Bloody City: Temptations

Chapter Fifty

When the night faded to black and the cheers began countless bottled began to be brought out from the cellar and poured out for the dozens of guests to enjoy.

Taking one of the glasses, I began walking around the reception with Aria who had yet to stop smiling after we'd finished our vows and as we continued to be met by the various men and women circulating the room I watched all of my sisters pull Aria off and begin to make as much conversation as they could with her and Gabriella.

"You're one lucky bastard," Matteo says looking from Aria who had changed into a dark blue dress that looked as if it was made out of feathers that were tipped with black and white. She was a sight I'd admit that, I was certain there would be those who would whisper that she deserved someone better then me, someone who was softer, and kinder. A man that wasn't going to kill at the slightest whim, but that wasn't who I was, and for some inexplicable reason Arianna had still not opposed to being my wife, no matter what had happened or been said she remained determined to work together to have it work.

"I'm going to remain the luckiest bastard in this fucking room till the day I die," I mutter before I caught a glimpse of my mom making her way through the crowd.

"Mother," I greet as she stopped in front of Matteo and I.

"Enjoy today, my son, the women in this world will seek to cut you two apart," mom says looking over her shoulder to Aria who was laughing with Amara and Victoria.

"Gabriella and Matteo are to marry in two months are you going to tell them that too?" I ask and she turned back to Matteo.

"Gabriella Valentino, she is younger then you Matteo by seven years," our mom remarks.

"Arianna and I are eight mom, besides it could have been worse, there were many that wanted me to bind with one of the local Familia's, but none of them have daughters a comfortable age by comparison to myself," I say knowing that Antonio and Julia were an incredibly close pair as people, and even if the two of them were close years in advance. In any normal world a man who was nearly twenty eight and a seventeen year old weren't close, I did want to talk to them separately to know what was going on with them. It was an odd feeling, I wanted my siblings to be happy, but morality told me many times that I wouldn't approve a decade of age difference unless both were okay with it, and genuinely wanted the union.

"You could have married for love," she says though the word sounded like poison. She wasn't a well acquainted person to love, after all she had been with my father for two and a half decades, and after I was born she was left with the real monster he was.

"I did, mother, if I can guarantee anything, my siblings and I will marry for love, then you won't have to worry about another generation of abuse towards our partners," I reply taking a slow sip from my glass as I surveyed the crowd.

Mother smiled then, had smiled when Aria and I walked down the aisle together, and I hoped she saw that I would be nothing but the best I could for my wife. I wanted to heed to what Matteo warned me of, and now whenever I looked to the woman who was forever mine, who could make aphrodite look plain by comparison.

"Mother, I would like to speak with you, Alessio should continue on to other people here," Matteo says and I eyed my brother for a moment before slipping away and drawing the conclusion he was going to talk about his nearing marriage to Gabriella.

Crossing the room I sought out Antonio who was dancing with Julia who looked beyond happy, and the weight in my chest watching them settled. I didn't want to admit that I wouldn't be unhappy to allow them to be married, didn't want to say that I could make an exception for my brother who was so many years older then the girl he held but also seemed to be making her happy. Julia Fianntino looked happy being held by my reclusive brother.