know this alliance is important to you but the Di Santo’s are Italian men. Italianmafiamen. They know the score, man. They won’t bat an eye if you take an excursion, if you catch my drift?”
“I do.” I head to the door and rest a hand on the doorknob. “But that’s not why I intend to stay faithful.”
I open the door but Arrow puts a palm to it, pressing it shut. “You serious? Why? You could have all the candy in the world but you’re going to force yourself to only eat M&Ms?”
“I like M&Ms.”
“You know what I mean. What’s so special about this one?”
I don’t reply right away because I’m not even sure of the answer myself. It would sound wishy washy to put my conviction down to a ‘feeling,’ especially to someone like Arrow. But since the first moment I saw Serafina, when she slid into my arms on the floor of the hotel lobby, I haven’t wanted to look at another woman. Yes, I have other motivations for this marriage, but if those didn’t exist, I would still want her.
My desire for her is on a tight leash right now. The second I let it loose, she willtremble. And I want my wife to submit to me, to bereadyfor me. Not to run a mile in the opposite direction.
I can’t say any of this to Arrow though, so I settle for a simpler alternative. “She’s cute.”
I walk to the elevator, all the while smiling at the sound of him tutting for all he’s worth behind me.
“Cute?Cute?He’s giving up all the candy in the world for cute.”
I step into the elevator and press the button. “You know, you’re cute too,” I say, my lips curling in one corner.
That shuts him up for a long second, then the words, “Fuck you,” float past my ears.
The church is decorated exactly to Allegra’s specifications. The aunt went to great pains to tell me the ideas were all Serafina’s but I know she’ll have wanted nothing to do with it, leaving all the decisions to Allegra. But she’s done a good job. It’s tasteful and not over the top. I’ve been to too many mafia weddings where the mother of the bride tries to outdo all the other mothers-of-the bride in the family, and the end result is often a cacophony of over-zealous fluff.
A few guests are chatting among themselves but look up as we walk toward the front of the church. I recognize one as Cristiano’s cousin and one of his most faithful capos.
“Nicolò.” I smile cordially and shake his hand. “Thank you for coming.”
He barely offers me a grin. “No problem,” he replies, like he’s doing me a favor.
I return my hand to my pocket, avoiding the temptation to rest it against gun metal. “Is Cristiano here?”
“Yeah. Somewhere.” He rubs a thumb across his lips.
The priest hovers nearby so I make eye contact with him. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s perfect, sir. But you should probably take your places. The remaining guests will be here shortly.”
Nicolò wishes me luck and Arrow accompanies me to the front of the church where the alter has been adorned with white roses and cala lilies.
We stand here silently for what feels like hours but must only be minutes. As the volume in the church increases, I look over my shoulder and see most of the guests seated. Searching for my brother, I see him perched at the end of a pew by the aisle, next to Cristiano. He really has inserted himself well into the heart of New York’s most powerful family. Pride swells across my breastbone when he nods at me with encouragement.
I insisted people sit where they like, apart from Serafina’s immediate family, because apart from Benito, I have no relatives. A few of my capo’s are here but not the entire contingent—I don’t want anything unnerving Serafina more than this marriage already is.
My gut twists slowly. Not with apprehension but with impatience. Where is she? I want to see her. I want to see who I’ve elected to spend the rest of my life with, the person who’s bewitched my words so that my lips claim to not want another human—only her. I want to get this charade out of the way so I can take her homeand start my new life as a fully paid-up ally of the Di Santos, and as a husband.
The wedding night is a big deal in this world. I’m not down for airing the bloody sheets like some of my peers, but I will begin to prepare her body for me to eventually take. I’ve thought about little else since I met her. And though I try not to be too arrogant about it, I have never had any complaints from other women about my abilities between the sheets, so I know I can make it good for my wife.
