Unknown Territory [Mafioso Book#3] (SAMPLE)

Chapter V: Intimacy Issues

Nicole had spent the last two weeks doing various wedding preparations and the time was finally here for her to walk down the altar. During that time, she and Salvatore had interacted a little since they had to coorporate on all the wedding errands. She didn't get the big white wedding she wanted, instead they compromised on a simple and small June wedding in a church. 

She had just met the man less than a month ago and now she was marrying him.

The sudden realization had her stomach twist in discomfort and she found herself clutching the front of her silk robe, her bridesmaids all too busy setting everything up for them to notice the evident distress Nicole was experiencing.

"Come on!" One of them turned to her, blissfully ignorant to her emotional turmoil. "Let's get you fitted into the dress!" 

A knock on the door had everyone look up, seeing Rosalie standing in the doorway with her husband beside her, in a beautiful off-shoulder cream dress and a black tux respectively. 

"Sir," The three men around the dressing room stood in greeting with Salvatore in front of the full-length mirror, fumbling with his bow tie. 

Rosalie made her way over to her son, chuckling at the mess he had made, before turning him to redo his bow. 

"How do you feel?" Arcangelo asked, settling down on one of the benches, taking one of the glasses of champagne placed in the trey. 

"I feel alright," He lied through his teeth. He felt nervous, but he could never show it to the world. This was his wedding day, he was getting married, that also to a virtual stranger. 

"Your bowtie suggests otherwise," Rosalie spoke up in front of him. 

"You know bow ties aren't my forte," 

"Ties are," Arcangelo nodded, downing the drink as Salvatore looked at his father with a raised eyebrow. 

"Wow, dad, you're drinking like you're the one getting married," He teased as his father laughed. 

"On my wedding, I didn't have a single glass of alcohol," He chuckled. "I had no need for it since I was marrying the love of my life. Which can't be said for you," 

"Please, not this again," The Mafia boss groaned and stepped away from his mother, picking up his tux jacket as Piero helped him put it on. "Not the whole you-don't-love-her-and-you-should-marry-the-one-you-love talk, dad. You and I both agreed this was a beneficial merger."

"From a Mafia standpoint, not from a parent's point of view," 

"Sorry to say, the Mafia Boss and your son are the same people," Salvatore shook his head, pinning the white rose onto his lapel and momentarily glancing up in the mirror to see everyone watching him. "What are you all waiting for? Go take your places, 2 minutes left," He shook his head, gesturing for them to step out.

All of them jumped out of their stupor and made their way out, the groom shaking his head as he watched them leave. Pinning the flower in place, he stood straight before looking at himself in the mirror. He wore black dress pants with a white undershirt and a charcoal grey tux jacket with black lapels. Running his hands through his hair one last time, he fixed his appearance before making his way out of the dressing room, realizing it was time to get married. 

"Do you, Nicole Helena Lombardi take Salvatore Emilio Regnante as your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Nicole put the band around his finger.

She had chosen a rather simple platinum band with the Celtic symbol of eternity engraved around it. Nicole had no idea why she didn't go for a plain one and chose to have eternity etched into the metal.