Page 81 of Cruelest Contract
“I know what you are, Tempesta. You don’t love my sister. To you, she’s just another acquisition. A brick in your fucking empire.”
Fuck him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Cecilia safe and make her happy. Our marriage will be real.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
The priest’s declaration cuts through the internal brooding and I immediately gather my bride in my arms. Her face tips up and her lips are ready.
Our first married kiss is not quick or neat. I use my tongue with abandon. Her eager response only intensifies the passion. I lift her off the ground. I grind my hips through layers of fabric until I’m sure she feels how badly I want to skip all the festivities.
Her arms are hooked around my neck. A needy sigh comes from her throat as she kisses me with equal hunger. I’d pay a king’s ransom right now to dismiss our watching audience and carry her away. We deserve to be alone, just the two of us.
But then Tye releases an ear-piercing wolf whistle.
And Getty yells, “If your dick comes out I’m leaving!”
Fort starts riffingKeep Your Hands To Yourselfon the guitar.
Fucking infants, the lot of them.
They all receive harsh glares once I set Cecilia down. A surge of people immediately closes in. Mel weeps and embraces us both. My father smacks my back and kisses the hand of his new daughter-in-law. Tye grabs Cecilia in a bear hug, squeezing her like he plans to devour her. Miguel shakes my hand and shyly tips his hat at the bride.
“Hey you,” a voice says and I look down to find that I’ve just been poked in the chest by the maid of honor.
Alice scrunches up her elfin face and examines me. “Look, I don’t care if you’re some kind of horseback riding mobster bigshot. If you’re not good to my girl, I’ll surely hear about it. And then you’ll suffer.”
“Alice, I’d hate to incur your wrath,” I say. “You can trust that Cecilia will be treated like a queen.”
Alice inspects me for a few more seconds and then brightens when she decides I’m sincere. “That girl is priceless and don’t you forget it, Mr. Julian, or I’ll have to bust out The Treatment.”
I don’t know what The Treatment is. I don’t particularly care.
Anyway, Alice is done with me. She flounces away to hug her best friend and admire Cecilia’s ring.
The thick tungsten carbide band on my left hand is black with a strip of rose gold to match Cecilia’s ring set. Aside from my pinky ring, engraved with the ranch brand and received by each of us boys on our eighteenth birthday, it’s the only jewelry I’ll ever agree to wear.
Getty steps up and I brace myself for some torment. Unfortunately, I can’t throttle him with my bride standing a few feet away. I’ll just have to settle for gritting my teeth and taking the abuse.
However, he’s nearly serious as he watches Cecilia laughing with her best friend. “You could have done a lot worse,” he finally says with a shrug.
“Just don’t make her life so miserable that she regrets marrying me.”
He snorts. “If that girl regrets marrying you, big brother, it won’t be my doing.”
Mel claps her hands to get our attention before she begins herding us all to the dining room. The house smells like garlic and baking bread. I’m told the kitchen has been working on the menu all week.
The wedding party is seated at a separate table at the front of the room. I’ve got Tye next to me on one side and Cecilia on the other. Alice keeps her busy, talking a mile a minute while Tye entertains himself by flipping his spoon into his wine glass.
For once, the banquet-sized dining room table is full. My father, as always, presides at the head. Mel should sit and enjoy the meal but instead she dashes in and out of the room, anxiously ensuring every dish is perfect before allowing it to be set on the table. The cowboys remove their hats and all look slightly awed to be eating in here. Only Miguel, who has been invited to sit down here to dinner plenty, appears to be relaxed as he gulps wine and talks to my cousin Nico.
Cecilia nods when I excuse myself from our table. After a few tries I catch Sonny’s eye and motion to him that I’d like a word in private. He hustles over to join me at the window. I glance at Cecilia and see she’s preoccupied, giggling with Alice.
“No issues?” I say to Sonny.
“Nah,” he says. “All quiet. Only that one uninvited guest and he settled down in a hurry.”
I look at the table and find Matthias Grimaldi’s glacial eyes are trying to bore a hole into my head. His muscled arms are crossed, his food is untouched, and he never completely lost his scowl. Beside him, Angelo is undeterred by his broken nose and shovels food into his mouth like a starving stray dog.
“Move both Grimaldi boys out of here tonight,” I say. “Get them a room in town on our dime. Fly them anywhere they want to go in the morning.”
