Chants of people chanting my name as I down the last of the shot pyramid surround me, cheering me on to keep going. My throat and my insides burned, I waved my hand to my throat, signaling the bartender that I was done. "Keep going!" Julia whines over the loud music of the club, her blonde hair falling all over her face as she trips and laughs. "I want you to be as drunk as me!"

I shake my head, if I kept going I would black out. "I've been drinking since we got here!" I shout back.

"But it's your bachelorette night!" Who would've known I'd be getting married to my soulmate in just a few hours. Not me. Especially considering how we started as a one night stand and eventually we kept running into each other, it took us a few dates to realize that maybe we were meant to be crossing paths each time. So after four years of dating and one of being engaged, we were finally going to marry.

I sigh in complete bliss.

I was surrounded by all my girlfriends, celebrating my last day as a single woman. I won't be Emmaline Zadro for much longer. I knew I wanted to start settling down at twenty-five, but I didn't think I'd be getting married at twenty-five, the world works in mysterious ways.

"How about hooking up one last time with someone random?" Gina, my blonde haired friend and Julia's twin sister says into my ear.

"Yeah right," I laugh. "And have thing one and thing two over there do a background check that could last all night? I don't think so." I say referring to the two body guards that were assigned to follow me around twenty-four seven. My life wasn't always so magical, I was born into a family where crime was a business that you could not get out of, and if you tried you wouldn't make it past day one without people being sent out to kill you.

I never involved myself in that. My two older brothers though, that's a different story. Michael and Tadeo, my fathers pride and joy and heirs to the business. Words can't describe how much I don't envy them. Perks of being in this life however were the luxuries that came with it, being treated like royalty because your father is 'El Don'. Learning to fight was also part of my everyday life. If there was nobody else to protect me I was going to do it myself, I wasn't just going to sit back and be the princess of the family for being the only girl.

I was not going to be seen as weak or defenseless. I could trade in a pair of Louis Vuitton for a 9 mm gun any day.

At exactly one in the morning I was getting tapped on the shoulder. "Your father wants you home." Rodrigo tells me, when I turn to see my friends they are still drinking and having fun, I wouldn't want to stop that. So after letting them know that I'm leaving, I am escorted out by Rodrigo at the front and Garcia at the back towards the same black SUV we came in. The reason why I wasn't complaining was simply because I couldn't wait until tomorrow, I wanted to already start getting ready, to put on my beautiful white dress and say I do.

But I guess that would have to wait a few more hours.

I miss him, I wonder what he's doing. So I pull out my phone as my hands massage my feet, they were numb from the heels I wore all day and night. "...you've reached Oliver, I'm currently unavailable at the moment-" I hang up and sigh, he was probably still in the states on his bachelor party trip his friends decided to throw for him, he didn't bother me and I definitely didn't want to bother him.

So I leave a text message instead.

E.
I just called to say how much I love you and that I can't wait til we finally see each other tomorrow at the altar. Please be safe, come back to me. Soon to be, missus Carter.

Satisfied with the text, I smile and send it off. We soon arrive home and Rodrigo opens the car door for me. With my heels and clutch in hand, I step our barefoot, tiptoeing around the pebbles up the stairs and to the front door. I could hear the sound of the water fountain in the distance and when the door opens, my older brother Michael stands behind it, a toothpick in his mouth.

"Well, well, look who it is." He says, his blue eyes eyeing me. "Thought you might've gotten kidnapped by now, it's pretty late."

"Yeah?" I say pushing past him. "Try being mature and maybe you might actually get this far in a relationship to come this late from your bachelor party." Michael loved to tease me, it was a good thing I didn't let myself be annoyed by him.

"Gotta say I agree with that," Tadeo, my second oldest brother says as he walks down the stairs with a glass in his hand.

"You're even worse!"

"Boys," the sound of my fathers loud booming voice echos through the large room. We turn and he's walking with mom beside him. "Leave your sister alone."

My mother walks to me and hugs me as if she didn't see me before I left. "I hope you enjoyed your time out," She beams, putting hair behind my ear. "You and Oliver are going to be so happy, I'm sorry you couldn't stay out longer."

I wave her off. "It's fine, I'm a bit tired already." I say truthfully. All I wanted to do was take a long relaxing bath, continue to read my novel and then fall asleep. I would have to deal with my very hangover bridesmaids in the morning. When I turn to my father, he smiles at me. "Dad,"

"Sí, mi cielo?"

"Please, no guns tomorrow. If you really need to, keep them at least a few feet away from the ceremony, especially inside the church. I definitely don't need your men scaring off the pastor while he's trying to marry us." I give him a look that tells him I am being completely serious.

He looks defensive. "We will see about that." Is what he says, my mother shakes her head and smiles at me. Aside from me being completely happy for myself, she was over the moon for me. She absolutely adored Oliver ever since I brought him home and she always pestered us about getting married and having a family one day. Who knew that day would come so soon?

"You have a big day tomorrow," she says. "You should get some rest." I agree with her, I'm exhausted and want nothing more than to be in bed. So I nod my good night's and do just that.

—

The next morning, I was awoken by Gina and Julia, both of them held thick dark sunglasses and a grin on their lips. How the managed to appear this happy in the morning after a late night full of drinks, I don't know.

"Got you coffee." Gina says.

"And a bagel." Julia adds as they both held the two delicious items to my face. Sometimes they acted like my minions and I can't stress enough how much that made me uncomfortable. I've tried telling them before that but it's like they ignored what I would say and do it anyway. I sit up in bed.

"Thank you," I smile warmly. "Have you two had any sleep?"

"We could not sleep from the excitement." Julia says. "That and we're still kind of drunk. Besides. We're your bridesmaids so be prepared for us to treat you like royalty." I'm about to remark that it'd just be a normal day when they rip the bedsheets off me and force me out of bed.

First thing was a shower, I took my time with that until I was being scolded by Gina that we were waisting time. I allowed them to do the rest, and relax back as they applied cooling jellies under my eyes to lower the puffiness from sleep when my phone dings.

O.
I can't wait.

—

Alessandro Carter