Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Again, Justine spoke, directing her words to her brother. “She is perfectly capable of speaking. I had my phone off because I went over the border for the night, Mason. I didn’t want you interrupting my time away. And you can direct your questions to me, Roman. I know my brother thinks I’m an airhead, but I can actually speak and think for myself.”
Luca chuckled, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her head. “That’s my girl.”
Mason growled, going for his weapon, but I pulled out my gun, shaking my head. “Let’s not start something we’ll all regret. Let the lady speak.”
“Thank you, Aldo.”
I didn’t respond, but I felt a grudging respect for her. I was worried, though, that I would have to use my gun when she told him her real news.
“Why did you go over the border? I never gave you permission to leave the country,” Mason raged. He glared at Luca. “What the hell were you thinking, allowing her?”
Luca shook his head. “I don’t allow your sister anything. She is her own person. A fully grown woman capable of making her own decisions. You should really get to know her. She is amazing.”
Roman was staring at Luca in disbelief. Luca’s next words almost sent him over the edge. His normally stoic face went pale in shock.
“I took Justine to Vegas. We got married.”
No one in the room moved. Even blinked. Luca kept talking. “My wife said she’d always wanted to see the Falls, so once we were married, we flew here and I got the honeymoon suite. Best view in the city. I was surprised to find it empty, but I took advantage. I was sure you wouldn’t mind the business, brother.” He winked at Roman as if all this was a joke.
A very bad one.
Roman was the first to speak. “You…got…married.”
“Yes.”
“To Justine.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve known her less than two weeks.”
Luca smiled. “I couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go.”
“Last time we spoke, you could barely tolerate each other.”
Luca shrugged. “I got to know the real woman.”
Mason spoke directly to Justine, fury and ice dripping from his tone. “You’re going home with me today.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. We’ll get this farce annulled, and no one will be the wiser.”
Justine crossed her arms. “Too late for an annulment.”
Mason’s angry expression turned lethal. His hand moved toward his weapon again, and I tutted, shaking my head in warning. “Leave those hands where I can see them. I’ll shoot you even with your sister in the room.”
“I’d let you,” she scoffed, straightening her shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Luca gripped her arms. “I’m not letting you take my wife.”
Mason barked out an angry laugh. “You won’t have a choice. I’m going to kill you.”
Justine shook her head, stepping in front of Luca. “You hurt him, you hurt me. And I will never forgive you, Mason.”
He stared at her. “You were supposed to come for a weekend of museums and galleries.”
She laughed. “Those were your picks. I did them to please you. Luca took me everywhere I really wanted to go. Listened to me talk. Encouraged me to follow my dreams. I love him, Mason. With everything in me. I know it’s fast, but it’s real. I am staying here. With my husband. Now, you can either accept it or fight it. If you fight it, I will never speak to you again.”
He stared, shell-shocked. “Father, Mother…”
“Will have to accept it. I’m not leaving.”
He seemed to recover from his shock. “You’ll do as I tell you—”
Luca cut him off, shifting Justine behind him and glaring. “You will speak to my wife with respect and remember you no longer have control over her. She is her own person, and I will protect her choices. I will protect her.”
“This is war.”
Roman stepped out from behind his desk. “Or is this love?” he said quietly. “I have never known Luca to act with anything but respect and clear thinking. He must love your sister a great deal to put aside responsibility and rational thinking to marry her.”
“I do love her. She makes me happy.”
An icy silence descended, every person in the room frozen, unsure of the next step. It was as if we were waiting for a sign to start.
“Was it the bowling?” I asked, trying to lighten the room.
Luca laughed, Roman joining him. Mason looked confused, and Justine shook her head in amusement. Roman indicated for me to lower my weapon. I did so but didn’t put it away. I was worried about the vein throbbing in Mason’s head.
“It was her,” Luca replied, looking down at his wife with a tender expression. “She saw Luca. I saw Justine. That was all that mattered.”
Mason stared at them, his shoulders bowing in defeat.
“Father will not accept a Vegas wedding.”
“Then we’ll get married again. Here. But nothing is changing the fact that we are legally married now. She is mine.” Luca slid a possessive arm around Justine, pulling her close. “I will not let her go.”