Romans de Angel James

ROSALINA P.O.VThe heavy wooden door closed with a soft click. Christopher turned the key in the lock, and the sound echoed through the quiet bedroom.I stood in the middle of the room, my hands holding the skirt of my white lace wedding dress. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it in my ears."We are finally alone," I said, breaking the silence.Christopher turned around. He took off his black suit jacket and threw it onto the armchair. "Yes. No guards. No Sofia. Just you and me, Mrs. Romano."I smiled, my cheeks feeling very warm. "Mrs. Romano. It still sounds so strange to hear that.""Do you not like it?" he asked, walking slowly toward me."I love it," I whispered. "I just never thought I would actually be here. With you. Wearing a wedding dress."Christopher stopped right in front of me. He reached out and took my left hand, lifting it up so the candlelight caught the rings. "Look at this, Rosalina. It is very real. You are my wife now.""I know," I said, looking up into

**CHRISTOPHER P.O.V**The wind coming off the valley was cool, but the hand holding mine was incredibly warm.I stood under the stone archway, the gold light of the sunset painting the white silk canopy in shades of soft orange and pink. The old priest’s voice was a low, steady rumble, reciting the ancient Latin words of the marriage blessing. But to be completely honest, I wasn't listening to a single word of the ceremony.I was staring entirely at Rosalina.The white veil fell softly over her shoulders, framing her face like a painting. In her dark hair, the little blue sapphire pin that belonged to my mother shined brightly, catching the fading light of the sun. She looked so delicate standing next to my massive, scarred frame, yet there was absolutely no fear in her eyes. Her gaze was locked onto my single blue eye with a strength that humbled me."Christopher Romano," the priest said, his kind eyes looking up from his leather book. He switched his words from Latin back to simple

**ROSALINA P.O.V**The morning sun over the Tuscan hills was warmer than it had been in weeks. The cold, gray fog of the war was completely gone, replaced by a bright blue sky that seemed to stretch on forever.I stood in the center of the grand courtyard, looking up at the massive white silk canopy that the workers had just finished setting up. It stretched from the stone archway of the villa all the way to the edge of the cliff, where the mountains fell away into the green valleys below.The air smelled of fresh pine, sweet jasmine, and thousands of white lilies that had been delivered from Florence earlier this morning."The silk is too low on the left side," Sofia’s voice barked from behind me. She was standing with her hands on her hips, glare-staring at two young guards who were trying their best to tie a heavy white ribbon to a stone pillar. "Lift it higher! The bride is not a dwarf. She needs to walk under it without getting her hair caught!"The two guards jumped nervously an

CHRISTOPHER P.O.VThe morning sun was bright and cold when I stood in front of the bedroom mirror. I adjusted the collar of my crisp white shirt, careful not to pull too hard on my left shoulder. The white bandages underneath were clean, but my muscles were still very sore from the bullet graze. I put on my best black suit jacket, hiding the pain and the bandages completely.When I turned around, Rosalina was sitting up in the large bed. She was holding the thick white blanket close to her chest. Her beautiful brown eyes were watching me with a lot of worry.I walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. I reached out and took her hand. The pear-cut diamond ring on her finger was cold against my warm palm."I am going now, little bird," I said softly, my voice very deep in the quiet room."Please be careful, Christopher," she whispered. She reached up with her free hand and touched my cheek. "Do not let them make you angry. Just use the papers and come back to me.""I am only goin

CHRISTOPHER P.O.VThe grandfather clock in the corner of the master bedroom struck three in the morning with a low, heavy chime. The room was dark, save for the pale moonlight filtering through the newly replaced glass of the window frames.Beside me, Rosalina was breathing softly, her small head resting right in the middle of my chest. Her fingers were still loosely curled around the lapel of my silk pajamas, her massive diamond ring catching the silver light of the moon.My shoulder was throbbing with a hot, sharp pain under the fresh medical bandages, but that wasn't what was keeping me awake. It was the silence. After a day of gunfire, explosives, and screaming men, the absolute quiet of the mountain felt heavy, almost suffocating.I closed my single blue eye, forcing my body to relax against the heavy mattress. Tomorrow, I had to drive down to the highway restaurant to face Judge Marcone and the three Council members. I needed my mind sharp. I needed to be the Don.Slowly, the he

**ROSALINA P.O.V**The grand kitchen of the Villa smelled strongly of sharp antiseptic, bitter black coffee, and the faint, metallic scent of blood. The morning sun was high in the sky now, pouring bright light through the large windows, but nobody was looking at the view.Christopher sat heavily on a tall wooden stool in the center of the room. His bare chest was still smeared with dark soot from the gunfire outside, and his jaw was locked tight in a hard line. A long, deep gash ran across his left shoulder where the bullet had sliced through his skin.Sofia stood right beside him, her old face completely serious as she used a piece of white cloth dipped in hot water to clean the wound. Every time the cloth touched the raw red skin, Christopher’s muscles would tighten up instantly, but he did not let out a single sound. His single blue eye was fixed entirely on me as I stood near the kitchen counter, my hands trembling inside the pockets of my cream silk robe."You were lucky, Don Ro