Arranged love

HAVEN

SITTING AT THE bridal table in the front of the ballroom, I take a sip of my champagne as I gaze at everyone. I catch sight of my Luca sitting at a table over to the left. Forearms resting on the white tablecloth, he’s leaning forward, talking to Titan and Bones who sit across from him. Titan’s jaw clenches, and his hands fists at whatever my husband is saying.

I smile. Husband. We’re married. Well, technically we have been married, but now the world knows. It wasn’t the ceremony that Luca and his father had originally planned. It went from four hundred guests to fifty. And it was perfect. The Kings were nice enough to give us the ballroom on the fiftieth floor of Kingdom. And we chose an evening ceremony because I love the way the city lights up at night. It’s at the corner of the tower so you can see most of the Strip from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I look away from them to the back of the room and see Jasmine step into the ballroom. She has her head down, and her red hair covers her face. She places one hand on the white column wrapped in red roses and her other hand on her heaving chest. She looks up, and her face is flushed. Her lips parted. She looks like she’s having a heart attack. I start to stand to go to her, but I stop when I see Nite walk up next to her. He places his hand on her back while taking her other hand in his. He helps her to the nearest table, pulls out a chair, and has her sit in it.

As if he feels my eyes on him, he looks up at me. I frown, looking from her to him. Then the corner on his lips curves up, and I realize what’s going on. They just had sex. At my wedding. I chuckle. Good for her.

Finishing my champagne, I look at the empty glass and smile to myself. For as much as it’s a great day, it’s also sad. Two very important people aren’t here.

Emilee and Mia.

I unzip my clutch and pull out my cell. I go to Mia’s number and send her a quick text.

Me: I wish you were here.

Mia: Me too. Maybe I’ll see you soon. Congratulations on the wedding. And welcome to the family. Sister.

I think about that message. Luca and I are supposed to be going to Fiji tomorrow morning, but I can’t see why we can’t stop in Italy first.

Everyone is still mingling and drinking. My husband is still in a heated discussion with Bones and Titan. Grave and Cross are nowhere to be seen, and Jasmine has disappeared again. Round two?

I get up from the table, slip through the back door that leads to the elevator, and walk down the hallway to the end. Looking out the window at Sin City, I hit call.

“You’ve reached Emilee. Sorry I missed your call …”

Straight to voicemail. I let out a sigh and listen to her recording until it beeps. “Hey, E. I’ve been trying to call you. I … I miss you. And wish you were here. Jasmine told me you’re moving back. You better call me as soon as you set foot off that plane. We need to have a girls’ night. Drink too much and eat more chicken wings than our stomachs can handle.” I laugh. “I just … I just wanted to tell you that I miss and love you.” I hang up and turn around to head back, but I pause when I see the door close softly. I frown. Was someone listening to my conversation?

LUCA

I watch as Haven re-enters the ballroom from the hallway. She places her phone down on the bridal table and walks over to the bar where her mother stands talking to Titan.

“Hello?” Bones answers his cell as he sits across from me at a table. He nods once to himself. “Titan and I will be there first thing in the morning, and we’ll discuss it then.” He hangs up.

“Problem?” I ask.

Leaning back in the chair, he laces his fingers behind his head. “Looks like someone doesn’t wanna pay us what they owe.”

“Who is it?” Las Vegas is small. It may be some big fancy city to a cowboy from Lawton, Oklahoma, but trust me, it’s not.

“George Wilton.”

My brows rise. “George Wilton as in York and Wilton Construction?”

He nods, putting his arms down, and begins to undo his tie like it’s choking him.

“As in Nick York?” I clarify, making sure I understand.

His jaw clenches.

That’s Emilee’s father. “They owe you money?”

“Not Nick. Only George.”

“Well … that’s-”

“Unfortunate for him,” he interrupts me.

I scratch the back of my head. “How much?”

“Five hundred thousand.”

I snort. “That’s chump change to you.”

“It is. But if I let every piece of shit who owes Kingdom money get away with it, then Kingdom would be no more.”

“True.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Titan and I did some research before we loaned him the money to make sure he was good for it. And he was, but everything having to do with the company is in Nick’s name.”

“Well, that makes sense. Nick came from money.” His dad was a billionaire. So was his grandfather. That oil money goes a long way. “What about Wilton?” He was raised by a single mother and grew up in Section 8 housing. He got a scholarship for football, and that’s where he met Nick York. They became best friends, and after graduation, they started a company together. Of course, Nick backed the entire thing. “You could blackmail him … The company …”

“I don’t want that company.” He waves me off. “York’s a good man. From what I remember anyway. Wilton signed that he would repay what he borrowed, so I will hold him personally responsible to pay that back.”

“Am I interrupting?”

I look up to see my wife standing next to me. Her hands on her hips of her white wedding dress. It’s strapless and form fitting down to her knees where it flares out. I heard Jasmine call it a mermaid style dress. I don’t give a fuck what kind it is; she looks absolutely beautiful in it. And I can’t wait to get her out of it.

I scoot my chair back and pat my thigh, gesturing her to have a seat.

She plops down and looks across at Bones. “You don’t look happy.”

He shakes his head and throws back what’s in his glass before standing and walking over to the bar for more.

“Everything okay?” She looks down at me.

“Of course.” I wrap my arms around her small waist.

She lays her head on my shoulder, and I look across the ballroom to where Bones stands next to Titan. Haven’s mom has moved on to talk with Jasmine, who keeps running her hands through her hair like it’s tangled. My eyes go back to the Kings. Bones leans forward and says something to Titan, and he pulls away with a nod. Then they both start to head back over to our table with full drinks.

“Hey …” Haven sits up and turns to face me. “Can we go to Italy?” Her amber eyes dart around really quickly, and her voice drops. “To see Mia. I really want to spend some time with her. Get to know her better. She is family now.”

I cup her face. “Whatever you want.” Then I lean forward, placing a soft kiss to her lips.

She pats my chest. “I love you.”

Gently gripping her chin, I lean in and kiss her painted red lips softly. “I love you too, Haven.”

“Gross. Take it to a room,” Titan says, sitting back down in his seat.

She looks over at him and smiles. “I can’t wait to watch a King fall.” Then she gets up and walks off.

He laughs at that like it was funny as Bones shakes his head. They start to fill me in on their current situation with George Wilton, but I tune them out.

Leaning back, I watch my wife sit down at the bridal table, and her mom takes my seat next to her. Jasmine leans over the table, and her mouth is running a mile a minute as she tells them a story about something that involves her boobs because she keeps gesturing to them.

I smile and take a drink from my glass. Haven Nicole Knowles belongs to me. Forever. Till death do us part. Which in the life I live, could very well be tomorrow.

THE END