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“I wasn’t aware, Torin, that I was taking care of you all. This is a family business and I’m head of it. We let up and we get swallowed. I have no intention of doing that. I’ll spill as much blood as needed, squeeze stones for what they hold, and marry mafia princesses to get what I want.”

And fuck them stupid. Make them mine.

Then again, I marked her like biting and sucking her neck was some pagan symbol of ownership.

Maybe it was, maybe a part of me already knew she was for me.

I slant him a glance. “We do this because it keeps Mam safe, it keeps Da protected behind bars, and it keeps all of you alive and prosperous. I’ll rule New York and form the alliances I need to get to the top. Like this one. It’s power and a ruthless fairness. One without mercy or emotion. My only loyalty is to my family.”

Seamus slings an arm around my shoulders as Declan flirts with the mother of the bride. I forget her name. Bianca? “Good thing I didn’t let you tell me to kill your girl, eh?” He laughs like it’s funny. The dick. “Is she family, too?”

“She’s a commodity. That’s it. But I will be expecting loyalty from her.”

“Why was she there at that club, Callahan?” Torin asks.

I shrug. I haven’t asked. Yet. Time enough for that. Time enough to find out if I can use it to my advantage.

The music stops. And then Vincent steps up to the front as staff suddenly arranges chairs into two sides with an aisle.

Christ on a fucking pogo stick.

“My Bianca and I want to announce the marriage of our daughter, Lucia, to Callahan Murphy, which will be happening now.”

A murmur ripples through the crowd. The crime lords, allied families as well as the enemies a good crime boss keeps close to do business with, don’t seem bothered. It keeps them from having to come to another event out in Bayside, Queens.

The wedding music starts, and Torin takes position, Seamus and Declan at my side.

“Mam’s gonna be pissed as hell to miss this sham, Cal,” Dec says with a snort.

Our mother might be American, but it takes a tough lady to have married Da, to deal with us. She’d only be pissed if this was a love match. Which it definitely is not.

“Shut it, asshole,” Seamus mutters. “Or I’ll shut it for you.”

I’m about to say something, but as the door opens, the words die on my lips.

Fuck me.

The dress nearly swallows my bride. She looks damn miserable and like she should be on top of a cake, but holy shit, she’s stunning.

“Smile,” I mouth to her.

Her brows pull tight, and then she displays a gloriously fake smile I could fall in love with.

“If you don’t want her, I’ll have her,” Dec says. “She looks fun.”

“Put one filthy finger on her and I’ll break every bone in your body, skin you alive, and feed you your balls.”

Seamus makes a choking noise, and Dec says, “So that’s a no?”

“It’s a no.”

De Rosa places her hand in mine and everything fades to white noise as our gazes lock.

I don’t really listen to Torin, just say the “I do” in the right place, put the ring on her finger, and let her put one on mine.

When we’re married, I take my time kissing her, slow and soft. This time I suck her tongue, running the piercing over hers. She shivers and makes the little shaky sigh she made earlier.

She’s fucking mine.