For the Love of Fire

Chapter 29 Dani

The lady's fix my make up and we head to the altar. I just want this over with. We talked about the wedding night. He said he will make it look like a real marriage in every way he can and promised to take care of me the best he can. I appreciate that. He has been really understanding and nice to me throughout this whole mess. I just feel bad because this is a lie for him too.

They made a contract basically saying we are to have a monthly dinner but also a meeting to make sure we are keeping our signed promise. We are to no longer have blood shed and we are to keep in contact. Tony is going to be an active member of the family and I am to be the Mckillip pawn.

I watch the doors open and I see everyone sitting in watching me hold my flowers and then my dad holds his arms out for me to start walking. I just stare at the flowers not able to move. He takes my hand and we start walking. More like he is pulling me. It's like I am dying. I can't hear the music. I can't see the faces of family and friends. I feel like I am going to throw up. I get to the altar and see Tony with his black long curly hair. He looks so nice in his dark blue suit. I try to smile but I don't think I do it.

Matteo's words are running in my mind. Every word. He is okay with being with me now and with the family. Why now? I handed the flowers to the only girl I could find to be in the wedding. Standing looking at Tony spinning my ring on my finger over and over again. I see Tony say something and he takes my hand and his eyebrows connect. I feel another ring join the other one that is so heavy I want to take it off.

" No!" I say

" Dani?" Tony says clearly confused. " You okay?"

" Yes Tony I think I am." I say with a visible smile. " I can't marry you. You're very sweet but I can't marry you." I take the rings and hand them to him. I turn and look at everyone looking at me like I have lost my mind. I feel more real than ever. " Daddy, I need a new contract. Change the name. Sal I will join your family but only if I marry Matteo. It's him or no one." I pull my dress up and run drown the steps and aisle to the hallway.

" Dani!" I turn to see my dad. " He doesn't want you. He doesn't want this."

" Yes he does. Ask him, he will say yes." I walk to my dad and look him in the eye. " I love him more than I love you Daddy."

" You love him?"

" To the bone, Daddy. I have a request though." I say, dropping my dress. " He is not doing any of the dirty stuff for Sal or us. He will do the restaurant and be my husband. Nothing else. Make Desmond right it up and we will all sign it."

" Dani" He seems scared. " You know I love you more than them all and I want you to be happy. It killed me to see you so sad. I just..."

" Have him do it Daddy. I know that I am the glue to this and if we don't do this now I will lose him."

*****

I knock on the door and wait for the door to open. It took a long time but I knocked three more times. Then it opened. His red eyes meet mine. I can tell he has been drinking and crying. His body language went from offensive to accepting in one look and move.

" Did you mean it?" I ask

" Oh course I did Danielle." His lips are laced with bourbon.

" I didn't get married."

" You what?" His eye brow furrows and he looks down realizing what I am saying.

" I don't want to live without you anymore. I'm not myself when I am not with you. I am a shell of a person just going through the motions and I am done. I want you or I will no longer be living." He reaches for my hand.

" We have a new contract." Sal says " We will accept the family being together and you will work the restaurant without us being involved and Dani will work for her dad like she has been. We will no longer have a war. We will be okay with this. That is if you marry her."

" I'll take her. I will do it. I just want her."

" Good, sign here." Desmond says and He signs where all of us have signed. " She is all yours."

I watch them leave when he pulls me into the apartment. I jump into his arms still in my wedding dress. I kiss him. Making sure he knows I am in this for life. Trying to put every emotion I am feeling into that one kiss.

" I love you Matteo. All of you. Ten years was too long to wait." His laugh is deep. He grows serious and sets me back down. Then walks away without a world. " Where are you going?"

"Take your dress off." He says walking down the hall. I don't think he realizes I couldn't even if I tried. When he comes back to me his smile is infectious. " Now, I know this is not normal. This marriage came fast and not fully our choice. But I will love you the rest of our lives more passionately every day. Now when I get this I wasn't really sure why I bought it. Then I met you and the second I fell in love with you I thought how much I wanted you to have it. So in the end I bought it for you without knowing you."

He hands me an emerald ring in a gold band and it's me. It is exactly what I would wear. Then he drops to one knee and looks at me like he doesn't know the answer. " Danielle Rose McKillip, will you please marry me?"

I shake my head yes and he stands putting it on my finger. " It's about time. Don't ever leave again."

" I won't baby." I say into his ear. I wrap my arms around his neck then wrap my legs around his waist. He walks us down the hall to our bedroom.

Our bedroom.

Our everything.

He sets me down on the bed and takes out his knife. Lifting the bottom of my dress up he stabs into it. Then pockets the knife ripping the rest of it to my collarbone. Exposing my naked chest and my lace white underwear. His eyes go wide. Taking in the site he just created. I slide my arms out of my dress and grab him to pull him back to me.

" I like you better like this." His raspy voice echoing off my lips.

" Good thing we have the rest of our lives to ravish each other." I say

" Thank god." We laugh against each other enjoying being reunited in the mess of kisses. Reconnecting and recharging the love we so desperately needed.

*****

We got married a week later at city hall. Walker and Derrek were our witnesses and then we had our first big dinner. It went very well and then we started the plan for the restaurant and made plans for our life. What we will do. When we will do it? If kids were something we both wanted. Not that we had much choice in the matter.

Thirteen months later we gave birth to a daughter and she became everyone's favorite. I could tell she was what we all needed to be complete. Her curly copper hair and blue eyes. I was finally a Ferrari- Mckillip and so we named her Rose Eve Pratt. That was the name he picked in the beginning and it was our fresh start. We were finally happy and together.