SONG- dangerously charlie puth
JAY JAY POV
“WHAT?!” I shrieked, bolting upright so fast the satin duvet tangled violently around my waist.
“Why the hell is the wedding moved to tomorrow?!”
Percy leaned casually against the doorframe of my bedroom, holding a fresh mug of coffee and looking entirely too awake for eight in the morning.
“Jay, relax. It’s way easier on a Friday. Everyone can actually make it. Sunday just didn’t work.”
“I might have been able to process this life-ruining news over pancakes, Percy, not while I am literally still half-asleep in bed!” I yelled, grabbing a plush decorative pillow and chucking it straight at his head with lethal accuracy.
Percy dodged the flying velvet with an infuriating duck, not spilling a single drop of his coffee.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Keifer didn’t get a say in this either,” Percy offered with a broad, mischievous grin.
“The man threw an absolute fit. He was stubborn about keeping it on Sunday so your designer gown could finish its final hand-beading, but Dad shut him down in three seconds flat. Threatened to lock the chapel doors if he didn’t cooperate.”
“And is that supposed to make me happy?!” I demanded, throwing my arms up in pure exasperation.
“Knowing the terrifying mafia kingpin got scolded by my father doesn’t change the fact that I am being shoved down an aisle in less than twenty-four hours!”
“Look on the bright side, sis,” Percy said, sauntering into my room and kicking the edge of my mattress.
“The sooner you marry Watson, the sooner he becomes your problem instead of ours. Now get your lazy ass out of bed. The makeup artists, the hairstylists, and the seamstresses are already setting up in the west parlor, and if you don’t show up in ten minutes, Aries threatened to drag you downstairs by your ankles.”
“Tell Aries I’m calling the human rights commission!” I yelled into my sheets, burying my face in the mattress and groaning until my lungs burned.
Twenty-four hours.
Tomorrow morning, I wouldn’t just be Jasper Jean Mariano I would officially, legally, and permanently belong to Mark Keifer Watson.
DAY OF THE WEDDING
The morning of the wedding arrived with a quiet, heavy stillness that made my stomach twist into painful knots.
I stayed locked in my bridal suite, listening to the muffled commotion echoing through the grand corridors of the cathedral.
Everyone had arrived.
By everyone, I meant the only people who mattered to both me and Keifer: my family, our closest allies, the inner circle of the mafia, and Dad.
Then my gaze drifted toward the arched stained-glass window that looked down onto the courtyard.
Standing near the perimeter fountain, flanked by heavily armed security guards, was Kaizar Watson.
Keifer’s biological father.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine just looking at the man.
Seeing him standing out there sent alarms blaring in my head.
I knew for a fact that his presence was definitely not Keifer’s doing.
Keifer hated that monster with every fiber of his being, and having Kaizar anywhere near this cathedral felt like a loaded bomb waiting to go off.
I turned away from the glass.
I sat down in front of the mirror to add the final touches to my makeup, smoothing out my lip gloss and adjusting the delicate pins tucked into my dark hair.
A soft knock sounded against the heavy wooden door, followed by the quiet click of the latch.
Sara slipped into the room, looking stunning in her floor-length bridesmaid gown.
She carried a velvet-lined box cradled in both hands.
“What is it?” I asked, turning slightly in my chair to face her.
“Here. Keifer asked me to give this to you,” Sara said softly, walking over and placing the ornate box onto the marble vanity in front of me.
“Apparently it was Tita Serina’s jewelry, and she wanted it kept specifically for her future daughter-in-law.”
My breath hitched in my throat.
I reached out with trembling fingers and lifted the lid.
Resting against the midnight blue velvet was an antique set crafted from platinum and teardrop diamonds, accompanied by a matching pair of delicate earrings.
Knowing how much Keifer treasured the memory of his mother, knowing the blood and tears tied to her name, holding this felt profoundly sacred.
He was giving me the single most precious piece of his past.
I gave Sara a quiet, nod.
She smiled gently, stepped behind me, and carefully lifted the cool platinum chain to fasten it around my neck.
The teardrop diamond settled perfectly against my collarbone, right above the sweetheart neckline of my wedding dress.
She helped me secure the matching earrings, then rested her hands warmly on my shoulders, meeting my gaze in the mirror.
“You look breathtaking, Jay,” Sara whispered.
Before I could answer, the door opened again.
Dad stepped into the suite.
He looked powerful, and sharp in his tailored black tuxedo, but the moment his eyes landed on me sitting there in my white gown, wearing Serina’s heirloom, every trace of the fearsome mafia boss vanished from his face.
He walked over slowly, standing right in front of me.
Dad placed his large, warm hands gently on the sides of my arms, leaned down, and pressed a long, tender kiss against my forehead.
“Ready?” Dad asked softly, his deep voice carrying a quiet, protective tremor.
I swallowed down the nervous flutter in my throat and gave him a steady nod.
Dad held out his arm for me, and I laced my fingers securely around his forearm.
We walked toward the door, leaving the bridal suite, and stepped out into the hallway leading.
Standing right outside by the high stone arches were Percy and Aries.
Both of them were dressed in black tuxedos.
Percy stood there with his arms hanging at his sides, his usual teasing smirk nowhere to be found.
His eyes were unusually glossy and red around the rims, like he had spent the last twenty minutes aggressively blinking back tears in the bathroom so no one would catch him being sentimental.
The sight of my goofy brother trying so hard to keep his composure made my throat tighten instantly.
Aries, on the other hand, did not waste a single second with formal posturing.
