Chapter 109: Chapter 109

"Fuuuuck! Must you place this shit around my neck so tightly?" I ask Night eyes with a frown.

Night Eyes rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything except to tighten the tie around my neck like a damn noose. He says I've been acting like a prissy bitch since I woke up this morning and realized it's the D-day. My six trusted men, now my groomsmen, are sitting around dressed up in white tuxedos drinking champagne while I'm sweating buckets inside this suit that's more like a straight jacket than any other thing.

"Will you get your feet off my precious table, Moro?" I say, tugging on my collar as I eye him from the corner of my eyes.

He just smirks and continues sipping on his drink like I didn't just give him an order.

"Ouch, fuck! What the-? Will you take it easy? My neck's not a damn concrete, Night eyes."

"Quit bitching, Ash, anyone hearing you would think you're not dying to get married to Alicia, so choose right now - continue complaining and I'll tell her, or-"

That shuts me up instantly. The sly fuck. He's got me real good and he knows it. It's like he said - Anyone with half a brain cell can easily tell I'm a goner for Hazel eyes. Can't wait for her to take her rightful place beside me today and become Mrs. Cattaneo. The name I've officially adopted, once more. That doesn't mean I'm not going to use Ash Thunder again, cause that's the name that catapulted me to where I am today.

It's been two weeks since Hazel eyes told me she'll marry me and ever since then, I've been walking on cloud nine. She didn't allow me to touch her until just yesterday night. All I've been doing ever since meeting her was fuck her, but last night. Last night was different because I made love to her for the very first time and I gotta tell you it was golden.

We hardly talked but after the fifth time of slow lovemaking, I'd held her in my arms and felt the staccato beat of her heart against my chest. Mine wasn't any different either. The beating of two hearts becoming one. She's got me talking like a poet. Heck, I'll even become one if it means I get to hold her every day of my life.

As we came down from our high, I was about to drift off to sleep when she broached the subject I'd been waiting for but never came ever since the day we faced the Dons.

"How did you know?" She'd asked.

I'd gone still as a rock, but she'd pushed through.

"Tell me, please, how did you know about. . . my mum?"

So I told her.

I began to research more about her when I spoke to a few of her parent's friends when I invited them to attend Tanya's fake burial. One of them said she was originally from Italy, same place as Alicia's mother and we had got talking. I dug deeper, only to find out more interesting information which I filed away for later use. One thing I've learnt as Ash Thunder, is that information is key.

I used that information to save the life of the woman I love.

Am I happy?

Heck, yeah.

I mean, it's an added bonus she's a mafia princess, but the mafia princess of a don?

That's the icing on a cake.

"It's show time." Night Eyes says, interrupting my thoughts.

I nod distractedly.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts?"

I chuckle. "The only second thoughts I'm having right now is why I made you my best man." That shuts him up as they all file out in front of me and I follow suit.

ALICIA

"Who gave you the idea to wear yellow on your wedding day?" Tanya asks from somewhere in the room. Through the mirror, I watch as she turns to Clarissa with a raised brow. "Let me guess. . . her, yeah?"

"Shoo, living dead, shoo!" Clarissa says in reply as she hovers around me.

I smother my chuckle with a cough and Tanya rushes to my side with a glass of water. I lift grateful eyes to her as I collect it and take a sip.

Ever since Clarissa found out Tanya was alive, they've acted like Tom and Jerry. Clarissa has given Tanya the nickname of living dead and anytime Tanya makes a remark to me involving Clarissa, she calls Tanya that, but Tanya just rolls her eyes and hisses. It's so comical to say the least, but I don't want to get in the middle of the two of them.

I understand that Clarissa is upset at Tanya for putting me through so much pain and trauma because she lied to me that she was dead. What she doesn't know is that I understand why she did it and I don't hold it against her.

The worst of it is that I chose Clarissa as my chief bridesmaid, but Tanya was not hearing it. She said it was her right and not Clarissa's, so after thinking of what to do, long and hard, I came to a decision. . .

They will both be my chief bridesmaids.

I know, I know. It's unheard of. Yep, but it's also unheard of for a bride to wear yellow on her wedding day as well but I've got a damn good reason for doing that.

I'm only in my underwear and a dressing gown on top of them, and the stylist is putting the finishing touches to my hair. My makeup is done and all I need to do is wear my yellow wedding dress. I can't wait to marry Ash. . . I mean Batista.

It sounds so strange calling him that. I roll the words around in my mouth, testing them and feeling how they sound.

"Okay, now, time's up for lolling around and doing nothing. You've gotta get into that hideous yellow dress because it's not good to keep the groom waiting."

"Oh, living dead." Clarissa comes up beside me, shaking her head. "I knew you lack manners but I never knew you could talk to your sister this way, more so on her wedding day at that."

