The Vatican - M.E. Clayton Page 0,28

a whore trolling for cock.”

Saveria didn’t even flinch. “That’s the look I was going for, so I guess it worked, huh?” I grabbed her by her arm and dragged her into the club manager’s office.

Marguerite startled when she saw us. “Get out!” I roared, and she quickly rushed towards the door, closing, and locking it behind her. I had Saveria slammed up against the wall, angry enough not to care if she tried to kill me as a result of my manhandling.

“I’m giving you some leeway, Fiore, because I understand why you’re upset,” I told her. “But I will not put up with your shit for much longer.”

“Don’t make me marry you, and you won’t have to put up with it at all,” she pointed out.

All’s fair in love and war, and I was playing to win. “Do I have to stick my fingers in that tight pussy of yours again to remind you of all the reasons it’s worth it to marry you?” I asked cruelly.

“Fuck you, Benetti!” Saveria went for the jewels, but I saw it coming.

Uncle Ciro’s manager’s office ended up looking like Saveria’s apartment by the time Mica came in to get us.

We were also getting married tomorrow.

It was time to end this shit, once and for all.

Chapter 13

Saveria~

My phone chimed with an incoming text.

Benetti: Kratos. Conf room at Dad’s. Tmrw @ 1:00pm

I was getting married.

Chapter 14

Francisco~

She showed up to our wedding wearing a black t-shirt, jeans, ankle-high black boots, and anger. Lots, and lots of anger. Her hair was in a ponytail, and her face was fresh of makeup. She was still beautiful, but her message was clear: she wasn’t dressing up for this shit.

I wore a dark grey suit, but that was nothing new. I’ve been wearing suits every day since I was eighteen. I was also wearing a fresh cut across the left side of my jaw, marking the skill my lovely bride had with a letter opener.

When I had sent a group text last night letting everyone know we’d be getting married this afternoon, Uncle Ciro had sent back a separate text asking me if we were okay. Marguerite had called him and broken the news to him about her office. After assuring him that his niece was still in one piece, he told me he’d take care of Marguerite’s office, and congratulations.

The tension in the room was palpable. Even poor Father O’Rourke was sending up silent prayers for everyone in the room. The women looked heartbroken. The men looked resigned. However, I wasn’t feeling charitable. They deserved to feel uncomfortable. I had a slice on my face from where the woman I was tying myself to life for tried to kill me. So, yeah, I wasn’t caring much if the people partly responsible for this mess were feeling uncomfortable as Father O’Rourke spoke the vows as old as time. Like our parents, we used traditional Catholic vows, and the word ‘obey’ was in there along with everything else.

Father O’Rourke addressed me first, and I made quick work of agreeing to take the little attempted murderess as my wife.

When he addressed Ria, the tension in the room rose a couple of notches when he had to call for her attention. “Luca?”

Her eyes blinked in awareness. “What? Huh?”

His white bushy brows rose in concern. “Dear? Do you agree to take Fran-”

Saveria waved his words away. “Yeah. Sure.”

Father O’Rourke reached out to her. “Luca, I need the words. But if you are unsure…”

Once she realized she was making the priest uncomfortable, she quickly changed her tune. “I’m sorry, Father,” she said contritely. “Of course, I understand. And, I do.” He smiled but it looked strained. The damage had been done, and he had done his best to finish the ceremony on a happy, spiritual note.

After he pronounced us man and wife, I knew better than to try to kiss the bride. We stood there like the adversaries we were, and we thanked him before Uncle Sal and Uncle Leo had walked him out.

The first challenge of my marriage came when the door shut behind Uncle Leo and the silence in the room was broken by the sound of Ria’s wedding rings dancing across the conference table. She looked at me and wiggled her ring finger at me, which still had one of the diamond bands on it. “This band is enough, don’t you think?” she mocked. “No sense in wearing a set of diamonds that beautiful to represent a bullshit marriage.”

Aunt Frankie gasped in