by Sam Mariano
He nods, looking up at the house. “I kinda just want to burn it down.”
I move beside him, reaching for his hand. “Yeah, but that would be arson. Also, setting a fire in the desert, while momentarily cathartic, also seems really irresponsible.”
Vince smirks, turning his head to look at me. “You ruin all my fun.”
“Only the really bad ideas,” I amend. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“Let’s get married.”
My heart drops and I jerk my gaze to his. “What? That’s your alternative to burning down your father’s house? Getting married?”
“No, but we’re in Vegas.” He says this like all people come to Vegas to get married. “We want to have a baby and a house—stands to reason we’ll also want to get married. And who’s gonna come to our wedding? Cherie and Laurel? We don’t have family, just them. Laurel’s already here. She could go with us tomorrow and be our witness.”
Now my heart rises back to its rightful cavity and beats a little harder than it should. “You really want to get married?”
He squeezes my hand, then brings it up so he can kiss my knuckles. “Hell yeah, I do.”
---
It’s about the last way I expected to end this week, but Vince and I spend a little time exploring the house where he kept his captive ex-girlfriend, then we traipse back over to Rafe’s, in hopes he and Laurel haven’t made it to the bedroom yet.
Luckily, they’re still on the couch. She’s straddling him, taking off his tie, but she stops and looks over at us when we come running in.
“We’re getting married tomorrow,” Vince announces.
Laurel gasps, with pleasure.
Rafe’s jaw drops, not with pleasure.
“What?” Laurel squeals, climbing off Rafe’s lap and running over to me. Her gaze goes to my hand, wrongfully—but logically—assuming this was maybe something we actually gave a little thought to, and maybe I would have a ring. I stifle a mad laugh, but I guess if I’m going to share my life with Vince, I have to embrace spontaneity sometimes.
“We don’t have a ring. We didn’t plan this. But we’re gonna do it.”
Rafe eases up off the couch. “Hang on a minute. You guys just decided in the past half hour to get married?” He looks at Vince like he’s lost his fucking mind. “Do you recall all the money you just came into? You need to talk to a lawyer and have a pre-nuptial agreement drawn up if you’re going to get married.”
“Stop killing our buzz,” I tell him, shooting him a dirty look.
“Yeah,” Vince agrees, frowning at Rafe like he’s a real asshole.
Rafe can’t quite contain his amusement as he looks between us. I can basically see him thinking I’m an opportunist, cashing in on her good luck. “Hey, I’m not saying don’t get married. I would say that, if I thought there was even an outside chance you’d listen, but I know you won’t. I’m just advising my newly minted millionaire cousin not to get married three minutes after coming into his sizable inheritance.”
Now Laurel scowls at Rafe. “My sister is not after money.”
Rafe stares at her for a moment, then looks at me, then Vince. Finally, he raises his hands and shakes his head. “You know what? This isn’t my problem. Do what makes you happy, kid.”
“We’re going to,” Vince states, unmoved.
Rafe nods like he shouldn’t have even tried and drops back onto his couch. “Well, congratulations, I guess.”
“I want a white dress, though,” I tell Laurel. “Will you go shopping with me tomorrow while Vince handles all the stupid house stuff?”
“Of course I will,” Laurel says, grinning. “I’m so excited!”
Rafe shakes his head, leaning back on the couch. It appears to physically pain him to keep his mouth shut, but he manages.
“Rafe can be your best man,” Laurel suggests, thrilled with her own suggestion.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Vince says.
“Yes,” I agree, nodding. “That way we both have a family member at our wedding.”
“I don’t need a best man. If I did, it would damn sure not be him. Maybe we’ll run across a panhandler on our way to the chapel and I can ask him instead.”
Laurel gives Vince her best unimpressed face.
“I mean, on a practical level, it would probably be easier if Rafe helped out,” I tell Vince, my tone low. “We don’t know where to buy anything or where to get a marriage license. Or, you know, where to get married. He probably knows all that stuff.”
Vince sighs. “Seriously? The point of a Vegas wedding is that none of my asshole cousins have to be there.”
I hold up a single finger, busting out the puppy dog eyes. “Maybe just one asshole cousin wouldn’t be the end of the world?”
