CHAPTER TWO

Rafael

I watched the fake smile she wore in church slowly dissipate, like it was only worn for the ceremony.

At intervals, I noticed her shuffling in her seat or leaning away from the Don and the wide smile she would wear when people came to congratulate her. A smile that didn't reach her eyes. And how she took every chance she could get to leave the Don's side.

Now, I wasn't a saint but I didn't exactly love the idea of tainting women and forcing them into marriages in the Cosa nostra, but it seemed to be all they could think of when it came to forging alliances.

And knowing the Don for more than 10 years, he wasn't the nicest of men.

Not that I cared in particular, I understood why her parents would agree. Fear. That was always the reason. The reason she locked eyes with her mother every five minutes and looked with disdain to her father anytime she got the chance.

The hall was full of wedding guests, chattering and laughing, most from the different Cosa nostra families. The least from our influential partners.

“Proud dicks aren't they.” Enzo creeped behind me.

I almost flinched, bastard always moved around like a ghost

“I'd say you're a dick too”. I said not smiling as I realized that two of our men were missing from their posts.

I started walking away cautiously and Enzo followed me

About to raise alarm,

“Well, that depends, if mine…” he didn't finish.

CRACK

The sound of a gun shot ripped through the room. In a split moment, disarray and disaster erupted as people screamed, stampeding in every direction, headed for any possible exit.

My instincts immediately kicked in and I yanked my gun from its holster and sprinted to the don.

CRACK.

Another gunshot tore through the hall before I could even move.

Screams rose again from points now closer to main exits. People were diving, crawling and rolling across the floor like it would swallow them whole, pushing and shoving, not minding anything in their way.

I pushed forward, heart pounding, eyes locked on the far end of the room. Enzo was already there with one arm around the Don who apparently already pulled out his gun, dragging him out of the line of fire.

“Get her!” he barked, nodding toward the Don’s wife.

I spun around and spotted her, crumpled behind a row of chairs, shaking and wide eyed.

I crouched, ducking bullets I couldn’t see and led her up.

“Get up," I whispered, grabbing her arm and lifting her a little while still crouching.

I looked around, Enzo had already disappeared outside with the don, as well as everyone else.

Everyone else had managed to get out of the hall but the scattered remains of their frenzy remained in the form of the broken tables they had pushed and silverware with dishes that lined the floor.

I tried to help her walk properly and luckily, her sequin dress was not too long so as to disrupt her movement. But immediately we started heading to the door, we were intercepted by bursts of shots ripping through the air and hitting the tables and some fallen plates to our feets.

Impulsively, I pushed the screaming bride and myself behind some pillars, hiding us from the attacker.

I could feel Elena's grip tighten around my arm and she almost dug her nails into the arm of my suit as she whimpered in fear.

Letting my nerves cool down, I stole a sneak in the direction of the shooter, who immediately retaliated like he was waiting for me and shot again at us.

I luckily hid back in time, the bullets hitting the pillar I was leaning against, sending plaster and pieces of cement flying past my ear.

“Fuck, we have to find a way to get out," I said to myself and partly to Elena.

“How?” She asked, now hyper aware of her strong grip on my arm and letting go.

“He doesn't seem like he's gonna stop”

“He will,” I said quietly.

I looked around for something to use to my advantage and thankfully, I spotted a small round table on the floor,the single leg was broken and perfect for use.

“Stay here,” I said, stretching to pick up the table quietly. She obeyed.

I took the table and then a deep breath.

Placing the table in front of me, I charged into the shooter's turf and expectedly, it immediately started raining bullets.

But now, I could see him, retreating to the corner to reload.

I could sense him fumbling at his belt trying to reload as the cling of falling bullet chambers and the click of the gun echoed through the hall.

I didn’t wait. My legs tore through the ruble skipping through the broken chairs and tables.

He raised his gun again, desperation in every twitch of his fingers, but it was too late. I fired.

