And as I clung to Israel, I knew he’d never drop me.
Just like he’d never forsake me.
Or leave my side.
Or ever betray me, in any way.
“I love you, Bonnie Moretti-Rossi.”
I smiled against his lips. “I love you, too, Israel Moretti-Rossi.”
“Don’t push it.”
I giggled. “Just a little joke. Don’t get so bent out of shape. That’s my job tonight, remember?”
He growled as he pulled me upright. “You’re mine tonight, gorgeous.”
I gripped the collar of his suit. “You’re mine forever, handsome.”
It brought me great joy to sign that marriage contract with my real name on it. I gazed upon our signatures and my new last name as my mind reminisced on what all we had to go through in order to get here. I shook my head at the thought. The past ten months had been nothing but a blur of craziness. And as Israel scooped me into his arms, carrying me back down the aisle as his blushing wife, he carried me down the hallway as well before we stood in front of the doors that led into Pava’s courtroom.
“Ready to finish this?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a while now.”
“Part of me really wants to carry you in there.”
I grinned. “Then, by all means, carry away.”
He chuckled as his hip bumped the door, ushering us into the courtroom. Everyone stopped and stared as the entire room paused, including the judge with his glasses slipped down his nose. Israel walked us to the front before we sat on the side of the prosecution. An outward show of disownership while Brianna and my aunt scowled at us. Israel sat down and settled me off to the side. I took his hand within mine, feeling his wedding ring brushing against my skin.
I peered down at it just to remind myself that this was all real.
That this was really happening.
“Are you two done?” the judge asked.
I looked up. “My apologies, Your Honor. It won’t happen again.”
He nodded. “You’re damn right, it won’t. Prosecution? You may continue.”
Everything passed in a blur, mostly because I didn’t care to pay attention. I laid my cheek against Israel’s shoulder as the court session droned on before the jury had to break for sentencing. I felt Brianna’s eyes glaring at me from across the room. I heard whispers in the audience about Gio being arrested as well as our marriage. I didn’t care, though. They could think whatever they wanted. Because right now, we were unstoppable.
And I had every intention of making sure things stayed that way.
“All rise for the verdict.”
I scrambled to my feet as Israel wrapped his arm around me. Cradling me against his side. The judge came back to his podium, and the jury filed in as the entire room fell silent. This was it. The moment of truth. Would my uncle be released and ready to fill our lives with hell? Or, were we about to be rid of him forever?
“Jurors, what is your sentence?” the judge asked.
I looked over at juror number one, who lifted a sheet of paper.
“We, the people, find the defendant—Pava Moretti…”
I held my breath as my heart stopped in my chest.
“...guilty on all counts.”
“What?” my aunt screamed
“No!” Brianna shrieked.
The judge banged his gavel against the podium. “Order in this court! All of you!”
My uncle whipped around. “You’ll pay for this. Mark my words, Bonnie. I will never stop coming after you. You won’t dismantle what I’ve done. I won’t let you do it. Your days are numbered, you stupid little bitch!”
I looked him dead in his eyes. “You weren’t half the man my father was, Pava. And you never will be. I hope his death haunts you to your grave, and I wish nothing but nights full of memories upon you for the rest of your days.”
“I’ll slaughter you myself. You’ll see!” my uncle roared.
The judge growled. “Get him out of this courtroom. I’ll deal with his threats later.”
The bailiffs wrestled my uncle out of the courtroom as I wrapped my arms around my husband. I heard my cousin cursing me and my aunt screaming about the chaos of the crowd. I felt him tugging me toward the door. He whisked me away, shielding my body with his as we tore out of the courthouse. And once we got to the car, Ash promptly stepped out to greet us.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I want to get out of here and never come back.”
Israel took my hand. “Wait just a second.”
I looked up at him. “What is it? Is everything okay?”
He cupped my cheek. “Your uncle will never be the kind of man your father was. But, you’re exactly the kind of woman your father always hoped you grow into.”
Shock filled my veins. “How do you know that?”
He slid his thumb along my lower lip. “Because if we ever have a daughter, nothing would make me prouder than to have a daughter that’s as strong, as intelligent, and as cunning as you.”
My eyes watered. “Oh, Israel.”
