Page 99 of The Breaker
Constantine gave a quiet whistle and turned to Medusa.
She came closer to him and sat at his side.
He reached down and pulled the little box from her bow tie, then pulled out the rings. He took mine first and slipped it onto my ring finger, putting it next to the diamond there. Then he gave me his, which he’d picked out himself, a black band.
I slipped it onto his finger, over his knuckle, and felt an indescribable rush.
I just can’t believe this man is actually mine.
And not just today and maybe tomorrow ... but forever.
The pope stepped back. “I now pronounce you husband—”
Constantine went for it, cupping my face in his hands and kissing me like we were home alone, pulling me into him like I was finally his to take.
My eyes were closed, and I could hear everyone cheering loudly for us, his mother’s voice most distinct of all.
Pope Zephyrinus continued with a sigh. “You may kiss the bride.”
Constantine dipped me like I weighed nothing and kissed me further, his other hand on my belly. Then he straightened me back up, grabbed my hand in his, and then lifted it to the ceiling, like we’d just won the Olympics or a political campaign.
Everyone cheered so loudly I couldn’t have even heard my own voice if I were to say anything. We basked in the glow of everyone’s love and excitement, the applause vibrating off the stone walls of theancient church, people throwing rice into the air, screaming like it was a concert with their favorite artist.
After a solid minute of us standing there together with our hands raised, he dropped my hand and scooped me into his arms before he tossed me up slightly, like a pillow on a bed, and carried me down the aisle, through the crowd of cheering friends and family, on the way to the rest of our lives.
Constantine and I had our moment together in front of the fountain as everyone filed out of the church, his arms around me as he held me close, looking at me like I was the single most precious thing in his life.
My sky-high heels were torture on my feet, but they gave me the kind of height that made our eyes somewhat level with each other. I didn’t want Constantine to have to bend his neck the entire day.
Everyone continued to stream out of the church and begin their journey to the reception about twenty minutes away. Some people stopped by to congratulate us, but mostly everyone left us alone while the photographers snapped photos of us together.
Pope Zephyrinus approached, flanked on both sides by his personal guards, and everyone scattered like a spooked school of fish. “Congratulations to you both.” His hand moved to Constantine’s arm, and he gave him a pat. “It was an honor joining you together in your holy union, but I must depart imminently.”
I couldn’t believe he made the trip in the first place. “Thank you so much, Your Holiness.”
He smiled at me and patted me on the arm. “I wish the best for you both.”
“Uncle, before you go, it would mean the world to me if you would bless our child,” Constantine said.
“Of course, my son.” Pope Zephyrinus moved his hand to my stomach, said a prayer, and then gave a short bow. “God is with your child, Constantine. I feel a spirit so distinct within the womb.”
Constantine’s hand moved to my stomach, and his eyes softened in a way they never had before. Like he would burst into tears at the touch, a sense of joy and pride for someone he didn’t know. “Thank you, Your Holiness.”
“Congratulations again.” He blessed each of us before he walked off, immediately surrounded by his private security like he was the president.
Constantine brought me close and brushed a kiss against my hairline. “Ready to party?”
“Absolutely. Just wish I could drink.”
“I’ll drink enough for the both of us,” he said with a grin. “How about that?”
Chapter 29
Constantine
It was a rowdy party. Everyone was there to eat and drink and have the time of their lives. I sat with Aurelia at the front table with the groomsmen and bridesmaids, the two of us in the center, Medusa at our feet with her own bowl of food and water.
Dinner was served and everyone ate, all five hundred guests, as the sun went down over the edge of the cliff. It was an open bar, so a lot of people enjoyed wine and champagne, while all the guys at the Cosa Nostra table chose stiff drinks. It was a good thing Pope Zephyrinus had left, because this was not his scene at all.
