Page 33

Choosing to walk to the altar alone had been a decision steeped in reflection after my conversation with Vik.

His words echoed in my mind, urging me to embrace my solitude, celebrating the strength, resilience, and independence that had been forged in the fires of my past.

With every step I took, I sensed the strength of those qualities motivating me, and I was embracing my journey to the altar.

Emanating warmth, Leon’s eyes locked onto mine and held me close like an unseen hug.

I cherished that sensation as we approached one another, relishing the authenticity of his love as if it were a precious gem.

This man had reshaped his world for me, wagering everything—his life, his future, and even his legacy—all to bestow upon me the priceless gift of freedom.

Taking Xenos’s life had unleashed a sense of liberation that nothing else could match.

Sure, I would have most likely done it myself eventually, but Leon’s willingness to shoulder the burden deepened the affection I held for him.

I could hardly contain my excitement about becoming Mrs. Leon Vitalis-Boscos.

As I reached him, my heart raced, and a warm glow spread through my chest. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of love and pride, sparkling like sunlight dancing on water. A wave of emotions washed over me, both intense and thrilling, as I cherished the moment we experienced together.

He stood strong and loyal, his unwavering devotion like a beacon in the storm of life.

Against all odds, I had found my equal in Leon. His energy matched mine, and an unbreakable chord of deep respect ran between us, binding us tightly.

It felt as if the universe itself had conspired to bring us together.

As I slipped my hand into his, I felt a sense of belonging—it felt undeniably right to be with Leon Boscos.

Perhaps my parents had a hand in this, or maybe the gods were involved.

Maybe it was simply destiny.

Regardless, as Leon grasped my hand with a steady yet comforting hold, I realized I was now and always would be his.

I took a step toward the altar, and Leon stood resolutely by my side. He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear, whispering.

“You belong to me now, darling.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine. Had he read my mind? Either way, he was right. Our dogs circled each other before sitting at our feet .

We faced each other, holding hands tightly as the priest began speaking.

Overwhelmed with emotion, my brain barely registered a word the priest said until he asked me to say my vows.

I reached down and plucked the ring from Leo’s collar, then stood to face Leon. I slid the ring halfway down his finger. The smile on his face was pure joy. My heart raced as I began reciting the words I’d memorized.

“Leon, you have healed me with love,” I began, my voice trembling with emotion.

I took a deep breath, blinking away tears.

“My spirit is lighter because of you. My heart is whole because of you. My future is bright because of you. I vow to spend the rest of my days respecting you, being your friend and partner, and supporting and loving you completely.”

By the time I finished, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I slid the ring the rest of the way onto his finger, etching the smile on his face into my mind to remember forever. I knew I’d never forget the way he looked at that moment.

“Leon, your vows, please,” the priest said.

Leon reached down for my ring and faced me, his hands sure and steady as he slid the ring onto my finger.

“Calista, you are the light in my life. You are pure joy and sunshine, and I am a better man just by being in your presence. I vow to protect you, to deeply love you, to always cherish you, until my dying day.”

He slid the ring onto my finger, and my heart skipped a beat.

I looked down at the beautiful diamond shimmering on my hand, a vibrant display of our love and devotion to one another, and a jolt of joy hit me like a lightning bolt.

The priest inclined his head, his expression joyful and approving.

“By the honor vested in me, I now pronounce you?—”

“—I object!”

The sound of gunshots rang out at the edge of the crowd, and I jumped with fear. The crowd gasped and took cover, chaotically running for the trees surrounding us, leaving only a group of three men standing and staring at us.

Dominic Lucianos, a gun in his hand, flanked by two guards.

Leon pushed me behind him immediately, barking orders to his security team.

“What the fuck?” he demanded, throwing an accusatory glance over at Iason. “How did they get in?”

Iason shrugged, drawing his weapon. From behind Leon, I struggled to see what was going on. I peered over his shoulder, cursing.

“Stay back, Cali!” Leon growled, pointing the gun he’d pulled from his boot toward Dominic.

