Escaping: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #2) (8 page)

“Then let’s go down to the courthouse on Monday.”

“You don’t want to give your brothers a week or two to come around?”

“No. Weddings are for the family, and I don’t have one of those. Monday works for me. I don’t need a big dress or a party my brothers can ruin. I just need you.”

Vince rolled atop her to kiss her deeply, groaning at the way her back arched for him. Her body was so ready for his, but he knew her heart wasn’t. Vince kissed her for several luxurious minutes in the lamplight before he nodded. “Monday, then. I’ll take care of everything. I want you to wear a white dress, if that’s okay. Can I send you shopping tomorrow for one? I just have this vision of you in a white dress, all perfect and pure. Virginal. Doesn’t have to be anything huge if you don’t want that. Just any white dress you love.”

Fallyn kissed him, feeling a touch of warmth through the chill her heart had endured when it had frozen over towards her family. “Then you have to wear a tux. My fantasy of you has you looking like 007.”

“Done. I love you, Mrs. D’Amato.”

Fallyn pressed her lips to Vince’s, wrapping her legs around him as they indulged in the sensuality of too many kisses. “I love you, Mr. D’Amato.”

Fourteen.

Carrigan’s Fury

Most of the weekend saw Fallyn not stepping foot outside Vince’s fortress of a home. She did something she had not done in years – rest. Fallyn slept a full nine hours tucked up in Vince’s nook, breathing in the peace he offered all night long. During the day, he and Angelo taught Fallyn how to run the business with a less hands-on approach so she didn’t have to go into the bakery. She put Loretta in charge of hiring two new bakers: one to take over for her doing fill-in baking work, and the other to start off the arrangement of merging the bakery with La Cucina Italia by baking all the desserts for Vince’s restaurant chain.

Fallyn read a classic novel in the backyard under a Japanese maple tree. The hardback book was taken from Papa D’s dusty bookshelf. She remembered loving the feel of her nose buried in a book, but hadn’t made the time for such nurturing luxuries since opening the bakery.

She left the house on Sunday only to meet up with Jen at a boutique she’d never had an excuse to go into before. Fallyn hugged her friend with too much desperation in the embrace for Jen not to ask question after question with a furrowed brow. “Engaged? It’s like I blinked and you had this whole life. What gives?”

“I want to be with him. I know you think he’s terrifying, and I guess he is to everyone else. But he’s so sweet to me.”

“He’s
sweet
to you?” She shook her head like a dog ridding itself of fleas. “I cannot picture that. Please tell me it involves him wearing Shakespearean tights or something like that. I’m a visual learner.”

“Vince is kind, and he’s got a good heart.”

“Yeah, that he probably shot out of some unsuspecting missionary and stole for himself. Seriously, Fal? This is Vince we’re talking about. Vince D’Amato? Carries a gun and has exactly one facial expression?” She mimicked Vince’s cold, emotionless stare.

“That’s the one. He’s it for me, Jen. It’s him or no one.”

Jen held her friend’s hand as if she was sending her off for life-threatening surgery. “Um, okay. Mazel tov, I guess. I mean, if you’re happy and this is what you want, then I’m in your corner.”

Fallyn’s heart swelled with love for her closest girlfriend. Jen hadn’t balked when she’d wanted to move back home and open Sweet Somethings in neutral territory. She hadn’t questioned whether or not Fallyn could handle her life. Jen had supported her quietly, showing up for her in small ways, and in a few very large ones, as well. “Thank you.” Fallyn exhaled a gust of tension she didn’t realize had been knotting her chest. “I think I just needed someone to say that to me.”

Jen donned a cheery smile. “So when’s the big day?”

Fallyn debated telling Jen, not because she didn’t want her friend there, but because she knew her brothers would go to Jen for information, and she didn’t want drama at the courthouse. “Soon,” she replied. “Can you slip away for an hour tomorrow morning around ten? I could use a friend with excellent taste to help me pick out some shoes to go with whatever dress we find here.”

“Sure. How’d your brothers take the news?”

