It’s been months since the chaos with Caleb. Romano is still underground, and no one has heard a peep. Carmine doesn’t believe Romano will be hiding forever. Our enemy is planning something—in Carmine’s opinion.
I was able to take my test too. My professor hasn’t gone back to work. He hasn’t been able to talk since the attack and near-death experience, so he took a leave of absence from teaching and hired a temporary replacement. The university let me make up my test due to my kidnapping and my professor being attacked. I was finally able to graduate, and I was able to go to medical school.
But being six months pregnant and pre-labor scares was a no go, so I’ve been ordered to stay home. Medical school will have to wait.
But there’s something else happening in the meantime.
Carmine is giving me a real wedding. Today. I have the dress, the maid of honor, and my father walking me down the aisle.
I have it all because Carmine wanted me to have it all.
“You look so beautiful,” Christy says, as she zips up the back of my dress.
I look in the mirror and smile, feeling beautiful. The dress is strapless and simple and hugs my top until it flows over my stomach, so I’m comfortable. The tulle has crystals that add a hint of shine over my dress’s bottom half. For a last-minute addition, Christy places a real diamond necklace around my neck with a ten-carat blue sapphire Carmine bought me as a wedding gift.
“Jesus, this weighs a ton. Don’t fall over from it.” She clips it in place, and we stare in the mirror at our reflections. “You look so gorgeous. I’m so happy you get this day. You deserve all the good things, Delilah.”
I turn around and hug my best friend. “So do you, you know. I know what happened—”
“—I don’t want to talk about him. I don’t ever want to talk about him. Today is your day. Okay?”
“Okay.” I smile, dropping it for now. Christy hasn’t brought up what happened once. She won’t talk about it, and it makes me worry about her. “Is Ethan here? He’s your date, right?”
“Yeah, but it’s not like that. I don’t want to date.”
A knock at the door interrupts us, and my dad peeks his head in. “Oh,” he gasps. “You look stunning, Lilah.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I’m going to go. I hear the music, and that’s my cue to start the show. Don’t be late.”
I roll my eyes. “I won’t be. Carmine would never allow it anyway.”
Christy is wearing a light purple gown with a long train that drags behind her as she walks away, looking like a goddess. I take one more look at myself; for some reason, I’m nervous. I’m already married and pregnant. There’s nothing to be nervous about, but this moment with Carmine is different. It isn’t forced. It isn’t angry.
“You’re happy,” my dad says out of nowhere.
“I am. I’m…” I can’t find the words to describe it myself. “I’m right where I need to be.”
My Dad holds out his arm for me to take, and I loop my hand through it. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about.”
We step outside the bedroom and walk down the hall. The marble floor is littered with red roses, petals, and candles.
I take a deep breath as I walk down the hallway that will forever change my life. We head down the stairs, my heart skips the closer we get to the front door. They open when Dad knocks on the wood, and I gasp when I see my dream wedding right in front of me.
The sun has set just enough for the twinkling lights in the garden to come to life, reminding me of fireflies during summer nights when I was a child. The rose petals and candles drift down the steps and the stone pathway.
Gianni is standing next to Carmine in front of the gate, which makes me laugh because Carmine says he wants to claim me in front of the one thing I claimed to escape him.
Christy is standing up there, holding a bouquet of white roses while she sneaks peeks at Gianni. I’ll have to make a note to ask her about that later.
While Matias, Victor, Alex, Nicky, and Ivar watch from the grass where they stand, Ryan and Ari are on my side.
Carmine’s eyes heat as I get closer and roam down my body, his attention locked on my belly.
Every single night, he shows me how much he loves my pregnant belly. He gets so turned on, he fucks me to sleep after so many orgasms before he fills me with his own.
“Who gives this woman—”
“He does,” Carmine answers for my dad. “She’s mine.” He takes my hand and grabs my face. “I fucking do. I do, I do, I do,” he growls, kissing me in front of everyone.
“I haven’t married you yet,” the minister mumbles.
“Get on with it,” Carmine groans.
“Do you take this woman—”
“Yes. I do. She’s mine. Where’s the ring?”
