Chapter 26
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ENZO
There wasn’t any time to think.
I launch myself at Anastasia, trying to spin us around so it’s my body that takes the blow from the fall. Screams bounce off the historic walls of the church and I hear the heavy clunk of the oak door being locked.
We’re trapped like lambs to the slaughter.
I look over my shoulder and find Dom huddled beneath a pew with my mother, already firing shots at the invisible enemy. Demetri and Nero are passing guns to their father’s and pull out another two tucked into their socks .
My attention turns back to my bride, unmoving as she lays beneath me. “Anastasia? Anastasia, look at me.” I tap her cheek, earning a few disorientated blinks. “Baby, are you okay?”
Panic seizes in my throat as I check her over quickly for any wounds. “It’s not mine.” She murmurs, slowly coming back to me. She reaches up to touch the fresh blood dripping down her cheeks. “It’s not mine.”
My gaze travels back to the dead priest, his body impaled on the crushed organ. “Stay here.” I hand her the only gun I have but she shakes her head, shoving it back into my chest.
Yanking her dress up, she pulls a small caliber handgun from out of her garter. I cup her cheeks between my bloody hands and press my lips to her forehead. “Good girl.”
The warmth I receive from her touch disappears as I run to the other side of the church. A sudden flurry of bullets aims for me, scraping along the wooden benches whilst I dive behind them.
Dom shuffles his ass over me. “What the fuck is happening?” I clench my jaw, trying to figure out the same thing. “There’s five I think, all of them are hiding up on the balcony. Fottutamente vigliacchi.” Fucking cowards.
“Ma, stay down.” She ignores me, crawling towards us and handing me the tiny pistol she carries in her purse .
“This is our fault, Enzo.” Guilt seeps out of her forlorn expression, twisting my insides as she cements a truth I don’t want to accept.
“It’s him?” My teeth grind together in a painful effort to relieve the blistering sound of the chaos surrounding us.
She nods numbly. “It must be. All we can do now is fight. We knew it could come to this.”
But not now. Not on my wedding day, when I finally get to kiss the woman, I love again after nine painfully long years.
Love? Shit, it’s a bad time to come to that fucking realization.
I search for Anastasia amiss the mayhem but another round of bullets fires aims for me, forcing me back down.
“I’m out of ammo!” Someone screams — Nero. He throws the empty gun on the ground and begins throwing the sharp blades that Demetri hands him. The boy came prepared.
The latter pierces the air with a ninja star that lands smack in the middle of one of the gunmen’s chest. His body drops from the balcony, landing with an awful crunch that only sparks more panicked screams.
Anastasia's grandfather helps his wife and Isla behind a pew before using his classic revolver to fire rounds up high. He rolls and ducks, avoiding a steady stream of blaze aiming for him, and shoots again, this time killing one of them.
“We’re dying out here.” Aaron snarls, blood caked across his shirt as he furiously pumps the chest of a dead woman.
Demetri tries to yank him away but his father shoves him off, grabbing his gun and firing rapid shots up high at the balcony. A guttural growl rips from his throat and I see it then.
The monster that his reputation precedes, finally coming to light.
“Mom no!” Our heads whip towards the other pews and my heart sinks as I watch Anastasia, the mirror of her father in every way, pressing hard on her mother’s chest. Blood leaks from the gun wound, refusing to slow even as she applies more pressure.
Aaron attempts to clamber over us, anguish and love overtaking his instinct for survival. I grab his jacket, twisting him back towards me just as the gunfire blazes ahead of us. “Let me go!” Dom helps me to haul him back but it’s like trying to tame a wild beast.
“Nero, Demetri.” I grit out. They throw their empty weapons on the floor, grabbing hold of Aaron whilst he rages in our grip.
I understand his pain. Every part of me is screaming out to hold Anastasia, to tell her everything will be okay but if we end up dead, we’re no good to either of them .
The sound of police sirens ring out in the background putting a cease to the gunfire. I hear the heavy clunk of the door opening and peer over the pews, catching a flash of the gunmen before they disappear.
Aaron kicks out of our hold and rushes over to his wife, taking her from their daughters as she stares up at him, bleary-eyed and pale. I help my Ma stand up and face the heavy destruction that surrounds us.
She squeezes my shoulder, regret flashing in her eyes. “This isn’t the end, Enzo. The war is only just beginning.”