Page 61 of His Vicious Vow
The elevator tone sounds. I hear sobbing before I see her. Bianca throws herself into Sandro’s arms. Sandro keeps asking her why she’s upset but all she does is cry harder and cling tighter to him.
I slink away to my room leaving them alone.
In my room, preparing for bed I hate the tears that fall without my permission. Carlo might be a fucker of the highest order but at least he helped me save my pride. I won’t throw myself at Sandro. I’ll give him the marriage he wanted from the beginning—the one he knew I would never accept so he pretended he would give me the one I always dreamed of. He was just like all the nerdy anime bros, except it wasn’t sex Sandro wanted it was control.
CHAPTER 23
Carina
“Holy crap, you look amazing Carina. This dress is so completely you that I can’t believe she didn’t make it with you in mind.” Celia sighs as she ties up the corset behind me.
I’m staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror, I really do look amazing. So beautiful I wonder if the person in the mirror is me.
There’s a knock on the bedroom door. Celia opens it.
“Hello! You look stunning. Your hubby is so bossy. He wants you to wear the emeralds he gave you. And he has an offering. This is up to you if you want to wear them or not.” She offers me a carrier bag.
I wondered where I was going to wear the necklace and earrings. “Celia can you get them? They’re in the top drawer on the right side of the island in the closet.” Sitting down on my bed I open the bag. “No, he didn’t. These aren’t supposed to be out for three more weeks.”
“What?” Celia is standing over me. “Are those seriously Sailor Moon high heels? Is that a popular brand of shoe?”
Opening the box I laugh at the same time Natasha does. “Something like that,” Natasha says with another laugh.
The luxury shoe is one I would never even think to try on let alone buy. They are gorgeous. The heel is in the shape of Sailor Moon’s wand. I don’t love spindly heels, preferring a stacked heel or wedges. While the heel is thinner they’re only two inches so I’m hoping I won’t be crying at the end of the night. They fit my dress to perfection. I slide them on, another perfect fit.
Why does he do these things, think of everything to the last detail while also giving me what I didn’t even know what I want?
“Hair up.” Natasha orders me as she prepares to put the necklace on me. I do as ordered. She hands me the earrings. “All right, a word of warning: your dad is mad. He wasn’t happy Sandro cut the mafia men invited by half. Sandro and him got into it. Carlo didn’t want to hear Vegas isn’t Chicago and civilian politicians here needed the lie of Sandro and Luca nothing more than good upstanding businessmen. If the mayor, a senator, two congressmen are going to be here, there needed to be less men who looked like they carried guns. So your dad is pouting and Sandro said to ignore him.”
“Thank god. Milos was saying the guest list should be cut of all but the most important made men.”
“All right ladies, let’s go. It’s time.” Natasha ushers us out of the room.
The moment the elevator doors close, Natasha sighs. “Bianca is being a brat today. She’s annoyed you made me a bridesmaid. I don’t get it. She clearly doesn’t want to be a bridesmaid.”
Celia shrugs. “Let her be annoyed. If she’s going to be a complete bitch to Carina of course she isn’t going to be asked. She’s lucky she’s even coming.”
Shit. Natasha stares me down. “Bianca’s been a bitch to you?”
Before I can open my mouth Celia is answering the question. “A total bitch who’s broken almost a dozen of Carina’s cups. And every time she sees Carina she has something shitty to say to her. I told Carina she should tell Sandro but she doesn’t want to start anything. It’s not Carina who started anything, it’s Bianca.”
“Sandro isn’t going to like that.” Natasha straightens.
“Please let it go. Don’t say anything to him.” I plead.
Her expression says it all. “I can’t do that. If he found out I knew you were upset over something and didn’t tell him, if I’m lucky he fires me. If I’m not lucky…” She shakes her head. “I’m not going to find out. I won’t say anything today but I will inform him of Bianca. I have to. I was wondering if he was watching the cameras, I guess not.”
“Cameras? Where are there cameras?” The elevator doors open before Natasha can answer.
She ushers us through to the hallway outside the enormous ballroom. Julian, the wedding coordinator employed by the hotel spots us. He mutters instructions into the headset he’s wearing. There’s no more time to plead with Natasha.
Carlo is waiting his face is as hard as stone. He grabs me by arm, his grip too damn tight. In the two seconds before we begin walking down the rose petal strewn red carpet my eyes meet Sandro’s. They’re glowing sapphire again, for the first time in two weeks. I have to walk fast to keep up with Carlo.
The words are a blur, I stumble over mine but Sandro doesn’t, his voice is strong, and sure. When he slides an eternity band in emerald and diamonds on my finger his grip is firm yet gentle.
I’m given a ring for him. It matches mine yet is thicker and bolder.
When I slide it on his finger he immediately closes his hand as if it to ensure it stays on.