by Nicole Casey
“That’s crazy,” Axel said.
“We’re happier together,” I said. “I mean, you’re telling me about you and your friends. Don’t you guys always struggle with women? You tell me all the time how it feels like whenever one of you gets a girlfriend she wants to sleep with another one of you. What if that was okay?”
“It’s okay for her to cheat on one of us?” Axel asked.
“It’s not cheating if you’re okay with it. Some stuff you do together with the other guys, some stuff is just the two of you. It works.” I remembered Sadie telling me that it wasn’t for everyone and pulled back. “It may not be your thing, but it works for us.” I smiled thinking about how she’d said something similar. We had something pretty big in common now, and I was hoping that was enough to push her needle just a little.
“So when you get married, will you marry just one of them or all of them?” Axel asked. “I mean if.”
“When,” I responded, “it’ll be one of them on paper, but all of them in our hearts.” I giggled. “That sounds so cheesy.”
Axel starred up into space like he was trying to solve a complicated math problem. “So, does that mean that even if you sign a prenup with the one you marry on paper, that you could still take half the assets of the other 7, because me and my student loans might be coming around.”
My heart screeched to a halt. “Wait, what did you just say?”
“I was kidding,” Axel said. “Kind of.”
“Oh my god. You’re brilliant. That’s it! That’s how we fix it!”
Axel started looking around. “What did I do? What did I say?”
“I love you so much. I gotta go.”
“Alexa. Don’t you hang up on--”
I clicked the phone off and jumped out of bed, nearly falling to the floor from pain. “Right,” I grumbled out loud.
I crawled back up onto the bed and made my way to Sadie’s number. I had a stage to set. I started a new text with her.
Oh my god. I think I’m gonna have 7 guys!
Got ya beat!
The three dots signifying she was typing before her words popped up.
No fucking way. Who?
The Foxxes.
Ugh! They’re so sexy, I get it.
Wait… 7? There’s 8 of them!
Who got left out?
Harley. I can’t get him out of this wedding. :(
Oh… right, sorry about that.
It’s okay. I realize this existed long
before I did.
Hey, can I ask you a question though?
If I had sex with all eight of them unprotected
I’m defo gonna get pregnant right? XD
Hahaha. Pretty high possibility.
Wait. Could Harley be the dad?
He was the one I did it with most.
It’s gonna be terrible if my baby’s father
is married to another woman.
…that would be bad.
I’ll just have to hope it’s one of the other brothers..
I gotta go. Will you be at the wedding?
Yeah… Are you in Italy too?
Sure am! I like to witness my Greek tragedies
up close! XD :(
…see you there.
I closed the texts, proud of my handiwork, and trying not to think about the reality that I could actually get pregnant, and sifted back to my phone book for the last call I had to make. I pressed Harley’s number.
“Alexa?” he answered, making my heart thunder again.
“Hey. Are you in with your dad and brothers yet?” I asked.
“No, just waiting for everyone to get here. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, but I need you to come back quick. Find any excuse.”
“Sorry, beautiful, I don’t think I can.”
“You have to, I know how to get you out of this deal with Dante and Malia.”
“What? How?”
“I’ll explain when you get here.”
“Okay, we’re on our way.”
“No,” I snapped. “I’m sorry, but you can’t bring your brothers. Not even Huxley.”
“What? Why?”
I sighed. “Because this plan will only work if none of them know about it.”
25
Harley
I looked myself over in my black, Italian suit. Even I had to admit I looked pretty good. My heart was rattling around in my chest like a loose gear, but not for the reasons I expected. If today went exactly as it was supposed to, all of this nastiness with Dante and Malia would soon be behind me. It made me nervous to think about. I was taking more than one calculated risk, well me and Alexa. It sucked not being able to tell my brothers. I had to lie to them and tell them that Alexa had called me back for one final kiss and nothing more. I could see in his face that Huxley knew I was lying when I said it, but he didn’t call me on it, probably because he didn’t want to be lied to again. I’d never lied to him before in my entire life and I wouldn’t likely forgive myself for it. I had to just hope that the payoff would be worth the sacrifice.
There was a knock at the door to my father’s study where I was waiting for the wedding to start. “Come in,” I called out.
Alexa walked in and the sight of her took my breath away. She’d curled her brown hair, and held a few of the front curls back with a bobby pin. She was dressed in a turquoise satin dress with a shawl around her shoulders, and a pair of white pumps. She was easily the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life, and I’d been around the world and back. I wished more than anything that I could reach out for her and take her into my arms, but I realized we had a problem to deal with first.
Alexa handed a manilla envelope over to me. “You know what to do.”
I took the envelope with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other and dragged her to me for a kiss. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe you figured all of this out.”
“I think I’m more amazing for being in heels less than 48 hours after you and your brothers hit me like a line of dump trucks.” She chuckled. “But I’ll take the compliment, thank you.”
“That is amazing too. As is taking the line of dump trucks.” I raised an eyebrow. “But really. This could all be over soon because of you.”
