And then there’s my Luca.
My husband waits at the end of the aisle in a black suit that fits like it was sewn onto his body. His long dark hair is pulled back with the leather cord, a few waves escaping the way they always do. He’s trimmed his beard close to the chin again and I can't wait to feel it between my thighs later tonight. The silver at his temples catches candlelight.
His eyes find mine across the room and the gold flecks ignite. He mouths one word.
Beautiful.
The ceremony is nothing like the courthouse. This time the words carry weight. This time they're real.
His vows come first. His hands wrap around mine, thumbs tracing circles against my knuckles.
"I promise to be your sunshine on the dark days, even when the darkness is something I cause." His eyes are bright. Wet. He doesn't care who sees. "I promise to never hide behind silencewhen the truth is what you need. I promise to protect you and our daughter with everything I have." His hand moves to my belly, warm against the silk. "I promise to love your grumpy mornings and your fierce heart and the stubborn courage that scares the hell out of me daily."
I laugh through tears and he smiles.
"I married you because I couldn't live without you. I'm standing here today because you gave me a second chance." His voice drops low. Just for me. "I will spend the rest of my life honoring it."
And now it’s my turn.
"I promise to trust you, even when it's hard and especially when it's terrifying. I promise to be your partner in everything. The empire, the family, the beautiful chaos we're building from every wrong turn that brought us here." My voice gets stronger with each word. "I promise to love the devil and the man equally, because they are both you and I choose both."
I squeeze his hands and feel the band of trust warm against my fingers.
"You were my biggest mistake. You're also the best thing that ever happened to me. The cruelest part is that both are true." I hold his gaze. "I choose you, Luca Valentina. Today, tomorrow, and every day after."
When the officiant pronounces us married, Luca cups my face in both hands and kisses me like no one else exists around us. The room erupts. Massimo whistles loud enough to earn an elbow from Rowan.
The reception flows in champagne, apple cider for me and laughter. Music fills the club turned wedding reception with a joy that feels so well deserved. Persia finds me near the bar and takes my hand.
"Welcome to the family. For real this time." Persia's eyes soften and she squeezes my hand, her smile carrying the quiet knowing of a woman who fought her own war to stand where she's standing today.
Katriana joins us and wraps me in a hug that smells like jasmine tea. "The Syndicate wives stick together," she murmurs.
These dangerous men and fierce women have become my people. Not through blood or obligation. Through the daily, unglamorous act of choosing each other.
My mother sits near the dance floor with sparkling water in her hands and a tentative smile on a face that is slowly relearning what real expressions feel like. She catches my eye across the room and raises her glass in a small, trembling toast that no one else notices. The look we share holds an entire conversation.
Luca's hand finds the small of my back. "Come with me."
I glance up at him and the heat in his dark eyes tells me exactly where we're going. His thumb traces a slow circle against my spine and the corner of his mouth curves into that wicked smile I fell for at the masquerade. The one that promises sin and delivers on every word.
"Luca Valentina, we have a room full of guests."
"They'll survive without us." He leans down and brushes his lips against my ear. "I've been thinking about that glass wall since you walked down the aisle."
The private elevator carries us to the VIP floor. The doors open and the corridor hits me with a rush of memories. My pulse races.
The room is exactly as I remember. Red lights lining the edges. The massive bed in black silk. The glass wall overlooking the party below. And the waterfall, cascading into the floor, blue lights making the water glow. The air carries the faint mineral tang of the falls mixed with orchid perfume that lives permanently in these walls, I swear. Beneath it, the ghost of a memory so vivid I can almost taste it.
"Remember the first time we were here?" His voice is low and threaded with heat.
"Remember? I live it every time I close my eyes. I was terrified and excited. I didn’t know what I was doing." I lean against the cool glass. "And desperate. And completely in over my head."
Luca comes to stand in front of me, his body melding with mine. "And now?"
I look at him. My husband. The fact I got to pick every detail about this wedding makes our union feel real this time.
"Now I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."
