Page 94 of Brutal Kiss

"The massive crush you've had on her since she shot three men in a moving car."

Marco's jaw tightens. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right. And I don't know what happiness looks like."

Before Marco can respond with what I'm sure would be a creative way to tell me to mind my own business, the music changes and Sofia appears at my elbow.

"Time for our first dance, husband."

The word sends a thrill through me that I'm definitely not admitting to out loud. "Lead the way, wife."

The dance floor clears as we move to the center, and I pull Sofia into my arms for what is technically our first dance as married people but feels like a continuation of something we started months ago.

"No regrets?" I ask as we sway to something slow and romantic that I definitely didn't pick out.

"Only one," she says, and my heart stops for a second until she continues. "I should have demanded a chocolate fountain."

"We can get divorced and do it again with a chocolate fountain."

"Don't even joke about that, Dante Mancini. I went through hell to get you to marry me."

"Pretty sure it was the other way around, princess."

"Agree to disagree."

As the song ends and other couples join us on the dance floor, I catch sight of Vito watching from the edge of the crowd. He raises his glass slightly when our eyes meet—a silent toast to whatever comes next.

Because this isn't really an ending, is it? It's a beginning. The start of whatever Sofia and I are going to build together, in a world that's still dangerous, still complicated, still full of people who might want to hurt us.

But tonight, surrounded by family and friends and the woman who chose to love me despite every reason not to, I'm not worried about tomorrow.

Tonight, I'm just a man dancing with his wife, grateful for every choice that led us here.

"I love you, Mrs. Mancini," I whisper against her ear.

"I love you too, Mr. Mancini. Now and always."

Now and always. I like the sound of that.

After all, we've got the rest of our lives to figure out what comes next.