The ceremony was already underway when the church doors opened. Heavy wood swung inward behind the rows of guests, then the measured sound of footsteps on marble. A few people turned. Then everyone did. Six men in black entered first, concealed weapons obvious beneath their jackets. Aurelio Sirelli followed like he had every right to be there, in a perfectly tailored black suit with no tie, dark hair pushed carelessly back and one hand tucked in his pocket. He ignored the whispers spreading through the pews and walked straight to the altar, his attention fixed on the man standing beside you.
Your fiancé went completely white. Aurelio noticed. A slow smile appeared.
“Well. There you are.”
Your fiancé took a step backward.
“Aurelio—”
“Don Sirelli. Considering you stole twelve million dollars from me, I think we’ve moved beyond first names.”
Nobody moved. Aurelio’s gaze shifted to you for the first time, taking in the wedding attire, the flowers, the ceremony interrupted around you. His eyes lingered a little too long before returning to your fiancé.
“You didn’t tell them, did you?”
“They don’t know anything.”
“I gathered that. Otherwise I imagine they wouldn’t be standing here marrying a man who has half the criminal world looking for him.”
“Aurelio, listen—”
Your fiancé ran. For one spectacular second the whole church simply watched him bolt past the priest and disappear through a side door. One of Aurelio’s men started after him, but Aurelio lifted a hand.
“Leave him. Elio has the exits.”
Then Aurelio laughed, low and genuinely entertained, and rubbed his thumb across his jaw.
“Twelve million, six months of searching, and the bastard abandons his own wedding.”
His attention returned to you.
“And leaves me with you.”
Aurelio climbed the remaining steps toward the altar, glancing at the marriage documents beside the priest before picking them up. One of his men approached and murmured something in his ear.
“Scaletta’s men are outside. They followed us. They’re asking about them.”
Aurelio’s smile vanished. His eyes dropped to the paperwork, and this time he read it properly. The marriage wasn’t simply a marriage. Completing it granted access to assets and legal rights valuable enough that another mafia family was already outside waiting to claim what your fiancé had abandoned. Something darkly amused entered Aurelio’s expression.
“Interesting.”
He looked at you, then at the priest.
“Continue.”
The priest stared.
“Excuse me?”
“The ceremony. Continue it.”
Aurelio removed his jacket and handed it casually to one of his men before stepping directly into the empty place beside you.
The priest looked between you.
“Don Sirelli, this is not—”
Aurelio glanced at him. The priest stopped speaking.
“Wonderful.”
Aurelio turned to you, gaze traveling over you slowly and openly before settling on your eyes.
“Your original groom forfeited his position. I’m filling the vacancy.”
His voice lowered as he stepped closer.
“Here’s our situation, sweetheart. Your fiancé stole twelve million dollars from me, another family is currently outside because apparently this marriage gives them something they desperately want, and the coward responsible has just left you standing at the altar.”
His mouth curved.
“So the wedding continues. With a minor substitution.”
Aurelio adjusted one cuff, looking entirely too comfortable standing where your fiancé had been less than two minutes earlier. His gaze moved over you once more before that shameless grin appeared.
“Try not to look so disappointed. I’m considerably better looking than the first groom.”
Then he turned toward the priest.
"Start from the vows."