"Ah! It's nothing. Alicia knows I'm joking." She turns to me with a lopsided smile. "Your dress is drop-dead gorgeous, sis."

"Quite a Macabre sense of humor you've got, eh?" Clarissa shakes her head at Tanya as she helps me up.

"And Lily? Is she ready? I want to check on her now." I say to Clarissa.

"Relax, 'Lis, mother is taking good care of her. She'll be a cute ring bearer, don't you worry."

*

The ride to the church takes like forever. That's because Tanya got it into her head to keep us waiting because of a spoilt zip. Luckily, the stylist had a hack that fixed it and we're on our way. Nerves hit me as the car moves at a slow pace. There's a car procession of three with the bridesmaids at the head, Clarissa's parents and my baby in the second car, while my chief bridesmaids and myself in the last car - a limousine actually.

It's a stark reminder that the person I'm getting married to today is a billionaire. If this is a dream, then I don't want to ever wake up from it.

"We're here." Tanya's chirpy voice drags me out of my thoughts and I focus on the large building looming in front of us. Expensive cars have already gathered in the expansive parking area of the Catholic Church and I know their occupants must already be inside waiting to see what the big fuss is all about.

Ash, as usual, went overboard. He's been publicizing our wedding on the news as if we're royalty. When I pointed it out to him, he said we are indeed the royalty of the Camorra, to which I had rolled my eyes.

I come down from the car with the help of Tanya and I'm face to face with my baby. She's radiant in white. I take a few seconds to admire her before scooping her into my arms. Since she's just learning how to walk, I'm going to carry her inside and hand her over to Clarissa's dad.

A long red carpet is laid on the ground outside the church leading inside with rose petals of different colors. I hear the organ going and the Here comes the Bride tune, playing, making my heart thump harder. As I walk slowly inside the church, I don't know why, but my mind flashes to my ex-boyfriend, Grant. He was a lily-liveried man prone to false confidence and infected with fear.

Everyone turns expectantly toward me as I hold the large red bouquet of flowers in my right hand and Lily in my left. My eyes seek out the only man who dominates my thoughts - either waking or sleeping. Sighting him up front waiting for me, I'm overtaken with a bout of laughter. Curious looks are thrown at me but I don't care.

Nothing of human nature applies to Battista Cattaneo, AKA Ash Thunder. If Grant is a human, then Ash is a god, a hurricane, his nature unpredictable, the totality of his being as beautiful as it is understated, perilous, and unrelenting. A brave man who never fears the fire, never fears death. I craved the wills of the tempest when I sought him out but I didn't know the extent of the storm I was getting myself into as at the time.

As I get to the front of the altar and hand Lily over to Clarissa's dad, I look up at Ash and his gaze sears into me. I realize that I would go through it all over again if given half a chance and will never regret a single thing. The ceremony is a blur thereafter until the priest asks if we have any words to say.

Ash looks at me and I can see love, passion, lust, and many other emotions swirling in his brown depths. I rush through the words I had prepared but when it's his turn, he looks at me with so much tenderness, I feel my eyes pool with tears.

"I'm not a poet but when I first laid eyes on you, I knew I had to have you."

Chuckles break out all over the church and then it's quiet once more as he continues.

"I'm not one for big words, but I'll tell you this - I promise to make every other person jealous of our amazing relationship, oh, and I promise to unclog the tub even though you're the only one between us with long hair. There are so many other promises I can give you, but this one thing I know - I'll never give you a divorce because once you're tied to me, it's forever. And that yellow dress you have on. I hope you realize I can't wait to tear it off you when we're alone."

My eyes widen in mortification at his words but as chuckles break out from the congregation, I close them in embarrassment. It takes a few seconds for me to open them and once I do, my eyes latch onto Ash and there's a telltale sheen in his eyes.

"Forever!" I smile at him tremulously.

The priest chuckles. "Well, then, far be it from me to stop that from happening."

And the whole church explodes into laughter as the ceremony continues. We exchange rings and the weight of the diamond ring on my finger as well as the gold band is a sight I will never get tired of seeing. When the priest turns to Ash and asks if he will take me as his wife, he turns to me and looks at me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet and back again before locking eyes with me and nodding. "Forever and ever, I do."

Cue the waterworks once more. The priest turns to me and asks me the same question and I nod and say I do as well.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Ash turns to me and winks. "Well, then, Mrs. Cattaneo, what say we give everyone a show, hmm?"

Without waiting for my reply or even approval, Ash sweeps my veil to the side, bends me backward, and kisses me till I'm breathless.

As soon as his lips settle on mine, I become dizzy. I feel like I'm floating in the clouds. I never want to come down again. He rights me up and takes my hand in his and raises it for everyone to see our rings, before turning to me and whispering into my ear, amidst resounding cheers and applause. "I mean it, you know - Forever and ever."

I smile happily as he places another lingering kiss on my lips.

THE END!