VALENTINA
“Inow pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!”
Cheers rise up from the pews and my heart soars as Ruslan finally leans in and sweeps Ivy backward, dipping her so low that the glitter on her wedding dress catches in the light.
He kisses her deeply to the cheers and laughter of those around us and the soft calls of delight from the rest of the Suit.
Finally, after having to call off their wedding because of me and losing the two rings they had picked out together, Ruslan and Ivy finally tie the knot.
Tears gather in the corners of my eyes as I watch them kiss one another repeatedly, then I glance to the crowd and spot Diego immediately. He’s watching me with a warm, sweet smile on his face and as soon as I catch his eye, he mouths something at me followed by a cheeky wink.
Us next.
Isn’t that an exciting thought?
Everyone around me is beaming happily. Raven and Cassian linger near the back of the hall due to Raven’s hatred of public events, but she came, and that’s what’s important.
Bradley is right up front with his gorgeous girlfriend, Zira, who dabs at her eyes and looks ready to drag Bradley to the altar herself.
Six months have passed since I rescued Diego from the Armenians, and every day with him has been a gift.
Every inkling of doubt he had about whether he would be accepted by those I call family melted away one night when Ruslan faced several difficult choices about re-planning the wedding.
Something I knew Diego could help with since not only did he have connections all over in the bar and entertainment scene, but also, one of the regulars at his old pub had a son who was more than happy to do the music for free.
Exposure pays when they’re young enough and desperate enough to get noticed—though knowing Ruslan, he’s set money aside to pay the guy and his band after the wedding.
Flower petals drift through the air, music strikes up amid the cheers, and Ivy and Ruslan head down the aisle hand-in-hand. Ivy flashes me a warm smile with cheeks as red as the bouquet in her hand, then they’re swallowed by friends and several over-excited puppies.
Having almost completed my maid of honor duties, I step down from the small stage and make a beeline across the hall to Diego.
“Wow,” he grins when he spots me. “You look stunning. Purple is an insane color on you.”
“You think so?” I smile warmly and give him a little twirl. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I love it.” His arm moves around my waist and he draws me in, then lightly nudges his nose against mine. “Can I kiss you? Or will that ruin this masterpiece you’ve put together?”
“Everything’s water and smudge-proof,” I assure him, leaning up onto my tiptoes.
“That sounds like a challenge,” Diego murmurs, and a second later, he covers my mouth with his.
Winding my arms around his shoulders, I arch my body into his while pulling him close and hum softly into the kiss. “Well, later, you can try and test just how secure all my make up is,” I tease him, pecking his lips again. “But first, I have a surprise for you.”
“For me?” His eyes widen. “What is it?”
“You’ll just have to come with me and see.”
“Shouldn’t we go to the reception?” He glances off to the side while Bradley and Zira have taken over escorting the newlywed couple out of the town hall and toward the cars parked out front.
“It won’t take long,” I assure him. “They won’t miss us.”
“Are you sure? I heard never to mess with a bride on her wedding day, and you are the maid of honor. The last time you shirked your duties was kind of insane.”
“Shirked my duties?” I poke his chest as we part. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
“You did go AWOL on their wedding day and lose their wedding rings. It’s kind of crazy that Ivy asked you to be maid of honor again after that.”
“Fuck you,” I snap lightly, elbowing Diego in the ribs. He dissolves into laughter and quickly slides his arm around my waist.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. In my opinion, your abandoning their wedding was the best thing that ever happened to me, so I’m not complaining. You have to know that.”
“I do.” With a dramatic sigh, I loop my arm around his. “Come on, I need to show you something.”
“We’re walking?” Diego asks as we head outside, but rather than leading him to the car, I turn down the steps toward the street.
“It’s not far.”
“Okay, but if anyone asks, you strong-armed me into this.”
Rolling my eyes, I settle into walking beside him while we stroll down the street, and for a moment it feels like we’re just an ordinary couple. Just two people who watched their friends get married. No stress. No Mafia. No obscene gangs or worse. Just two people in love.
“Do I get a hint?” Diego asks after we’ve walked two blocks, though from his tone, he is enjoying the walk just as much as I am.
“Hmm.” As I’m toying with the idea of a hint, we stroll past a new stand and Diego pauses briefly to read the headline.
The front page article is the expose written about how the good cops of New York tracked down and dismantled a child trafficking ring led by rogue Armenians taking advantage of the criminal turmoil in the city.
“Is it weird?” Diego asks suddenly. “Seeing all your hard work be credited to someone else?”
“Not really. I know the truth and so do the people involved. But letting the good cops take the credit is the only option. After all, it was them taking the flak for those poor children going missing in the first place. You remember Bradley said it was all about balance? Give and take? We prevented a dark stain on the name of whichever Mafia family would have been tricked into taking the fall for that shit and we uprooted some dirty cops in the process. In this case, it’s only right that they get to display it all over the news and take a public win. ”
“But those kids. All the ones rescued here and overseas. That was you guys. Criminals have done more for this city than the actual cops at this rate.”