She nodded. “I sure hope so. You didn’t tell your brothers did you?”
I shook my head. “I lied to Huxley. It was awful.”
“I’m sorry to make you do that, but it’s the only way it’ll work.” She rubbed my arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to him.” I laughed, knowing she could more than make good on that promise. “Okay, I’m gonna go. Text me when it’s done.”
I nodded. “I will. You’re sure the Sadie piece is going to work out?”
“Trust me,” she responded. “She’s a good person. It’s going to work.” She gave me one last peck on the lips and then twirled from the room.
Her timing was impeccable, because not long after she skated from the room, my dad, Dante and one of his men, Asher, walked in, along with Malia, wearing an extravagant wedding dress. He was a tall, muscular man who looked like he could kill me with one punch if he wanted, and if he didn’t have two guns clearly visible on either side of his waist.
“Harley!” Dante greeted. “I’m so glad you decided to come around. You and my girl are gonna be good.” He closed in on me and shoved a finger into my chest. “But remember, she’s like a sister to me, so if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”
“Yes sir.” I thought my heart was going to come hopping out of my chest. I was leaving it all up to Alexa to make sure that that part didn’t happen. I trusted her, but it was still nerve wracking.
Dante pointed at the envelope in my hand. “Are those the wedding certificates?”
“Yep, and the property papers. They just left my lawyer’s hands seconds ago.” I handed them over to Dante and he pulled them out.
He flicked through them and then handed them to Asher who looked them over as well. He handed them back to me with a c
rooked grin. “They look good, boss.”
“Excellent,” Dante said. “Well then. Let’s get to signing.”
I set the papers out on the desk in the order Sadie told me to and signed on the lines she told me to and directed Malia to do the same. I tried to keep my composure in spite of the fact that I could feel the sweat pooling at my brow.
“You okay, son?” my dad asked. “You look like you’re gonna be sick.”
Leave it up to my damn dad. “Just, uh, wedding nerves. Pop. Time for you to sign.” I handed the pen over to him and pointed to a line on the wedding certificate. “Right here.”
My dad signed on the line I directed him to and then set the pen down on the desk. “That’s that then?”
Dante held his hand out to Asher and he pulled a tri-folded pack of papers out of his back pocket. Dante held them up in front of us, pulled his lighter from his pocket and flicked it open. I pulled out my cell phone and started a video recording.
“Uh, if you could just look right here and tell me what you’re doing?” I asked.
Asher reached for one of his guns, but Dante held out a hand. “It’s fine. He’s a smart man not to trust a mobster.” He smiled right at the camera. “I Dante do hereby dissolve the contract between Richard Foxx and Dimitri Marcello, as all of the terms of the contract have been satisfied.” He set the lighter’s flickering flame to the edge of the papers and held it up as they burned away in front of us. When the flames were reaching the edges of the paper, Dante dropped it into a nearby trash can and I stopped recording. I took a few quick seconds to send the video to Alexa before putting my phone back in my pocket.
“Well, let’s go get married, darling,” Malia said with a proud look on her face.
“Actually,” I said. “Can I have a few minutes alone with my bride-to-be?” I asked.
Dante looked at Asher and they both looked at Malia. I held up a hand. “I promise. I just want to talk to her. I’m not supposed to see the bride before the aisle, but I just want to say a few things before we head out.”
“It’s okay,” Malia said. She tapped a spot on her hip. “I’m good.”
So everyone was packing. Good to know.
Dante looked at me. “Any funny business, I’ll blow your head off, and then his.” He flicked his head towards my dad.
“No funny business.”
Dante, Asher, and my dad walked out, and I grabbed Malia’s hands and pulled her over to me. I dropped my lips to hers and kissed her as passionately as I could muster. When we parted, her face was completely covered in a deep blush.
“Well that was unexpected.”
“Hey, you showed me your wedding dress before the wedding, so I decided to kiss you before. You started it,” I said.
Malia grinned. “Where is this new life coming from?”
I shrugged. “I think I just realized that you’re right. It’s better if I just go with the flow, right? You’re a beautiful woman, and obviously very smart.”
“More beautiful than Alexa?” she asked.
Not by a fucking long-shot. “Way more. She was just a fuck.”
Malia’s smile widened. “That’s what I like to hear.” I whipped her around and bent her over the desk, pulling up right behind her. “We don’t have time, Harley. You’ve had four fucking days to do this while you were fucking around with that useless slut.”
“But your moans are what I’d like to hear.”
Malia turned around and faced me. “Save it for tonight.” She reached up and scratched my chin. “Let’s get the formalities over with.” She led the way out of the study and Dante and Asher were right outside. “Come on, Dante. Trust me. This is fine. He needs to get to the altar.”
“Of course.” Dante, Asher, and Malia walked off, and I turned in the opposite direction to head to the backyard.
