DOMINIC
"This is insane." Carmine stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror with his open palm over his flat belly. "We're having a baby together and know we’re fated mates. Do we even need to get married?"
I adjusted my tie and tried not to let him see how nervous I was. But my nerves were about tripping over my feet or messing up our vows. I had zero reservations about marrying Carmine. He was the one thing in my world that I knew was exactly right. "Cold feet?"
"No." He turned to face me and shrugged. "Just giving you an out if you want it." Some of the tension left his shoulders. We were getting ready in one of the guest suites at the Ferrini estate.
The ceremony was set to start in twenty minutes, and I could hear people arriving downstairs.
"No outs needed.” I kissed his temple. “And you’re the one who insisted on doing this before you started showing." I moved closer and put my hand on his flat stomach. "Even though it would have been hot as fuck to see you walk down the aisle witha visible bump. That would really give Lorenzo something to be smug about."
"Speaking of Lorenzo." Carmine shook his head and grimaced. "Did he actually organize a firing squad for our wedding?"
I kissed his neck. "He took Cord’s comment about a shotgun wedding literally."
Carmine threw his head back onto my shoulder and sighed. "I'm gonna kill him."
"Not before we're married. That’s probably bad luck."
Carmine looked at me in the mirror and couldn't hide his smile. We were both shocked and relieved when Lorenzo not only accepted our relationship but insisted on helping plan the wedding. Unfortunately, his version of helping involved six armed men and enough dramatic flair to make Andro look understated. I got the feeling he didn’t expect to ever marry Carmine off and was happy to see his nephew so happy.
"You look gorgeous, omega." I ran my hands down the lapels of his simple black suit.
"You don't look so bad yourself, alpha." He turned and put his hands on my waist. "For someone who's about to tie himself to an omega assassin he barely knows."
"I know the most important things about you." I kissed him until we were both breathless. “Like, the fact that you're mine. Really, that's all I need to know."
A knock on the door interrupted us, and Cord stuck his head in. "You two ready? Everyone's waiting, Lorenzo's getting antsy with those rifles."
Carmine took a deep breath and squeezed my hand. "Yeah. We're ready."
The garden was packed with guests from both coasts, and a few people I was pretty sure were there just to see if this wedding would end in a shootout. Considering the guest list, it wasn't a terrible bet.
Andro and Cord both stood at the front with a judge who looked like he'd seen stranger matches than ours. White chairs were arranged in rows facing an arch covered in white roses. And standing in a line at the back were six men holding rifles pointed at the sky.
Lorenzo caught my eye and winked, looking far too pleased with himself for what he’d managed to pull off.
I took my position under the arch and waited, with my heart hammering so hard I was surprised everyone couldn't hear it. This was really happening. I was about to marry my mate and begin our forever together.
The music started, and everyone stood up. Carmine appeared at the end of the aisle with Joey at his side. My breath caught at the sight of my fantasy coming true. He looked nervous but absolutely perfect.
When he reached the front, Joey squeezed his shoulder and stepped up beside Andro.
Carmine took his place next to me, and our hands found each other instinctively.
"Hi." His voice was barely a whisper as he leaned toward me.
"Hi."
The judge cleared his throat and started the ceremony. I tried to focus on the words, but all I could think about was the man standing next to me. My mate. The father of my unborn child. The most dangerous person I'd ever met who somehow made me feel safe.
"Dominic." The judge was looking at me expectantly when I met his gaze. "Your vows?"
Right. Vows. I'd spent all week trying to write something that didn't sound like a tactical report and had finally given up, so I was just gonna wing it.
I took a deep breath and turned to fully face Carmine. "As you know, I'm not great with words. I'm much better with actions. But here's what I can promise you." I tightened my grip on his hands and looked from his right eye to his left. "I'll protect you and our family with everything I have. I'll never ask you to be anything other than exactly who you are. And I'll spend every day trying my best to deserve you, because I love you more than anything."
Carmine's eyes were bright and glassy as he took a shaky breath. "That's not fair. Mine’s gonna sound stupid now."