“Oh, exactly how you’d expect. Tried to beat up Vince. We barely made it out of there.”

“Oh, man. Your brothers are so stupid. I’m sorry.” She hugged Fallyn to start the conversation afresh. “Hey, I’m crazy sorry. I’m doing this all wrong.” She plastered on a huge smile and jumped up and down. “You’re getting married! That’s so great! Oh my gosh! Show me the ring!”

Fallyn applauded Jen’s effort, recognizing it as the first time a person in her life congratulated her. She presented her hand for Jen to examine. As predicted, Jen’s eyes bulged at the iceberg on her ring finger. “Not bad, right?”

Jen’s voice came out pinched and high. “I’ll say. It’s huge!”

“Yeah, Vince doesn’t really do anything halfway.”

“Well, if you’re going to skimp on things, best not pick the wedding ring for that. Well done, Vince.”

The girls giggled together and spent the next hour picking out the perfect white dress that wasn’t too over the top for Fallyn, but made her look like a classic beauty. She finally decided on a crisp white strapless knee-length satin gown that fit her body like a glove. The dress hugged her hips, but hung loose around her thighs, making her feel how every woman should feel in their perfect dress. The layer of lace beneath the skirt stuck out an inch past the satin hem to add just the right amount of sexiness to balance the demure length. She examined herself in the full length mirror as the saleswoman pointed out all the features Fallyn couldn’t have cared less about. She was a bride, and everything else felt like details.

Fallyn let out a harsh gasp when a grim face she had not been expecting appeared in the mirror. She whirled around to face Carrigan, whom she had certainly not invited out. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, and then looked to Jen for explanation.

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t tell him where we were.”

“I’ve been watching Jen to see if you’d meet with her,” Carrigan explained, stony faced in his cop uniform. “You’re coming home with me. Get out of that dress right now. You look ridiculous.”

His words cut Fallyn like a slash from a knife. Her self-confidence threatened to shatter, but she held onto her moxie, lest she devolve into tears. “I look beautiful, and I can’t believe you’d say that to me when I’m standing here in my wedding dress.”

“It’s not your wedding dress because you’re not getting married. Go change. That dress is disgusting.”

The saleswoman scurried away, judging Fallyn to be in some sort of trouble with the law. “That’s all you have to say to me? I’m standing here in my wedding dress, and all you can tell me is to go change?”

“Take that thing off. I can barely look at you.”

Jen blew out a gust of disappointment through her lips. “Jeez, Carrigan. Who knew you’d turn out to be such a tool? Your sister’s in her wedding dress. Show a little respect.”

Fallyn shook her head at him, depressed and lonely all over again. “The worst part is I never expected any of you to act any different. Vince is the one who thought you should all know. I knew you’d never let me go. I knew you’d never let me be happy.”

“So your plan was to just get married and not tell any of us you were even seeing him? How’s that a plan?”

“I was going with the plan that didn’t get my fiancé jumped by six selfish brats. I’ve always been pragmatic that way.”

“Don’t call him that,” Carrigan growled. “I’ve been up all night with the guys, and I’m tired. Go change.”

“If you’re tired, then go take a nap, like the child you are.” Fallyn disappeared into the dressing room and changed into her tan capris pants and fitted peach button-down shirt, taking the gown out with her and handing it to the nearest saleswoman. “I’ll take this one,” she said, handing her a card. “Ring me up quick, though. I’m leaving.” She watched the woman scurry away toward the cash register.

“You’re not taking that dress. You’re coming home. Everyone’s upset and they want to talk to you. Let’s go.”

Jen stood next to her best friend, chest puffed up in defiance. “You all had your chance to say the right thing, and you blew it. Don’t try your bossing her around crap in front of me. She’ll go where she feels like.”

Carrigan’s glare flitted to Jen. “Stay out of this, Jen. It’s family stuff that doesn’t concern you.”

Fallyn let out a noise of disgust and pushed past her brother after the woman brought the gown to her in a bag with her card and the receipt. She made her way to the exit, not bothering to look behind her at her angry brother. “Have a nice life, Carri. I really thought for a second you wanted me to have a good life.”