It all happened so quickly and suddenly that we all seemed stunned.

“I can help!” I insisted.

“Stop it!” he hissed. “This fucker is here to harm you, and I’m not about to let that happen. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again.”

His words were sweet but irritating. I wanted to destroy Dominic for ruining my perfect wedding. The fucking bastard was going to pay for this. Fury raced through my veins.

“Dominic Lucianos, how dare you show up here!” Leon roared, cocking his gun. “Do you have a death wish?”

“I’m not about to let you steal from me again, Boscos!” he shouted.

I frowned, wanting to punch him in the face. As if I were ever his to begin with!

“Nobody is stealing from you,” Leon replied. “As for what happened in the past, if I recall correctly, my sister-in-law ran away from you. She certainly wasn’t stolen.”

“Think whatever you want, but I know the truth!” Dominic spat out his words, pointing his gun toward Leon. “This marriage isn’t going to happen. I’m never letting it happen again.”

“We’re already married, you fucking idiot!” I shouted from behind Leon’s back. I held up my hand, my wedding ring heavy and sparkling on my finger. “We’ve already exchanged vows and rings!”

“I don’t give a fuck about that,” Dominic replied. “It’s not official until the priest blesses it.”

“Are you really that fucking stupid?” I shouted, spotting Avra and Laya standing together, both of them ready to pounce.

“Cali! Stop!” Leon hissed over his shoulder.

“If anyone had ever agreed to marry your sorry ass, then you’d know that we’ve already signed the marriage certificate this morning! The ceremony is just a formality. My God, what an ass.”

I was taunting him on purpose. I knew I wasn’t helping the situation at all. But my God, was he really that daft?

“Cali,” Leon growled again.

It seemed as if I’d pushed Dominic over the edge of insanity with my words, because he began walking forward, heading straight for my husband’s gun that was pointed directly at his forehead.

“If that’s the case, then I guess it’s time to make you a widow,” he stated.

His words struck a match, igniting a wildfire of fury within me. Who the hell did this arrogant prick think he was? Did he truly believe he had the right to dictate my existence? As if he alone possessed the authority to shape my destiny.

In an instant, the pent-up rage I had contained erupted like a dam bursting.

Flashes of all the faces of men who had tried to impose their will over me surged in my mind.

Then Vik, his intentions noble yet suffocating, as he tried to shield us from a harsh world.

I saw Ozias Xenos and all the faces of the men who’d raped me while I’d been held captive. I saw the faces of the men who’d beaten me after the rapes.

It dawned on me that they all thought they had control over me, over my sisters, and, in fact, over all women.

And each and every fucking one of them had been sorely mistaken.

We held the power of our own lives.

We would never back down to them .

We would never let them rule over us.

Together, my sisters and I would die before we allowed that to happen to any of us ever again. And Dominic Lucianos, of all fucking people?

What a goddamned joke this man was. Fury and rage bubbled up inside me, leaving me shaking and trembling with indignation. I was done. I was over it all. This was my fucking wedding, for fuck’s sake, and he dared to interrupt it as if he had a right to do so?

The ego it must have taken to jump to such an entitled conclusion astonished me. It infuriated me that he was that stupid.

And now, it was time for him to learn a valuable lesson that was long overdue.

Fuck Dominic Lucianos. It was time to end this shit. Now.

I glanced at Leon’s back, noticing the bulge in his jacket—the distinct outline of his extra gun concealed in his waistband. It was just like Leon to be so prepared.

But, as far as I was concerned, he was taking too long to deal with this asshole. Why wait any longer?

A slow smile spread across my face as I reached for his weapon. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, but I relished the fact that this time, I didn’t freeze up.

Not at all.

I would never do that again, and in that moment, I was absolutely sure of it. Despite all the emotions swirling within me—anger, irritation, a sense of justice—none of them came remotely close to feeling like fear .

I’d banished fear from my heart a long fucking time ago.

Not knowing this fact was Dominic’s first mistake. Coming here and fucking up my wedding while threatening to make me a widow would be his very last.

