Chapter 33: Tirone: Chapter 34

“Thank you so much for the dress,” I whispered over the phone as I felt the incredible softness of the Italian wedding dress fabric Michele had sent me. He’d delivered it to the school, and I had to lie to Laius and say I ordered it. Michele wouldn’t let me tell Laius about him yet. “I wish you were here.”

“Same, topolina. I wish I could give you away,” he said, somber.

“You can still fly over. Your boss has a private jet you can borrow for the day,” I suggested with a nervous chuckle to suppress the tears. I needed him today.

There was a pause. “We talked about this. It’s not safe for you. Neither the Lanzas nor the Larvins are stupid. The connection will be made, and all of your arrangements will be for nothing.”

“Can I, at least, tell Laius about you? I’m marrying him, papà. He is to be trusted.”

“Don’t forget he thinks I stole Madeline from him. He holds me responsible for her death.”

“Trust me, he holds the Larvins responsible, and himself, not you. He doesn’t even know who you really are.”

“But I do know him, and I don’t trust him yet. Let’s see how today goes first. If he proves his loyalty, and that he can protect you on his own, then we’ll tell him everything.”

“Thank you, papà.”

“You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the whole world.”

“Thank you. I really wish you could see me in real time.”

“Do you trust me, topolina?”

“Of course.”

“Then just know that when you’re walking down that aisle, I’m closer to you than you think. Ti amo, figlia mia.” He hung up.

Emotional, excited, and in awe, I couldn’t help the tears. Michele was here—if anyone could break into this fort without being seen, it was Michele Pagani. Even if I couldn’t see him, he could see me. The father I’d always wanted was going to be present on my wedding day, and that was all that mattered.

I washed my face and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. “I’m getting married, y’all.”

As if they heard me, the club girls, all of them, even Candy, the girl whose nose I broke, stormed into my room, squealing and screaming, holding a fortune worth of makeup. Apparently, the wedding dissolved all hatred among us…or they realized I was going nowhere and they had to be nice to me as the president’s wife. Either way, I was glad we could put the negativity behind us and start over.

I wished I could have said I was that optimistic about the relationship among my new family. I was used to Tirone’s darkness and outbursts. His out of character silence and calmness—he hadn’t done anything or even spoken to me outside class since the Boiler—irked me as much as the fresh glimpse I had into Laius’s dark side did.

Today wasn’t the day for dread, worry or reproach, though. We had enough of those from the mob and the MCs and the cartel. Today was a day of joy, hope, forgiveness and love. I’d hold on to those, especially forgiveness and love. I had plenty of those to share with the first man that taught me what love was, and the man I chose to share the rest of my life with.

Someone knocked on the door. “Ladies, are you decent?”

“Molar is being a gentleman?” one of the girls mocked. “That means one thing.”

Lolita clapped with the excitement of a little girl. “Sammy is here.”

“Really?” Laius had said they wouldn’t let her out of the hospital. I’d always wanted to meet her. “Open the door, please.”

Lolita glided—she was as agile as a ballerina—and opened it. “Sammy! Oh my God! We missed you! Come, come inside. Meet the bride.”

A blonde in a floral cocktail dress, a tad taller than I and about half my weight, walked in slowly with the help of Lolita. She smiled at me the second she saw me. “You must be Jo.”

She had her brother’s smile and eyes. I immediately loved her. “You must be Sammy. I’ve been dying to meet you. You’re gorgeous, by the way.”

We hugged, and then she flipped her long hair theatrically. “Yeah, my brother is the ugliest in the family.”

“I can see that,” I giggled.

“Seriously, though, I don’t know what a girl like you can see in a disgusting guy, about two years older than baseball, like Laio.”

“Laio?”

“Mama used to call him that. She was so Italian. I picked it up from her. It was easier to say when I was a kid, and it stuck.”

Cute and definitely worth the tease. “Well, Laio isn’t old, like at all.”

“Ohhhhh….and ewwww.”

We laughed until we were both coughing. Her cough lasted much longer, though. I helped her to some water and asked if there were any medications she should have. She pointed to her purse.

I found the pills and gave her one. “Sammy, you made my day by coming, Laius’s, too, but your health is more important than anything.”

“The only reason I’d miss my brother’s wedding is if I were dead. I ain’t dead yet.”

Smiling, I hugged her shoulders gently. “He’s lucky to have a sister like you.”

