Page 62 of Vows of Blood

Her skin is soft and warm, and her eyes blaze when my mouth brushes her knuckles.

Behind me, Nico clears his throat, then bows his head to Sienna. “You look beautiful.” He says cautiously. "Can I borrow my brother for a moment?"

Sienna nods, glancing between us. "I'll just... wait by the door."

As she walks away, hips swaying, that dress makes it difficult to focus on anything else. Tony meets her, a broad smile on his face as he escorts her to our vehicle.

When I finally turn back to Nico, he’s shaking his head.

"Alfonso’s going to lose his shit when he sees her, Luca."

Which is why I’m taking a kind of perverse pleasure in springing this on him. He’s seen the news reports, but he’s too arrogant to think I’d dare go there again. Right now, he believes the story I’ve fed him, that she’s just helping us with our search.

And she was, at first, but things have changed.

I straighten the lapels of my jacket, checking to make sure my concealed weapon isn’t too obvious. "Who I choose as my wife is no longer his concern."

Nico’s eyes nearly bug out of his head when I drop that bombshell, his olive complexion turning ghostly white. “Oh fuck.”

“Indeed.” I smile, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “So, I need you to be my eyes and ears tonight, Nico. I’m about to cause a stir. Let’s see who’s the most upset about it.”

Eager to get moving, I stride toward the door, glaring at Sienna’s stuck-up fucking cat as he sits in the hallway, tail flicking from side to side. I swear, he’s looking me up and down, judging me, and apparently, finding me wanting as he gets up and walks away.

“That fucking cat,” I mutter.

"Has she actually agreed to marry you?" Nico asks.

I don't answer immediately, which is answer enough.

“She will.” I meant to sound confident, but it comes out defensive.

"Luca..."

"I want the helm," I bark, not shying away from voicing it out loud, letting him see the steel beneath the calm. "And I'm going to get it, with or without his blessing. With the support of the other families, with a new wife by my side, and soon, with the shooter buried in the fucking ground, nobody, not even Alfonso Calvano will be able to stop me."

Nico sighs, knowing that it’s true. Even without my father’s blessing, most of the families want change. If he goes back on his assurances he’ll stand down willingly this year, they’ll force his hand anyway.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He shrugs his shoulders, rolling them back to loosen them up. “If this gets us all killed, I’m blaming you.”

"Noted.”

Outside, I yank open the back door, nod at Tony over the roof of the car, and slide in, getting my game face on ahead of the party that might be the deciding factor whether this plan comes together or falls apart.

It’s a test for both of us.

The partition is up, giving us privacy. Sienna sits beside me, close enough that I can smell her perfume, the one I always loved, her hands folded gracefully in her lap. My gaze lands on her bare ring finger, something I plan to remedy very soon.

"Most of the people at this party will attend the wedding," I say, forcing myself to focus. "So think of it as a dry run."

She turns to look at me, eyebrows raised. "The wedding that may or may not be happening?"

"Oh, the wedding that is definitely happening." My reply is lighthearted but firm. "Three hundred guests. St. Michael's Cathedral for the ceremony, then the reception at the Langham."

Her eyes widen. "Three hundred people?"

"Give or take. Most of them are business associates, other Italian families, with whom we work together in various guises. My father is the head of all the families, leader of the commission, Capo dei Capi."

Twisting to face her, I give her the Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia, Italian version, in two minutes flat.