Chapter 26 #2
We make our way to the Suncity Botanical Gardens, and I touch base with Mickey, Sam, and Dean.
All the teams are in place, and the minute the ceremony starts, the raids will begin.
Sam tells me our tech specialist has arranged for the cell phone coverage in the area to be down for maintenance or something, so even if one of Mario’s plants tries to call and warn him, the phone call won’t go through.
Mickey assures me everything is under control and to worry about our side of things. Vienna and I identified all the innocent people on the list last night, and the two of us will work the reception and quietly encourage everyone to leave early. It shouldn’t be too hard.
Finally, I make my last call to Sage. “My dad and Carla are in the penthouse of the Lucky Diamond. You three need to join that team before heading out to the vineyard.”
“Should I tell them why?” he asks, and I grimace.
“Yeah, I just hope everyone forgives me once this is all over. Fucking secrets and lies are going to make trusting me in the future difficult.”
“Bullshit,” Sage snaps. “Everyone is just going to be happy to see each other alive. The rest is easy because we all love you and know you were doing the best you could for this family.”
“I love you,” I tell him, and Vienna smirks at me.
“Me too, Sagey. Give my girl a kiss for me, and tell her I’ll see her tomorrow,” she calls out.
“I love both you beautiful girls, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life showing you with my tongue and cock,” he replies, and I hear laughter in his voice.
“Romantic,” I reply dryly.
“You know it,” he replies before hanging up.
I toss the burner phone into my glove box.
If it’s discovered now, it’s too late to stop anything.
I just have to hope everything goes to plan.
I wipe my sweaty palms down the front of the ugly dress as Vienna pulls my car into the parking lot.
We climb out just as the limo pulls in with the bride and her family.
“Showtime,” I mutter as we grab our bouquets and move to the side to watch as Stacey struggles to get out of the car.
We smother our giggles when her aunt glares at us, but it is difficult.
She looks like a bridezilla. I mean, the dress would be pretty with all those tulle layers if it wasn’t also covered with a gazillion sequins that reflect the light enough to blind someone.
It’s a case of throwing so much bling at the dress, she almost looks like a disco ball on crack.
Music starts to drift through the trees as Mario appears at the start of the trail we have to stroll down through the gardens to the altar.
“Where’s Daddy?” Stacey looks around, and I see her swallow nervously. I’d almost feel sorry for her, but she’s a heinous bitch, so I won’t.
“He couldn’t make it,” Mario tells her in a voice that practically orders her not to argue. Her aunt and cousins exchange fearful glances and hurry to take their seats.
I guess they do have some sense of self-preservation, but they are such bitches that I won’t be encouraging them to leave early the reception. They should have known better than to start something they couldn’t finish. It’s not like my reputation doesn’t proceed me in our circles.
Stacey waves her hand at Vienna and me, and we start our walk through the trails. Neither of us have any desire to drag this out, so instead of walking in time to the music, we move briskly with Stacey hissing at us to slow down the whole time.
When we enter the clearing with the gazebo where the ceremony is being held, all the guests stand as we walk down the red carpeted aisle.
Their reactions at seeing us are kind of priceless. There is shock, disgust, and sheer ridicule, but Vienna and I hold our heads high. When my eyes meet the guys’ at the front, the expressions on their faces promise retribution, and I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.
We take our places, and Mario and Stacey finally reach the front. Stacey has a ridiculous veil covering her face, and Mario lifts it before pressing a kiss to her cheek and placing her hand in Tristan’s limp one.
The ceremony is a bit of a blur as I do everything I can to not stab Stacey through the eye as she stares lovingly at Tristan.
There are no special vows from the bride and groom, just the standard wedding blurb they repeat after the priest. When he announces them man and wife and tells them they can kiss, I have to put my hand on Vienna and hold her back when Stacey throws herself at him.
She practically mauls him, and he does his best to hold her back, but she gets her lips on his, and I see her tongue swipe into his mouth as he opens it to protest.
I cover a snicker of laughter with a cough as he extracts himself from her embrace, and the priest introduces them as Mr. and Mrs. Tristan Maricuso.
The crowd cheers and swamps them with congratulations. Vienna and I are pushed back and quickly joined by Colton and Xavier. I desperately want to ask if they have heard anything about the raid, but I know they are as in the dark as I am for now.
“That dress is hideous,” Xavier tells me dryly, looking me up and down.
“Stacey’s work?” Colton asks mildly as he watches the celebrations.
“You should have seen us when hair and makeup finished. We looked like 80’s wedding rejects.” Vienna leans her head on his shoulder and sighs. “This day cannot end quickly enough.”
We spend the next hour being dragged around the gardens as the photographer submits us to pure torture, posing and smiling like we are all happy to be here. The only one happy is Stacey.
“Seriously, that guy could easily take my place as head torturer,” I grumble when he finally releases us and promises we will take more when we get to the reception.
Stacey doesn’t even give us a chance to talk to Tristan. Instead, she drags him away, looking miserable to ride together in the limo with Mario, her aunt, and cousins.
“I wonder if they will all be able to fit,” Colton muses as we trail after them to my car. Xavier takes the keys from Vienna, and she and Colton climb into the back while we get into the front.
I open the glove box and pull out the burner phone. The only message on it has two thumbs-up emojis. I heave out a sigh of relief and feel the first real smile of the day spread across my face.
“It’s done,” I tell them, and I hear their own exhales of relief. “Now we just need Tristan to keep Mario distracted for the limo ride and let the rest of this play out.”
“We’re almost there,” Xavier rumbles, unable to hide his emotions as his voice cracks.
“We are,” I agree and give his hand a squeeze as we make our last trip under Mario Maricuso’s influence.