He looks at me, then Laurel, then back to me. Finally he gives in and rolls his eyes. “Fine. Rafe can come. But I don’t like it.”
“Now, hang on,” Rafe replies. “No one even asked if I want to take part in this train wreck. My answer right now is a soft no.”
“A soft no?” Laurel asks, quirking an eyebrow. “So your mind could be changed?”
He smiles at her. “Hey, if you’re up to the task.”
She saunters back over to the couch and climbs on top of him. “I think I can probably change that soft no to a hard yes.”
“You do excel at making things hard,” he murmurs. Then he catches her around the back of her neck and tugs her in for a kiss.
Vince looks over at me, already anticipating my disapproving grimace. “Why don’t we leave them to… that, and go to our room,” he suggests.
I nod, tearing my gaze from the horrible man kissing my wonderful sister and turn away with a sigh. “I hate all your cousins so much.”
Vince smirks, draping his arm around my shoulder and hauling me toward the stairs. “Look at that, our first official family tradition.”
---
My wedding day begins with Rafe’s “let me make a couple calls” at breakfast. He has a maid, but he still makes Laurel pour his coffee. I don’t understand why she does, but she seems to get a kick out of it, so I don’t object.
Also, I was starting to worry we would get married by an Elvis impersonator and Rafe has assured he won’t let that happen. He gives Laurel his credit card and tells her to go buy us dresses—his wedding present.
We’re limited to off-the-rack choices, but that’s probably what I would’ve done anyway. As much as I want the fairytale, the fairytale isn’t in some big party—it’s in the relationship. It’s in loving the man who pays enough attention to your nerdy stories to bring you an ice cream sandwich when he fucks up (and in my case, maybe buys me a gym membership, since he fucks up more than his fair share). There may be some secrets tucked away in our closet, but we’ve built this relationship on more truths than lies. There’s mostly openness between us. Our only secrets revolve around Vince’s family, and after today, we close the door on them and build a healthy life completely removed from their toxicity.
I may not be the ideal bride and Vince may be a little less stable than the ideal man, but we’re best friends who always want to tear each other’s clothes off. That’s good enough for me.
The dress gods must also bless this union because I’m able to find a stunning dress that fits me well enough that it doesn’t require alterations. It’s mostly backless and fitted like a mini-dress, but then there’s an explosion of tulle at the bottom. It makes me feel like a sexy princess.
Vince wears a tux and looks like a dream. I begged him to wear a Superman T-shirt underneath, but I don’t know if he listened to me.
Our Vegas elopement could have turned out like a bargain bin event, tucked at the back of a sketchy flea market, but thanks to Rafe, it actually does resemble a fairytale. He made his calls and helped Vince throw together the arrangements in just a few hours, but as we stand in front of the golden light of the Bellagio fountains with the Eiffel Tower glowing in the background, everything is perfect. Rafe stands behind Vince, Laurel stand
s behind me, and an officiant leads the simple ceremony—and he is not wearing a bad wig or a rhinestone suit.
We even have a photographer, so we’ll have wedding pictures to hang up on the walls of our new home.
After the vows are spoken and we’re announced husband and wife, Vince pulls me in for a kiss. I’m feeling a little weepy. It’s pretty lame, but I can’t seem to help it. Then he unbuttons a few buttons and pulls open his dress shirt just enough to reveal the Superman symbol on the T-shirt beneath. I burst into laughter.
The photographer catches it, so I’m pretty sure that’s the one that’s going on our wall.
Epilogue
Vince
“Da, da, da, da, da, da.”
“Addie, Addie, Addie, Addie, Addie.”
The little munchkin in the high chair beside me looks up at me and flashes me a toothless grin. “Dada!”
“Addie,” I say, with more enthusiasm, to match hers.
Carly walks around the counter, holding mugs of coffee in each hand and a bottle tucked in the crook of her arm. She sets down our mugs, then leans down to drop a kiss on top of Addison’s head as she puts hers on the tray of the high chair.
It’s not an ironic bottle, but it does read, “Daddy’s little princess.” No irony there, that’s just the truth.
