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Luciano handed other employees mounds of paperwork to go through while I made introductions and sent emails.
We took a small amount of time to select a photographer and ordered the tuxes needed so they could be fitted for Luciano and Stefano.
“Oh, I ordered a dress for my sister to be the maid of honor and booked a local DJ to play.” It was easier to have one person to vet instead of a whole live band. “That will take care of those issues.” I announced, feeling accomplished.
I was ready to get married and have a week off just so that we weren’t so swamped with getting everything together.
Angelo was in and out on occasion, but from things he’d said, it quickly became evident that he planned to retire shortly after our honeymoon. I wasn’t going to be sad to see him go. It would be nice to know that someone not quite so ruthless would be taking over the family.
* * *
Friday was the day of the rehearsal. It would be an experience to have both families there along with tons of our soldiers everywhere and the coordinators running around to make sure everything went smoothly.
The practice steps went well, as I stood at the altar, waiting for everyone to come down as the music played. The bride didn’t normally walk down the aisle during rehearsals because that was considered bad luck.
As I watched my sister come down before my stand-in, it started to become real. I was getting married. I thought for sure I would’ve dreaded this moment, but I felt more excitement.
During the rehearsal, we both stood there and he took my hands, that was when I actually realized that I was looking forward to marrying him and becoming his wife. That it was something I truly wanted for myself.
When we turned to practice walking out, he suggested a dip, with a kiss midway down the aisle. We paused to see how to do this and make it work. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face that he wanted to enjoy the moment as much as I did. That he didn’t want to just get everything over with.
Everyone began walking away from the altar area back to the beginning for a second walk through while we tried to decide how to make it happen.
“We want the photographer to get a good photo, but we don’t want to feel awkward at the same time.” I wanted everything to feel natural and in the moment. This was no longer an arrangement.
I would have taken another kiss, but the coordinator walked up the end of the aisle to line everyone up and we tried our dip again.
The church exploded.
Both families went straight into emergency mode, and I pulled my gun out as did Luciano when we got up off the floor.
Thankfully, no one was in the area of the blast as the rubble came raining down on us. There were only a few superficial wounds and the blast had made my ears begin to ring.
“Everyone needs to go, we need to get out of the building,” Angelo shouted.
My insides were screaming as I scanned the room, that that was the wrong thing to do, but everyone was already moving.
Angelo shouted at Krysten to follow him, with soldiers behind instead of in front of him, ready to make sure that they were safe.
Guns were in all the soldiers’ and the families’ hands ready to protect the group as they walked through the front door.
Angelo opened the front door. His eyes widened and he pulled his wife out from behind him and pushed her behind the opposite wall as a shot went off. Everyone lunged for the door to pull Angelo away and cover Krysten, but it was too late.
I couldn’t warn everyone it was a setup, it all happened too fast.
But, my mother and sister stopped when I held up my hand. The wedding coordinators stayed close to them as their bodyguards were telling them to stay put as well.
Luciano checked me over and when he saw I wasn’t bleeding, he went to leave, and I followed him out. A few soldiers were scattered out, trying to find the shooter by taking cover behind the front pillars of the church.
I hovered low by the door and scanned the exterior. It was hard to pinpoint the shooter, but I needed to find a way to stop him from hurting anyone else. Another shot came whizzing by and slammed a hole in the pillar beside Luciano’s head. Air punched its way out of my lungs at how close that was to my fiancé.
“They’re on the left,” he screamed as everyone got down.
Stefano took a few shots as did I, but he stopped momentarily.
A few of the soldiers took off running, trying to draw them away from those perched on the church steps and the firefight continued into the street.
I kept scanning the area as I moved out behind the pillars and then crawled into the shrubbery. It wasn't a good cover if I were seen, but it was the best hiding place to study the layout and figure out the directory of the shots.
