56. Love, Loyalty, Friendship
56
LOVE, LOYALTY, FRIENDSHIP
RORY
“ I don’t have any white dresses, I’m sorry!” Reagan tears through her closet once more. Articles of clothing fall to the floor the more fiercely she looks through them.
“It’s okay,” I reassure her, but she won’t be diverted from her task. “I can wear this.”
Reagan freezes, turning slowly, with a slow perusal of my body from the bottom up.I cringe when her eyes finally lift to mine. I’m completely aware that I’m still in Aidan’s boxers and faded Breakers sweatshirt.
“We may be under the wire, but we’re not desperate, Rory,” she huffs, turning back to her closet and pouting at it.
A knock comes at the door and I can’t help but jump, the tension in my body coiled tight.
“Not to rush you ladies, but Father Lucent is waiting.”I recognize the sound of Liam’s voice through the door.
Reagan swears, diving back into the growing chaos that is piles of expensive fabrics. “Okay, we’ll be just a minute.”
“Reagan…” Liam warns, his tone skeptical.
“Like ten more minutes tops!” she shouts. Lifting a shimmery silver fabric high into the air with a broad grin on her face, she adds, “Maybe less!”
After what seems like well over an hour, I’m squeezed into Reagan’s dress, a glittering silver tea-length cocktail dress with thin straps and a sweetheart neckline. My hair is curled, the front pieces braided away from my face.
Picking at the leaves on the single white rose Liam gave me to hold, I pace the small room I’m to wait in that looks very much like a study.
But unlike Papa’s or Matteo’s, this study isn’t dark or imposing; it’s cozy, filled with warm light from the setting sun. The loft’s floor to ceiling windows see to that. The books lining the oak shelves aren’t fancy or leather bound. Instead, they’re beat up, with crinkled spines and some even missing covers. Well-read and well-loved.
A handful of couches and wide arm chairs are scattered about the space nonsensically, as if frequently pushed around and moved. I eye the thick blanket draped over the back of one of the couches, resisting the urge to wrap myself up in it and hide for the rest of my life.
I still at the sound of a knock at the door, and am momentarily relieved at the familiar sight of Alexei’s head poking through.
“Ready Ro?”
I swallow hard, a lump forming in my throat. Dipping my chin, I clutch the rose stem as I walk forward, relieved when my former bodyguard links his arm through mine. I lean on him for support as he escorts me to the courtyard garden where the wedding will take place. Nervously chewing my lip. Thankful for the clear bit of gloss Regan brushed over them.
The late afternoon sun casts a golden hue over the private garden, the string lights making up for the fading light glowing softly overhead like little stars.
I freeze under the attention of so many people. I knew Koen had put a call out to the Irish underbosses, needing witnesses for the ceremony, but I never expected so many to come with such short notice.
Muscle-bound tattooed bikers, dressed in various cuts of leather, line the ivy covered brick walls of the garden. There are a few disgruntled glares, but most of the men look on curiously. Forcing my gaze past them, I follow the cobblestone path to find Aidan at the end.
When his green eyes find mine, I forget everything else. My trembling hands steady for a moment under his gaze, something unspoken passing between us.
Alexei nudges me forward and I take my first step down the make-shift aisle, noticing Aidan’s brothers standing stoically by his side, all of them dressed to impress. My heart does a flip at the sight of Aidan in his tailored suit. The rough-cut Irish Devil certainly cleans up nicely.
When I reach the end, Reagan reaches forward from my side, plucking the rose out of my hand before it’s replaced by Aidan’s hands, pulling me in closer to him. I inhale sharply, my eyes wide as they stare up at him. Alexei joins his brothers, taking up his place next to Liam.
Father Lucent clears his throat, pulling my attention away from Aidan as he addresses the gathering. His voice is commanding, with a thick Irish lilt, and he doesn’t waste any time with pomp and circumstance, going straight into the vows. He nods at Aidan to begin.
Aidan turns slightly to his left, receiving a small ring from Koen, who stands beside him, before facing me.
“The Claddagh is a traditional Irish ring,” Aidan says as he slides the tiny circle, heart facing in, down my left ring finger. Holding my trembling hand steady, he continues, “The heart symbolizes love.” I swallow hard, unable to look away from Aidan’s steady gaze, the only thing anchoring me from running for my life. “The hands represent friendship,” he smiles, “and the crown—loyalty.” His smile grows serious. “I, Aidan Patrick O’Rourke, take you, Aurora Adrikova Kostalova, in the spirit’s name of God that lives within us, by the life that courses within my blood, and the love that resides within my heart and my spirit, to be my chosen one.”He looks me in the eye, lightly squeezing my hand as he continues, “I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. I choose your strengths and weaknesses, and I offer mine to you. I will choose you, above all others, every day for all the days of my life.”
His words elicit a surge of emotion, and a tear escapes my eyes. I want so badly to believe them, but know he’s only putting on a show for our witnesses, for the collection of underbosses Koen pulled together at the eleventh hour. The ones we have to convince to protect us. I can feel Jimmy’s eyes burning into my back. I blink the rest of my tears back, doing my best to maintain my composure as I repeat Aidan’s words back to him, solidifying our vows to each other.
With his ring firmly on my finger, Aidan leans forward, leaving a chaste kiss on my lips. I close my eyes. When I open them a second later, it’s over. Our small little gathering claps—even Koen—as the priest pronounces us man and wife.
Aidan takes my hand, squeezing lightly while lacing his fingers with mine reassuringly. And just like that, my fate is now firmly entangled with his.