Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Nina
Susanna and I are expected to go wedding dress shopping together before the wedding. It’s happening within the month. I’m not even allowed to spend more time with Luca before the big day since Alek wants to preserve my innocence.
“Innocence,” Susanna scoffs as we pick through wedding dresses. Our mom is across the store, talking with a sales associate. “You’re not innocent.”
“I am a virgin still.” It’s the way of the mafia. Girls are expected to wait until their wedding night. Since me and Susanna went to an all-girls’ high school, I wasn’t around boys that often to tempt me. And besides, Alek would never have let me date. He’s too overprotective.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?” I ask, even though I know I’m going to regret it.
She flashes me a glare. It’s been a couple of days since Luca made his decision and Susanna is still not happy about it. “I mean you stole Luca from me.”
“He was never yours to begin with. And besides, I didn’t ask for this. I wanted him to pick you.”
“Then tell him that.”
“I can’t. He’s already made up his mind. He wants to marry me. That’s it. You only wanted to marry him to get out of Mom’s house anyway. You don’t love him.”
“Neither do you.”
I sigh and shove the dress I’m holding back onto the rack. “Susanna, I am sorry about this. I know you’re not happy. But this is all happening. I didn’t ask for this. I am not the enemy here. Please don’t take this out on me.”
She stares at me for a long hard moment before she huffs. “Whatever.” Thankfully, she heads over to our mom and leaves me be.
After trying wedding dresses all day, I finally find the perfect one.
It’s a simple off the shoulder dress that fits perfectly around my body.
The skirt hugs my legs and only flares out slightly around the bottom.
It’s elegant and sleek. I know if I were Susanna, I’d be in a poofy princess dress but I’m not her.
This is my wedding day and I get to be me for once – not stuck in the shadow of my sister.
Mom loves the dress when I go out into the showroom but Susanna, unsurprisingly, hates it.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her after she crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.
“Nothing,” she mutters.
“Susanna,” Mom says, trying to keep her tone patient. “What’s wrong?”
“I just think Nina looks ugly in that dress. That’s all.”
I roll my eyes. “I think it’s perfect.”
“So do I,” Mom agrees.
“I’m getting this one, no matter what anyone else thinks.
” I ignore Susanna’s sigh to look at myself in the mirror.
I’m nervous about marrying Luca since I don’t know a thing about him but I’m also strangely excited.
I love my sister but sometimes she annoys the daylights out of me.
It will be nice to form my own identity on my own.
Even if it means being at war with Susanna forever.
The day of the wedding comes by too soon. I wish I had gotten the chance to speak with Luca more but Alek forbade it. Whenever I asked him about it, he would say that I just had to wait until the wedding. That everything will be better this way.
But the day has come and I can barely move. When I bought my dress, I felt a flash of excitement but now… all I feel is terror. What if Luca is a horrible man? What if he beats me every day for the rest of my life? Will Alek protect me then?
Will he go to war with Luca when he’s already still at war with Dimitri just to save my life? The fact I’m unsure of the answer terrifies me.
Mom links her arm through mine as we enter the church. We all agreed that it would be best if Susanna was already waiting in the pews for this day. No need for her to cause more dramatics.
Mom and I wait in the entranceway way of the church before the large doors that will open up and reveal Luca on the other side. The man I’ve only met on three separate occasions and in all of those times, I barely got to talk to him.
“What if this is a disaster?” I whisper.
She squeezes my arm. “I’m right here. I won’t let you get hurt. I promise.”
“Why couldn’t you have convinced Alek to not go through with this?”
“Because I can’t convince Alek of anything. We may be friends but he’s in a higher position of power than I am. There’s nothing I could do, Nina. I’m sorry, honey. It’s the way of it. I was in an arranged marriage with your father. We made it work. And so will you and Luca.”
“But he’s Italian. I’m Russian. What if that puts me in danger?”
“The point of this marriage is to help create a bridge. You can do that.”
I can hear the music swell on the other side of the doors and then before I can even react, they’re opening to reveal the long aisle to the front of the room where Luca stands with a priest. At least a hundred guests are in attendance.
Alek told me that Luca wanted this to be a big affair. Show off our marriage. Make a stand.
Susanna is in the front pew, glaring back at me. I’m not sure if she’ll ever be happy about this but I have to hope that in time, she’ll come around. But today isn’t about my sister. It’s about the man I am going to marry.
My eyes settle on Luca in his black suit. He looks incredibly handsome. It makes my breath catch in my throat. The fact that this man is going to be my husband is dizzying.
