Mafia Obsession

Epilogue

Alicia

Three years later…

My heart rate quickens as the band plays. I clutch hold of the bouquet so tightly that my dad grabs my hands and prizes it from me.

“Stop panicking, sweetheart.” He smiles at me, eyes full of joy.

I will not lie. I never thought my dad would look this happy on my wedding day, particularly not considering the man I’m marrying.

He has always been fiercely protective, but now that is Rick’s job.

“Mommy, do you love daddy?” Olivia asks, pulling at the hem of my dress. I can’t help but smile at our daughter, who is now two years and three months old. She looks so pretty in her little bridesmaid dress, with her hair done.

It came as a shock that Rick had got me pregnant so quick. We weren’t prepared, but we were both ecstatic. “Of course, sweetheart, that’s why we are getting married,” I say, lifting her into my arms and kissing her cheek. “You look so beautiful.”

She smiles at me, placing a finger on my lips.

“They are ready for you,” Jasmine says, giving me a reassuring smile.

Fuck.

I never thought getting married would be so nerve-wracking. I set Olivia back on the floor, and Jasmine takes her hand. She’s walking down the aisle before me with Auntie Jasmine. Leo and Ellie are looking after our son, Axel, who is only a year old.

My dad squeezes my arm. “Are you ready?”

I give him a weak nod, drawing in a long breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

We step up to the doors into the grand hall of the manor house we chose for our wedding, and the amount of people gathered either side of the aisle makes me nervous. All my dad’s close acquaintances and Rick’s. It’s not the wedding I would have chosen. Having so many people’s eyes on me makes me shiver with anxiety.

Apparently, it’s what is expected when a boss is taking a wife. Rick keeps telling me I’m becoming his queen, and it feels that way. Dad leads me slowly into the hall, making my heart pound harder.

The moment I set eyes on Rick standing with his back to me, my heart rate settles. Kane is his best man and standing by his side. I see him pat Rick on the back, and he turns to face me. Everyone has gone so quiet, as all eyes are on me.

Rick’s dark eyes meet mine, and despite being so far away, his presence reassures me. Filling me with courage that I didn’t have a moment ago. My dad squeezes my arm gently as I pick up the pace toward my future husband.

He smiles such a beautiful smile, and it makes my heartache. It’s so rare to see him smiling in public, but he is beaming at me. My stomach flutters with such warmth. His love imbues me. The closer I get to him, the more my confidence builds.

The hundreds of people sitting in the grand hall fade away. It is only him and me in the room. The man I love. The man who captured my mind, body, and soul from the moment I was dragged into his office.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” my dad urges, nodding his head toward Olivia, who is only a few steps ahead.

I slow my steps down, realizing I was in such a rush to get to the man at the end of the aisle.

Olivia gets nearer to the front and waves at Rick, who gives her the cutest wave back. He is the most amazing father, and she adores him.

I can’t deny that when we first met, I couldn’t imagine him as a father.

The brutal, fierce mob boss that disciplined me on the first day.

Jasmine leads Olivia to where she’s supposed to stand, holding her hand. My father stops us directly in front of the officiant.

Rick’s eyes are glued to me with such fierce intensity my stomach clenches. It is crazy after three years he still has the same effect on me with one stare.

The officiant clears her throat. “May I ask who gives away this woman to this man.”

My dad nods his head. “I do.”

Rick steps forward to take my hand, and my father gives him a pat on the shoulder. The relationship was trying, but we’re all safer because of it.

The Juliano mafia and Romano mafia are no longer enemies, joined by marriage. It means both our families’ operations are stronger than ever, and we’ve had no one trying to contest our power since.

His rough, large hand grabs mine, as he pulls me to stand opposite him. “You look stunning,” he mutters. The raspy tone of his voice sends shivers down my spine.

“So do you,” I utter.

The officiant clears her throat again and starts speaking. I barely hear what she’s saying, too lost in his eyes. Rick squeezes my hands and smiles at me, as the officiant speaks the words for him to repeat.

