Chapter 113: Chapter Fifty-Eight

Andrei

I was going to murder all of them for putting me through this. My wounds were barely healing as I jumped onto the rope and swung. That was going to hurt later.

Sharp stinging zinged my shoulder as a stitch popped.

Son of a bitch.

I finally made it to the last part with Nixon and Chase both booing their support.

Tex was standing on the last obstacle, a stupid-looking gladiator stick twisting in his hands. “You ready for me, Russia?”

I rolled my eyes. “That depends…”

He hesitated—it was brief.

I flashed him a cocky smile. “Didn’t know your wife was pregnant with triplets!” I widened my eyes. “Look!”

Nixon and Chase both looked and gaped.

Then Tex turned just enough for me to slam my hands against him and throw him into the foam pit they’d constructed.

I hopped off in victory as Mo gave me a high five.

Her sign said, “Triplets! YAY US!” Then she flipped it over. “Gotcha.”

Tex was on his knees. “Shit, I nearly had a stroke. Three? Three at once?”

“I’m praying you have ten.” I patted him on the back. “Never underestimate manipulation or the fact that your wife wants this to happen because she planned the reception.”

Tex grumbled. “Touché.”

I looked up.

There she was.

My heaven.

Dripping in red.

Blood red.

My body tightened as I took purposeful steps toward her, pulled her into my arms, and stole kiss after kiss, ignoring the throat clearing around me.

“You did it.” She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around me. “I like you in a tux.”

“I like you in red.” Our foreheads touched; she was so warm, so pretty and delicate, her hair was down past her shoulders, and a small silver crown rested on top.

The diamonds were real.

I would know.

Louis had them flown in earlier that week.

They were from my family line, the one that I thought had abandoned my mom, abandoned me. The one I never knew.

I was birthed into darkness.

Not knowing, I was truly a child of the light.

“I love you.” Alice clung to me, tears glistening in her eyes.

“Dearly beloved…” Tex started and then snickered. “Seriously, though, is everyone ready for this?”

A throat cleared.

I glanced up as Luca made his way toward us with Frank, both of the men who had “retired” from the families yet watched us from afar like the perfect puppet masters in disguise.

They were both in black suits, fedoras, and wouldn’t you know, Frank had a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

Luca carried a bottle of wine, and Frank held the glasses.

“Hope we aren’t late.” Luca winked at me. “I couldn’t miss my protégé getting married.”

“He also couldn’t miss his tee time,” Frank added.

Luca just rolled his eyes. “It’s important to stay busy.”

“Andrei killed seven people in under ten seconds a few days ago,” Dante just had to point out. “Does that count?”

Luca snorted. “Boy, talk to me when you get it down to six.”

“Chase did just last year.” I jerked my head to Chase.

“Yes, let’s talk about body counts,” Mo said through clenched teeth. “Not just on your wedding day but literally minutes before you say your vows.”

“Mafia,” Alice blurted with a grin. “It’s the mafia.”

“Blood in.” Frank lifted his glass. “No out.”

“Thank. God.” I kissed her again this time ignoring everyone’s protests.

It took another few minutes to settle down Serena and Junior, apparently she’d gone from sticking out her tongue to kicking him.

And he learned how to fake a fall so it looked like he was severely injured. Little faker even closed his eyes.

The ceremony was quick as most Russian ceremonies are; technically you just sign papers and call it good unless you want something big.

And I just wanted her.

“I’m happy to announce Mr. and Mrs. Andrei Petrov-Sinacore,” Tex grinned. “You can kiss your bride… again.”

And I did.

I kissed her with every part of my soul.

With every ounce of blood I had.

I kissed her.

And I knew she was mine, mine without the ceremony, mine without the tux. She’d been mine the minute she walked into my club.

And now she had my name.

A name that used to cause me shame.

That now held scars I refused to forget, and a name that held my future, one where the darkness didn’t stay forever, one where light always came, in the morning and in her arms.

“And NOW!” Chase interrupted us with his loud voice. “We eat.”

I grinned at the memory, my eyes locking with Alice. “You hungry?”

“I’m starved.” She bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes darting from my mouth back up to my face like she couldn’t decide.

“Then I say we feast.” I leaned in and brushed a kiss across her neck. “On each other.”

Her knees weakened as she leaned against me.

“You guys coming?” Tex hit me on the back.