His head snapped back. The space between his brows bloomed red, and his body crumpled before his finger pulled the trigger.

I sighed in relief, as the table dropped from my hands with a loud jang.

Walking over to the corpse, I removed the cloth covering his face. It was Loras.

***********

“They left,” Elena said in disbelief, panting from the small run to the parking lot.

"It was the right thing to do," I could feel her glance at me in disbelief.

"I'm calling for help," I said, pulling out my phone which now had a slightly cracked screen.

She just stared at me and started pacing around.

Enzo wasn't picking up his phone, getting me upset and anxious at the same time.

Leaning on an SUV, I noticed the handle of a gun poking out from under one of the seats. I knew I had to get it. I was almost out of bullets and I needed to protect her, in case we had more attackers.

I started walking around the car, looking for ways to break into it.

On getting to the back of the car, I stopped in my tracks and impulsively stepped back as the blade of a knife slashed the air in front of me, barely missing my face.

The attacker emerged from behind the car, dressed in black. He staggered and lunged towards me, startling the woman behind me.

I dodged and hit him in the gut, making him pull back.

He attacked like a wild dog, as he pulled out another knife from his side pocket and started thrusting them into my face.

I blocked his first fling with my right hand and twisted his arm, hitting the knife out of his hands and causing him to scream and attack with his right.

I again caught his arm and twisted it, kneeing him in the gut.

He staggered back, sweating and coughing up drops of blood.

His knives were now at my feet and him, about seven paces away.

He lunged towards me, this time weaponless and I also thrusted my fist forward for an attack.

I missed. He slid under my legs and picked up his knives, slashing my back with it before I could retaliate.

I could hear Elena gasp from where she now hid, watching us.

Again, he thrust the knife forward, but I held his arm swayed to the side and hit his head with my elbow.

He fell to the ground and I got on him, and started punching into his face with all of my might.

My back burned from the cut and made me more angry as I beat my knuckles into his face.

Noticing he couldn't move anymore I picked up one of his knives and drove my hands downward but he stopped me with his palm. He yelled and grunted in pain as the knife passed through his palm and he still tried to stop me. He failed.

I drove the knife into his heart and felt his body go limp as blood drooled out of his mouth.

Groaning, I lifted my weight from the attacker’s body to catch the eyes of Elena who was just emerging from her hiding spot.

Her lips trembled as she covered her mouth with her palm. She stared at me and at the body beneath me, and then back at me again.

“We have to go now!!” I said turning my back to her.

I could hear her footsteps as she hurriedly walked to catch up with me.

We had not even gone 10 feet when she suddenly spoke.

“Wait” she said, stopping in her tracks, apparently looking around.

“That's my family car” she pointed to a fancy SUV.

“And that” she pointed to another, now wide eyed.

“And…” she swallowed “that”. She pointed ,her fingers now trembling.

“Did… did no one leave?” she stared at me with wide eyes as she suddenly turned pale.

“I… I have to go” she barely warned before attempting to run back into the hall. I grabbed her arm before she could go any further.

"You can't go in there," I said looking into her eyes. They had a shade of brown to them. But now, they were filled with tears.

"I have to" she said gently while prying my fingers away from her arm. I knew what she would likely find and I wasn't happy she was about to have the worst surprise on her wedding day.

She completely removed my fingers from her arm before looking at me again, like saying she would be fine without me.

But I couldn't let her go inside alone. It was too dangerous. I followed her as she half ran back inside.

The threats may have been neutralized, but she wasn't getting hurt on my watch. I made it my duty to protect her.

Getting inside, I found her, sprawled on something and I could hear her sniffle and her body jerk uncontrollably.

As I stepped closer, I realized it was not a so

mething, but a someone, in fact, two people.

Her sobs were muffled by the body of Vincenzo Rossi whom she was sprawled on and Mariana Rossi, his wife, lay by his side. Dead.