Page 191 of The Slayer
“You’re drunk,” she said with a laugh.
“No less true, though.” Nova gave another wide, Tino-like grin as Chuito walked up and pulled Alaine back to him. Nova didn’t complain; he just said, “Think about it.”
“I will,” she said as she wrapped her arms around Chuito’s neck.
“What was that about?” Chuito asked with a frown.
“Nova offered me a job.” She gave him a look of shock. “A real job. He wants me to be his lawyer after y’all take care of everything in New York.”
Chuito was quiet, as if considering it, but then his friend Luis walked up and asked with a smile, “Where’d you find a gringa who dances salsa like that, bro? I was watching you two earlier. Your chica can really move.”
“No,” Chuito said with a glare at his friend. “You’re not dancing with her.”
Luis arched an eyebrow at him. “You let her dance with the Italian.”
“I’ll dance with him,” Alaine said, because Luis had been there that day in the house. He’d come to their rescue without hesitating, and she appreciated it. “I’d love to dance with you, Luis.”
Chuito barely let her go, but he must’ve trusted it was just a dance.
Alaine danced two songs with Luis.
And because dancing with the bride had obviously turned into a thing, she danced one with Marcos, while Chuito danced with Katie.
Then she ended up with her arms wrapped around Tino’s neck as he leaned down and said in her ear, “You’ll tell me if he doesn’t treat you right. Promise me.”
She laughed and asked, “What’re you going to do if he doesn’t?”
“Beat the ever-loving fuck out of him.” Tino gave her that handsome smile that made every single woman at this wedding giggly. “’Cause you’re special, Alaine. I mean that.”
She hugged him, because Tino was one of those men who was just so easy to hug. “Thank you, Tino. You’re special too. Very special.”
“Don’t.” Tino shook his head, the guilt shining in his eyes. “I’m sorry about what happened. I haven’t told you I’m sorry, and you were the first one I should’ve said it to.”
“Today is my wedding day. No one’s allowed to be sad at my wedding. Yesterday is over. Today is perfect.”
“Okay.” He nodded, as if he understood better than most. “I’m gonna try really hard to make sure your tomorrow is perfect too. I owe you that. I owe both of you.”
“I believe you.” Alaine gave him another smile, because she could tell how genuine the vow was. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was a promise to try and that mattered, especially from a man like Tino who, they’d learned firsthand, was a force to be reckoned with when he was protecting someone. She hugged Tino again and reminded him, “It’s because of you we’re having a wedding. So let’s enjoy it.”
And they did.
Everyone.
For the moment, they just stopped worrying about tomorrow and made the day beautiful.
Chapter Forty-Nine
There had been a time in the foreclosure house when Alaine had wondered why anyone would choose crime over security. Then she got married into the mafia and saw the other side of the coin.
It was more than wealth.
There was this entire undercurrent of society that had a hierarchy. One that Nova was clearly at the top of, or at least close enough to be something akin to a king.
Or a god.
Alaine still had rice in her hair, and she sat in the limousine Nova had rented, trying to get it out. The ride hadn’t been long enough, because neither Alaine nor Chuito felt comfortable going too far for a honeymoon, but they did both feel like they had earned some alone time.
The car was beautiful, but she hadn’t appreciated it like she should.
