Page 19 of The Bond

“You look beautiful,” he said in a low tone, so that only I could hear.

My heartrate sped up in spite of any good sense. The compliment made me feel like I was dancing on air. As the music died down, I felt my knees go weak, and as if he could tell, Enzo reached out unlace my fingers from around the bouquet and take one of my hands in his. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. He was being so kind and attentive to me. Like he had been long before I discovered that it was all fake. I remember the day in his apartment when he’d asked me if I had any food allergies. Just a routine question, but it had told me so much about him. I must have fallen in love with him unwittingly when he asked that question. I had been so caught off guard by it that I let him in by accident and nothing was ever the same.

The priest started speaking, but I barely heard any of it. I just kept my eyes on Enzo, watching as a faint smile played on his lips. Watching in complete shock as he brought my hand to his lips so that he could kiss my wrist. There was an audible sigh of emotion from the guests and I almost gasped.

With Enzo holding onto my hand, the priest continued until it was time for us to repeat after him, saying our vows in front of both our families.

Finally, the priest instructed us to seal our vows with a kiss. Enzo wrapped his arm around me to draw me closer. Before I could catch my breath, I felt his mouth on mine, searing me right through with a kiss that melted me. I wrapped my free arm around his broad shoulder, clinging to him as the fire of the kiss consumed me. Heat rippled outward, rising up to burn all my doubts and fears away. The kiss was pure fire, awakening the parts of me I thought I’d lost since I learned of his schemes against me. Enzo’s kiss turned demanding and possessive, revealing just how desperately he wanted me. As desperately as I wanted him. He seemed to be claiming something as his tongue stormed my mouth.

You are mine and no one else’s, his kiss seemed to be saying to me.

For the first time in weeks, I felt something I never thought I’d ever feel again: hope. Hope that maybe, even if he couldn’t love me, he could set aside his scheme and we could be at peace. A companionship built on mutual respect, and understanding that trying to outdo each other was never going to work. At the very least, we could decide once and for all to no longer be enemies. Maybe that would be enough for my poor broken heart.

Enzo broke the kiss and we both turned to face the crowd of guests, many of whom had started clapping and whooping. I couldn’t help but smile. The applause didn’t surprise me. We were Italians after all, we wore our hearts on our sleeves. And now, instead of being two warring families, we were one big Italian family.

That realization nearly knocked me off my feet as Enzo started to head back down the aisle, still holding my hand. We were husband and wife now.

As we walked toward the exit, hand in hand, my heart started to rise a little. Hope was swirling all around me as I saw the relief and, in some cases, joy of my family members. My mother was giving me an encouraging smile while Papa gave a nod of approval in my direction. A couple of my cousins gave me a wink or a thumbs up. I was almost giddy as I walked toward the exit, Enzo never letting go of my hand.

When we reached the exit, the double doors of the church swung open and we stepped outside, where onlookers happily threw soft flower petals at us. The fragrant scent of the roses made my head spin. We had actually done it. We’d gotten married and brought us all one step closer to peace.

But then, I heard a popping noise. Then cracks in quick succession. Followed by screams as the onlookers outside rushed for cover. Everything was pure chaos. Without warning, Enzo released my hand to push me backward with the weight of his body.

I cried out. It was only as I stumbled toward the stone steps that I recognized what that popping noise was. It was the sound of gunfire.

Chapter 9

Enzo

The gunshots were coming from the adjacent building, probably the top floor based on the bullet trajectory. Knowing that, I threw myself over Valentina to shield her, pushing her down to the church steps as the crowd of spectators went berserk with terror. A bullet whizzed by my ear, hitting a bystander in the leg. The bystander howled in pain clutching his leg as he managed to crawl behind one of the outside church columns.

Out in the open was the worst of all places to be with a madman shooting at us. I had to get Valentina out of harm’s way. Getting her back inside the church was the best chance at keeping her safe.

I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my head, my temples pounding as the adrenaline started pumping. Grabbing onto Valentina’s shoulders, I yelled, “Get back into the church. I’ll cover you.”

Without protest or argument, Valentina scrambled off the steps and ran back inside, my body shielding her as I followed close behind.

Inside the church, I threw myself across her as she took cover behind the last set of pews. While outside had been pure pandemonium, inside there was calm by comparison. Family members were already pulling out their weapons while armed guards shouted orders. The politicians who had showed their faces cowered behind their security detail, who were already barking orders through their earpieces.

The exchange of gunfire roared in from outside, and suddenly the church windows were shattering over us. Acting fast, I pulled my jacket over my head, my entire body now completely covering Valentina as shards of glass, sharp as knives, rained down on us. I felt something nick my shoulder, but I gritted my teeth against the sudden pain. I’d worry about my injuries later. What mattered was that I sheltered Valentina with my body, even if it posed a danger to me.

There were shouts as the sound of gunfire began to die down.

“There he is, on the roof!” someone outside yelled.

More gunshots, this time coming from inside the church as several guards fired. Then, several of the guards rushed outside.

Luckily, the glass had stopped falling so I could focus on my own security earpiece that I’d been wearing all day. It had been part of the increased security for the wedding with me deciding to use the earpiece so that Valentina wouldn’t have to worry. No bride should have to worry about this kind of violence on her big day.

Furious, I tapped the earpiece to communicate with my family’s head of security. “Update. Immediately.”

Our security officer’s voice came in loud and clear. “Mr. De Luca, the shooter was on the roof.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Was?”

“We’ve lost sight of him,” the security officer answered. “We don’t know how he could have gotten up there. We had that adjacent building secured.”

Which could only mean that the son of a bitch was making his escape because he knew the layout of the building. Another sign that this was close to home and likely an inside job. That spelled betrayal.