“I, Ricardo Romano, take you, Alicia Juliano, to be my wedded wife.” My heart dances in my chest as he smiles at me. Tears pool in my eyes as he continues. “To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” He squeezes my hand again. “I pledge myself to you.” He slips the ring on my finger. At that point, tears are streaming down my face, no doubt screwing up my makeup, but I can’t find it in me to care.

The joy I feel at hearing him say those words to me surpasses anything. We both put off getting married, unsure whether it was right for us. Rick had always been uncertain about it, ever since he saw the way his parent’s marriage broke down.

I could lose myself in this man’s dark chestnut eyes. Hidden beneath their depth is a man so complicated, and I can’t wait to uncover everything about him as we spend the rest of our lives together.

“Miss. Juliano?” The officiant breaks my daze. I swallow hard, shaking my head. “Sorry.”

“Please repeat the words after me,” she says.

I nod in response, repeating the same words back to him. I slip the wedding ring onto his finger, knowing the moment I’m anticipating is fast approaching.

“By the powers vested in me by this state, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” She looks at Rick. “You may kiss the bride.”

Rick’s strong arms wrap around my back, and he pulls me close, gazing into my eyes for a moment. Every nerve ending tingles with anticipation of being kissed for the first time by my husband. It’s slow and tender as his lips meet mine. That same hot, electric passion that’s existed between us when we met igniting the moment our lips touch.

I feel a deep ache pulse to life between my thighs, and he hasn’t even slipped his tongue into my mouth. Once we break away, I’m burning for him. Clapping and cheers break out in the crowd, and my cheeks heat.

Whenever this man touches me, it’s as if the rest of the world fades away. He takes my hand, guiding me back down the aisle as man and wife. Time to celebrate…

MUSIC plays softly in the beautiful ballroom of the venue we booked. Kane and Jasmine sit opposite us on the table with their two beautiful children. Their firstborn was an adorable little boy they called Kace. They didn’t know until the day she gave birth to him whether they were having a boy or a girl. Then just over nine months later, Anna, his sister, came along.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

For a family surrounded by so much danger, we’ve all found true happiness. Ellie and Jasmine have become great friends to me, hence why Jasmine was my maid of honor and Ellie, my bridesmaid.

Out of all of us, Leo and Ellie were the slowest to think about a family. Only a month ago, they announced she was two months pregnant. I’ve got a feeling from knowing both of them over the past few years, they had the most hardship to overcome together.

My dad grabs my hand and squeezes. “I’m so proud of you, princess.” I smile at him. “Thanks, Dad.”

My father handed over the keys to the business to one of Rick’s most trusted men and moved up here, buying a place down the road.

It was about time he retired the business, anyway. He wanted to be near his grandchildren and me. Oliva and Axel are staying with him while we go on our honeymoon. He dotes on them as much as he always doted on me as a child.

Despite the emotional blow, my step-mom is ancient history. Dad caught Janice cheating on him with a younger man. Elaine, his new girlfriend, is his age and lovely.

She lives locally and is sitting by his side. “It was a gorgeous wedding,” she says.

“Thank you,” I reply, smiling at her. All I want is for my dad to be as happy as me.

Rick slides a hand onto my back, sending goosebumps across every inch of my skin. He leans toward my ear. “Shall we dance?”

I nod in response, and he takes my hand, pulling me from my chair.

The feel of his large, rough hands on mine is enough to heat me through. I’ve wanted to consummate the marriage since our first kiss as husband and wife. Dancing with him will be pure torture, especially as we have to keep it child-friendly.

Rick pulls me close, clawing his fingertips into my hips and heating me. “Rick,” I mutter his name.

“I want to fuck you so bad,” he groans into my ear, swaying me to the music. He spins me around, pressing his hard cock in between my ass cheeks. It sends a pulsing heat through me.

“We need to find somewhere private,” I say.

He presses a kiss against the back of my neck. “Let’s get out of here.” He spins me back around and grabs my hand, pulling me out of the hall and into the venue’s grand entryway.

“Where do you have in mind?” I ask.

He pulls me down a corridor and opens a door into a small library with views out onto the river. It’s a stunning view. The perfect place to make love to my husband for the first time. He walks me toward the desk in the center of the room.

“Bend over,” he growls, pressing his hand into the small of my back.