Chapter Nine
Silence.
This is everything I need before leaving this house and marry Althea.
With a glass of scotch in one hand and a cigar in other, I stare at the big garden that holds the memories of my fight with Althea.
We haven't talked since then, ignoring each other in the mansion like two scared puppies.
I am selfish, but so is she.
If we are behaving like this now, then we'll kill each other within the first week of living together.
A knock on the door makes my spine stiffen, bringing me back in reality.
To the day I'm marrying Althea Seraphina.
I hear the door open and then a pair of heels are making noise on the floor. I turn slowly and meet the same green eyes as mine. I let the cigar and glass on the table as the girl starts running towards me.
I catch her easily and I start laughing lightly, feeling how she squeezes my neck almost in a choke hold.
"Hi, Emmeline." I greet my sister with a smile on my
face.
"Hi, Ev." She snuggles deeper in my arms. Her nickname for me making my heart skip a beat.
"You missed your big brother?" I tease her.
"Never." She replies, but I can feel her smile on my neck.
We stay like this for another five minutes, and then I let her down.
Emmeline is a replica of my mother. Black hair with natural brownish highlights, green eyes, small but not too small lips.
My little sister who doesn't look so little anymore. Her face is more mature, her body changed. Even her voice is more feminine.
She wears a sleeveless black dress, with a generous crack on her leg that fits her like a second skin, leaving your imagination to run free.
"What are you wearing?"
"Oh my God, I'm not even back for a day and you and dad are already overprotective!" She says offended.
"You're nineteen!" I say like her age explains something.
"And you're twenty-seven. Are you hearing me complain about your lifestyle?" Her perfect eyebrow is raised.
"At least put something on your shoulders." I try one more time.
"Ev!" She whines. I roll my eyes and raise my hand in surrender.
I kiss her forehead murmuring: "You're beautiful, Em."
She smiles up at me and hugs me again.
The last time we saw each other was two years ago, when she left to compete with her horses in Europe for
Equestrianism.
I see tears coming in her eyes and I frown.
"What's wrong, Em?" I gently touch her hand.
"I can't believe I wasn't here when she died. You were alone and I was away, and now you're getting married."
"I wasn't alone. Hey, look at me. I'm fine."
"Are you really? Because I hate the fact that you're forced to marry Althea just because Keres died." Her angry face makes me smile a little.
"Emmeline," I say her name with authority so she can look at me again. "Marrying Althea is a good choice. She's strong and she'll be perfect in the Outfit."
She sighs and nods.
"You look handsome." She says with a smile and nods at my suit. I chose a black three pieces suit that makes my body huge.
"Thank you."
Emmeline takes out of her bag a purple rose and puts in on the left side of my chest.
"Venus's orders." I nod shortly.
Venus takes her role as a maid of honor very seriously.
Another knock on the door interrupts us, and I see Ivan entering the room in his grey suit and black ear pads in his ears.
"Mr. Luciano wants to have a word with you, sir."
I breathe loudly and nod at Ivan to bring him in.
"This is my time to leave. See you at the church, Beast." Emmeline kisses my cheek.
"Are you here for the wedding or are you staying?" I ask my sister.
"I'm back home, Ev." She smiles and leaves.
I turn to the table and see my cigar burn out. I throw it in the trash and drink the last few sips of scotch.
The door opens and I'm ready to face my father-in-law.
What does he want now?
I turn again and I freeze.
A small boy with light brown hair and blue eyes looks at me venomously.
He doesn't look older than five, and his face looks too familiar.
Like Hanibal.
Like Keres.
In front of me is Vincent Fabiano Luciano. The heir of The Famiglia.
Hanibal's bastard, but his proudest joy.
"è lui quello giusto?" He asks his bodyguard.
"Sì." That's all he says, and then the little boy comes towards me with big steps.
"Are you the man who takes my sister away from me?" His voice is fearless, and he looks ready to kill me. His British accent just like his father's.
God, he has Althea's personality.
"I'm not taking her away from you." Vincent looks at me with a frown.
"Don't interrupt me." And he smacks my leg. "I heard from ones of Papa's friends that you are bad and a beast. If you hurt Thea, I will a-ani-" Vincent looks back at his bodyguard, angry because he can't pronounce the word.
"Annihilate." He says quickly and Vincent points his little finger at his bodyguard.
"That! I will do that to you."
I refuse to believe that I'm speechless because of a four or five-year old.
"Your sister is safe with me, I promise." A deja vu
appears in my mind. This moment is exactly like the moment I promised Althea that I would take care of Keres. Another promise, but this time I will die before breaking it.
"My sister says that promises are useless." I lower myself onto one knee and I look his blue eyes.
"And your sister is right, but I will take care of her. For you." I say the words with authority.
"I don't like you." Vincent points the obvious.
"You will." I say with a smile.
"Keep dreaming." And he turns and leaves.
I look at the door, still speechless and Ivan shakes his head with a little smirk.
"That boy is your fiancé’s replica." I nod and say nothing.
Because it's obvious that Althea raised Vincent.
"Are you ready, sir?" I look at him and nod again.
It's now or never.
Even if I prefer the 'never' case.
Saints and angels are looking at me like I'm the Devil himself.
The church is full of people who are already gossiping like their life are depending on it.
I am at the altar, waiting for Althea to come down the aisle to me, but I know something is wrong because she isn't showing up, and my mom is not in the front
row next to my father.
