Chapter 5 - The Wedding at St. Jude’sSt. Jude’s Cathedral looked like something out of a gothic fairytale, its towering stained-glass windows casting long, violet-and-crimson patterns across the cold stone floor of the nave.
Outside, Boston’s elite gathered behind police barricades, whispers and flashbulbs erupting like a thunderstorm as black town cars lined the curb. Inside, the cathedral was virtually empty, save for a dozen of Dominic’s most trusted inner circle sitting quietly in the front pews, and Marcus standing near the altar like an immovable pillar of stone.
I stood in the sacristy holding a bouquet of white calla lilies, staring at my reflection in the tall antique mirror.
The wedding dress was a masterpiece—custom-made in New York overnight, featuring delicate lace sleeves, a cascading satin train, and a bodice embroidered with subtle silver thread that caught the candlelight. It was breathtaking, expensive, and completely devoid of joy.
Or at least, that’s what I kept trying to tell myself.
The heavy wooden door of the sacristy creaked open.
Dominic stepped inside. He wore a tailored midnight-black tuxedo, a crisp white shirt, and a black silk tie. He looked less like a groom and more like an executioner stepping onto the scaffold—until his eyes met mine in the mirror.
The dark, predatory intensity in his gaze melted into something raw, possessive, and entirely devoted.
“You’re shaking,” Dominic said softly, closing the distance between us in three long strides.
“I’m wearing five thousand dollars worth of silk and marrying the most feared man in New England,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, though my hands were trembling against the bouquet. “Of course I’m shaking.”
Dominic gently reached out, taking the flowers from my hands and setting them down on the wooden table. He took my shaking fingers in his warm, calloused palms, rubbing his thumbs softly over my knuckles.
“Listen to me, Evelyn,” he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, hypnotic register that made the rest of the world vanish. “From this moment on, nobody in this city will ever touch you, threaten you, or look at you without respect. You are my wife. My equal. My partner in everything.”
“And if I decide to break your rules?” I asked, raising an eyebrow with a faint, defiant smirk.
Dominic’s eyes darkened with a dangerous, hungry spark. “Then I’ll just have to punish you properly until you learn to behave.”
Before I could retort, the heavy cathedral bells began to toll overhead, signaling the start of the ceremony.
Dominic offered his arm. I slid my hand into the crook of his elbow, feeling the solid, unbreakable strength of muscle beneath his sleeve.
We walked out of the sacristy together, stepping through the arched doorway into the grand nave of St. Jude’s. The organ swelled, filling the vaulted ceiling with a deep, majestic melody. As we walked down the long aisle toward the altar, every eye in the room turned toward us.
I didn't look down. I kept my chin high, my shoulders back, matching Dominic’s steady, unyielding stride step for step.
When we reached the altar, Father Thomas—a weary-looking parish priest who had known my family for thirty years—swallowed hard as he looked up at Dominic before opening his prayer book.
The vows were traditional, spoken in low, firm tones that echoed against the stone walls. When the time came for the rings, Dominic slid the heavy platinum band onto my finger, his thumb lingering for a second against my pulse point.
When I slid the matching band onto his finger, the metal felt cool and heavy.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Father Thomas said, his voice trembling slightly. “Dominic, you may kiss the bride.”
Dominic didn't hesitate. He pulled me against his chest, his strong hand cradling the back of my head, and pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that was fierce, possessive, and completely consuming.
May you like
A low murmur of approval rose from the front pews, but I didn't hear them. I only felt the heat of his skin, the scent of his cologne, and the undeniable truth settling deep in my bones:
The cage my brother built had been shattered, and in its place, Dominic Vale had given me the keys to the entire city.