I can’t move and it takes my mom gently nudging me forward to get me to walk.
Alek is sitting beside Susanna, probably to make sure she doesn’t cause any problems. Traditionally, he would have walked me down the aisle but I wanted it to be my mom.
I need it to be her. She’s the one who’s always given me strength my entire life.
It was never my father and it was never Alek.
Life seems to halt as I walk down the aisle, like I’m suspended in an alternate dimension. But then it all comes crashing back when I reach Luca at the end of the aisle. He takes my hand after my mom gives me away and makes me stand before him as the priest begins the ceremony.
All I can focus on is Luca’s hands. How big and strong they are. How long and veiny they are. He has incredibly attractive hands, I’ll give him that. But that’s not surprising since his face is attractive as well. All of him is.
The sudden realization that this is the man who I will be married to forever hits me hard. That I’ll have to be alone with him. Be intimate with him. It’s surreal.
“Do you, Luca Moretti, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the priest asks.
“I do,” he answers in his attractive voice. I didn’t pay much attention to Luca’s looks the first night I met him in the club. I didn’t know he was going to be my husband then so it didn’t matter. Now everything matters.
The priest turns to me. “And do you, Nina Petrov, takes this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
I can’t help myself: I glance in Susanna’s direction. If looks could kill…
I want to beg Susanna for my forgiveness. As my sister, she’s been at my side my entire life. But I can’t live my life for her anymore. Not when Luca chose me. This is my chance to live my own life.
I turn back to Luca and look him dead in the eye as I answer: “I do.”
The little smirk he gives me tells me that he knows he owns me now.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”
Luca cups my face before pressing his lips gently to mine before pulling back. It’s barely a peck. A taste. A tease.
Yet, it leaves me wanting more.
Luca doesn’t say a word to me as we leave the church. Our guests follow behind. There’s a coldness to him on the drive to the reception. It’s being held in one of the nicest hotels in the entire city.
“Are you… ok?” I venture to ask.
“I’m good. I have a wife now. A certified alliance with Alek.”
“So, why do you sound so…”
He looks at me with those intense eyes. “Like what?”
“Cold.”
“I’m not the warmest of men, Nina. You should know that about me. But I’m not the worst. There are men out there who would do far worse to you than I ever will.”
Somehow, that’s not reassuring.
“Your sister did not look happy.”
I sigh. “My sister is never happy. It’s just who she is.”
“Is she going to be a problem? I don’t like people causing problems for me.”
“She shouldn’t.” At least… I hope.
We arrive at the hotel and Luca holds the door open for me and even sets his hand on my lower back but other than that, there’s no warmth to him. No passion. But then again, this marriage was one of convenience. Not love.
Our guests have already arrived at the reception when Luca and I enter. They give us a round of applause – except Susanna of course. She’s moping at her seat.
Luca pulls me onto the dance floor to start our first dance together. I stumble into his arms but he catches me.
“Are you clumsy?” he asks.
“Just nervous.”
He gives me a knowing look but doesn’t comment otherwise. His strong hands are on my back, holding me close to him. I’m bound to this man forever now. I’m not exactly sure how to feel about that.
Luca isn’t one for much chitchat as we dance. He seems more determined to get it over and done with, like it’s a part of the schedule and not something he actually cherishes.
I glance over at Susanna only to find her marching onto the dance floor. No one else is dancing since this moment is about me and Luca.
Before I can stop her, she begins to dance. Her type of dancing doesn’t fit the style of music. It’s gyrating and rolling her hips around.
Luca stops our dance and stares at her in confusion. “What is your sister doing?”
“I’m not sure.” But I do know. She’s trying to make this moment about her. She can’t stand that this moment is about me.
“Get her to stop.”
“She doesn’t listen to me.”
“She’s your sister. It would be better if you get her to stop than have it be me. I don’t appreciate people making me into an embarrassment. So get her to stop.”
With a deep breath, I go over to Susanna and tap her on the shoulder. “You need to stop. This dance is for me and Luca. Not you.”
She ignores me and continues dancing. No shame.
“Susanna. Stop.”
“I can do whatever I want. I’m an adult now.”
“You’re embarrassing yourself. And me and Luca.”
“So, you already care more about our husband than me? Got it.”
A rush of anger goes over me and I grab Susanna’s arm. “Stop!”
She stares at me in shock before she reaches out and rips the sleeve of my dress down, tearing it. Ruining my dress.
The room goes silent in shock.
I stare back at my sister, feeling like I don’t even know her, before I take off running out of the ballroom, tears in my eyes.