I see Allan coming towards me and he stops next to Orion, in my left.
Allan wears a blue suit with diamonds on the collar of his shirt. His blond hair is perfect, and he looks like the groom.
"Your mother is desperate." He says with a smirk.
"Why? What happened?"
"We don't have a flower girl." A what?
"A flower girl." Orion makes sure he heard right.
"The girl who throws flower petals on the ground before the bride comes." Allan says offended.
"I know what a flower girl is, you don't need to tell me the definition." Orion says calmly.
"Then why are you asking?"
"And why is Mom desperate?" I cut in quickly, before Orion gets mad.
"Because we don't have one. Why aren't you listening?" Lord save me. "Anyway, the good part is, guess who she put as a flower child."
"Do we have a child in this wedding?" Orion asks. My brain finally gets what Allan is trying to say, and I start smirking, feeling how my mood is rising.
"Vincent." I say devilish.
"Vincent Fabiano Luciano." Allan laughs too.
Seeing Vincent with a flower crown on his head and throwing petals on the floor is going to be my favorite part of this damn wedding.
The doors are open and silence is taking up the church.
Vincent appears out of nowhere, clearly pushed by someone, and starts throwing purple petals on the floor.
I try to hide my smile, but it's impossible. His little frown and angry steps are making everyone look at him
funny.
When he arrives in front of me, he sticks out his tongue at me, and then goes next to Venus, who films
everything.
I shake my head and then I look at the door where Althea and her father are walking towards me.
And for the second time this day, I am speechless.
My breath stops and my eyes linger her body covered in the most stunning wedding dress I've ever seen.
I can't see her face because of the long veil, but I know that my bride is gorgeous.
When they are in front of me, I go a few steps lower so I can grab her hand and bring her next to me.
Her hand is soft and her manicure is sophisticate, fitting perfectly in my big hand.
Before we turn to the priest, Hanibal whispers.
"At least take care of her, son." And I narrow my angry eyes at him.
"Go to your seat, Papa." Althea warns.
He leaves with a smirk on his face, and me and Althea are taking our position in front of the altar.
I wonder what's she thinking.
I know she's not happy, but I wonder if she accepted her fate.
I don't like her, not even a bit, but I want to have a life in peace.
"Dear Christians, today we have gathered to celebrate the union between Everette Keaton Moretti and Althea Seraphina Luciano in the holy marriage." I'm not listening to him. My focus is on the woman who is like stone right now.
Her hands are cold, and she says nothing. She doesn't even move. It's like she's not present here.
Will we ever talk without fighting?
Will we ever trust each other?
"Sir?" I almost flinch at the priest loud voice. People
are looking at me with wide eyes, and I look at Allan who is beside me with our rings in his hands.
I shake my head lightly and take the white gold thick wedding ring, which is covered in black diamonds.
Like the engagement ring I gave her.
A memory comes in my head but I leave it quickly.
"I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my enduring love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity." I say the lies easily as I slide the ring up her finger.
Althea still doesn't move an inch.
She takes the black ring and says without stuttering.
"This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion to you. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as yours. With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours." She lies too, but her words are fancier than mine, making hers more believable.
She puts the ring on my finger and her delicate skin brushes mine.
"With that being said, Keaton, do you accept Althea as your wife and swear to be with her for better or for worse?"
"I do." I say loud.
She'll be mine. Mine. Mine.
"Althea, do you take Keaton as your husband, and take care of each other, until death separates you?"
"I do." She says in a hoarse voice.
She's mine. Mine. Mine.
"With the power invested in me, I declare you husband and wife. You can kiss your bride." The priest
smiles as he unites us.
I grab her veil with my fingers and uncover her face, letting my eyes devour her features.
Her hair is laid flat on her back and the makeup is making her face flawless.
Angelic.
Her brown eyes are the most beautiful ones I've ever looked into. The inside part of her iris is a warm brown like you're looking closely at a coffee bean, and outside is a dark kind of brown, like the wet tree trunk.
Her eyeball has a light pink color, which she tries to hide with rapid blinking movements.
Let me see you, Althea.
Let me understand you.
I lean closer to her, feeling her vanilla scent.
I almost close my eyes at her aphrodisiac perfume.
When our lips are a few inches apart, she whispers like a little vixen, ready to ruin you.
"I promise to make your life as miserable as you made mine when you let her die." I smirk and I grab the back if her neck and bring her closer.
"I promise to break these walls around you and ruin you until you're telling me what actually happened to you."
"Until death do us apart." She says with sarcasm.
"You will not get rid of me even after death, wife. I will hunt you down to the deepest pits of hell."
And I kiss her.
And not just a peck, as I planned.
I devour her mouth like it's my last meal.
I force her lips to part to reveal every corner of her sarcastic mouth.
When her lips part to let out a small gasp, I connect my tongue with hers, until everything becomes too erotic
and the world has to look away.
Her angry tongue licks my lips in a painful way and I feel how my cock is hard as a rock. We break up suddenly when we hear a small whistle.
My eyes and Althea's are connected and we look at each other with wide eyes. Her nude lipstick is spread over her mouth, her lips are swollen and red, and her breathing is ragged.
Althea wipes her mouth angrily, and the priest announces with a strong voice that echoes throughout the church the words that make the beast in me thirsty.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Moretti."
Althea is mine. My wife. Mine.