He kissed my lips softly. “Come now. Let’s go home.”
He helped me dip into the car. “Do we even have a home right now?”
He slipped in beside me. “For now, no. But, by the end of the day today? We’re going to have a new one.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’ve been working on something behind my back?”
Ash snickered. “Ready for the first stop, Mr. Rossi?”
Israel nodded. “Ready when you are, Ash.”
I furrowed my brow. “Wait, you’re in on this, too?”
But, all Ash afforded me was a bark of laughter before Gary pulled us away from the courthouse. Weaving us through town and driving as safely as he could as Israel held me close. With both Giovanni and my uncle now in prison, we were free to live our lives together. We were free of the burden that came with all the fighting, and we could progress forward in the only way we knew how—with love, adoration, trust, and respect.
I looked up at Israel. “I don’t care where we live, so long as I’m with you.”
He smirked. “Well, a nice house might do us a bit of good either way.”
Gary’s voice piped up. “We’re here.”
Ash turned around. “This one’s my favorite if it’s any consolation.”
And as I gazed out the window at my uncle’s estate, my brow furrowed even tighter.
“What did you do, husband?” I asked.
He chuckled. “I figured if you needed an office space, we might as well own the space where you’re working.”
My head whipped over to him. “Own?”
He nodded. “That’s right. If you want it, that is.”
“But—but what about—?”
“It turns out, your aunt isn’t on the deed to the house. And since Pava’s just been sentenced, his entire estate goes into escrow. The house is being auctioned off this weekend unless someone wants to put in a bid for it.”
I grinned. “You sly, sneaky little thing.”
“I mean, it’s a great piece of property.”
I gazed back out the window. “It really is.”
“Want to go inside and think about it.”
I smiled. “I’d go anywhere with you, Israel.”
He took my hand. “Then, let’s go check it out.”
Epilogue
Israel
Seven months later
“Knock, knock.”
Bonnie called out to me, “Come on in, Israel. I’m just wrapping up.”
I opened her study door. “I figured you were since it’s almost nine o’clock.”
She pushed away from her desk. “I had way too many fires to put out today. But I think it’s finally finished.”
I chuckled. “Come. I’ve got dinner set up in the gardens.”
“Wait, you haven’t eaten yet?”
“What good is a meal if I can’t share it with th
e only person I want to eat with?”
She smiled brightly, and it warmed my heart. “Sometimes, your romance still surprises me.”
I shrugged. “Even monsters have their moments.”
Her face fell. “You’re not a monster, and I don’t want to hear you call yourself that ever again. Got it?”
I offered her my arm. “Come. Our food is going to get cold.”
I watched her scribble down a few more things before she slid her files into her desk. My eyes danced around the study, and I marveled at its beauty. She had really done a number on this place. The decorations and the fresh paint job thrust a new life into her office. Hell, her entire plan to overhaul this estate was coming along beautifully. We were making our new home one for the ages. A place where we could run our families, live out our days, and make memories that would hold us close after we passed.
I loved this woman.
And I loved the way her body felt as she threaded her arm through mine.
“Lead the way, handsome.”
I ushered her through the foyer and the kitchen. We made our way out to the back patio, where the smell of freshly cut grass wafted up my nostrils. I led her through the impeccable gardens that weaved itself through a maze of hedges and fruit-bearing trees. The smell of apples and pears and blackberry bushes ushered the way, rolling out a red carpet fit for the king and queen we had become.
After all, we controlled the two most powerful families in the city.
And that meant we controlled the majority of Chicago in the process.
“Oh, wow. Israel, this is—”
I pulled out her chair. “Trust me, the night is only beginning.”
She sat down. “What in the world is all of this for?”
I walked around and sat down. “What? I can’t spoil my wife?”
She giggled. “Usually, when you pull out the big guns like this, it’s for a reason. Did you finally hire a new head of security?”
“Last week.”
“Oh. Well, did you finally cut a deal with Rush Bank?”
I nodded. “We finalized everything a couple of weeks ago.”
She cocked her head. “Then, why in the world are we out here?”
I took her hand. “Because you look breathtaking in the moonlight.”
“The moon isn’t out tonight, Israel.”
I chuckled. “Can’t get anything past you, can I?”
