“Enough. Our men and several loaned from Russo have surrounded the building and are strategically placed throughout the church.” I checked my watch. The ceremony was set to begin in just a few minutes. Good. I wanted this shit over with.
The day had to be perfect.
“Everything will work out just fine.” Montgomery was so certain.
I wasn’t.
There were several reasons for my concern, including that my lovely bride to be had no clue how I felt about her. She’d been tense for the last several days. I scanned the guests waiting for the festivities to begin. It had been a long time since something of this magnitude had occurred in the Prince family.
They were all dressed up, the pomp and circumstance requiring their festive appearance. Yet nothing felt right.
“What’s wrong?” Sinclair asked when I headed to the corridor.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“I know you better than the others. Is this about Catherine?”
“I don’t know.”
He stared at me for a few seconds then burst into laughter. “Wait a minute. You really are nervous about getting married. I cannotbelieve it. I think Catherine has awakened your soft spot. You know, the marshmallow we all knew existed.”
“Fuck you. She didn’t do anything like that.”
“Tell yourself another lie, buddy. Come on. From the day you laid eyes on her you were like some wild possessed man. You weren’t going to take no for an answer with her.”
“I had my reasons.”
He coughed into his hand. “Like crazed hunger. Thankfully, that evolved into something more lasting. Right? If not, the physical side will eventually die out. You know that.”
“Speak for yourself.” I rubbed my eyes. Goddamn it. When was the last time I’d gotten a good night’s sleep?
“So what is it? You do love her. Please say you do.”
“As much as a man like me can.”
“Bullshit. Don’t do that crap. You adore her. I can see it clearly in your eyes. Everyone can. My God. You’d burn down the damn city to keep her protected if it came down to it. Why keep lying to yourself?”
“Because I haven’t told her. Okay?”
He appeared stunned, his mouth even dropping open. “Buddy. Do I need to school you in the act of being involved in a relationship? A little late, but I’ll wing it.”
“I know what I’m doing,” I growled. Like hell I did. I had no fucking clue about a goddamn relationship. She knew it as well as I did.
Montgomery stuck his head out the door. “The show is about to begin. You ready?”
I nodded. The show. That’s exactly what this should be called. One splashy show to impress my sweet angel.
Sinclair walked closer. “All you need to do is tell her what you feel from the heart. And yes, you do have one. You always have. You just tried to shove it aside from fear of getting hurt. You can’t do that any longer, bro. She’s special to you. Why not tell her that?”
A part of me wanted to shove him off, but he was right. “Yeah, I get it.”
“I hope you do. She’s a special woman and do you want to know why?”
“No, but I can’t fucking stop you.”
“Because she can handle you. And she can even make you smile.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
