“It’s what you deserve. Every bride deserves to feel specialon her wedding day, but you? You deserve to feel like you’re a queen. Because you are.” Samirah reaches into her bag, pulling out a large square velvet case. She holds the lip open for me to see the delicate headpiece inside. “And every queen needs a crown.”
“Of all the people in the world I had to be paired with, why did it have to behim?” Azula growls, tapping her nude heel.
“You’re my maid of honor, and the maid of honor has to walk down the aisle with the best man. You can’t be surprised that Declan chose his brother for that role.”
“Speak of the devil and he shall appear.” Aidan’s voice comes from behind me, causing Azula to stiffen. He takes a few steps forward so he’s right in front of me, eyes softening as he takes me in. “Zahra, you look absolutely stunning. My brother won’t know what hit him. If Declan stumbles during his vows, it's not because he hasn’t been practicing. It's because he’ll be too distracted by you.”
My throat tightens. This all feels too real. Up until the moment I put on my dress, I’d been able to keep my feelings in check and remind myself this was a business arrangement between two friends. Once I saw my reflection in the mirror, the walls I’d put up had come crumbling down, and for a moment all I could feel was…excitement. I’d forgotten about the reality of who I was. Forgotten the true reason for getting married today. Instead, I twirled around in my ball gown and let myself pretend I was a normal girl, in the dress of her dreams, about to marry a man who understood her better than anyone else.
I’d never resented being the heir to a mafia. Never wanted to be anything but a boss. That is still true,but I couldn’t deny that a part of me wondered how differently my life would look if I put my own needs first for once.
“Flirting with your brother’s fiancée is pretty low. Even for you, Aidan.” Azula rolls her eyes at him.
“I was merely complimenting my future sister, ‘Zula, no need to get jealous.” He smirks as he moves to stand next to her.
Even with her heels on, he towers over Azula, not that she’s phased. “One, don’t ever call me that again or I’ll feed your balls to our guard dogs. And two, I will not now nor will I ever be jealous of any woman forced to deal with you. The only thing I’ll feel for her is pity.”
Aidan mock gasps, placing a hand on his chest. “You wound me, dear Azula. How will I ever recover?”
“Here’s hoping you never do.” She crosses her arms. “If Declan doesn’t show up in the next five minutes, I’m barging into his dressing room and dragging him out myself. The sooner this ceremony is over, the faster I’ll be able to put as much distance between us as possible.”
“And here I thought you were just playing hard to get,” Aidan snickers.
Azula’s expression shifts from irritated to blank, emotionless, and cold, a façade that’s typically only reserved for the enemies we’ve captured and assigned her to torture.
For all of Aidan’s mouthing off, he suddenly turns white as a ghost, as if he’s realized he’s been poking a grizzly bear for the past five minutes and not a koala. He puts at least six feet of distance between them and tucks his hand behind his jacket, no doubt confirming his gun is in place. Azula snorts; her smug look tells me how much fun she’s having toying with Aidan like he’s her prey.
“Sorry for the delay, Samirah wasn’t satisfied with my collar and decided to hem it.” Declan’s smooth voice fillsthe room and sends chills down my spine. Fuck. He has entirely too much of an effect on me.
“I should have guessed it was her. Samirah has always been a perfectionist.” I grab the sides of my gown, turning so I’m face-to-face with him. My heart races, heat filling me, as Declan’s eyes widen and trail down my body. I can’t stop the smile on my face as I realize his own mouth is slightly gaped open.
“Zahra… You look angelic. God, I swear you’ll be the death of me.” His gruff voice is in stark comparison to the way he places his palm on the small of my back, closing the distance between us so our chests are flush against each other. I ignore all the voices in my head yelling that this is too close—too much for two people who are meant to keep this marriage strictly professional. Instead, I dive right back into my fantasy, where for tonight I’m not Zahra Ahzimi, head of the Persian Mafia. I’m just Zahra. A girl marrying a man who’s currently looking at her like she’s the answer to all his prayers.
“Declan…” I whisper, fully aware that we’re not alone in this room, but wanting nothing more for a moment where it can be just us. As if he can read my mind, he pulls us toward the back of the hallway. Azula and Aiden take the hint and try their best to distract themselves and give us some privacy.
“We don’t have much time, love.” He clicks his tongue in frustration, the heat of his palm holding me steady.
“I know. I just wanted to ask if you could promise me something. If we could promise each other something,” I correct.
“Anything,” he states, without hesitation.
“Can we pretend tonight is real?” I ask breathlessly.
His grip on my waist tightens, as if he needs me to keep him grounded. If only he knew the feeling is mutual. I grip his forearm, holding him in place. Declan takes a deep breath.Then another. He cups my face with his free hand, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. “This is real,” he practically pants.
My mouth waters, wanting nothing more than for him to close the distance. How does he manage to have such an effect on me with the slightest touch? I’m playing a dangerous game. One that’s going to wreck me when all is said and done, but none of that matters tonight.
“Shall we?” he asks, shifting so that he’s standing by my side—never lifting his hand that, at this rate, may as well be permanently attached to my back.
We’d decided to walk together down the aisle, a suggestion he had made after I confessed how much I hated the idea of walking alone. To everyone else, this would symbolize that our families may have experienced great tragedy, but we still stand strong. To me, it would symbolize how much Declan understood me, and how he didn’t even hesitate to comfort me. I nod, bracing my shoulders, as we walk toward the giant wooden doors separating us from the altar.
26
DECLAN
The rest of the world doesn’t exist to me at that moment. It doesn’t matter that this cathedral is filled with thousands of our friends, family, and enemies praying for our demise. The only thing that matters is the stunning woman standing next to me who’s about to become my wife.Wife.And not just a marriage of convenience, but a real marriage. At least for tonight. That’s what she had asked of me. To treat this night as if we were really getting married. As if we were really in love. I’d accepted her proposal before I’d even had the opportunity to give it a second thought. She may think this is only for tonight, but she doesn’t realize that I’m now determined to make this permanent.
I’d gotten to know Zahra incredibly well these past few weeks, and one thing that was immediately clear to me was that she never wanted anything for herself. Or, rather, she never voiced it. Everything she does is for the betterment of her Empire and those employed under her. It’s beyond admirable. For as much as I would like to think I’d do the same, my earlytwenties were filled with selfish moments. Even now, I’m pulled to make her fall for me, pulled to make Zahra mine. And not because it’d be beneficial for the alliance between our two mafias, but because I want her. All of her.
