“Anything I can do, just say the word.” I reply, leaving the room to find Vanessa.
She sits on the back porch, Doug sprawled at her feet, Rory by her side as they both smile. All I want is to spend the rest of my life keeping that smile on her face as often as I possibly can. If I’m honest, I don’t want to spend another second longer than I have to apart from her. Even now, though I’m only feet away, I can feel the pull to her. Something is dragging my soul to hers, and I won’t deny it, won’t fight the feeling.
“Surprising, isn’t it?” Breaker comes from somewhere behind me, standing shoulder to shoulder as we watch the women through the back window.
“To what do you refer?” I ask, knowing he’s going to give me some nugget of wisdom. He always does. Though he and I are very close in age, his knowledge of relationships far outweighs mine.
“How quickly she becomes the axis everything else revolves around,” he smirks, and I can’t deny the truth he’s speaking.
“It was quite unexpected, yes.” I reply, thinking back to the first day she threw coffee in my face and called me a fucking bastard.
“Not to me. I saw this coming from the moment you two met.” He claps me on the shoulder with a laugh, walking out onto the patio to join his wife.
Wife.
It almost seems small compared to my love for Vanessa. Not that I take the term lightly. It would be the highest honor I could ever impose on another person. Hell, I know I’d be honored to be her husband. It just seems so much smaller in comparison to the magnitude of our souls, long searching for their match in one another, finally finding peace. She is my home, my solace, my sanctuary from life’s atrocities I so often must face. She keepsme centered when I stray too far from myself, something no one else has ever been able to do before her.
Following Breaker out into the cool afternoon air, I find myself taken aback by her beauty. Her face is marred by bruises, and I'm glad Luca paid with his life today. I wish I could bring him back and kill him slower for laying a finger on my woman. But she is still a vision of strength and elegance.
“Can we be done fighting dragons today? I need a nap,” Vanessa says, reaching for me. I take her hand without hesitation, stopping behind her chair to drop a kiss on top of her head.
“Of course, Bambina. We can rest. And when we wake, it will be a new day for us, and a new chapter for Fortuna Nera. It’s been a long time since they’ve had a queen, but I think it will be a welcome change.” I smile down at her, and she looks panicked for only a moment before that familiar resolve overtakes her features.
There is nothing we cannot do together. I will spend my life building this empire, and she will rule by my side, the perfect confidante and partner. My lips collide with hers in a kiss that will echo through my bones for the rest of my life. I pay no attention to the audience around us, this moment is only ours.
“I have faced death and walked away. But you? You undo me completely, Vanessa. You are the most breathtaking thing I have ever had the privilege of surviving for.”
epilogue
“Why don’tyou just take them off?” Aria asks, rolling her eyes for the third time.
“Not a chance. They complete the outfit.” I reply, adjusting my elbow length satin gloves for the hundredth time today.
“You obviously hate them.” She laughs, and I can’t deny it. I do hate them.
“Shhh, don’t say that so loud. If you offend Rosetta on my wedding day, I’ll have to kill you. And then what will all of this time we’ve spent helping you recover have been for? Nothing, that’s what.” I smirk, adjusting them yet again.
“I don’t think she likes me,” Rory says, smoothing the front of her emerald green dress.
“I don’t think she likes any of us,” Aria laughs, tucking a stray curl back into her loose chignon.
“That’s not true! She loves me,” I shrug, lining my lips with a deep red lip pencil.
My ivory satin dress hugs every inch of my curves like it were painted on, the back dipping low on my spine and the train flaring out wide like a cape behind me. I feel undeniably sexy,but the girls are right, I hate these gloves. Slipping them from my fingers, I drag my hands up my hips, smoothing the fabric. I can’t believe I’m here right now. This is a dream I never thought I would find, and I’m living it in this very moment.
Six months ago, we buried my parents. Sebastian offered to help my siblings start over in any way they wanted to, a far more generous offer than I would ever have extended. They could have a fresh start and get their educations, pay off their debts, and finally be free from the world my parents kept them trapped in for so long. My oldest sister declined, refusing to even speak to me. But my brother seemed receptive to the help. He’s young enough that he might not be too far gone to save from a dangerous path of self-destruction.
Aria spent three months recovering from her injuries before deciding she wanted to take a vacation and spend some time with me at the villa. We’ve toured half of Italy, seeing the most beautiful architecture and eating the most incredible food, spending all of our time healing our minds and bodies together as we planned this wedding. Now the day is finally here.
“You look beautiful, baby sister.” she says with a watery smile.
“I can’t thank you enough for all of your help making this day so perfect. I couldn’t do any of this without you.” I squeeze her hand, and a tear rolls down her cheek.
“Don’t you dare make me cry, asshole.” Rory hands her a tissue, and she dabs under her eyes gently.
“Knock knock, are you ladies ready to go?” Enzo pokes his head in through the door frame, his jaw hanging open when he looks at me.
“Are you sure you’re not willing to be my flower man? I mean, I really think you could pull it off.” I tell him, and he rolls his eyes.
