by Faye Pierce
Leo is taking on three of the men at once, one dancing awkwardly around them looking for an angle to access the group. The man who originally came in with Leo seems to be curled into a ball somewhere near the door. I can’t say I blame him. This is the life that Caspian and Leo thrive in; there’s no denying that.
Caspian vaults over the large desk, leaving Angelo on the ground by my feet...and Angelo’s gun.
Caspian pulls one man off of Leo, firing off two shots into the man’s chest and head as if this were the easiest thing in the world to him, and perhaps it is. The explosion of shots fired has my ears ringing. My legs shake, and my hand trembles as I move for Angelo’s gun. I can’t sit here and do nothing.
Caspian and Leo move together flawlessly. Maybe it’s from years of working together, or maybe they are just compatible with one another on some deeper level. They are an efficient, brutal pairing. It seems like the odds they are facing are impossible as another two men come into the room, but Leo lets loose a battle cry that seems to resurge them with energy from their depths. They just keep moving, Caspian wielding his empty gun as a weapon, and the new men start dropping.
Just as quickly as it starts, it’s over.
Then the one man by the door stands, and this time I’m the one who moves without thinking.
I’ve never held a gun before. Caspian tried to insist that I get trained in them. I know the basics of how they work. You point, pull the trigger, and the thing goes boom.
Cas thought that if I could get comfortable with them, that it might help me handle my trauma. That if I got certified or learned how to wield the gun properly, they would no longer be as frightening for me. It’s not the hunk of metal that scares me, but all of the things that I lost because of something so simple as a lump of metal twisted and forged into something lethal.
All of my fear seems to disappear as my fingers close around the thing, and I attempt to take aim.
Both of my men verify the threat in front of them is handled, and they turn to me with twin looks of confusion as I raise the gun. I’m not looking at them, and they realize a moment too late as I fire a sloppy shot into the man advancing on them, hitting him somewhere in his shoulder. The recoil of the gun far too large for me and knocks me backward. I drop it and stumble.
Caspian turns to handle the man, and Leo’s face softens. Even covered in blood he looks sorry for the fact that I had to do such a thing. The room around us is silent as the last body falls, and I want nothing more than to collapse and cry.
Well, there is one thing that I want more.
“Leo,” I whisper, more of a breath against my lips than something actually audible. I stagger toward him, and he rushes to meet me, both of his arms wrapping around me in a crushing embrace. I wince, but the pressure helps. It cements the truth to me that I’m here, I’m alive, that this room is real and that it’s all over. Everything is over.
The tears fall as he releases me. His hands come to cup my face softly, checking me over and taking inventory of each and every scrape and bruise on my person with a look so tender my heart swells with love for him. Leo lowers his face over me, and I lift my chin, but before he can kiss me, we’re interrupted.
Caspian clears his throat, and we both turn to him. Caspian holds his hand out to me, but I can’t interpret the expression on his face. I don’t want to guess the wrong thing, but I don’t want to leave Leo’s arms either. I reach out for Cas’s hand, and he pulls me closer. For a moment I’m standing in the middle of both of them, holding one of each of their hands in my own. It’s fitting, as I’m the link between them. Moving forward we will have to continue that as well. If I have to be the mediator then that’s what I will do.
“You alright, baby sister?” Cas’s voice sounds distant, thick with emotion. I nod. “You love him? Really?” I nod again, and he looks over my shoulder to Leo. “You’ll take care of her?” I glance to Leo, and he nods.
“Then I guess we have a truce to figure out.” Caspian sighs, and the next words look almost physically painful for him to admit. “We’ll have to work together to strengthen both of our businesses, of course, and I demand that you have an official wedding where I can walk my sister down the aisle.”
“Of course,” Leo agrees. “Anything she wants.”
My shoulders sag in relief, and I stagger the distance to Cas so that he can scoop me up into a hug. My arms hurt for how tightly I hold him. “Thank you, Cas, thank you.” I mutter my words into his shoulder.
It hits me all at once how much I’ve missed him over these last few days. It feels like it’s been much longer since the ball and the last time that I saw him. So I hold him tighter, and even though it hurts when he hugs me back, it gives me a sense of closure, like it’s really over. We stay like that for a long, silent moment.
“When you went missing, I feared the worst. I’ve let you get hurt again,” Caspian’s voice is small, private, for only me to hear pressed against my ear.
“I’m okay, big brother,” I whisper just as softly. “As long as I have you both, I’ll be okay.” He needs to know that I want this, that this is how it has to be. Caspian lets loose a shaky breath, but he nods. He lowers me back to my feet gently.
Caspian surrenders me, and Leo is there to catch me, scooping me up into a bridal carry. I’ve done it. I’ve united them both, and now I can keep them both forever.
