Chapter 1
Ginevra
“My feet are killing me,” I whisper, Ruggerio lifting a brow as he leans down to me.
“Want me to carry you?”
I sigh, loving the idea of it. “You can’t…”
“Who says that?”
He grins at me, and I flash him a sarcastic expression. “Do you really want us to land on the first page of another magazine? We just got people to forget a little bit about us. Don’t make them remember. Please?”
“As if anyone was able to forget about you, my love,” he whispers, pressing a kiss onto my neck.
In the hopes of covering the shiver running up my spine, I open my clutch, taking out the tickets as we finally approach the entrance, a good-looking host checking our invitations.
“We could do a scene that looks like one from ‘La Dolce Vita’. Let’s find a fountain.”
He chuckles, and I groan, pinching his arm. “Ru! Stop it,” I laugh as well, nearly forgetting how my feet are hurting in my new sparkly shoes when he puts his hand on the small of my back.
“I can’t help it. I just love to see you all wet for me,” he provokes further, and I gasp over-theatrically.
Scrunching up my nose, I let him guide me into the elevator, which will take us up to the penthouse.
While we ride the car up in silence, I turn the invitation in my hand, studying it for the umpteenth time.
Sometimes I wish Ruggerio weren‘t as open with me because every time he tells me something about his family‘s past, my level of anxiety reaches a new peak.
This time, we got invited to the engagement party of the so-called King of New York.
He is the man who holds the absolute power over the territory, managing smaller territories that are organized under the Capos.
And naturally, the Capoletti were one of them.
It took me way too long to get behind what he was really telling me about when talking about him dismantling an empire.
Of course, I only realized after marrying the man of my dreams that my Nonno was right, and his family were indeed criminals.
Which honestly got me thinking about how the feud between our families was not only about a house after all.
And there is nothing in this world that I would hate more than my crooked family being right on anything.
I take a deep breath, leaning into Ruggerio’s side, who lays his arm around me. “It’s all going to be alright.”
We have been to parties of the King several times, but as far as I can remember, they have always been organized by his company.
Now it seems awfully private, and even if I know that Ruggerio has a lot to discuss with him because he is giving up his family’s position after destroying their name and power in the city, I still feel like we are intruding.
Also, while being terribly out of place.
I roll back my shoulders as the elevator door opens, and while there are broody figures dressed in black suits, my eyes fall on a happily smiling man welcoming us.
He looks like he was waiting for hours to finally see us, his eyes jumping back and forth between us. “Welcome. I’m Danny. I’m the best man and in charge of this evening. If you want to show me your invite, I’ll check you in.”
“Hey, Danny,” I answer, my mood automatically improved around him. “I’m Ginevra, and this is my husband Ruggerio. So nice to meet you. Here you go.” I hold out our invitation to him while Ruggerio’s expression seems to have morphed into a more serious one.
I keep tilting my head to look at him, wondering what made him turn so stiff, but I guess that those men put him on high alert.
Danny’s grin grows, and he lifts his finger, squinting his eyes. “Romeo and Juliet, right? I was looking forward to meeting you. Welcome, cuties, let me…” He passes his hand through his hair before rummaging in the basket he is holding.
Taking out two bracelets with small bows affixed, he checks the name tags on them once again before tearing them off to hand the jewelry over to us.
I gasp as I take mine, which is a thin line of silver with a sea of shiny little diamonds incorporated.
Ruggerio doesn‘t even acknowledge it in a special way and just wraps the bracelet around his wrist, tying it with a nimble move of his fingers.
What a show-off.
I giggle to myself, laying the gems onto my wrist and lifting it towards Ruggerio. “Would you mind, babe?”
“Of course not, princess,” he answers, finally regaining his smile.
My heart flips in my chest, and I smile to myself, thinking about how his fingers grazing my skin still have such an effect on me.