Now my beautiful wife comes over to my chair, shoving the notebooks away from me and straddling my lap. “How’s the business plan coming?”
I settle my hands on her hips and smile up at her. Her hair’s piled on top of her head in her favored messy bun, her trademark sultry smile tugging at her perfect lips. “Well, it goes a little better when I can see the notebook.”
“Notebooks are dumb.” She turns her head to Addie. She’s only six months old, so it’s unlikely she would absorb that particular lesson, but Carly corrects herself anyway. “Mommy was just kidding. Notebooks aren’t dumb. Notebooks are wonderful. You’ll take them to class and write down all your thoughts and the teacher’s thoughts. You’re going to learn so many things, and notebooks will help organize all that knowledge.”
I reach for the nape of Carly’s neck, tugging her down for a kiss. Then I murmur against her lips, “Addie doesn’t care about notebooks.”
“She will someday,” Carly promises, pecking me on the lips one more time before reaching back to grab her coffee cup. She swivels carefully and smirks at me over the brim. “I hold your life in my hands right now.”
“If you spill that coffee on my lap, you’re licking it off,” I inform her.
She rolls her eyes back dramatically. “God, don’t tempt me.”
“Hey, if someone didn’t have class today, we could put Addie down for her nap and spend the afternoon in bed.”
Carly pulls a sad face. “I know. Class is stupid, too.” She turns back to Addie. “Don’t listen to that, either.”
“It’ll all pay off soon,” I assure her, even though I don’t need to. Carly has more drive in her pinky finger than I have in my whole being.
“Dr. Morelli,” she says, grinning at me. “It has a lovely ring to it.”
“It sounds legitimately insane to me, but I’ll get used to it.”
“I can help. I’ll wear some sexy heels and glasses—nothing else. We’ll break in my comfy couch.”
I nod, drawing her in for another kiss. “I approve of this plan.”
“You better approve heartily,” she states, reaching back to put the coffee down. Then she puts her arms around my neck and leans in, sighing contentedly. “I love our life.”
I tuck her head beneath my chin as she snuggles against me and look over at our daughter, going to town on her bottle. “So do I.”
THE END
(But turn the page…)
You made it through all the angst and suspense! Congratulations; you survived Mateo!
If you are like one of the many readers who have asked me again and again for Mateo’s POV, I have some good news! Obviously you got a few snippets in Last Words, but there will also be a novella from Mateo’s POV released approximately a week after Last Words (so people have time to read this book first). The novella takes place during Accidental Witness, but it is intended to be read at the end of the series, once every last puzzle piece has clicked into place. Obviously knowing what Mateo was actually thinking all along would have ruined all the suspense, seeing as he’s the main antagonist of the series. Villains need love, too, right? ;)
I didn’t do a pre-order for Entrapment, but it will include the aforementioned novella, plus all the bonus/deleted scenes that go with all 7 books. There is a prologue from Carly’s POV in the Entrapment collection, but it is intended to be read after Last Words, as well. Basically, the whole series is written in this order for a reason. Accidental Witness was released first because it needs to be read first; Entrapment is being released last because it should be read last. :) Expected release date: December 8, 2017.
I am going to be working on Morelli spin-off books for some of the side characters. This series obviously began with and revolved around the Vince/Mia/Mateo love triangle. Now that’s concluded, but there are still more Morelli books coming. Look for those in 2018!
If you want to talk about your Morelli experience with other readers, there is a spoiler/discussion group on Facebook: Mateo’s Sweethearts
I also have a general reader group, if you’re interested in joining, HERE
Thank you for reading!
About the Author
Sam Mariano loves to write edgy, twisty reads with complicated characters you’re left thinking about long after you turn the last page. Her favorite thing about indie publishing is the ability to play by your own rules! If she isn’t reading one of the thousands of books on her to-read list, writing her next book, or playing with her adorable preschooler… actually, that’s about all she has time for these days.
Feel free to find Sam on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers! She’s also available on Instagram now @sammarianobooks, and you can sign up for her totally-not-spammy newsletter HERE
If you have the time and inclination to leave a review, however short or long, she would greatly appreciate it! :)
