The Twelve Vitali Ch. 24

"Good grief," Cat laughed. "I can't leave you boys alone for one night without a fight breaking out?"

"That's a very good reason why you should never do it again," Matteo said, sounding amused.

There was a light tap on her door, and Lucia poked her head into the room as Cat looked up and smiled.

"There's..." Cat squealed as several men entered her room and a huge bear of a man came to lay down beside her.

"Cat!" Matteo yelled into the phone. "Cat!" Panic laced his voice, and before she could speak the phone was taken from her hand.

"Hey, Matt, we came to have breakfast with the little woman before you marry her!" Massimo laughed raucously, and Cat could hear Matteo swearing loudly through the phone.

"Not all of us, just those of us with the best stories about your misspent youth. We didn't want to overwhelm your bride-to-be," Massimo winked at Cat and passed her back the phone.

"Matt?" she said, not sure what to make of this, as Massimo took out his own phone and snapped a picture of them in bed together. "These are your friends?"

"I'm so sorry, Kitten, just kick them out, and don't let Mo hug you," Matteo groaned.

"Which one is Mo?" she asked, looking around her room.

"The one you're in bed with!" Massimo chortled loudly enough for Matteo to hear.

"Is Dante there?" Matteo asked, making Cat look around the room.

"Yes," she nodded, even though he couldn't see her.

"Could you pass him your phone, please?" He asked, obviously trying to keep his voice calm.

"He'd like to talk to you," she held her phone out to Dante.

"Hey, buddy," Dante said in a relaxed, easy manner. "What's up?" He asked as if it was a normal day and Matt had called for a chat. "Yeah... No way! I didn't bring a crane, and, despite popular belief, I don't have superhero strength... You're really grouchy in the mornings, you know that... You'd think you'd be grateful we all came to make sure security was good around here... Breakfast? Sure, we can do a second breakfast with you... Massimo can always eat enough for ten of us... Yeah, alright, I heard you... Mo, get out of Cat's bed, Matt's intimidated." Dante chuckled and passed the phone back to Cat.

"Please tell me you're wearing something that covers you entirely, like a flannelette granny nightgown or something," Matteo groaned, imagining her in bed with his friends all standing around gawking.

"No, Matt, I slept in a house full of strangers stark naked," Cat rolled her eyes again. "Of course I have clothes on! Lucia wouldn't have let them in otherwise!"

"Call me when they leave!" he barked at her, showing his frustration.

"Well, when you ask me so sweetly, how could I possibly say no," she said acidly and hung up.

"Gentlemen, if you'll let me get up and change, I'll be right out," Cat said, looking at them all.

"We don't mind waiting," Massimo waggled his brows at her, making her laugh, but he got up from the bed.

"Now what was your wife's name again? Just so I know when I meet her tonight," Cat smiled softly at him.

"Connie, and she's going to love you!" Massimo laughed loudly and left Cat's room, followed by the others.

"Sorry," Dante said before leaving the room. "I couldn't stop them, so I came along to try and negate the consequences for Matt. Nice negligee, by the way," He chuckled and closed the door behind him and left her to get up and get dressed.

Cat looked down, she had been wearing one of Matteo's big soft shirts and boxers, she smiled, standing up and taking a selfie in the mirror. She sent it to Matt with the message: "I was as well dressed as you usually are."

"Fuck, that's just as bad," Matteo sent back. "You could make a sack look sexy, but you have always looked amazingly gorgeous in my clothes."

"See you at the church! I'll be the one in the sack, no time for shopping for a pretty dress now." Cat laughed as she hit send. She dressed quickly and pulled her hair into a ponytail before going out to meet Matteo's closest friends properly before starting her day.

"I love you, make sure Matt doesn't get too stressed out about things he can't control, please," she sent to Ricco with a smile. "I'll call once the circus leaves."

"I've got the big guy, don't worry. I love you too, stay relaxed and enjoy the day," Ricco replied with heart emoticons.

