Chapter 35: We consummated our marriage.

I shake my head.

It’s fucking ridiculous but tradition is tradition and I don’t have the luxury of standing downstairs and announcing that I don’t give a shit about it. Not when every small thing between our families can become another excuse for war.

So I reach into my jacket pocket, my fingers closing around the small knife I always carry.

I pull it out the blade catches the light.

I turn my palm upward and do one quick slice, pain flashes through my hand as blood immediately gathers along the cut.

I don’t even flinch.

I walk toward the bed and press my palm against the white sheets.

I smear the blood across the fabric until there is enough to tell the story everyone downstairs wants to believe.

A virgin bride, a consummated marriage, and a successful union between two rival families.

There is the Proof they need

I look at my palm.

Blood runs slowly toward my wrist.

I wipe it against a towel and wrap my hand loosely.

No one needs to know.

I put the knife back into my pocket, then I walk toward the balcony.

The moment I step outside, the cool night air hits my face.

I pull out a cigarette and light it, then take a long drag.

Smoke fills my lungs as I exhale slowly, watching it disappear into the night.

Finally.

A bit of Silence.

I lean against the railing.

My mind, however, refuses to be quiet.

The wedding, the war, my father, my brother.

Jerry.

The Lucianos.

Nerissa.

Especially Nerissa.

I close my eyes briefly.

Why the hell does that woman keep finding her way into my thoughts?

She’s a problem.

A loud, reckless, infuriating problem and yet every time I see her, I seem to notice everything about her.

Her attitude, the way she looks at me without a trace of fear, even when she should be afraid...Especially when she should be.

Her sister is the complete opposite.

Olivia trembles around me, Nerissa practically dares me to make her tremble.

It’s strange.

Two sisters raised under the same roof, yet they couldn’t be more different.

I take another drag.

Down below, the music is still playing, the men are probably drinking and celebrating.

Waiting for me to come back down with the evidence.

They’ll cheer, they’ll laugh, they’ll congratulate me and tomorrow, the story will spread through every corner of both families.

The Sanchez Don has consummated his marriage, the Luciano bride was untouched before tonight.

Peace has been sealed and everyone will be satisfied.

Everyone except the woman behind that bathroom door.

I look at my hand.

The cut isn’t deep, It will heal. A small price to pay for avoiding a much bigger problem.

But I know this isn’t the end of it, marriage changes things.

Tonight isn’t just about Olivia.

It’s about two families that have spent years trying to destroy each other. It’s about the enemies waiting for us to slip, It’s about Lorenzo, who won’t hesitate to put a bullet through my head if he thought I had broken the deal we made.

My cigarette burns between my fingers as I stare into the darkness.

By the time I get back inside, my bride is fast asleep. I stop just inside the room and look at her, for someone who was terrified only a few hours ago, she looks completely peaceful now.

I check my wristwatch.

It’s deep into the night, most of the house should be asleep by now, but I can still hear the noise coming from downstairs with the occasional loud cheer.

Apparently, my wedding is still going strong.

I look at the bed again.

There is no point waiting until morning, If I’m going to give them what they want, I might as well do it tonight.

I walk over to the bed.

"Olivia."

Nothing.

I reach down and shake her shoulder.

"Wake up."

She stirs then her eyes snap open. The moment she sees me standing over her, she lets out a startled yelp then immediately scrambles backward until her back hits the headboard.

Her eyes are wide.

"What..."

I stare at her annoyed.

"Relax."

She doesn’t.

Her gaze darts toward the door and I sigh.

"I’m not here to do anything to you."

I reach for the sheets and she watches me with confusion as I start pulling them from underneath her.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting these."

She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, I don’t bother explaining.

I pull harder, dragging the sheets free from the mattress. The movement makes her shift farther away from me.

I ignore her.

Once I have them completely off the bed, I gather them in one hand then turn toward the door.

My hand reaches for the handle.

Then I stop and glance back at her.

"If anyone asks, we consummated our marriage."

Her eyes widen.

I continue before she can say anything.

"You don’t want me coming back here to actually do it now, do you?" ℴ

She eagerly shakes her head.

"Good."

Then I walk out.

The moment I step into the hallway, I close the door behind me and look down at the sheets in my hand, it’s a ridiculous piece of fabric but somehow, tonight, it carries more weight than the marriage certificate sitting somewhere downstairs.

I start walking.

The closer I get to the staircase, the louder the noise becomes. By the time I reach the top step, several men notice me and the cheering starts immediately.

I almost roll my eyes.....Instead, I put on a show, I loosen my collar slightly, run a hand through my hair and put on the most satisfied expression I can manage.

I even force a smile onto my face.

If they want to believe I spent the night enjoying myself with my new wife, who am I to disappoint them? I stroll down the stairs with the sheets hanging casually from one hand.

The reaction is immediate.

Men clap me on the shoulder, another man laughs and says something I don’t bother listening to.

I keep smiling.

"Congratulations, Don!"

"About damn time!"

"That’s how a Sanchez wedding should end!"

I give them nothing but a smug smile. Inside, I’m counting the seconds until this circus is over.

I make my way through the crowd until I reach Don Lorenzo.

His eyes immediately drop to the sheets in my hand.

I hold them up and his expression changes, for the first time tonight, he looks satisfied.

He takes one look at the bloodied fabric and slowly nods.

"Good."

His gaze moves back to me.

"I hope this night brings forth a child."

I say nothing as he continues.

"A son would strengthen this union."

I reach toward the nearest bottle of whiskey and pour myself a glass.

I lift it.

"Let’s drink to that."

Lorenzo raises his own glass and around us, the men cheer again.