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Even though his words sparked a fuse of warmth inside of her, Valentina couldn’t stand the thought of Hal making such a big sacrifice on her account. The project facing her and Father Mike was not going to be an easy one. Besides, she honestly didn’t know how long things were going to take, and she couldn’t expect Hal to leave the MC just at the drop of a hat. She didn’t know how those things worked, but she knew how much Prosper and the brothers meant to him.
“I can’t ask you to come with me, Hal. It’s not fair to you.”
“Do you love me, Valentina?” He pierced her with those ice blue eyes.
“Con ogni battito del mio cuore—with every beat of my heart,” she told him.
“Well that’s a fucking relief.” Hal grinned at her. Then he rested his head on top of hers.” I want us to build a life together, and I’m willing to do whatever that takes. If it means you and me and an ex-mobster turned Catholic priest are going to move to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and build an orphanage, or a school, or a rocket ship to the damn moon? I’m in. Whatever is important to you is important to me. Whatever you want, I’m gonna do my best to make happen. I said that I wasn’taskingyou to marry me, but we both know that’s just me being an arrogant sonofabitch. Of course, I’m asking you, baby. I have a ring in my pocket ready to slip on your finger, and I hope to hell you’ll say yes.” Then Hal looked at Valentina with a trace of mourning in his eyes. “But before you do, before you decide that I’m the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with? I need to answer the question you asked me the night before all hell broke loose. Do you remember what that was, Tia?”
“Hal…” Valentina shook her head. She knew Hal had been in combat and she knew that terrible things happened in war. That question hadn’t been a fair one to ask a soldier and she didn’t want to ask it again.
“It’s okay, Tia. You remember?”
“I remember,” she whispered. Then she laid her head against Hal’s hard chest and wrapped her arms around him. They stood together like that for a long while, just holding on to one another.
Slowly, Valentina felt the tightly coiled tension begin to leave Hal’s body. He let out a long breath then he sat down on the deep wooden chair. Hal pulled Valentina gently onto his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder and Hal tucked Valentina close in his arms.
“Her name was Elaha and she was nine years old…”
“You look gorgeous.” Gia zipped up the back of Valentina’s ice blue lace dress. Valentina had chosen the color because it matched Hal’s eyes. “Are you nervous?”
Valentina thought about the question and answered truthfully. “Not at all. I can’t wait to be Hal’s wife. But then again marrying Hal is easy, we’re sort of ducking out before the hard part hits.”
“I’ll say. How did you get Father Mike to agree to keep the wedding a secret from Uncle G?”
Valentina shrugged. “I don’t know how Hal did it, but I’m glad he did. It’s not that I don’t want my dad to know, and I’m a little sad he won’t be there today, but Gia, you know how things are. Once my father got over the shock of me marrying Hal, he would have wanted a big Italian wedding with La Familia and all the rest. Do you remember when Benadetta got married?” Then Valentina let out a nervous laugh. “There must have been over five hundred people there! The wedding cake was four feet tall! And those ridiculous puffy bridesmaid dresses we all had to wear? I swear it was like a big Italian carnival. That’s the last thing I want. Besides, we don’t have the time to plan anything big like that. Hal took some convincing to do this my way, he didn’t like the idea of not talking to my dad first. But in the end, it must have all worked out because here we are on my wedding day!” Valentina gave her cousin a long, hard hug. “Thanks for being my maid of honor. I know you’re gonna bear the brunt of this when my father finds out that you were in on our elopement. It’s not going to be pretty for you.”
Gia hugged Valentina back just as hard. “Are you kidding? After all the crap you’ve had to go through for me? Pfft! Least I could do.”
A sudden rap at the door startled both girls into jumping apart. And then to their horror came the unexpected command.
“Valentina, È tuo padre aprire la porta”
“Holy shit! It’s Uncle G! He was supposed to be gone until tomorrow.” Gia whispered while Valentina paled and ran to the window. Just a few moments ago, Hal had been leaning on Big Blue waiting to whisk them off to their secret wedding ceremony. Now, Big Blue was still there but Hal was gone, and Valentina’s father was at her bedroom door demanding to be let in.
“Oh my god! If he sees me dressed like this…and where’s Hal? He was just out there a minute ago,” Valentina whispered frantically. “You don’t think..?”
“That Uncle G found out about the wedding and had him whacked?” Gia whispered back horrified.
“No! Jesus, Gia! That’s not what I was going to say, but where…”
Valentina’s words were cut off by a shrill voice that sounded out through the heavy wooden panel. “Gia, I know you’re in there too. Now you listen to your uncle and open this door right now!”
“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Is that mymother? Gia looked at a horror-stricken Valentina, and both girls stood with their mouths gaped open.
“Honey, open up. Everything is fine.” A third very masculine voice rumbled through the door.
“Hal?” Valentina tiptoed to the doorway and managed to squeak out his name.
An amused-sounding Hal rasped back. “Yeah, babe. It’s me. It’s okay to come out.”
Valentina gave Gia one last look before she slowly opened the door.
Gianni Abruzzi stood in the hallway with his best black suit on. Next to him, was Aunt Audrina dressed to kill in a pale pink suit and a fussy little hat. Hal looked incredibly handsome standing between them in a dark blue suit, snow white shirt and light blue striped tie.
Valentina had no idea what to say. Hal stepped forward and gave her a light kiss on the lips. “You look incredible, babe.” He grinned at her.
“Wh…what’s going on?” Valentina stammered out.