*****

Matteo spent the morning worrying about Cat, worrying about his friends and worrying about the ceremony at the church, considering all the things that could go wrong. Ricco never left his side, constantly giving answers to all his unspoken worries as if reading his mind. His other brothers slowly arrived, with the little geniuses coming in last laughing and joking. They sat to eat a late lunch, and, while the others all seemed in a buoyant mood, Matteo picked at the food and brooded on everything that could go wrong. The appearance of Nik the day before had rattled him badly, and not even Ricco's reassurances could dispel the dark cloud he felt following him. He knew it would follow him until the priest said I do and he had kissed his wife.

He stood to get dressed, the photographer would be there soon to take some candid shots and then accompany them to the church. Another photographer would be arriving at the house where Cat was staying at the same time to take some candid shots before travelling with the ladies to the church. He imagined her walking up the aisle toward him. The dress, each time he imagined it, changed from one of white satin, straight and severe with no adornments, to a wide-skirted old-fashioned ball gown that floated like a cloud. He honestly had no idea what type of wedding dress she would choose.

"You're pretty quiet," Jacobi said, walking into the bedroom as Matteo finished dressing. "Nervous?"

"Not for the reasons most grooms are nervous," Matteo said. "You heard what happened yesterday?"

"Yeah, I've been working with Salvatore and Cosimo overnight to make sure nothing like that happens today. Rest easy, big brother. We've got your back," Jacobi grinned.

"I haven't seen much of you lately. Everything good? Maryanne and the baby?" Matteo asked.

"Great, we've been living in our own little bubble; Maryanne is so ready to have this baby. There are only a few weeks to go until I'm a Papa," he grinned. Matteo realised how relaxed he seemed and was surprised. Jacobi had seemed stand-offish in recent weeks, and Matteo had thought he still harboured resentment over Ricco and his fathers' decisions regarding the table.

"I can't wait to be an Uncle," Matteo grinned. "You're going to be an awesome Papa."

"You will be soon too, no doubt," Jacobi grinned with Matteo. "Ricco tells me you've given Cat the house on the hill to renovate. I hope you're keeping the stables, maybe even improving them."

"Truthfully, I haven't given the house that much thought since meeting Cat; I've never been there with her. She and Ricco used to hang out there together," Matteo admitted.

"Still too much Nik there?" Jacobi asked. "Especially after yesterday?"

"Yeah, probably, I don't know. I just have no interest in being there anymore while it is the way it is. I'm not the same man who built it anymore. Cat will make it her own, our own, and then I'll be happy to go back, with her," Matteo said. "Nik's a footnote in my life now. I'm over it, so the effect of yesterday is not an emotional response to an ex, it's more a response to a psychopath being so close to the woman I love."

"Maryanne took it badly when she found out. It took Dante and me a long time to calm her down," he admitted. "I was worried she would go into labour and ruin the wedding."

"She's always been a little highly strung," Matteo said gently, realising why they were having this conversation. "I'm sure she'll be fine today, and if she goes into labour we'll deal with it, you can't help mother nature." Matteo grinned, letting his brother off the hook for any histrionics on his wife's behalf.

"I hope so," Jacobi said, having dropped Maryanne off at the house with the other women, feeling awful about the way she looked and felt.

"Trista really didn't listen to me when I told her what I wanted for the wedding," Matteo sighed, picking up the long black jacket.

"You're the one who wanted traditional," Jacobi grinned.

"Traditional, not medieval," Matteo groaned.

"At least you've got the height to pull off the Prince Charming look. The rest of us are struggling to pull it off," Jacobi chuckled. "I like the black and gold theme. It's a subtle gold, not gaudy and showy."

"Prince Charming?" Mateo turned to consider his brother. He'd only considered that the suits looked historical rather than fashionable. He hadn't considered the Prince Charming angle, and while he would have worn his suit, because Trista obviously knew what Cat and the girls were wearing, he suddenly felt better about it. He could do Prince Charming on his wedding day. "Thanks, Cobi," he smiled. "Let's go see how bad the others look."

*****

Cat had spent the morning going from one adventure to another. First Matteo's friends had arrived for breakfast and made her laugh by telling stories about his teenage years and their annual camps where they all came together, something enforced by their parents from the age of twelve. She had fallen a little bit in love with each of them, even the serious-seeming Nathanael, who had smiled shyly at her but said little.

