Page 70 of Dangerous King (Savage Kings of New York #2)

She looks like a goddess walking toward me. My goddess. My queen.

"Breathe, man. Breathe." Toni mutters beside me.

I do, but it's ragged. Shaky. I feel like the air is too thick, too full of her.

She doesn't smile yet. Her lips are soft and serious, but her eyes are locked on mine, and in them I see everything: her love, her fear, her strength, her hope. That look says more than any vow ever could.

I fight the urge to run to her, to sweep her up, veil and all, and claim her with a kiss that would make this entire crowd blush.

Every step she takes is a hammer to my self-control.

My heart isn't beating—it's roaring. When she finally reaches me, her father presses a kiss to her temple and murmurs something I can't hear.

I don't care. She's here. She's mine. Her hand slides into mine, and I swear, for a second, everything else disappears.

No guests. No officiant. No enemies. Just her. Just us.

"Hi," she whispers.

I stare at her for a heartbeat too long before I manage to croak, "You look like sin in silk."

She blushes and laughs softly, a sound I want to wrap around myself and keep forever.

The officiant begins to speak, but I barely hear him. His voice is a blur in the distance, washed out by the thunder of my pulse, the sound of Cat's breath, the quiet rustle of her dress. My whole body is tense. Not with nerves, but with awe. With the weight of what this means. What she means.

The officiate saying my name brings me back to the present. He signals it's time for the vows. I nod slowly, turning fully to her, taking both her hands in mine. I didn't write anything down. I couldn't. Paper wouldn't survive what I feel for her.

I take a breath. The air is thick. The crowd is silent. And then I speak.

"Catalina," her name alone tastes like a vow. "I didn't know what I was missing until you jumped out of a tree and into my life. I thought I had everything I needed: plans, loyalty, and purpose. But you showed me what I didn't have. What I didn't even know was missing."

She's already blinking back tears. I squeeze her fingers gently. "You make me better. Stronger. You see the worst in me, yet you still choose to stay. Still look at me like I'm worth something more."

I pause, swallowing the knot in my throat. "I promise always to see you too. To listen. To grow. To be the man who deserves the fire and grace that is you."

She's trembling, and I catch the smile shining through her tears. "I can't promise we'll never fight. But I promise never to walk away. I can't promise a quiet life, but I promise you'll never face it alone. I will be beside you, every day, every night, for the rest of our lives."

I lift her hand and press a kiss to her knuckles. "You are my heart, Cat. My compass. My greatest pride. And today, I give you everything I am, freely and forever."

The world could end right here, and I'd be at peace because she's mine.

Cat lifts her eyes, and just like that, I can't breathe. She starts speaking, soft but steady, and the entire world falls away. "Enrico."

My name on her lips… it doesn't sound like a name. It sounds like a promise I don't deserve to hear. "When we met, I didn't know what safety could feel like. Not really. I didn't know what it meant to be seen , or how powerful it could be to be chosen. By you."

I blink hard. My throat locks. God, if she only knew… if she only knew what it does to me to be seen by her.

"You've shown me what loyalty looks like. What devotion means. You've protected me when I needed protecting the most. And you never— not once —asked me to be anyone but myself."

My chest cracks wide open. Right there in front of everyone. She's saying these things like I'm good. Like I'm worthy. Like I'm not just a man who's killed and bled and clawed his way through a world of shadows.

"I promise to never take that for granted. I promise to walk beside you, to hold your hand when it's hard, and to be your peace when the world is in turmoil. I promise to choose you every day, even on the days when life tries to pull us apart."

My jaw tightens. My grip on her hand turns possessive. My heart? Shredded.

"I promise to love you not because you're perfect, but because you're real. You're the first man who ever made me feel like I was more than just someone surviving. You made me feel… like I could be whole. And with you, I am."

Whole.

Christ. She's talking about me like I'm the miracle in this story. Like I'm the one who saved her. But I know the truth. It's the other way around.

"I'm proud to be yours, Enrico Sartori. Today. Tomorrow. And every day after."

She smiles at me through glossy eyes, and I swear to God, if I even try to speak right now, I'll break. Right here. In front of the entire family. How do I deserve this? How do I deserve her ?

The answer hits like thunder behind my ribs. I don't.

But I'll spend every damn day of my life earning the right to keep her.

The officiant clears his throat. "The rings?"

Toni steps forward until a low, unmistakable growl cuts through the ceremony. Shadow.

That scrappy little mutt trots proudly up the aisle, the velvet ring box strapped to a tiny satin pillow on his back. His ears are perked, his tail is high, and he stops right in front of us like he knows damn well this is his big moment.

Toni crouches to retrieve the box—and immediately freezes when Shadow bares his teeth and lets out another warning growl. A few guests chuckle. I smirk.

"You want to try that again?" Toni mutters, hands up like he's negotiating with a cartel boss.

Cat's soft laughter breaks through the tension.

She leans down, whispering something only the dog can hear as she unfastens the box with nimble fingers.

Shadow's tail wags. The little traitor's completely whipped.

She straightens, holding the rings in her palm, smirking at me like, see, you're not the only one who growls when someone touches what's his.

Jesus Christ, I love this woman.

I take her ring and slide it onto her finger, slow and certain like a promise made flesh. "With this ring," I say, voice thick, "I give you everything I am. My name. My loyalty. My soul. You're mine now, Catalina Sartori. And I'll spend the rest of my life proving I deserve you."

Her eyes shimmer with emotion, and when she slips my ring on next, her hand trembles.

The officiant's voice cuts in, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

A grin pulls at my lips. I don't wait for permission.

I pull her to me and kiss her like it's the first time all over again, hungry, reverent, and a little desperate.

She melts into me, her hands on my chest, fingers gripping the lapel of my suit.

For a moment, there's no family, no mafia, no threats, no future.

Just her lips. Just her warmth. Just this perfect moment.

When we finally break apart, the applause swells. I turn with her in my arms to face the crowd. My wife. My future. My fucking queen.

Shadow barks once beside us, like he approves.