Bella extended her hand to me and wiggled her fingertips. "You ready to get married, bestie?"
It was one of the most important days in my life, but I was still scared. Marrying Dante would put a massive target on my back. But I tried not to think about the downside of marrying the boss of the Boardwalk Mafia.
I loved Dante.
And his brothers.
I gripped Bella's hand as we stepped into the hallway. My skin was so slick with sweat I lost my grip on her hand. But she wiped our palms on her dress and didn't say a word.
When we stopped in front of the chapel doors, my throat closed up. Our families were Catholic, so they insisted on a Catholic wedding mass before the reception at the Portofino.
I turned to look at Bella, breathing harder, and covered my heart with my hand.
She dropped my hand and reached into the purse tucked under her arm. "Do you need your inhaler?"
"No." I blew out a deep breath. "It's just nerves. This feeling will go away."
The doors cracked open as the wedding planner walked through them. She beamed a bright smile at me, her eyes traveling up and down the length of my gown, but she didn't speak.
I could see Dante and his brothers at the end of the long aisle. They looked so sexy, dressed in black tuxedos. Our guests were already inside, waiting for me to make my grand entrance. All of the local Mafia families were in attendance. Even some of Dante's relatives from Sicily flew in on short notice for the special day.
The Lucianos were Mafia through and through. Their mother was from Sicily, the daughter of the boss. She was sent to America to marry Salvatore.
Among the crowd, I spotted Angelina and Enzo. They were the closest thing I had to family. After I learned the truth about my birth father, I also discovered I had a family.
Vincenzo knew I was his daughter and sent Angelina to work for my family. Angelina was a Vitale before she married Enzo. I was spending holidays and birthdays with my aunt and uncle all this time and didn't even know.
The doors flew open once more to start the bridal procession. Bella walked down the aisle to Italian orchestra music.
Then Vincenzo appeared beside me, and I latched onto his arm. He wasn't around for most of my life, but he insisted he give me away.
"You're a vision," he said with a smile. "Beautiful.”
I smiled. "Thank you."
As we strolled down the aisle, I felt like royalty. The train was so long that it dragged halfway down the aisle behind me. Everyone smiled, stared, and even snapped pictures. I passed some of the most powerful men in the country. Men who could make or break careers.
The Lucianos weren't just Mafia.
They were like celebrities because of their casino. I noticed a lot of familiar faces, men who ran Fortune 500 companies, politicians, and even a few Hollywood celebrities.
I couldn't take my eyes off Dante when we stopped at the front of the church. Dante was so damn handsome, his muscles bulging beneath the tuxedo. He gelled his dark hair to keep it off his forehead and was clean-shaven. His eyelashes were so long and black that they brushed his tanned skin when he blinked.
His lips parted as he appraised every inch of my body. Like he was internally stripping me bare. I couldn't wait until later for my sexy savage to come out and play.
I glanced at his brothers, who stood beside him, burning a hole through me with their gazes. How lucky was I? Not only did I get to marry Dante, but I got to keep all of them.
My father offered my hand to Dante, and a spark pricked my skin when we touched. I wondered if he felt it because I saw a flicker of acknowledgment in his golden-brown eyes.
"Sei bellissima mia regina," Dante said as he slipped his fingers between mine, his breath on my earlobe sending a shiver down my spine.
You look beautiful, my queen.
I smiled at his words.
As the priest went through the motions of the ceremony, I gripped Dante's hand. And when it was time to exchange our wedding vows, Dante slid a platinum band of diamonds onto my finger. It matched my engagement ring perfectly, the diamonds shimmering when the light hit them.
We didn't write special vows, only repeated what the priest told us to say. The priest finished the ceremony with the nuptial blessing and a final prayer. A kiss was not part of a Catholic wedding. So when Dante hooked his arm around me and crushed my lips with a kiss, I could hardly catch my breath.