The moment I reached the hallway, he stepped forward, wrapped his strong arms securely around my shoulders, and pulled me into a grounding embrace.
I buried my face into his shoulder.
He pulled back just enough to look down at my face, placing his hands on my shoulders and leaning in to press a gentle kiss to my forehead.
“If Keifer says something, come to me,” Aries said, his voice dropping into that low, unwavering authority that brooked zero argument.
I nodded at Aries, giving his arm one last reassuring squeeze before he and Percy turned to head toward the sanctuary.
They moved quickly down the side aisle, taking their positions as the best men flanking the altar.
Dad tightened his hold on my hand, resting his other hand gently over mine.
“I am right here with you, Jay,” Dad murmured, his steady voice anchoring me to the earth.
The massive doors slowly swung open.
A soft, golden haze from dozens of chandeliers poured over us.
Every single head in the grand hall turned all rising to their feet in quiet respect.
Then my eyes locked onto the end of the long, candle-lit aisle.
Keifer was standing there on the altar platform, looking tall, lethal, and impossibly striking in an all-black tailored tuxedo that broadened his shoulders.
The moment the doors parted, his dark eyes fixed entirely on me.
His eyes slowly scanned down my entire body, tracking the off-the-shoulder draping of the ivory gown, the curve of my waist, the soft sweep of the veil, and the diamond heirloom resting right against my collarbone.
For a second I could not breathe at all.
There was no mockery in his expression, no cold mafia detachment.
His face held a raw hunger mixed with pure like he had spent his entire life wandering through the dark just waiting for this exact vision to appear.
Dad guided me forward, our footsteps echoing softly against the marble runner.
Every step brought me closer to the boy who had loved me in secret, the monster who had cornered my life, and the man who was about to claim my future.
When we finally reached the foot of the altar, Dad came to a halt.
He took my hand, lifting it gently, and turned to face Keifer.
“Protect her with your life, Mark Keifer,” Dad said, his deep voice carrying a solemn, ironclad weight that echoed off the stone vaulted ceiling.
“With my life and my empire, Jasfher,” Keifer answered without a hesitation, his voice low, steady, and deadly serious.
Dad placed my small hand into Keifer’s large, warm palm.
The contrast was startling: my cold, trembling fingers enveloped in his strong, unyielding grasp.
Keifer gave my hand a gentle, grounding squeeze, guiding me up the two altar steps until we stood face to face before the priest.
The ceremony blurred into a dreamlike haze.
When it came time for the vows, Keifer slid the heavy platinum band onto my fourth finger.
His hands, usually so steady with weapons and contracts, had a faint, almost imperceptible tremor as he guided the ring into place.
I picked up his ring, sliding the cool metal onto his left hand, feeling the rapid, heavy thud of his pulse beneath his skin.
“By the power vested in me, in the presence of God and these witnesses,” the priest declared, making the sign of the cross over our joined hands, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
A soft, collective rustle moved through the pews.
Keifer did not wait a single beat.
He turned fully toward me, resting his fingers along the sides of my jaw.
His thumbs lightly brushed over my cheekbones, tilting my face upward until our eyes met.
“Eres mía, para siempre,” he whispered You are mine, forever.
He leaned down and pressed his mouth to mine.
The kiss began slow, reverent, and deeply tender, as if he were silently thanking every saint in heaven that I was finally standing here in his arms.
But the moment my lips parted softly against his, the fire inside him flared up.
His arm slid around my lower back, pulling me flush against his chest, deepening the kiss right there on the altar in front of our families, the priests, and the entire underworld.
My fingers instinctively curled into the lapels of his suit jacket, my heart hammering violently against my ribs as the familiar scent of cedar, smoke, and warm leather swallowed my senses whole.
The cathedral erupted into thunderous, echoing applause.
Percy let out a loud, whistle from the sidelines, while Aries clapped with a quiet, approving nod.
Keifer finally pulled back by a fraction of an inch, his forehead resting lightly against mine, his dark eyes glowing with absolute victory.
A breathtaking smile spread across his lips, one that wiped away every trace of the ruthless boss, leaving behind only the boy whose universe had just been handed back to him.
He took my hand, lacing our fingers tightly together, and turned us toward the guests to walk down the aisle as husband and wife.
The sun had completely set by the time the private reception wound down, leaving behind a clear, star-lit autumn night.
After hours of polite toasts, formal handshakes, and careful political mingling, Keifer finally had his black luxury Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled around to the private eastern courtyard, away from the lingering press photographers.
I sat in the passenger seat, having finally kicked off my painful heels, leaning my head against the cool leather headrest with a long, exhausted sigh.
The heavy gown pooled around my legs, and my eyelids felt like lead.
The driver’s door clicked shut, and Keifer slipped inside.
He had discarded his tuxedo jacket, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his black dress shirt, and rolled the cuffs up to his forearms.
He did not start the engine immediately.
Instead, he turned in his seat, resting one arm casually over the steering wheel, his dark eyes fixed entirely on me
“Tired, Mrs. Watson?” he asked, a teasing, smoky warmth lacing his deep baritone.
I turned my head, glaring at him with whatever tired energy I had left.
“Exhausted,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Your hand was basically glued to my waist for five straight hours, Watson. I think my ribs are bruised.”
Keifer let out a low, amused chuckle.
He reached across the console, his warm fingers gently catching my left hand and lifting it into the dim light.
He brought my hand to his mouth, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against the back of my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Get some sleep on the drive, Jay,” Keifer murmured against my skin, his voice dropping into a gentle, unshakeable promise.
“We are heading home.”