I walked out and my brothers were already lined up at the altar. I walked down the aisle between two sections of people I didn’t even recognize, and as I passed Alexa I locked eyes with her. I winked as subtly as I could and went to stand in front of the flower covered arch. Huxley tapped me on my shoulder and when I turned he poked at my chin.
“What did you do? Is this ink?” he asked.
“Oh, uh, no. Just soot or something. It’s fine.” I turned my back to him, irritated that I had to lie again. I shouldn’t have let Malia touch me again before leaving.
About fifteen minutes passed and then the wedding march started. I looked out over the sea of people and noticed that Alexa was gone. I took a deep breath. Everything else was in fate’s hands. Dante and Malia rounded the corner from inside the main manor, and walked through the decorated glass doors out onto the lawn. Everyone stood and Dante walked her down the aisle. When she got to me, I grabbed her, kissed the back of her hand, and led her over to the arch. Sadie was standing behind her and had a sick look on her face. Alexa seemed pretty confident that she was going to be a huge help to us, whether or not she realized it. God I hoped she was right.
The priest cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen--”
I cut him off. “Can we skip to the good part?” I asked Malia with a wink.
“I was never one for big speeches,” she responded before turning to look at the priest. “Let’s skip to the ‘I Do’s.’”
“Um, okay.” He closed the bible he had in his hands and looked at me. “Harley Foxx, do you take Malia La Dionne to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
I nodded. “I do.” I could hear Huxley let out an audible scoff behind me.
“And Malia La Dionne,” the priest continued. “Do you take Harley Foxx--”
“I do.” She winked at me and I smiled broadly.
“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Malia leaned in and I leaned back. “Yeah, it’s gonna be a no from me.”
“What?” Malia asked. “Kiss me right now.”
“Mm, I don’t think I will. It says I ‘may’ kiss my bride and I’d rather not.”
Huxley started snickering behind me and I heard a couple of the guys trying to figure out what’s going on.
Malia looked at me. “Fine, whatever. I tried to do this the nice way, but you’ve just wasted your last chance. This company is mine now anyway.”
“Is it?” I looked down the aisle and Alexa was standing at the other end with the papers in her hand. “Based on what I’ve been reading, you don’t own anything.” She held up a paper. “You signed a prenup.”
Malia’s head whipped over her shoulder and looked at Dante and then back at Harley. “You fucking snake.”
I shrugged. “You saw all the papers yourself. You signed them.”
“Well, I’m still married to you. I still have control of half this company while I’m Mrs. Foxx,” she threatened.
“Mm, wrong again.” Alexa walked up the aisle. “According to this, you’ve already agreed to Harley’s request for a divorce.”
“I didn’t sign anything about a divorce,” Malia said.
Alexa held out the pink, carbon copy of a paper. “I believe that’s your fingerprint at the bottom.”
I could see Malia’s mind calculating, realizing that my grabbing her hands was only to get ink on her fingers, and bending her over was just to get her print on the page. I still couldn’t believe it had all gone so smoothly. Alexa told me that if I through her under the bus and kissed Malia, she’d let her guard down. It worked perfectly. I smiled at her and I could hear my brothers cheering behind me.
“I fucking love that girl,” Maverick hissed.
You and me both, brother.
“Dante,” she barked, and Dante stood up from where he was sitting in the front row.
He reached into the waistband of his pants and pulled out a gun and pointed it right at my head. “Yeah, I thought I told you if you fucked with us, it’d be the last thing you’d ever do.”
I side-glanced at Sadie and she had a look of horror on her face.
Dante’s men were all up and out of their seats pointing guns at my dad, Sienne, and my brothers. Malia pulled the one she had hidden in her garter out and pointed it at Alexa.
“You fucked with the wrong one, bitch,” she hissed.
Dante clicked the trigger. “So, what order should we do this in? Maybe I’ll start with you.” His finger started to pull on the trigger when Sadie bolted out from behind Malia and shoved Dante’s arm upwards, pointing his gun into the air. Dante changed into a different person in an instant. “What are you doing?”
“You can’t kill him.” She looked back at Alexa and then back to Dante. “He could be a dad. Think about D.J. You’re the one who always tells me that karma is unforgiving. If you take this dad away…” Dante stared down at Sadie and it was actually a little disconcerting how much softer he suddenly was. “You can’t.”
“But the deal,” Dante said.
“Who needs this deal? You’ve built an empire of your own. Just because your dad started it? Please, for me. Don’t do this.” She looked over at Malia. “You deserve real love. You’re part of our family, you always have been. You don’t have to steal someone else’s company, you already have one.”
Dante lowered his gun and so did all of his men. He looked over at Harley. “I’m not going to kill you, but you breached the contract.”
“Actually, I didn’t. All it said was that I had to be married, and I am,” I reached over and grabbed Alexa’s hand, “to Alexa.”
“Fucking yes,” Huxley whispered from behind me.
“You said so yourself, Dante. The contract between the Foxx Family and the Marcello Family is officially dissolved.”
Epilogue
Alexa
“Good morning, Mr. Foxx.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Foxx.”
