Page 54 of Bound By A Promise
Dante wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to him. Beneath his shirt, his heart beat at a steady rate. Peering upward, I looked through my lashes. “I was scared.”
“You were safe.”
“I wasn’t afraid for me. I was worried about all of you.”
“Silas saved the night,” Jano said. “Let’s get out of this small room.”
He was right in his description. The room was small before. Add three giant men and the room was miniscule.
With my hand in Dante’s, he led me into the living room, everyone else following. Within seconds, Dante and Father Gallowere online, navigating the wedding license. Standing against the wall, I watched as the two men impatiently entered the necessary data. Silas and Jano took Mia out onto the deck, showing her the carnage. With the glass doors open, the night was eerily quiet. A slight breeze gave me a chill as the three of them inspected what was left of their outdoor furniture. Thankfully, the damage was to material things, not people. Mia was shaking her head as Jano comforted her.
“Camila,” Dante called, pulling me from being a voyeur.
Barefooted, I went toward him.
“You’re my wife, and I have so much to learn about you.”
Warmth filled my cheeks. “And a lifetime to do that.”
“Currently,” Father Gallo said, “we need your help with personal information.”
My mind had gone to other places. “What do you need to know?”
For the next five minutes, the three of us sat at Mia’s kitchen bar and entered numbers. Birth dates, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers… the list went on and on. I’d married a man whose middle name I didn’t know. It was probably all right. Dante didn’t know mine either.
Aurelio.
Dante Aurelio Luciano.
Isabella.
Camila Isabella Ruiz.
Camila Isabella Luciano.
The site then required a live video of the two of us, verifying that we were together and both in agreement.
Dante pulled me between his spread legs. His head cleared mine as we both stared into the camera at the top of the small screen.
“Our first wedding picture.”
“No, it’s not,” Viviana said. “I took pictures during the ceremony.”
My cheeks rose. “Thank you.”
“The next question,” Father Gallo said, “asks if you want to keep your maiden name or take your husband’s.”
I turned in his embrace, facing the man who was now my husband. “Would you have a problem with me keeping my maiden name?”
He tilted his forehead to mine and lowered his tone in a way that made my insides twist. “Yes. You’re now and forever Camila Luciano.”
“I like the way that sounds.” I turned back to the priest. “It sounds like I’m changing my name.”
“Tell me you won’t give in to him so easily on all matters of importance.”
“Here’s a secret. I didn’t give in.” I found Dante’s hand and intertwined our fingers. “I want his name. I want the world to know that he’s my husband and I’m his wife.”
Father Gallo smiled. “Son, I think you have a good one here.”