Page 66 of Vices and Vows

Some people looked pissed on my behalf. Others just looked uncomfortable, but nobody disputed my answer, and that’s the point I was trying to make. Today, people will walk away from the wedding not talking about the bride but about what the groom has done to me. What amuses me the most is that everyone knows exactly what type of man Aldo is, and yet half of the people here will blindly follow him the second Vigo hands him the crown.

I leave the restroom and take my seat at the back of the church, knowing the camera isn’t on me but on the altar at the front. When Aldo takes his place, a groomsman walks up to stand beside him and whispers something in his ear, making him frown. He nods and lifts his head, his eyes scanning the guests.

I fight back a grin when I get a look at the state of his face. Not having the option of hiding his bruises with makeup. Some people turn to give me amused smiles, suspecting I had something to do with it. In a roundabout way, I guess I did. Vice might have failed to mention he’d paid Aldo a visit, but I would have known it was his handiwork simply because Aldo’s bruises mirror mine.

Aldo’s gaze lands on me, his eyes narrowing, looking as if he’s trying to kill me with his thoughts. I roll my eyes and check my nails, showing him how fucking bored I am. I know I’m painting more of a target on my back, but after all this, I’ll no longer have to stand dutifully and take the shit thrown at me. Not only am I done being a puppet for this family, but I have a husband who becomes homicidal when his wife is threatened.

The organ starts playing, and everyone quiets down. Whenthe church doors open, we all stand and turn to see Gia in a floor-length Vera Wang gown with a long train and heavy veil covering her head and face. I blow out a breath, praying this all goes off without a hitch. It takes me a second to realize that the man standing beside her, ready to walk her down the aisle, is Alessio.

I should have known, with Vigo too weak to walk her down the aisle and Aldo being the one to marry her, that Alessio would be forced into walking beside her. Tears well up in my eyes at the pain on his face as he looks down at the woman who is his daughter, even though she is oblivious to it all.

What a fucked-up position to be in. My heart breaks for the man who gave up so much. And for what? He’ll have a target of his own on his back after this. Vigo didn’t care about any of that, though. Why would he care about anyone else’s feelings when he’s too busy expecting the world to revolve around him?

Alessio offers Gia his arm to take before walking her slowly down the aisle. As everyone watches the bride, I watch the man slowly breaking beside her, swiping at the tear that slips free before anyone notices.

The music stops when they get to the altar, and Alessio presses a kiss on Gia’s veil-covered cheek before he steps away, but instead of moving over to the front pew, he walks out. I itch to go after him, but instinctively know he needs a minute alone. Aldo takes Gia’s hand, and the ceremony begins.

I tune a lot of it out and just go through the motions, sitting and standing and responding at the appropriate times. The priest has just instructed the guests to be seated, and the “I do’s” have begun when Alessio slips in beside me. He doesn’t say a word, but I can see his eyes are red. His hand rests on the wooden bench next to my leg. With my eyes on the soon-to-be-married couple, Islide my hand over Alessio’s and grip it tightly. He jolts before he turns his hand and holds mine like a lifeline.

“You have declared your consent before the church. May the Lord, in his goodness, strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, we must not divide. Amen.”

Aldo looks at me smugly before his eyes fall on Alessio with a smirk. He thinks he’s invincible. He sees me sitting here, next to the man he thinks is my father, and feels safe that nobody will step up and call him on his shit now that Gia is his. He doesn’t seem to realize that not all change comes from huge cataclysmic events. More often than not, change happens slowly. Small things push people to the brink, and they start to question if they want to be sheep or wolves. And in this life, being a sheep isn’t an option. Prey never lasts long among predators. If Aldo can do this to theconsigliere, then what else will he do?

It’s hypocrisy at its finest. If I were his wife, people wouldn’t blink twice that he hit me. It’s a common occurrence in this violent life we lead. But I’m not his wife. I’m theconsigliere’s daughter, and that comes with consequences.

Usually.

His grin gets wider as he looks around. He doesn’t see that he’s watering the seeds of discontent I planted. The smiles from before now all hold a hint of unease to them. What a way to begin your campaign to rule, with your followers questioning your authority. As if sensing the unease, his smile falters before he turns back to the priest.

“On behalf of God and his church, I now pronounce you manand wife. You may now kiss the bride.” The priest smiles at the couple as Aldo lifts Gia’s veil.

People gasp when they see her cropped hair. I look down and bite my lip. I’m guessing that was part of Vice’s makeover.

When people start to clap,I figure the kiss part of the show is over,so I get up, and so does Alessio. He leads me outside and walks me over to one of the waiting limos and opens the door for me. I climb in and wait for him to slide in beside me.

Instead, he looks at me and lifts his hand to my face, running a finger down my cheek. “I’m going to stay. Make sure everything runs smoothly. I need to get a feel for how things will be.”

I want to tell him to get in the car with me, but I know he has to do this. Alessio’s position in this is as precarious as mine. More so because at least I have Vice’s protection. He has nobody except me.

“Okay, just please be careful.”

He leans down and kisses my forehead, lingering for a moment before pulling back. “You are everything I ever dreamed a daughter could be, and I’m so fucking proud of you. Go home. Build a life with your husband and be happy.” He closes the door before I can say anything and taps the roof for the driver to go.

I turn in my seat and feel those pesky tears make a reappearance as I watch Alessio through the back window, getting farther and farther away. I close my eyes once he’s out of sight and fight back a sob because that didn’t feel like asee you later. That felt a lot likegoodbye.

“Where to, Mrs. Moretti?”

I startle at the sound of my married name and turn to look at the driver in the rearview mirror. I blow out a relieved breath when I recognize him as one of Vice’s men. “I’m not sure.”

I pull out my cell phone from the hidden pocket in my gown and dial Vice, unsure if he’ll answer it.

He surprises me, though, and answers right away. “Nova,” he says, blowing out a breath like he’s been waiting for me to call. “Where are you?”

“I’m in the limo. I wasn’t sure where to go.”

“Have Conner bring you to me.”

“Okay. Thank you.”