“Stop it, Dominic.” My grandfather whirls on him. He glares at Dominic. “I like you,” he growls. “I trust you. Don’t make me change my mind on either of these things.”
“Sir…”
“Signore Ferrari, shut your mouth!” The loud voice from my grandfather startles both Dominic and I at the same time. “I know what it is to be young. I am not blind. But the games are over.”
“What games?” Dominic growls.
My grandfather sighs loudly. “You have lipstick on your shirt, Dominic.”
I cringe. My heart skips. But Dominic just grits his teeth.”Don Salvestro, all due respect, but you can’t make her—“
“I can do as I please,” my grandfather hisses. “Do not think of me as a frail old man, Dominic. I am the beating heart of this fucking family.” He glares at Dom. “You think I want her to be unhappy? Of course I do not! But this is necessary for the family. For our empire. “
“Marrying her to an asshole?” he hisses.
“Yes!” Salvestro roars right back. “It seals the weak point between us and them. It solidifies a truce. It turns a competitor into an ally.”
“Christ, and I thought the Middle Ages were over,” Dom snaps.
I tremble. Dominic is either the bravest or dumbest man ever for going up against my grandfather like this.
“You thought wrong, Dominic,” the older man growls back. “The world is still run by kings and queens, Mr. Ferrari. And I am King fucking Arthur. I will do what I must to ensure this family and this empire lasts a millennium!”
He sighs. His shoulders slump a little. “Dominic, like I said. I like you. But I am sorry. Tonight, that girl? She is getting married.”
“Sir…”
“And it will not be to you.” He sighs again. “Thank you for looking after her,” my grandfather says quietly. “I do appreciate it, and I will uphold my end of the arrangement.”
“I don’t want—”
“Do not be a fool. And please remember that I am not one either,” my grandfather snaps. “I could shoot you dead right here. Instead, I am rewarding you. Tomorrow though, this job assignment of watching my Lucia is over. Understood?”
Through the crack in the door, I watch Dom grit his teeth. But finally, he nods. “I understand,” he grunts.
“Goodnight, Dominic,” my grandfather sighs. He gets onto the elevator. Dominic turns back for the door. I step away before he kicks the door open. He clenches and freezes when he sees me.
“Lucia…”
“It was all make believe anyways, right?” I smile, but I can feel a tear beading in my eye. “That’s all, right?” My voice is shaking. “We had too many drinks.”
“Yeah,” Dominic growls quietly.
“That was it, right?”
His eyes narrow. “That what you want it to be?”
My eyes scream no. My lips whisper yes.
Dominic’s mouth thins. He looks away. “Well, then there it is.”
“Yep,” I nod quietly. “So, uh, what do we do about this?” I hold up my hand with the glittering ring.
“Well, it’ll save Tomas the trouble of putting one on.”
I smile thinly. “I meant about us being…”
“Married,” he growls.
“Yeah.”
Dominic shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
“I’m getting married tonight, Dominic,” I whisper. I feel scared. I feel like I’m about to break in half.
“I’ll try and get us a flight for this morning to Vegas,” he grunts.
“Teri and Jimmy seemed pretty adamant about waiting a full week. It hasn’t been.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll be more forceful this time,” he growls.
I wet my lips. I swallow. “Well, okay then.”
“Yep,” he grunts. He looks away.
“It was just pretend,” I whisper again. I don’t believe it at all. But I know if I don’t lie to myself, I’ll break.
“Just two people having fun,” Dominic grunts with a strained voice. He shrugs. “Nothing more.”
“Nothing more.”
He just nods. Before I lose it completely, I turn and rush into my room. I manage to get the door shut before the tears fall.
17
Dominic
Just like that, it’s game over. It feels like two minutes after Salvestro leaves that the movers come. Some of Micheal’s guys do to, to help. And then, she’s gone.
No words spoken, no last goodbyes or any of that shit. She’s just gone. And tonight, she’ll be marrying someone else. I still don’t know how the fuck that works. Legally, we’re still married, right?
I’m back in my own apartment. I’m on my own couch, alone on my laptop. I frown. Hang on. If Lucia and I are legally married, she can’t go and marry someone else. I realize the irony of expecting the mob to adhere to laws, but still. And that gives me an idea.
I google the “Chapel of Love!” Wedding chapel in Vegas and dial the number.
“Chapel of Love chapel, how can I help you today?” A young guy with a southern twang answers.
“Yeah, I’m looking for Jimmy.”
“Can I ask what this is about?”
“Yeah, my marriage,” I grunt.
There’s a long pause before the guy speaks. “I could take a message for you, for him.”
I frown. “How about Teri?”
“Sorry, she ain’t here either.”
I groan.
“Look, what’s this about?”
“I got married there drunk a few days ago,” I growl. “My wife is about to be married to someone else. I want to know what I can do, legally since…”
“Shit,” the guy sighs, heavily.
I frown. “What?”
“Let me guess, man. My mom and dad told you had to wait it out a week?”
I frown. “Mom and dad?”
“Yeah, Teri and Jimmy… I’m their son, Chris.”
“Well, Chris, maybe you can help—”
“I don’t think I can.” He sighs. “Listen man, I’m sorry. I’ll do what I can to get you back what you paid for the wedding.”
“I don’t want the fucking money,” I hiss. “I want my wife—”
“You don’t have a wife, man.”
I frown. “What? “
“You don’t have a wife,” he says again. “Not legally, anyways.”
My brow knits. “Your parents… I shake my head “Look, I was pretty dunk. But I’m pretty sure…”
“It wouldn’t matter if you were stone sober, man. My mom and dad aren’t ministers or justices of the peace, they aren’t even ordained online.”
I blink in shock. “What?”
“They can’t legally marry shit. I’ve tried to get them to stop. But they do it all the damn day long and take folks’ money.”
I start to chuckle. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“Afraid not.”
“And where are they now?”