The living room of the suite was decorated. The gifts were everything from lingerie over jewelry to certificates for a day in a luxury spa in Bangkok. The lingerie was the worst though, and when I opened the gift from Vegas's stepmother Pim I had trouble keeping a straight face. A chorus of appreciative murmurs came from the women around me. I gaped at the lingerie. Tay tipped his finger inconspicuously against her temple. "This is for your wedding night," Pim said with a calculating glint in her eyes. "I bet Vegas will love unwrapping you. We need to please our husbands. Vegas will certainly expect something this daring." I nodded. "Thank you."
Had Vegas maybe set his stepmother up to give this to me? I wouldn't put it past him. Not after he'd gotten birth control for me. My stomach twisted with worry, and it got only worse when the people started talking about their wedding nights. "I was so embarrassed when it was time for the presentation of the sheets!" Vegas's cousin Cosima stage-whispered. "The presentation of the sheets?" I asked. Pim's smile was patronizing when she said, "Didn't your mother explain it to you?" I glanced at my mother who pressed her lips together, two red blotches appearing on her cheeks. "It's a tradition that the Familia has proudly upheld for generations," Pim explained, eyes fixed on my face.
"After the wedding night, the women of the groom's family come to the bridal pair to collect the sheets they spent the night on. Then those sheets are presented to the fathers of the married couples and whoever else wants to see proof that the marriage has been consummated and that the bride/groom was pure." Cosima giggled. "It's also called tradition of the bloody sheets for that reason." My face was frozen. "That's a barbaric tradition!" Tay hissed. "Mother, you can't allow it."
"It's not up to me," Mother said. "That's right. We won't abandon our traditions." Pim turned to me. "And from what I know you've been well protected from male attention so there's nothing for you to fear. The sheets will prove your honor." Tay's lips curled, but all I could think about was that this tradition meant I definitely had to sleep with Vegas.
A/N: Chapter 4 is definitely shorter. Sorry for that. I'll try to make it longer for Chapter 5. And next chapter is the time for marriage.
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Vegas Pete - A Mafia Romance (Completed)
Romance"You may kiss the groom," the priest said. I raised my head. Every pair of eyes in the pavilion scrutinized me, waiting for a flicker of weakness. Father would be furious if I let my terror show, and Vegas's Familia would use it against us. But I ha...