“Let’s get you cleaned up, huh? Everything else can be handled after.”
“Agreed.” I let my head fall against Leo’s shoulder. I just want to be out of here. I don’t want to look at this room again for a very long time.
Leo turns to look at Caspian, chewing on the inside of his cheek before he decides that what he’s about to say is a good idea. “Right, brother?”
Caspian hesitates, staring at the two of us, and then he nods, coming to follow us out of the office. “Right.”
There are a great many things about the future that are an answerless question.
As long as we face it together, we can handle anything.
Epilogue
Midnight
“I found it!”
Valeria’s voice floats over the music playing from the built-in speakers in the bathroom. She swirls an item of blue lace around her finger as she moves closer to me, and I recognize it instantly. It’s the garter that she wore on her own wedding day. I’m surprised that she’s willing to part with it, even all these years later.
“Here, this can be your something borrowed, and your something blue. That’s two of the items already taken care of.”
“No, that’s all four then.” I correct her, ticking off the items on my fingers. “Something borrowed and blue, check. Then my dress is new, of course, and my ring is very old. Though, that garter isn’t exactly new either.” I laugh.
This is how it should have been the first time around. Not that I regret the small ceremony in Leo’s living room; it had been necessary at the time. Caspian has made it very clear in the months since the first wedding that had we not already been married he might have executed Leo for allowing harm to come to me in the first place.
The truce between the two of them is rocky at best. As to be expected, some days are better than others. Neither of them is willing to do the work needed to fully heal from the situation. Their betrayal of one another goes deep. There might be some day in the future where they might be able to forgive each other fully, but for now they have both agreed to keep their businesses and territories divided with one small exception: me.
I’m allowed to go where I want, fully protected on either side, of course. It’s more freedom than I know what to do with most days. At my request, they have both agreed that one night a month they both will endure a full truce where we have a family dinner. They haven’t managed to go a full evening without fighting yet, but I have faith that they will get there.
Today I’ve told them that whoever starts the fight on my wedding day will be thrown out by either Valeria or myself, and I don’t care whi
ch of them does it. I will celebrate my nuptials with Valeria alone if I have to. They have both promised to be on their very best behavior.
I support my thigh with my hands, lifting it high enough to allow Valeria to slid the garter up and around my thigh. My wedding dress is a thing of beauty, and Valeria helps me get into it. I’ve opted for a corseted bodice, similar to the one I wore the first time around. I’ve found that the added pressure on my spine is comforting. It makes me feel more stable with my injury, and I don’t want to fumble my way down the aisle. The skirt of my gown is shorter in the front and longer in the back, with a beautiful embroidered design. We’re getting married in a stunning garden, so I like that the flowers hand-stitched into my dress match. Tiny white flowers decorate my hair, and my makeup is simple. Caspian gave me a delicate golden chain that decorates my ankle, and I didn’t bother with shoes.
It’s far from a princess celebration, but it’s elegant, earthy, and beautiful. Caspian and Leo managed to import all of my favorite flowers from around the world, and the entire venue is perfumed. This is exactly how I dreamt it would be.
“You look...Midnight you look amazing.” Valeria beams, walking around me in a small circle to verify to herself that every bit of me is perfect before nodding. “Nervous?”
“Actually, no.” I turn in the mirror to see the full thing myself. It’s perfect. “I’ve been a DePonte for a while now. I’m ready to announce it to the world.”
“It’s not always glamorous, you know, being the wife of a mafia boss.” Valeria means well, but the warning is a little bit late. I’ve already been shot, kidnapped, beaten and tortured, but I now have the backing of two mafia bosses behind me.
“I know. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you here with me.”
“Always!” Valeria’s arms wrap around me, and we embrace.
“I’m just glad that Caspian gets to walk me down the aisle this time. I think that was the only thing I would have changed about the first time around, honestly. I wished he was there, that you all were there so that I could share that moment with my family.”
“We’re here for you now.”
I nod, and we leave the bathroom we’ve been getting ready in. Valeria is my maid of honor and the entirety of my bridal party. We have plenty of other guests in attendance, but I would have been just as happy with a smaller ceremony again. The idea that everybody is here to celebrate me is intimidating, but thrilling in the same aspect.
We move slowly to the opening to the garden, soft music playing as the sound of happy voices float just over it, adding to the ambiance. Caspian is dashing in his suit, and Valeria passes me from her arm to her husband’s. Their son is making his way up the aisle with his basket of flowers and the pillow with my ring on it. He insisted that he get to be the one to throw things, and I already have trouble telling him no.
“You can still say that you’re kidding, and I will take you so far from here…” Caspian whispers, watching his son move down the aisle in perfectly measured little steps, throwing rose petals with fervor.
