Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
DOMINIC
T here’s blood on my hands. There’s no denying that. I have a criminal record as long as my arm and have committed atrocities that would see me locked up forever if they could ever be proven.
Am I a bad man?
Some would say so, absolutely.
I may not have chosen this life, instead having had it thrust upon me, wholly unwanted. Still, that doesn’t make me blameless. It doesn’t matter that it was a case of dog-eat-dog. Nor that those I’ve killed were equally barbaric and–in my own opinion–considerably worse. It doesn’t matter that the family is not something you walk away from with your life, so to live, you have to keep the faith, no matter what that faith entails.
But I meant every word I said to Roisin. Having a wife and child brings with it a remarkable amount of clarity and having witnessed my own mortality up close and personal… Well, it causes a man to rethink certain aspects of his life, and while I can’t turn back the clock, I can mitigate the circumstances of my future to some extent, thanks largely to the vision my cousin has.
Will we be ‘going straight’?
Not in my lifetime, but I hope things will be better for my son.
Or daughter.
That the risk of bloodshed, the fear of death before dishonor if a child of mine chooses not to follow in the footsteps of their forefathers, will be diminished. With Mika in charge, I truly believe that’s possible.
Except, of course, he’s not in charge just yet. But he’s fully committed to steering this ship in a different direction.
For now, I allow myself to enjoy the day. The pomp and pageantry. The glitz and glamor. And the remarkable amount of goodwill surrounding the occasion. Even Don Salvatore and Roisin’s father, Padraig Maguire, have exchanged civil words, both of them seemingly happy with the bonds that have been tied with this marriage.
We pose for photographs. Cut the cake. And finally, I lead my new wife onto the dance floor, for the ceremony of the first dance, taking her in my arms and pulling her close while everyone looks on.
The day has tired her out, I can tell, and she lays her head on my shoulder more, I think, from exhaustion than from the romance of the moment. Still, I cherish the feel of her in my arms, the subtle curve of her belly pressing against me, a reminder of the new life we've created together. “Did you mean it?” I ask her, tentatively, wondering why it means so much. Except that I’m totally gone for this woman who has just become my wife.
Roisin raises her head and looks at me quizzically. “Did I mean what?” she asks.
“This isn’t exactly a conventional marriage, but you said you loved me. Did you mean it, or were you just caught up in the moment?”
I don’t know what I’ll do if she answers that it was the latter.
She looks at me, her eyes softening as a gentle smile plays on her lips. "Dominic," she says, her voice barely above a whisper, "I meant every word. This may not be conventional, but my love for you is real."
I feel a weight lift from my chest, one I hadn't even realized was there. Her words wash over me, soothing doubts I didn't know I harbored.
"I know our beginning was... complicated," she continues, her fingers idly tracing patterns on my shoulder. "But somewhere along the way, between the danger and the uncertainty, I fell in love with you. With your strength, your loyalty, and yes, even your flaws. Besides, I might ask you the same question. You were coerced into all of this, from the very moment I asked you to give me a choice."
I pull her closer, overcome with emotion. "There was never any coercion, Tesoro . I fought against it, but I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. I was just trying to be the better man. And I most certainly love you too," I murmur into her hair. "More than I ever thought possible."
Her smile is blinding, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, she lights up from within. Leaning in, she presses her lips to mine in a kiss that starts tender but grows passionate as the world around us fades away.
“How soon can we get out of here?” she whispers, a wicked gleam in her suddenly alert eyes, when we break for air.
“How about right now?” I respond, proving that the twisted obsession we have with each other is still very much in existence. Just in a rather more acceptable guise.
She leans in closer, her lips grazing mine, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Let's make a run for it," she murmurs, her voice filled with excitement, proving that life with Roisin will always be interesting.
And I wouldn’t want it any other way.