“I’m not so sure about that,” he says, eyebrow cocked. “You had a pretty hefty list of enemies here, if you remember.”
“I’m not worried,” I say. “I’m getting pretty handy in a fight.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Raylan says, giving me one last quick kiss.
Nessa’s waiting for me out front of the hospital, in her army-green Jeep. She witnesses the kiss, and the prolonged conversation before Raylan and I part ways.
I can feel her excitement as I slide into the passenger seat.
“Was that just top-quality customer service?” she says. “Or does the bodyguard have serious feels?”
“Please don’t call it ‘feels,’ ” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Riona Griffin, you better tell me EVERYTHING right now!” Nessa cries.
“Alright,” I say. “But you have to promise not to freak out. It’s been a pretty . . . intense couple of weeks.”
“I will not freak out,” Nessa says, but she’s already bouncing in her seat, barely able to pay attention to the road as she pulls away from the curb.
“Don’t crash the car, either,” I say.
“I would never!” Nessa sniffs. “I’ve only gotten two tickets so far this year. My driving has vastly improved.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
I tell Nessa the Cliffs Notes version of what I’ve been doing since my apartment caught fire. I can tell she’s dying to interrupt a hundred times, but she keeps a lid on it so she can hear the rest of the story. When I finally get to the end, she squeals, “I can’t believe it! Is my big sister maybe, possibly, actually . . . in love?”
I frown. “Did you miss the part where our future goals have us living five hundred miles apart?”
“No,” Nessa says, serenely. “I just don’t think that matters.”
“How does it not matter?”
“Because love finds a way!” she says. “Look at me and Miko. He HATED our family. And you all hated him.”
“Well, he did abduct you, and try to extort us . . . ”
Nessa rolls her eyes.
“And he framed Dante for murder . . . ”
“Exactly!” she says, cheerfully. “And look how well it all turned out! If Miko and I can get through that, I’m sure you and Raylan can figure out a way to make things work.”
Usually Nessa’s relentless optimism would annoy me. I guess it’s a sign of how desperate I am that today I find it comforting. I do want to find a way to be with Raylan. Without either of us losing the other things in our lives that matter to us.
Nessa and I go shopping on the Mag Mile, popping in and out of fancy boutique shops until we’ve found the perfect dresses for the wedding.
It’s easy to find something for Nessa, because everything looks perfect on her slim dancer’s figure, against her creamy skin and her chestnut hair. She ends up buying a lavender gown with a slit up the thigh, and long, puffed sleeves. It reminds me of something a 1940s film star might wear. Nessa always chooses things that look vintage in some way, and they always suit her, because she has that delicate, timeless beauty that would fit any era.
It’s harder for me because a lot of colors clash with red. Plus, I’ve always avoided showing too much skin, because I want to be taken seriously. But today, still flushed from my last conversation with Raylan, I choose a backless dress in a rich, dark teal. The cool silk flows around my body, caressing my skin.
“Oh my god!” Nessa says, when she sees it. “I’ve never seen you look so . . . dangerous.”
“Is it too much for a wedding?” I ask her.
“No! You have to buy it. It’s the best you’ve ever looked.”
I buy the dress, not worried that I’m going to outshine Simone. She’s literally the most gorgeous woman in the world, with the modeling paychecks to prove it. There’s no way she could ever be upstaged at her own wedding.
By the time Nessa and I have our hair and makeup done at the Asha Salon, we have to head straight to the venue. Luckily I bought my gift for Dante and Simone weeks ago, and even luckier I stored it at my parents’ house. Nessa brought it with her in the Jeep.
“What did you get them?” she asks me.
“It’s a sound-wave print of the first song they ever danced to,” I tell her. “It’s printed in gold-leaf, and I had it framed.”
“Oh!” Nessa says. “I wish it wasn’t wrapped so I could see it.”
“What did you get them?” I ask her.
“Salted bread and a bottle of Chateau Mouton-Rosthchild. Also, gold ingots for Henry and the baby. Mikolaj picked—they’re traditional Polish wedding gifts,” Nessa explains. “I thought Simone would enjoy that, since she’s been everywhere.”
“I’m sure she will,” I agree. I’ve never met anyone more cultured than Simone—she’s a diplomat’s daughter, and she lived all over the world, even before she started modeling.
Nessa and I drive over to Le Jardin, the massive greenhouse where Simone and Dante will be wed. I’m guessing they picked this place because they wanted greenery and flowers all around them, even though they’re getting married mid-November. No one suggested that they should simply wait for summer—after being separated for nine years, I doubt Dante would wait a single day longer to make Simone his wife. Besides that, Simone is pregnant with their second child. She probably wants to tie the knot while it’s still easy to fit in a standard wedding dress.
Even though it’s getting colder by the minute, Raylan is waiting outside for me. He grins as we pull up, excited to show me what he looks like in an actual tux.
He should be pleased with himself—he looks damn good. Even better than I expected. The smoke-gray jacket is perfectly fitted, and his beard and hair look blacker than ever by contrast. His blue eyes have taken on a steel-colored cast under the gray autumn sky.
He takes my arm, looking me up and down with obvious appreciation.
“Goddamn, woman,” he says. “Just when I think you couldn’t impress me any more than you already have, you come out of that car and blow my fucking mind.”
“You clean up pretty nice yourself,” I say. “Where’s your boots?”
Raylan grins. “In the car. Don’t tempt me, or I’ll go and grab ‘em.”
The interior of the greenhouse is lush and humid, though not uncomfortably so. Flowers and vines run across the trellis overhead, entwined with fairy lights. A bearded cellist plays a cover of All of Me.
All of Me — Brooklyn Duo (Spotify)
All of Me — Brooklyn Duo (Apple)
An iron archway marks the place where Dante and Simone will be wed. The arch is woven with greenery and cream-colored flowers: orchids, peonies, and roses.
Raylan and I take a seat on the groom’s side of the aisle. We’re sitting behind Enzo Gallo, the patriarch of the Gallo family, and Aida and Callum. I can see little Miles Griffin peeking over Callum’s shoulder. He’s been pacified with a soother stuffed in his mouth, but his gray eyes still look furious and his dark hair sticks up in all directions.
Aida turns around to whisper, “Hi!” She squeezes my knee as we sit down. I can see her looking Raylan over with great curiosity.