“Cas…”
“I know, I know. I’m just saying.” Caspian glances at me shortly, and softens. “I’ve only wanted you happy. You know that?”
“I know.” I hug his arm and nod. “I am happy, brother. Leo makes me happy.”
“I know he does.” Caspian’s shoulders sag. “I just don’t want to give you away. I want to be the one to keep you safe.”
“You’ve always been there for me Cas, but this is what I want.”
Caspian smiles. For a moment I think that he might shed a tear, but he turns forward, and his posture straightens as it’s time to walk me down the aisle. All those in attendance rise to their feet and turn to watch me.
Normally crowds like this make me uncomfortable; normally I would want to be anywhere else. I would shrink away or hide, attempting to drop under Caspian’s arm and out of view, but today I can’t see any of them. I can’t see a single one of their faces. All I can see is Leo. The way he looks at me is magical. I can feel my stomach tighten, heat pushing to my cheeks as he looked at me in my dress, and he can’t bear to wait for me to make it all the way down the aisle.
Leo steps away from the podium and moves to me early. He walks me the rest of the way on the opposite side of Caspian. My brother doesn’t release me right away, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek, and I can feel how heavy the emotion is. He steps away after a long moment to the side to witness our official union.
Leo managed to get the same priest who married us before, and the man smiles at us brightly, leaning in to speak only to us. “Here we go again.”
We smile, and say our vows for the second time. How can any one person ever be this happy?
“Oh no, you don’t get to do that anymore!” I exclaim as Caspian lifts my champagne flute from my fingers. He likely is acting on muscle memory alone but this is my wedding, and I will drink if I want to.
Leo steps in and lifts the crystal from Caspian’s hand. He passes it back to me with a wink. I almost snort; I want to laugh so bad. The look on Caspian’s face is priceless. He looks as if he simultaneously wants to punch Leo in the face and chastise him for being so bold.
Thank goodness for the liquor that has the pair of them acting like friends again. The reception is in full swing around us, and Leo’s arm is wrapped protectively around my waist. I’ve exhausted him on the dance floor. I missed dancing so much more than I realized.
I’m not as graceful now as I used to be, and a good deal of the motions twinge the scarring in my back. My legs don’t want to work properly, and I’m more than certain that tomorrow morning I will not be able to get out of bed. However, tonight I am determined to live each of these moments to the fullest. Valeria and I might be making sure that the glasses in our husband’s hands never run empty, but it’s worth it.
There aren’t many people left here to celebrate with us, and I’ve long since stopped attempting to tell which of the families here belong to my husband and which belong to my brother because tonight it doesn’t matter. We are all united in this venue under pain of death. I made them promise. Since the ugliness with Angelo, there haven’t been any more issues on Leo’s side, and the DePonte family has risen easily now that they aren’t in direct competition with the Knight family.
It’s not super public knowledge that we have merged the families in some places, but it doesn’t need to be.
“We’re going to have to retire soon…” Valeria says to Caspian, who follows her gaze in the direction of their son in the arms of their nanny and nods.
“I think my wife is right; it’s time to take my son home to bed.”
Sadness sours my mood. “So early?”
“He is half asleep already, and at my age I have to sleep my hangover away, dear sister.”
Caspian teases, leaning forward and wrapping an arm around me, looking over my shoulder to Leo. “I will still be keeping a watchful eye on you, DePonte, so don’t get any ideas.”
“Oh, I have plenty of ideas already, don’t you worry about that.”
I know that tone, the way it darkens with intention and sends goosebumps down my spine.
Caspian’s eyes narrow, but Valeria links her arm through Caspian’s, pulling him away from the dance floor and toward their son. “Lunch sometime this week, Midnight?” I nod. “Good. This was an amazing ceremony. We love you so much.” Valeria looks to Leo with a teasing shrug. “You’re alright.” She hugs him goodbye anyway. “If you need anything, you know where to find us.”
“I do.” I hate to see them go, but I’m beyond happy they were here.
Caspian pauses, looking Leo up and down, as if sizing him up. I wait for him to say something that will break the happy bubble that we’ve been in all day. I wait for something combative. I think Leo holds his breath, expecting the same thing. I know it isn’t easy to push that much anger and hurt that deep inside of yourself. “Treat her right, Leo.” Caspian says finally.
Leo hugs
me closer to him, but his tone is serious when he answers. “Until the day I die.”
Satisfied, Caspian scoops his son into his arms, and they retire for the evening.
“I thought they would never leave.” Leo mutters, and I hit his arm without force.
“Hey!”
“Well I could hardly touch you the way that I really want to with your brother watching you so closely, could I? I don’t think he will ever forgive me for daring to corrupt you in such delicious ways.”
I press my lips into a firm line, not wanting him to see how easily he affected me. “He doesn’t have to forgive you; you do terrible things.”