Fallyn held Jen’s hand and stepped out into the sunshine, wishing for one second that the UV rays made her feel better and took away a fraction of her pain. Of course she’d envisioned her wedding day to be an afternoon of bliss surrounded by her brothers as her father walked her down the aisle. They’d dance and smile with everyone there, even Keenan. She knew none of that would happen and shoved her dress in the backseat, hugging Jen goodbye as she ignored Carrigan’s threats. “Thanks for this, Jen. Thanks for loving me even when you don’t understand it all.”

“All I need to know is that I love you. I trust you. If you say Vince is a good guy, I believe you. I’m still afraid of him, no lie, but I’m happy you’re happy. You deserve that.”

“Don’t encourage her!” Carrigan chided Jen. “Fallyn, get in the patrol car. I’m taking you to Dad’s house.”

Fallyn pulled back, kissing her friend goodbye and sending Jen to her car so she didn’t have to see Carrigan’s full wrath if it surfaced. “Carri, Daddy doesn’t know me anymore. I won’t be going back there again. My dad isn’t there. He doesn’t think I’m his daughter, and it only upsets us both when he sees me. I don’t want to upset him, so I’m out.”

“Dad loves you, Fal. You know that. He just has a hard time seeing that sometimes.”

“Daddy hit me!” she protested, indignant. “He was so upset at having a random stranger in his house that he attacked me! Don’t you see it’s not safe for me to be there?” When Carrigan opened his mouth, Fallyn leaned against her car, holding up her hand to stop him. “No. Don’t bother saying a word. I tell you I’m engaged, and you all attack my fiancé? That’s not how this works. And what kills me is that you’ve actually had time to process things, to get on my side. Yet here you are, being the cop instead of my best friend. I’m done, Carri. I’m out. Get a dog you can order around or something. I can’t stop living so all of you feel better that I’m locked up in a convent somewhere. I would never have done to you what you all did to me.”

“Fallyn, you have no idea how dangerous he is. Vince is not the guy for you!” He looked up to the heavens in exasperation. “I can’t believe I actually have to say that!”

Fallyn stayed her arguments, knowing there would never be any reasoning with them. She leaned up and kissed his prickly five o’clock shadow. “Goodbye, Carri. I really do want you to have a good life. You were my best friend in the whole world before you stopped loving me.”

“You know I never stopped. I’m mad at you, but I’m still your brother.”

Fallyn shrugged, unable to believe him or indulge in hope that things would ever be good between them again. “I love you, even when your love is ugly and looks like this.”

“Stop, Fal. Declan called a family meeting for tomorrow night. He couldn’t get ahold of you because your phone’s off.”

“That’s the thing about not wanting to hear from any of you. I blocked all your numbers, so you can call all you want.”

Carrigan was frustrated, his words curt. “Can I tell them you’re coming?”

“Is Vince invited? If he’s not invited, I’m not coming.”

Carrigan cracked his knuckles. “Sure. Bring him along. But just to Dad’s house tomorrow night, not any night after that. Killian’s sending Vince a message tomorrow night that the D’Amatos won’t be welcome in O’Keefe territory anymore.”

Fallyn started talking with her hands, incredulous. “Then
I’m
not coming back to O’Keefe territory, you dummy,” she ruled, cringing at the sacrifice she had to make. “Vince is my fiancé. If he’s not welcome, then I’m not.”

Carrigan rolled his eyes. “Your house is in O’Keefe territory, brainiac.”

“Not anymore. Angelo and Tony moved me out last night. I’m living with Vince’s family, who’ve been nothing but supportive of us.” The second the words birthed from her, she wished she could shove them back inside. She backed against her car, recoiling from Carrigan’s vitriolic reaction.

Carrigan blanched, his face vacillating from enraged to confused to sick. “You’re not serious. You’re not living with your boyfriend!” he ruled, sounding every bit like his father.

Fallyn ducked into her sedan and locked the door, fumbling with her keys as her fingers shook. She drove off when her brother’s fist pounded on her window, not looking back at Carrigan’s fury.