I take my final steps towards him.
My Abuser.
My Husband.
“Welcome, you look beautiful. Are you both ready?” the gray-haired priest asks with a beaming smile.
I nod, and Dante takes my trembling hands. My throat is closing in on me.
“You made the right choice,” Dante whispers.
He leans closer. “I told you that first time. You’ll be mine forever.”
Bile rises up my throat, and I swallow it back down.
I go up on tiptoes and whisper in his ear, “You mean when you raped me?”
He squeezes my hands tighter.
“You’ll never escape me, Rosa. Never.”
He releases me and takes a step back, smiling to the crowd.
The priest raises his arms and begins his speech.
“Welcome to the wedding of Rosa Francesca Falcone and Dante Pierre Capri.”
I hear rustling coming from the guests. My eyes meet Frankie’s ice cold ones. His chest rises and falls rapidly, and his nostrils flare.
“Rosa?” the priest says, handing me my vow card.
I shake my head and take the notes. “Sorry.”
“Would you like to start with your vows?” He gives me a small gesture, beckoning me to begin.
I take a breath. Dante coughs and nods his head to the left. I follow his eyeline straight to Luca. His face is expressionless. And that hurts more than anything right now.
“I, Rosa Francesca Falcone, take Dante Capri,” I say the last word as loud and clear as I can.
“To be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to worship you in every way–”
I pause and look up from the card to Dante who’s smirking at me. He nods back down to the card.
“Carry on, it’s good. I wrote these just for you, sweetheart.” He winks.
“I promise to serve you. To give myself entirely to y—”
My eyes scan the rest of the vows. “To give myself entirely to you. In every sense of the word. I will be your slave. You will be my master. I give my life to you, and every—”
Blood thumps in my ears, my vision blurry through my tears.
I drop the paper to the floor.
He bends down and picks it up and thrusts it into my hands again. He laces his fingers around my wrist and squeezes. I try to pull it back and he won’t let me.
We stare at each other. A silent battle.
The garish red marks on his cheek make everything obvious. No matter what I do, Eva pays the price. Shit, it might be too late for her already. I have to fight for myself now.
“I’m not doing this.” My throat starts to close up.
“You better take one last look at Luca, if that’s what you really want to do,” he taunts with anger in his eyes as he looms over me.
The same way he did that night.
I bring my hand up to my throat, snatching my wrist back.
He tips my chin up with his thumb. To the people watching it would look sweet.
My eyes meet his.
I chose to fight with Luca.
I scan the crowd–Frankie, Grayson and Luca are all here. He’s not on his own. I suck in a breath. This is my last chance.
“Treasure.”
Dante’s eyebrow raises in confusion. “What the fuck are you talking about? Are you high again?” he hisses.
I turn to the crowd, my eyes landing on a red-faced Luca.
His mouth falls open, stunned. At that moment, the guests all turn to a haze.
All I see is him.
I just hope it’s enough.
I can’t do this on my own anymore. I can’t save Eva, I can’t save myself.
I need him.