As soon as the silver lock clicks, I tear my eyes from his, shaking my wrist while admiring the shiny string decorated with diamonds. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Not as much as you,” Ruggerio compliments me.
I smile, looking back up at him. It is the first time we really got away from our busy life and the kids, and it should be the first night I can have something to drink and crash at a hotel, not caring how long we kept dancing.
But as soon as his eyes pierce into mine, causing my core to burn up, all my good resolutions fly out of the window.
It’s actually sad that I was already so deprived of him that all it takes to get wet is him helping me tie a bracelet.
This is insane.
With a clearing of his throat, Danny gets our attention back onto him. “I wish you an awesome night, and I am glad that you are here to celebrate this special event with us.” He turns around, pointing to the arched doorway leading to a large hall. “You will find a host especially assigned to you, and they will show you around. There are a lot of bars you should try out, and they will show you as well where you can find your seat. Whenever you need something, just call for them or for me.”
He flashes us another wide smile, running his hand through his hair once again while he seems as nervous as he is excited. “Enjoy, and if you spot the most beautiful woman in the room, go give her a hug and a round of congrats because that’s the bride.”
I push my elbow into Ruggerio’s side, who is about to counter with how he already has the most beautiful in the world at his side, before I take the rose that Danny has taken out of the basket.
The bride is the bride after all.
And she is always the most beautiful in the room.
Ruggerio groans, and while a few men around us chuckle, breaking their stoic faces, Danny looks around, confused. I pinch his cheek, and his happy expression reestablishes. “Thank you so much, Danny. We can’t wait to celebrate this special moment with all of you.”
He nods gleefully, and just when we are about to walk away, he clicks his tongue, getting Ruggerio to turn around. I look over my shoulder just in time to see him handing him some sort of burner phone.
His lips move, but I don’t get in time to make out what he is saying because a host already appears in front of me, pulling me into the room.
Ruggerio catches up with me, and we follow the host assigned to us to the first bar all over the hall.
A soft tune is playing, perfect for such an ambiance, and I spot a band in the corner, making music in elegant attire, while they seem more used to performing in pubs.
My nonna would have screamed at seeing them.
I love this couple already.
A breath of relief leaves my lips automatically when Ruggerio lays his hand on the small of my back.
“He is cute. Is he family?” I ask him gently, and he nods, leaning in.
“The brother of the groom, if I’m not mistaken.”
Looking around in a good mood, I repeat, “He is cute. He is so excited. So, beautiful.”
His hand glides to my hip, and he hugs me closer while I bite my lip. “I’m so sorry, babe.”
I blink the tears out of my eyes, thankful for how he is able to catch me when emotions get the best of me. “It’s okay,” I try to reassure him, my voice breaking. “It’s just the hormones.”
It’s been years since I had to celebrate one of the most beautiful days in my life without my family. Only my brother was at my side, and despite the awful things they did to us, it still hurts whenever I see how happy other families are.
The worst part is that I keep asking myself why this couldn’t be the same for us.
But I guess the happiest love stories are the most cursed.
Fighting to get my smile back on my face, I lift my face, ready to hear the silly thing he will say to cheer me up. “He is next in line, by the way,” he admits, nearly making me choke on my own spit.
“Huh?”
Did I just pinch the cheek of the new boss of the City?
He chuckles, shaking his head as he pushes me forward because I halted in my tracks without noticing. “Yeah, the king told me when he heard about my reason for giving up my family’s territory,” he explains in a whisper. “He was actually very impressed, and he said that he can’t wait to retreat and move to a place in the middle of nowhere with his wife. His brother should take over in a few years, now that he has become of age.”
Halting again, I put my hand on my chest. “Aw, this is so beautiful.” Ruggerio laughs, agreeing with me while nodding. “Yeah, it’s the best thing.”
Tilting my head, I scrunch up my face. “Yes. It is.”
We start walking again, our host being way too patient with us. “But he is a baby.”
“That’s why I said of age.”
Men.