I winked over at Alice. “Yup.”

Her face flashed as red as her dress.

Mo looped her arm with Tex’s.

One by one, the couples went into the house. We were last to go in.

We bypassed the kitchen.

And then I was running, pulling her along with me as we made our way down the hall and slammed the door to the bathroom behind us.

Our mouths fused together with a ferocity that I felt in my soul as I shrugged out of my jacket, not wanting my lips to leave hers.

Alice let out a moan as I tossed the jacket to the ceramic tile and lifted her up onto the sink, my fingers digging into the silk dress that seemed too pretty to ruin.

She hooked a heel around my hips, pulling me close as she smiled against my mouth. “Thirty days locked in a room isn’t going to be enough.”

“I’ll be gentle,” she whispered, her fingers touching a few of the scars roaming my shoulders as she untucked my shirt.

“Don’t be.” I clenched my teeth.

Her mouth found mine again while she pulled my pants open. I tugged a flimsy piece of lace down her legs and tossed it. I’d memorize every part of her lingerie later.

Essential.

Primal.

I almost let out a roar when she gripped me in her hand.

How I went through my entire life not experiencing this finally made sense; she was the only one whose touch was life.

Who I wasn’t scared to share my soul with.

Who made me feel everything.

She moved down the counter. I gripped her hips and pulled her close, as she impaled herself on me, sinking down, taking me inch by inch.

I couldn’t stop my movements; I was hurried as I pumped into her, kissing her with each slick movement. Sensations hit me everywhere as she tugged my hair and moaned against my mouth.

I was so close.

And the only thing keeping me from being pissed about that was the fact that I had her, not just for twenty-four hours, but for every day.

Forever.

“Andrei,” she whimpered my name. “I’m so happy to be yours…”

Waves of happiness rushed over me until I was dizzy with the feeling.

I didn’t want her to.

I watched her face then watched the ecstasy slide across her perfect features. I was doing that. No, not just me, us together.

I let go, soaring high with her, gripping her dress, crinkling it in all the wrong places, making a mess of her perfection.

She rested her head against mine. “How long?”

“How long?” I was high on her; I couldn’t even remember how old I was. “What?”

“How long until we can get back here and do that again?”

I barked out a laugh. “Give me thirty minutes.”

She pouted.

“You realize that it’s only because I’m young, right? Tex would probably need five days.”

I heard a throat clear.

We both froze.

A knock sounded at the door. “The walls, real thin, just ask Vic. At any rate, I just feel the need to clear my name. It’s not days, it’s like an hour, you little shit.”

“Now I’m going to give you guys five minutes before we come barging in there. Time to enjoy your wedding feast that my wife worked her ass off doing up for you.”

“Be right there,” Alice yelled.

“Uh-huh.” Tex’s footsteps lessened the farther he got away.

I quickly helped Alice get dressed and put the crown back on her mussed hair. Her face wasn’t any better, pink cheeks, swollen lips. Not to mention Tex had a big mouth.

We got as presentable as we could and made our way back to the kitchen only to find every single person in there grinning at us like fools.

“Not a word,” I said through clenched teeth, then reached for one of the steak knives.

Mo cursed. “Will nothing ever be normal?”

Tex grabbed the other knife.

“I wanna play too!” Junior yelled.

“Son of a bitch.” Phoenix reached for the wine while Nixon sat Serena down and started explaining that bitches were, in fact, dogs.

“That was maybe two minutes if you’re lucky,” Tex teased.

I lunged. “Just how many girls did you sleep with in college? I lost track…”

Mo grabbed a knife.

Tex ran in the opposite direction while Chase did a slow clap and eyed me and Alice. “So, are you ready for blood and war, De Lange?”

Alice smiled at him. “I think if I can handle you, I can handle anything.”

“She’s not wrong,” Luc nodded, handing him a glass of wine.

Chase sighed and then lifted his glass into the air. “A toast, to the new arm of the five families.

“Andrei Petrov-Sinacore, may you and your wife have many children, a house of love, and peace in between the war. Most of all, may you never have to face betrayal or loss. Each day is precious.

“Live life to the fullest and love hard. Cheers.”

Alice had tears in her eyes as she took a glass of wine and clinked it with his, and then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

The man who killed an entire family line in cold blood, her line. It wasn’t lost on anyone in the room the power behind what she did next as she whispered to the other monster, “Thank you.”