Gianni holds out the ugly engagement ring I’ve come to love.
Carmine slides it on my finger. “I still want to get you a nice one.”
“Don’t you dare,” I whisper.
“And do you take Carmine—”
“I do. Always.”
“You two are horrible to marry. May the power—screw it. You’re married.”
Carmine yanks me to him and dips me over his knee, kissing me senseless. “I do want to get you a better ring,” he says, so only I can hear. “It’s ugly.”
“Just like we were in the beginning.” I kiss him again, gasping for breath, my hormones raging and wanting him to take me inside. Why did I want this wedding again? “And I’ve come to love it just as I love you.”
Sometimes, it’s the diamond in the rough that is the most beautiful.
***
Carmine
I’ve waited hours for everyone to leave. Weddings. They are useless. I don’t like them but seeing the happiness on my wife’s face is worth it. I knew it was time to cut the evening short when I saw her grabbing her stomach, so I made everyone go home.
My wife’s health was more important than them getting free booze from me.
“Are you okay?” I ask her, kissing her neck as I unzip her dress.
“I’m fine. The baby was kicking so hard earlier.”
I slip her out of her dress and spin her around, her round tits swollen. I can’t wait until she leaks it. I hear a mother’s milk is so sweet it’s like sugar. And I want to try it.
“I couldn’t fit into a bra. It was too uncomfortable.”
“Good. It’s one less thing for me to take off.” I lie down on the bed and undress in front of her, loving her eyes as they glaze over to watch me. She’s so tiny and all baby belly. I love seeing her body change and adjust for me.
I rub my palms over her stomach, my cock aching and hard. I want nothing more than to slip inside her, but I’m feeling…
Soft.
“I love you,” I say to her, my hands getting a mind of their own as I explore her body. “I love you more than any man has ever loved another woman.”
“I know,” she replies. “Just as I love you.”
I bend down and kiss my wife, easing her lips apart and sliding my tongue into every corner. I’m not sure how long we kiss, but it turns heated and desperate. I lift her leg around my hip without breaking our lips apart and thrust into her. Both of us groan in unison.
“Oh my god,” she moans. “I’ve missed you.”
“It’s only been since this morning,” I chuckle, easing out before driving back in and causing her to cry out. “You’re so wet for me, Sweetling. Is this all for me? All for my cock? Your sweet little pussy can’t get enough, can it?”
Her fingers grip my shoulders as her teeth sink into her lower lip. “No. I always want you. Always.”
There aren’t many positions we can do now that her belly has gotten bigger. She gets winded, and her back hurts, and I’ll be damned if she’s in pain because she’s riding me. I’ll fuck her every day just like this, and it will be the best fucking sex of our lives because it’s us.
I hold onto her stomach, a feral force pulsating through me as I pick up the pace. My sack slaps against her with every hard drive, and her cries echo in the room. The bed begins to rock, and a hard kick hits my palm causing me to stop.
“No! No, Carmine, keep going. I’m so close.”
I lower myself and kiss her stomach, igniting another jab against my palm. I don’t know why, but my heart, soul, and lust all soften, and I begin a different pace.
I’m still dying for her.
I’m still needing her like I need air.
But she’s my everything.
“Carmine,” she whispers, feeling the change.
I need to show her how much I love her. I wrap my arms around her, bringing my forehead to hers. Our breaths mix, and it hits me that my entire life is in my arms.
“I love you, Sweetling.”
“I love you too, Carmine. So much.”
Delilah’s whimpers become more frequent, and her pussy becomes wetter, so slick and warm. I don’t stop the constant, slow movements of my hips. I take my time, dragging my cock in languid, tormenting strokes.
She’s close.
We always fuck hard, and I rarely take my time because I want her so much.
This will be the first of many times tonight.
“Carmine.” She whines my name as her muscles spasm around me.
“That’s it, wife. Come all over me. Show me how much you love me.”
And she does. She shatters, pulling my orgasm from me.
I don’t stop. I fuck her through it; my come adding an extra layer of lubricant. I become so sensitive it’s hard to catch my breath, but it passes eventually, and I keep going wanting nothing more than to bring her pleasure.