“We’re sisters, too, now, y’all. Finally, someone I can call family with a pussy that doesn’t smell like beer and hot rubber.”

I burst into laughter. “What?”

“Don’t mind me, y’all.” She got up. “Bless your heart, Jo, go finish getting dolled up. I’m fixin’ to give your groom a good ol’ spanking for no reason at all.”

I didn’t think I laughed like this in my whole life. “Go easy on him. I plan to give him some of my own tonight.”

“Oooo-kaaaay.” She fist-pumped me. “Yeah, whip his ass all you want, baby. I like you already.” With that she left the room.

The girls seemed to be having a blast doing my hair and makeup. I must admit I was grateful for all their help. My beauty skills were dismal. I rarely wore makeup because of my sensitive eyes and having to wear a wig—conservative and inconspicuous, in other words boring and never sexy—for as long as I could remember didn’t help enhance any girl talents of mine.

They didn’t overdo the makeup like I expected they would have, especially around the eyes. I still had my contacts to wear. Sunglasses on a wedding wasn’t a great look when you were trying to appear normal with nothing to hide. They did a brilliant job with the wig and gave it a bridal hairdo with a few waves and a braid to go around it and hold the veil.

“You look so pretty,” Lolita swooned.

“Thank you.” I smiled, blinking, nerves getting the best of me. “It’s nice of you to say that.” She was gorgeous, and I was…me.

“You look like a fucking princess celebrity.” And that was Candy.

“Thank you…I guess.”

She put a hand on her hip and popped her bubblegum. “I used to think you don’t deserve him, but look at you. Prez, in all his glory, ain’t gonna fit next to the classy teach in the ten-thousand-dollar dress when he’s wearing a dress shirt with his cut on top.”

Lolita nudged Candy with her elbow.

“What? They’re gonna look like a joke,” Candy said.

Okay. Perhaps my optimism was ill-placed, and I underestimated the situation. I grinned at her and gestured at her to come forward. With her bitch face on, she stepped toward me. “You know what, Candy? In a tux, in his cut or in nothing at all, Prez and I fit perfectly. Every fucking inch.”

Murder flashed in her blue eyes as the girls snickered. “What the fuck you’re laughing at? Ain’t even funny.”

“Same as you calling Prez a joke, even if it comes from a caring place,” I mocked. “I hear something like that ever again, things won’t end up well.”

“Yeah, what the fuck you’re gonna do, y’all?”

“Me? Nothing. Hook might have something in mind, though, or perhaps even Prez himself.” I kept the eye contact until I made sure she understood me well. Then I flashed my teeth at her. “Your dress looks amazing, by the way. I can see your underwear. Hot. But, unfortunately, it’s pink.”

“So?” she drawled.

“No pink underwear is allowed around here anymore.”

“Says who?”

“Your new queen, bitch. Take it off.”

Her glare darted around the other girls, looking for support.

“Anyone else is wearing pink underwear today?” I asked.

The girls shook her heads.

“Good. It’s Prez’s favorite underwear color, and from now on it’s exclusive to me.” I stretched a couple of fingers at Candy, prompting her to proceed with taking off her panties.

“You’re a bitch.”

I giggled. Then I held her gaze. “If I break your fucking nose again, it won’t be fixed this time.”

She was about to lunge at me, but the girls held her back. I didn’t even flinch. “Before you escort the bitch who is on cleaning duty until further notice out, help her take her panties off, please, or I’ll do it myself.”

Candy, huffing, yanked her underwear down and threw it at me. It almost hit my face.

“Pick it up,” I ordered.

“Or what? You’ll tell Prez you’re an insecure bitch that is scared shitless he sees another pussy in pink other than hers?”

Another giggle erupted out of me. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I picked that slutty, stringy thing by the fingertips and went over to her. Then, with a huge grin, I put it on her head. “You’ll be sitting like this at my wedding until I walk down the aisle, and if you think about taking them off or ditching, things will keep getting worse and worse for you. I’m a high school teacher, Candy. I deal with bratty teenagers all the time. If you think you’re bitchier than they are or I’d ever run out of ways to keep you in check, think again.”

Her lips pursed and twisted over and over until she stormed out.

I waved my fingers goodbye. “Who’s the joke now?”

Some of the girls sniggered, but Lolita and a couple more looked at me warily.

“I also reward nice girls. All of you are my bridesmaids.”

The squealing returned in no time. “That’s right, ladies. Who wants to carry my train?”