“Are we about to have another conversation about my aunt and Brianna? Because I’m telling you, I can’t throw them out onto the street. I won’t do it.”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m over that. They’re your family, as much as you hate to admit it. And what you’ve done for them is a good thing. It was a step in the right direction for where you want to take the reputation of your family, and I support you in that.”
“So, you’re not upset anymore that they’re in the penthouse?”
“I was never upset that they were in it. I was only upset that you didn’t want to charge them any sort of rent to be there.”
She sighed. “I mean, we had to do something with that place once it was restored after the explosion. And I knew we wouldn't do anything with it other than maybe sell it. Or keep it to rent out.”
“Which I still think we should be doing.”
She slid her hand out of my own. “I’d rather the two of them be somewhere we know that is easily monitored than have them running around, mucking up our city and making our lives a living nightmare. At least this way, we can control some of what they do.”
I grinned. “Just don’t ask me to give them a job again.”
She pointed her fork at me. “I thought you would’ve liked having them close like that. Once your rivals, now your servants? That’s right up your alley, my love.”
“Well, maybe you’re rubbing off on me just a tad.”
She winked. “Maybe a bit more than a tad.”
Go ahead. Just do it. “But, you’re right. There is a reason why we are set up out here for dinner tonight.”
She smiled. “I knew it. You’re terrible at hiding things from me.”
“Am I? Or, do I do that on purpose?”
She paused. “We’ll go with ‘yes, you are’ for now.”
“Been a long day, huh?”
She sighed. “The longest.”
I reached into my pocket. “Then, I won’t prolong this anymore.”
She furrowed her brow. “What are those, honey?”
I slid the plane tickets toward her on the table before pulling a brochure out of my pocket. Her eyes fell to the tickets before I placed the brochure on top of them, showcasing white, sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters as far as the eye could see.
“Bora Bora?” Bonnie asked.
“What do you think?”
Her eyes found mine again. “Why do you have plane tickets if you own a private jet?”
My face fell. “Can’t you just go along with it for a second?”
She giggled. “Okay, okay. Let me take a look at this pamphlet.”
I leaned back as she picked it up, and I waited for the gasp. But, what I got instead were wide, watery eyes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen.
“You didn’t,” she said.
I nodded. “Yes, I did.”
“Two weeks, Israel? Are you serious right now?”
I leaned toward her. “Two weeks without paperwork or stupid phone calls or bullshit problems. Two weeks of you and me, sunbathing naked on the beach while we enjoy our luxury cabana right on the water. Complete with our own stretch of private beach.”
A tear slid down her face. “Our honeymoon. We always talked about doing this one day for our honeymoon.”
I took her hand again. “We leave Friday afternoon, and our check-in is Saturday before five o’clock. I’ve booked us a private chef who will come and go so we never have to worry about meals, and we’re within walking distance of a lovely seafood hut and cabana bar. All you have to do is say—”
“Yes!”
She leaped up from her seat and came around to me, and I barely got to my feet before she fell against me. I held her close, feeling her shaking and trembling with happiness as I sat back down. I pulled her into my lap. I felt her straddling me as her tears of joy leaked against the crook of my neck. And as I slid my fingers through her soft tendrils, I closed my eyes.
I couldn't ask for anything more than this.
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
I kissed her temple. “I love you too, Bonnie.”
She sat up, facing me. “Two weeks? Are you really serious about that?”
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I could never be more serious than I am right now, my love.”
Her forehead pressed against my own. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
I chuckled. “You were you, Bonnie. And that’s all you had to do.”
That’s all she’d ever have to do so long as I was alive as well because I loved this woman. I loved the world we had created for ourselves. And I knew, in the pit of my gut, I’d do anything to preserve it. To keep it safe. To make sure nothing else happened that might hurt what we had.
Bonnie was my world now.
And nothing would ever change that.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the final book in my Cruel King Series.
Be on the lookout for a brand new dark romance coming at the end of July 2020!
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About the Author
I'm Callie Vincent and I write Bastardly Heroes and Dark Romance. I hope you enjoyed my third book, His Prize.
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His Prize: An Arranged Dark Mafia Romance (Cruel King Book 3) Page 13