Devour You

68

Victoria

"Well, for starters... I think September 3rd is great." Chris Attwood raises his glass. The six of us seated at the Attwood's dining table follow his lead, gesturing our agreement on Chris's toast.

Beside me, I turn to fix my light brown eyes on the gangster. I endure watching the grin quirk at his lips. "September 3rd. We're making it happen." I send my suited fiancé a warm smile.

Rio watches me with an ardent glimmer in his eyes, while he raises his glass. And he briefly licks his lips. "September 3rd." He huskily whispers to me.

Only moments after Chris's toast to the set wedding date, hence after countless available date listings beforehand, everyone continues dining at the table; passing around the bowl of dinner rolls and plate of steaks and vegetables when asked.

It's the sight and feeling of a perfect family dinner, or get together, if you'd ask me. I'm enduring the time I'm getting to spend with the new faces.

And every moment in between thus far, has been impeccably divine.

Bringing my wine glass up to my bare lips, Mrs. Attwood shoots me another question, gaining my undivided attention. Since the very moment Rio and I returned with an open minded schedule for the wedding, Micheal, Amanda, and I have been exchanging basic questions here and there.

I learned that the happy couple have been married long before Chris's birth, for an exact amount of thirty years. That response resulted in me to wonder what my life would be like once Rio and I hit thirty years... or even ten. A scary thing is that I know that anniversary mark will come rapidly, faster than I might could imagine. Which is why it's factually important to focus on the now.

But Amanda also informed me of Rio's teenage years. She was open enough to speak of Rio's biological parent's, and they seemed to be such nice people. I would've loved to meet them too.

After the homicide of his family and when the Attwood's took him in, Rio only kept to himself, which I knew about, but it took him a while to open up about it. The first person he loosened up to was Chris.

I'm so glad he has him. As a best friend, best man, a brother.

Now, and a week sooner than I had thought, buff and tough Attwood is going to be playing part as my own brother too - by law.

"So..." Amanda's gentle voice lulls me from my inner thoughts. "Have you had a special someone before you came across our son, Victoria?" Those pesky exes of any kind?" She cocks a questionable brow, smirking in curiosity.

I incline my head sharply, taking a smooth sip of my red wine before swallowing it down. "Oh I did. But trust me he's dead to me." I wave off.

In return, I only hear Rio choke on his drink next to me. I shoot him a glance to check if he's OK - only spotting an amused grin, that he failed holding back, curving upon his full lips. Watching the gangster's cheeks flush a bit causes for me to suppress my laugh myself.

"Yeah I know how that can be." Angela, the sister, shakes her head to herself while cutting into her steak. "I lost all communication with them... but like... purposefully." She adds - that last part seeming to be as an afterthought rather.

Oh I doubt you can relate.

I chuckle, nodding in turn. Jack was the only serious deal I ever had in the past... but I know, and meant, what I said.