“Because we can act outside of the law. Can you imagine how hard it would be for a cop to make the overseas contacts we have? We can ask drug dealers, gamblers, every strain of criminal you can think of because most have the moral compass to help kids. But if the cops are involved? It becomes an us versus them situation.”
“Makes sense.” Diego nods. “It’s just strange to see.” We resume walking and he tightens his grip on me, almost as if he’s trying to comfort me. “You save people’s lives every day.”
“Don’t make me sound like a hero,” I murmur softly. “We just do our bit. That’s all anyone can do. Hands down, those same people I help would see me behind bars for the lives I’ve taken or the crimes I’ve enabled. I’m only a good guy today. Tomorrow, I could be the villain.”
“A hot villain,” Diego remarks. “Speaking of, have you heard from Tabitha?”
“Oh, yes!” My heart lifts slightly. “She wants me to come and visit her before she leaves for France.”
“She’s leaving?”
I nod. “Her parents don’t feel safe in New York anymore, and I don’t blame them. They want a fresh start and think another county will be safer.”
“Is France safer?” he asks softly.
I shrug. “Everywhere is dangerous. But only New York lost their daughter. But I will go and see her. I want her to know that I’m doing everything I can for people like her.
I’ve known for a while that I wanted to do something for victims, especially those caught up in someone else’s scheme.
I haven’t decided if it should be a charity or…
a fund or something, but I want to do something. ”
“I’ll help,” Diego replies easily. “Surviving is tough for all walks of life.”
“Do you ever get the urge?” I glance up at him, then take his hand in mine as we walk down the next block. “After everything you went through, I was a little worried you would turn to drugs again.”
“You’re the only drug I need.” Diego smirks. “But in all seriousness… no. I never felt the urge. I was too caught up in everything else to even think about drugs. And the hole I was always trying to fill?” He leans in and kisses the top of my head. “I’ve filled that with you.”
I’d say more, but the next corner we turn brings us onto the street with his surprise, so I tighten my grip in his hand and walk a little faster until we stop in front of a currently closed bar with a dark oak wood sign above the door, old windows slightly warped with age, and a heavy door with colorful stained glass in the entranceway.
“What’s this?” Diego asks, slightly hesitant.
“Your surprise.” I smile warmly as a bubble of excitement rises in my chest. “Wanna look inside?”
Inside, a soft awe settles across Diego’s face as he wanders between the circular wooden tables, wooden chairs, juke box, and toward the ornate bar that takes up almost all of one wall.
The air’s filled with the scents of pine, oil, and a subtle hint of smoke, and the colorful lights from the juke box cut across the darkness of the bar, leaving a comforting warmth in the air.
“Valentina…” Diego reaches the bar and places his hands on the smooth, polished wood. “What is this?”
“It’s yours.” I walk slowly toward him. “All yours. In your name. I saw you going through those leases for weeks and noticed you kept stopping here. I also saw you Googling how much a renovation would be, and I waited for you to ask me, but you didn’t.
Because a part of you is still too proud to ask for help.
So I did this for you.” Reaching him, I place my hand over the top of his. “For us.”
He gazes around at empty shelves begging to be filled with spirits, to rows of glasses just waiting to be filled and handed out to everyone who comes by.
“This is mine?”
“All yours. A little mine in terms of I hope you will be so thankful that I won’t be able to walk for a week,” I tease softly.
“You can rebuild your life here. A life for you that we can share together. All it really needs is a name, which is why it’s blank outside, but I have someone on standby ready to carve out whatever name you choose. ”
“I… don’t know what to say.” Diego clears his throat as if emotion is catching just behind his teeth, then he turns to me and meets my gaze. “This is incredible.”
“You talked about how you loved working at a bar. And after losing your job at your last place because of me, I didn’t want you to have to take that step back forever. So this is equally a gift and an apology. You just have to name her.”
Diego glances around again and when he looks back at me, tears gather in his eyes. He moves from leaning on the bar to holding my waist, so I slide both my hands up his chest and rest them on his shoulders.
“A name,” Diego repeats. “I know what name.”
“Care to share?”
His head tilts to the side and he smiles. “Tabitha’s.”
“Tabitha’s?” I repeat softly, and my heart flutters.
“Kind of like a bar tab but also because without her, we never would have met one another. And meeting you has been the most important moment in my life. Without her, I would be missing out on you so… so that’s what I’ll call this place.”
“Tabitha’s,” I repeat again. It’s heavier in my mouth now I know the meaning and both my hands slide up to Diego’s cheeks. “I love it.”
“I love you,” Diego purrs low, and he leans in, claiming my mouth in a hard kiss while he lifts me and spins me around. Laughter bubbled in both of us, and for the first time in my life, there isn’t a single worry in my busy mind.
“I love you too,” I murmur against his lips, kissing him deeply. “How about we skip the reception and christen this place?”
“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had.”