The men left only when the ladies began to arrive along with the team meant to pamper and prepare them for the day ahead. From that point on the house had become a hive of activity, with people coming and going in rapid succession and the security, who manned the door, constantly checking clipboards and making phone calls to ensure her safety.

The constant flow of people and the activity around her kept Cat so busy the time flew by and, before she knew it, she was standing in the living room looking like a princess bride with her glittering bridesmaids all smiling for the camera as causal shots were taken by the wedding photographer. David came into the room looking so handsome in his one of a kind suit specially created by Trista.

"Wow, you look so grown up!" Cat stepped forward and grinned at her brother.

"It might have escaped your notice, but I've been a grown-up for a while now. You know, the job and house might have given you a clue that I've been adulting successfully without you looking after me this year," he chuckled.

"I haven't been a very good big sister this year, have I?" she asked, allowing the photographer to arrange her into a pose with her brother.

"Are you kidding? You're the best! My boss is about to become my brother-in-law though, and that's a bit weird, but it's also job security for a lifetime," he chuckled. "I wouldn't have gotten half the opportunities I have this year if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have my home if it weren't for you. I wouldn't be standing here looking like this if it wasn't for you." He ran his fingers inside the collar of his shirt as if it was too tight.

"You were doing well at work, regardless, that had nothing to do with me," she smiled softly.

"We've both come a long way, haven't we," he agreed. "Do you think we can get a shot with Mick in it? He's almost like another brother, isn't he?"

"He is," she laughed softly, looking over to where Mick stood watching them and waved him over.

"You look amazing, Cat," Mick said with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"So do you," Cat said, brushing the shoulders of his suit as if there was lint on him. "It feels like forever since I've spent any real time with you two."

"It has been forever, but we've consoled ourselves with the access we get to corporate boxes now that the footy season has started again," Mick chuckled. "It mightn't be at our team's home ground, but, hey, who am I to complain."

"Another perk of the boss becoming my brother-in-law," David shrugged when Cat looked at him quizzically. "You keep him too busy to use his membership, so I get to." He checked his watch. "But once again my job is on the line if I don't get you to the church on time, one of the downsides of you marrying my boss," he sighed exaggeratedly.

"We better go then," she grinned. "I wouldn't want you to lose your job because I was late."

There were four cars waiting for them as they emerged from the house. Cat smiled as she saw Knox open the door for her and, after several attempts to fold the full skirt while lifting the veil, she finally made it into the car without creasing too much of the delicate layered fabric as Kate and Edith supervised her. Kate and Edith would be following her to the church with the security detail, and she was glad of that, she wanted them there to see the fruition of all their hard work.

Cat gripped David's hand as he sat beside her. She was suddenly nervous as the car moved forward and out into the traffic. He looked at her, surprised.

"You okay?" he asked with a frown.

"Nervous, don't let me trip or stumble up the aisle," Cat said by way of explanation.

"You have nothing to worry about," David chuckled. "Matt's so whipped, he would marry you however you got there, even tripping and stumbling up the aisle."

"He's not whipped," she laughed.

"He is so whipped, everyone at work knows it. Apparently, he was pretty overbearing at work until you came along. A real control freak. Then, suddenly, people can do no wrong, and he's spending more and more time away from the company to be with you," David continued to chuckle. "If anything goes wrong today, not only will Matt fire me, but most of the people I work with will come after me."

"Poor you. How awful it must be to be my little brother," she smiled lopsidedly.

"Meh, the perks balance things out," he chuckled. "What other workplace would pay me to go to University to get my degree?"

"Are you enjoying it?" she asked.

"Would you be surprised if I said yes?" he chuckled.

"Maybe, but I feel like we've both changed a lot since meeting the Vitali family," she admitted.

"In less than an hour you will be part of that family too," David pointed out, startling her.

"Mrs. Catriona Vitali," she said in a soft, thoughtful voice. "Sounds strange, doesn't it."

"Only the Catriona part, Cat Vitali sounds just right," he grinned.

*****

Matteo stood at the end of the aisle with his brothers beside him. The cathedral was full to overflowing, and the security teams were having issues keeping the paparazzi at bay. He was surprised by how many media outlets had come to report on his wedding. He had been here for Jacobi's wedding and had stood at his side, but it wasn't until now that he truly appreciated the immensity of the cathedral, and wondered how long it would take the bridal party to walk the full length of the aisle before he would see his Kitten.

