"No. But I will be." I met his gaze, and despite everything, my heart lifted. "I just realized you're not going to die for marrying me." Then doubt flickered. "You're not backing out, are you?"
Quentin smiled, his eyes warm despite the night's trauma. "Julia. Honestly, when it comes to you, I never had a choice. You were always the one. Tomorrow, we're getting married for real."
I smiled through tears. "I like honesty."
"Good. You're stuck with me now."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
We drove through the dark New York streets, toward the hotel, toward tomorrow.
Toward our wedding day.
And despite the heartbreak, despite the betrayal, despite everything—I felt something I hadn't expected.
Hope.
Tomorrow, we'd get married.
Tomorrow, we'd celebrate.
Tomorrow, we'd start building something good.
Out of the ashes of what we'd lost, we'd create something better.
Together.
Chapter 40
Julia
The ceremony was perfect.
Actually perfect. Not "perfect for a wedding where half the guests knew the bride's aunt had murdered her father and been exiled the night before" perfect, but genuinely, tearfully, beautifully perfect.
I'd walked down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon, Carlo giving me away with tears in his eyes. Quentin had looked at me like I was the only person in the world. Our vows had made half the room cry.
And when the priest said, "You may kiss the bride," Quentin had dipped me dramatically, kissed me thoroughly, and whispered, "We did it. We actually did it."
"Don't sound so surprised," I'd whispered back.
"I'm mostly surprised we're both still alive."
"The day's not over."
"Optimist."
Now, at the reception, we'd eaten and celebrated. The Vanetti family mixing with the Russo family. Emilio and Gina charming Carlo and Vinny with stories about the legitimate hotel business, about expansion plans and interior designers and things that had nothing to do with the world we'd grown upin. Uncle Riccardo speaking quietly with some of the older Russo relatives, finding common ground in memories of New York before everything changed.
An alliance forged not in strategy, but in something real.
Love.
Complicated, messy, possibly-still-dangerous-given-our-world love, but love nonetheless.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the DJ announced, "It's time for the bride and groom's first dance!"
