Page 59 of His to Have
“Yo!” He answered, raising his voice to be heard over the loud music in the background.
“I need extra security on everything today and tomorrow. Double the detail at the church, triple it here at the estate. And I want additional eyes on all the family members.”
“Something specific I should know about?”
“Just being cautious. Make it happen quietly too. Don’t alarm anyone, especially the women.”
“Consider it done.”
I hung up, feeling a bit more at ease, but not quite at peace, though. This shit was getting out of hand, and I didn’t like it. Whatever was coming, was going to end in blood. I could see that now. But I couldn’t let this news fuck with my wife’s wedding. The next few days were about me and Yanna, and I wasn’t letting anyone fuck that up.
sixteen
Ayanna
The room was in full-blown chaos. Teo’s mother was making last-minute adjustments to her dress while speaking to my mother in hushed tones. Around them, people rushed everywhere - Tasha and Sophia taking turns with their phones, the planner, frantically running in and out with flowers and gifts, and somewhere behind me, the stylist fussing over a bridesmaid’s missing earrings.
“Have you seen a small black tote bag? Bout this big?” I heard her ask another person who was also working on this wedding. I could only assume she gestured with her hands to indicate the size of the bag.
“Oh, yeah. I saw that. Check next to the bookshelf, over there.”
I took a deep breath, letting their mindless chatter fade into the background. The morning had been your typical wedding madness, but I couldn’t even focus on that because I was nervous.
More than I expected to be.
Yes, I’ve known Teo my whole life, but it didn’t make becoming his wife feel any less overwhelming.
“Will you excuse me for a minute?” I stood, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
My makeup was natural, with just enough eyeshadow to highlight my eyes without overpowering them, perfectly glossed lips, and one wavy curl flowing from the bun that sat atop my head.
Shit. This is really happening.
“Sure thing.” My stylist murmured, while my mother’s worried, “Everything alright, dear?” came out simultaneously.
“Everything is fine. I just need to use the restroom.”
Picking up my cell from the table, I clutched it tightly as I headed toward the door. The cool metal of the phone was oddly comforting. Strangely, I genuinely needed to hear his voice. Not wanted, but needed. In the past I’d gone months without talking to him, and suddenly twenty-four hours without him felt like a lifetime.
The minute I was in what my in-laws called a bathroom, my finger tapped on his beautiful face displayed on my screen. There was no hesitation like all the other times. Today it was hurried, but felt normal. And needed.
“Amore.” His voice came through immediately.
“I needed to hear your voice,” I said without preamble. “I miss you.”
The words came out more vulnerable than I intended. Maybe I sounded weak. No, not weak, but needy. And for once, I didn’t care.
“I miss you too, baby. You sound stressed.”
“I am. This is... a lot.”
No more than the words left my mouth was he video calling me. His light caramel face filled my screen, and his dark curls sat behind his tapered line up.
“Let me see your face, Yanna.” He demanded.
Again, there was no hesitation when I answered. “Hey, you.”
He said nothing for a long while, just let his eyes devour me, looking at me like he wanted to consume me through the phone screen. His eyes moved over my face with that intensity that always made my stomach flip. And when he licked his lips...Dear God.