I slid my hand beneath Leon’s tuxedo jacket and swiftly pulled out the gun. Leon looked back at me in alarm.

“Cali!” he warned.

I ignored him, ducking under his arm, and fired off three quick shots.

The first one took out the guard on Dominic’s left, the bullet piercing his forehead. His body collapsed in a limp heap on the ground.

The second shot sank into the chest of the second guard, causing him to fall on his back, staring up at the sky, lifeless.

The third shot—my favorite—landed deliciously right between Dominic’s eyes.

I watched with glee as he fell to the ground with a deeply satisfying thump.

And then, just for good measure, I ran over to him, sending another bullet straight into his groin. Standing over him, I watched the blood pool around his head, his ugly, lifeless face staring up at me.

I sighed, letting my arm fall to my side.

Now that the three of them were eliminated, time started back up, chaos ensued again, and I blinked hard as the guests emerged from their hiding spots and crowded around us.

As soon as they realized I was the one who shot the three men, they started shouting my name.

“Cali! Cali! Cali! ”

I scanned the crowd, finally landing on my sisters. Laya and Avra stood close, watching me with a mix of concern and amusement.

I smiled at Laya, and she winked, nodding approvingly.

Avra pulled me into her arms, whispering in my ear, “Good fucking shot, sis.”

My head spun.

Without a second thought, I’d managed to kill three men in mere seconds. Their bodies bled out at my feet. I stood there, amazed by the strength and power it required for me to do that.

A touch on my arm pulled me from the fog, and I lifted my head to meet my husband’s gaze, desperate to ensure he wasn’t angry with me for defying him.

I’d ignored every command he’d given me. A lesser man might have felt humiliated to be publicly disregarded that way. But I hadn’t stopped to think. I’d just seen a problem, found the solution, and acted. I’d done it for him. I’d done it for us. For our future…

If he were angry or humiliated, we would deal with it, but I wasn’t about to apologize for killing these bastards.

“Leon, I—” I stopped looking for any sign of rage.

Instead, I found love.

I found tenderness.

He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me close to his chest as he took a deep breath and let out a long, slow exhale.

“You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack, Calista,” he murmured into my hair .

I leaned back to look at him.

“Why?” I replied, winking at him. “It seems I just saved your life, actually.”

A silence engulfed the crowd after my remark, and I scanned their faces, realizing they were waiting for me to say or do something to help them shake off the shock of what they had just seen.

They had been invited to a wedding and attended a bloody, violent slaughter. Not that it was something any of them hadn’t seen before. Our guest list comprised the syndicate heads of our allies and our family members. They were all powerful and well-versed in the ways of mafia families.

Of course, I knew the storm I had unleashed with Dominic and his men.

The whispers would begin immediately, spreading like wildfire through the streets and taverns—how Calista Vitalis, a bride adorned in white, had taken the life of Dominic Lucianos in front of a stunned audience, a scene that would etch itself into the annals of our families’ stories.

That was our legacy, and moments like these were passed down as cherished family heirlooms.

And I was determined to craft a tale worth telling.

I raised my chin high, my gaze sweeping over the crowd, radiating the confidence that commanded attention. I felt the weight of their stares, each one a testament to my power, as I prepared to utter words that would echo for generations to come.

“Make no mistake,” I declared, my voice rising above the murmur, each word accentuated and distinct. “The Vitalis sisters are here to stay.”

Avra and Laya came to stand beside me, the three of us claiming our place, once and for all.

The message we sent was clear.

Do not fuck with us.

Just in case, I spelled it out even more.

“We will not hesitate to protect ourselves or those we love. We have no fear of consequences. We will always seek vengeance on those who harm us. If anyone else is considering the foolish move of crossing us, consider yourselves warned that you will face the consequences of your actions.”

The guests murmured to themselves, shaking their heads as they watched the three of us fearlessly face everyone down.

We were strong.

We were unstoppable.

We were the Vitalis.

And we would never, ever, let anyone fuck with us again.