Page 137 of Thorns of Silence

“You look breathtaking.” She focused on my lips, and the tension eased from her shoulders. She even offered me a shy but genuine smile.

We both faced the priest. The interpreter stood next to him so Nix and Skye could follow. I was unable to keep the grin off my face. This—she—was all I ever wanted.

The priest started the ceremony. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Phoenix Romero and Dante Leone.”

I tightened my grip and drew circles across the back of Phoenix’s hand with my thumb, seeking comfort from it and hopefully providing some for her too.

This was always meant to be.

The priest spoke aboutcommitmentandrespectand who knew what else until he called for the exchange of the rings.Finally!I’d had the rings stored for the past three years in anticipation of this very moment. As I slid the diamond-encrusted titanium band onto her finger, relief washed over me with such force that I struggled to breathe for a moment.

It fit her perfectly. Dainty. Beautiful. Strong.

She looked me in the eyes with surprise. “It’s lighter,” I mouthed. “So it doesn’t bother you when you’re playing music.”

The corners of her lips tipped up and it took all my self-restraint not to bend my head and kiss her.

She slid my band onto my finger, and much to my delight, her fingers weren’t shaking. She was coming to terms with this. With us.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the priest announced.

I took a step closer to her and gently cupped her cheek before dropping my forehead to hers. “This is it,” I whispered, ensuring she could read my lips. “From this moment on, you’re my wife. Mine to care for, mine to cherish, and mine to protect.”

I leaned in, my lips brushing against hers, and the moment they touched, my control slipped. I yanked her closer, threading my hand through her thick mane and kissing her with everything I had.

She moaned into my mouth, and I deepened our kiss. This kiss was my vow. She was mine and I was hers. She was my fire, my water, my air, my life. From this day forward, she and her daughter were my reasons for being.

My everything.

Taking in her flushed cheeks and her lust-filled blue eyes, I couldn’t help but smirk.

This was our forever.

FIFTY-THREE

PHOENIX

The silence after the wedding was different from the one I was accustomed to. It was thoughtful. Unbreakable. Full of turmoil. There were way too many secrets plaguing this fragile union.

It was only lunchtime when we got to the castle.

Skye and Cesar hung by the open terrace as she tried to teach him ASL. Donatella, the nanny, hung out with them too, informing us that the cook had lunch and dinner ready. Dante and I joined them on the terrace, and for the next several hours, we were a normal family.Almost.Minus the guards outside. Minus the guns.

Okay, maybe not so normal.

The table on the terrace was full of food and a wedding cake with two little figures that resembled Dante and me—me with dark hair, not fake red. It turned out to be a pleasant afternoon, although I wished for my sister and friends to be here with us. We remained seated on the terrace for hours, enjoying the pleasant company and entertained by Skye and Donatella bossing Cesar around.

The sun glinted off Dante’s wedding band and my eyes flickered to my own. It was beautiful, and so light that I barely felt it. He’d put some thought into this wedding, and that fact alone tugged at my heart.

The sun was lowering rapidly over the horizon when Dante headed for the minibar. I slipped off my heels and kicked them to the side, then made my way to him.

I tried hard to keep my walls intact for years around him, but inch by inch, he was chipping at them.

Bracing a hand on the bar, he turned around and watched me, a smile pulling on his lips. But his gaze… It burned like a lit match. A shiver ran down my back and I hoped at the end of it all, I’d survive this man.

“Do I get a drink?” I asked.

He pulled the top off a whiskey decanter and poured another glass, handing it to me and letting his fingers dance over mine.