Page 76 of Cruelest Contract
Nico leads her out of the room. Alice makes sure to stomp on Getty’s foot before she leaves.
Getty doesn’t even flinch. He stares at me. “Can we get this over with now?”
I’m not crazy about wandering around in my robe but I’m wearing a full slip underneath. It’s not like I’m indecent.
“Don’t you dare touch my journal,” I warn Getty and march out the door.
“No promises,” he mutters and in typical obnoxious fashion, stays right on my heels.
14
CECILIA
By the time we reach Cass’s study, I’ve talked myself into being nervous. Perhaps Angelo found a way to piss off the Tempestas or maybe there’s some Mafia emergency that will postpone the wedding.
Getty is of no help. He simply whistles a morbid funeral march the whole way and ignores my questions.
Downstairs, Nico and Alice are standing near the entrance to Cass’s office. Mel has joined them and though there’s a smile pasted on her face, it seems a bit strained.
“We’ll wait out here,” Nico says with his eyes on Getty. I have a feeling he already knows what this is about.
Alice’s expression is full of doubt. She remains poised to flee upon my command.
I give her a nod to calm her down and enter Cass Tempesta’s office with Getty breathing down my neck.
Julian’s father is seated at his desk with a piece of paper in his hand. He doesn’t even look up.
Angelo sits in a leather armchair. The pinched tension on his face is very uncharacteristic. For once he appears glad, or at least relieved, to see me.
Tye lounges in another chair and he’s wearing a tux, unlike Getty, who is dressed like he’s ready to be a spectator at a rodeo. Tye will be the best man and he’s already disheveled, as if he’s exhausted himself partying and is now ready to doze off.
A flurry of male voices grabs my attention before I can say a word and Julian enters the room ahead of Fort. Julian’s crisp white tuxedo shirt is unbuttoned and he wears black pants with no shoes. Clearly, he was in the middle of getting ready and is perplexed to be summoned to his father’s study.
We lock eyes and his surprise skyrockets. He wasn’t expecting me to be here. He moves to my side and tosses a suspicious glance at Getty.
“Are you okay?” he says, inspecting my face with worry.
I want to wrap my arms around him and inhale the spicy scent of his cologne and then escape from this room, just the two of us.
But all I do is say, “Yes.”
Behind us, Getty leans against a wall and fools around with a deck of cards. Angelo sits on the edge of his seat, nervous sweat shining on his forehead. Fort wears jeans with an untucked blue shirt and is covered in a layer of dirt, like he just wandered in here after getting tossed out of the saddle. And Tye, the best man, yawns in his rumpled tux.
Finally, Julian’s father looks up to face the crowd he’s assembled. He rises from his chair and walks all the way around his desk, carrying the piece of paper.
“I decided we ought to get the paperwork out of the way.” He drops the paper on a round end table covered with tiles the color of charcoal. Beside it, an old fashioned black and silver fountain pen lies in a velvet-trimmed box. There’s also a small bottle of black ink on the table.
I’m ready to relax when I see the paper is simply a marriage license. All this fanfare is totally unnecessary. We could easilyhave signed the license after the ceremony. But if these theatrics make Julian’s father happy then I’ll play along.
However, I am a little puzzled when Cass also places a small switchblade on the table. Julian’s deep exhale of displeasure doesn’t make me feel any better.
“We can skip the tradition,” Julian says in a tight voice. “We’ll just sign in ink.”
Of course we’ll sign in ink. How else would we sign?
I suspect I’m not going to like the answer to that question.
Cass shakes his head. “You know the rules. Cecilia is joining our family and the mix of blood is symbolic. Your mother did this and so will she.”