The music of the stringed orchestra changed in tone and timber, signalling the arrival of the first of the cars holding the wedding party. Matteo looked at his watch and considered that he would have at least another twenty minutes before he saw the woman he loved emerge from the ante-chamber into the aisle and begin the long slow walk toward him. He was uncharacteristically nervous. Not about the marriage itself, he'd never been surer of anything in his life. It was all the strange occurrences of the last weeks that had him on edge.

He was comforted to know that his friends, who were scattered amongst the guests, would be vigilant during the ceremony; they all believed that anything could happen after the appearance of the woman who looked like Nik Donati. Had his fathers known that he would need his friends and rely on them today? They were certainly the only men he truly trusted, aside of his brothers, and, like himself, they wielded the power of wealth and the loyalty of the people around them. There was a veritable army of security around his church, thanks to all twelve families.

Matteo took a large breath and once again scanned the waiting crowd as he waited for the procession music to begin. Once he had said he wanted a traditional wedding, she had kept to that and had been guided by Theresa. Thankfully they had decided on Pachelbel's Canon in D rather than the bridal chorus, or march, which would have been too much tradition, even for him.

"How are you holding up, big guy?" Ricco murmured from his position beside Matteo.

"Ready and willing, if a little impatient," Matteo nodded, obviously scanning the crowd for familiar faces that should belong to ghosts.

"We are surrounded by family and friends, Matt, nothing will go wrong. We have done everything we possibly can to ensure it," Ricco repeated the same words he had been uttering all day to his brother.

"I'll feel better once she is here where I can see her and protect her myself," Matteo grumbled.

"Me too," Ricco said, finally admitting the truth. He hated not being able to check on her today, but Matteo had insisted he not see her either, as this was, in some ways, their wedding, not just his alone. Ricco couldn't complain about being included in marriage, and he was beyond grateful to both his brother and the woman they loved for loving him in such a way. As Matt had said, once this day was over all of the dramas of recent weeks would be over, and they could finally settle down into family life together. Well, once the gathering was over, and the new table had been informed of their positions on it.

Ricco took a step forward and looked down the long wide central aisle of the cathedral for a sign from the front that the ladies were ready. He noticed that the Giant, Massimo, stood at the back of the church, and he wondered why until he saw three other men he recognised from Matteo's buck's night. Had Phil had one of his gut feelings? He wondered, and, not wanting to worry Matteo, said nothing and stepped back, making sure Matteo did not have a clear view of the four men.

*****

Cat held tightly to David's hand, her anxiety growing by the second as the car moved slowly forward when the bridesmaids alighted from the lead cars. When her car finally pulled up at the door of the church, she was surprised to see Kalum opening her door, and then Logan move around to open David's car door for him.

"Hello," she greeted Kalum with a quizzical look.

"You look absolutely stunning," Kalum smiled and bent to kiss her cheek through the veil.

"Thank you. But would you like to tell me what's going on?" She said in a no-nonsense voice.

"Just making sure you make it all the way up this long aisle," he grinned. "Mia has been with you, and I am not as comfortable sitting with the fathers on my own as I would be if any of her siblings were there," he chuckled, "so I get to be the usher of the bride."

"You are here to usher me into the church? Seriously?" Cat laughed. "Is he scared I will run away at the last moment?"

"This is a crazy family we are joining. No one would blame you for having second thoughts," he said.

"You're such a romantic," she said, rolling her eyes. Cat was worried, particularly after yesterday and having to endure all of the added security today, but she was not having second thoughts. She was eager to get to Matteo, especially now, and she allowed Kate and Edith to fuss with her dress and veil before she stepped forward, nodding at her bridesmaids to begin the bridal procession. "I'm ready," she smiled radiantly.

David came to stand beside Cat as they entered the church with Kalum and Logan moving into position behind them. He smiled at his sister but looked around carefully. There was security everywhere he looked, and it prickled at his scalp that his sister seemed to need so much security since becoming involved in this family. At least with Ned they had known what to expect, this not knowing where the danger lurked was unnerving to him. He continued to scan the people he could see as they stood at the rear of the church.