A stone church loomed beside us—tall, solemn, and gothic, its stained glass dark at this late hour. A wrought-iron sign near the street read: Church of the Guardian Angel.
I still didn’t know why we were attending midnight mass.
Without a word, Nik stepped out of the car, circled all the way around the vehicle, and opened my door like this was all perfectly normal.
He offered me his hand.
I took it, stepping out slowly. My dress caught the breeze, and I shivered from the lack of my coat.
As he guided me up the stairs and into the narthex of the church, everything in me suddenly went on high alert. The vaulted ceilings, the scent of old incense, the flicker of candlelight in red glass—all of this was too…sacred.
And Nik didn’t strike me as a religious man.
So why were we in a church?
A man stepped out from one of the alcoves to greet us. He was tall, mostly silver-haired, and he exuded quiet power in an impeccably cut three-piece suit.
“Nik,” the man said, extending a hand.
Nik shook it. “Lacey, this is Luca Genovese—boss of the Genovese and Moretti families.”
My heart skipped a beat. My eyes flew to Nik’s face.
Boss? Oftwomafia families?
Luca turned to me and gave me a gracious nod. Something dark glinted in his eyes. “You made the right choice, young lady. We’re glad to be expanding the family.”
“Expanding?” I echoed.
He smiled. “Father Giovanni’s doing me a favor. A special midnight mass. Your wedding ceremony.”
My stomach dropped.
I spun toward Nik. “What?”
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink.
Luca clapped him on the shoulder. “Tradition matters, boy. You know that. You don’t take a wife without vows. Not in this life.”
Nik’s jaw flexed. “Rituals are important to Luca,” he said, not quite apologetic. “He’s like the uncle I never had, and he loves his weddings.”
Luca chuckled at that, utterly unbothered. “You’ll thank me later.”
But I wasn’t listening anymore. I was still stuck on the wordswedding ceremony.
Tonight? Now?
I looked down at my gown—the shimmery silk, the Chantilly lace.
My heels. My hair.
God.
Itdidlook like a wedding outfit.
How the hell had I not seen this coming?
“Damn,” I whispered under my breath. “I really am naïve.”