She shatters me.
And I’m a better man for it.
She’s shown me even the ugliest of hearts can soften to deserve such beautiful things.
After countless orgasms I’ve wrung from her, she falls asleep before I even have a chance to slide out from her. My entire body trembles when I do, and I watch my cock ease from her heat.
Such a beautiful sight.
I cover her up, kiss her cheek, and roll out of bed, needing some water. I’m a bit restless. My head is too busy with everything going on. Tucking her in, I throw on a pair of sweatpants and quietly sneak out of the room.
A frenzied Gianni running smack into me.
“Carmine, I have a call you will want to take,” Gianni informs me.
“Shh.” I look over my shoulder to check on Delilah. She’s still sleeping. I shut the door. Who could be calling me at this hour? My brows furrow. “From whom?”
“Romano,” he says, darkly. “It’s a video call.”
“I don’t want Delilah to hear.”
“He is on the screen in the security room.”
“Do not under any circumstance allow Delilah to enter that room. If she wakes up, she’ll come searching for me and probably curse Romano out herself. I want this call traced; do you understand?”
“I’m already working on it.”
I roll my shoulders to contain my rage and hurry past Gianni, down the steps to the lower floor to the security room. With a swipe of my finger, the screen taking up the entire wall lights up.
Romano’s face comes into view.
He looks tired, pale, and afraid.
He should be.
I’m going to fucking kill him.
“Carmine,” he greats, when I come to view.
I sit in the large leather chair, and Gianni sits next to me.
“What the fuck do you want? Are you so much of a coward you can’t come out of your hole and face me like a man, Romano?”
“You won’t be able to trace this call,” he says, taking a drink of what I assume is whiskey. It’s a little early for that, but I’d do the same if I were in his position. “I no longer plan to come after Delilah or you. Caleb went off the rails. I trusted him, but he went too far. He did everything I didn’t want him to do. I’m calling for a truce—”
I slam my fist against the table and stand. “You dare call me to beg for peace? After you tried to take my pregnant wife from me?”
His eyes round. “I didn’t know she was pregnant; I would never—”
“You would.” I silence him. “Ryan is proof of that.”
His gaze darkens, and the facade breaks. “He’s always been weak. He won’t be worth it to you.”
“He’s already proven himself.” I slide my eyes over to Gianni, who is trying to trace the call but shakes his head.
No luck.
“What is it that you want, Romano? I don’t have time to waste. I find this call odd and out of nowhere.”
“One of us had to reach out to the other. I might as well make the first move. In truth, I want an alliance. I want us to rule together. If we don’t, imagine how many people will be killed.”
He’s trying to save himself.
Nothing can save him from my wrath.
I laugh, then sigh. “What a desperate plea from a scared man. Never in your wildest dreams. I will hunt you, Romano. I will hunt you down for what you did to my wife, her friend, and Ryan. There is no place in the corner of this earth you will be safe from me. I will never want to work with you. I will never want to be your friend. You are calling me out of fear because you know I am stronger, have more reach, and I am capable of more than you could ever imagine. I will fucking kill you, Romano. I’ll kill you and all your men, dance on your bones, and I won’t bother to bury you. I’ll let dogs feast.”
“I’ll run forever,” Romano states. “You won’t be able to catch me.”
I glance over to Gianni, and he writes something down on a sheet of paper. Holding it up, it reads. “Located him. He’s overseas. London, to be exact. I’ll send men over now.”
I hold in my grin, not wanting to give anything away.
“I’d consider your days numbered, Romano.”
An evil grin spreads across his face, the expression of a psychopath. “I love a good chase.”
I end the call without another word, checking the call is disconnected. “You found him. You’re sure?”
“Positive. I’ve pulled up video cam footage from the traffic cameras there. He isn’t that good at hiding his tracks. He uses advanced technology. We need to make sure we get there soon, or he might catch wind of me hacking his systems.”
“I want him dead by this time tomorrow. Don’t send men. Call our contacts over there and pay whatever you need to. I want this done now. Delilah deserves peace.”
And if there is something I’ll always do, it is to give Delilah every ounce of peace this world offers.
