Epilogue
TERINA
It’s a week away from Thanksgiving, but I’m struggling to summon feelings of gratitude when my best friend is about to be married off to some stranger. Her wedding day has come, and I’m still in shock that no one has put an end to it.
In less than an hour, I’ll do my duty as her maid of honor. I’ll make sure her train splays properly and hold her bouquet at the appropriate times, but I’ll be fighting back outrage every second of the way.
Everything about this is wrong and so incredibly unfair.
But who is there to stop if not Isa herself?
I know we talked it through to some extent, but my brain still won’t get on board.
I wish I understood why she would volunteer for a lifetime pledged to a man she doesn’t know.
I get that she thinks she’s saving some other woman the grief, but maybe we could do that by standing up to the system, rather than capitulating.
I don’t know why I’m still having these conversations with myself. I’ve said the same thing to her a dozen times over, and she’s dead set in her decision.
“Shouldn’t you be with the bride?” D asks when I join him in the church sanctuary.
“She has her cousins with her. I just needed a second.”
He offers a grim smile, knowing how much I’ve struggled with this day. “I’m not sure I have much to cheer you up. I was talking with Cosimo, and I’m concerned he’s having memory issues.”
“Really? What happened?” I’m shocked because the man is only in his mid-sixties and always seems as sharp as a knife.
“We were talking about the renovations he’s making at his house to repair the damages, and he mentioned getting a call from me before Pasha attacked.
He was adamant that we speak on the phone, but I never got through to him or any of you.
I didn’t push the issue because I didn’t want to upset him today, but I only ever left him a message. We never spoke directly that day.”
“Oh, poor Isa.” My heart breaks for her. “I wonder if she’s noticed any signs of decline.” That could be why she’s decided a marriage is in her best interest, though it doesn’t make any sense to me at all. There’s no telling.
“There’s nothing we can do at the moment, so best to let it go.”
I nod. “I know I’ve told you ten times already, but you look divine in that tux.” A smile finally creeps across my face. “If I didn’t think it would mess up my hair, I’d say we should sneak away for a minute.”
He shakes his head. “You’re incorrigible.” He leans in close, his lips hovering above mine. “Don’t ever change.” He seals his sweet command with a kiss that curls my toes.
“Okay, I guess I’d better get back before you distract me even further.”
His hand snags mine. “She’s going to be okay, firefly. Try not to worry too much.”
“Thanks, D,” I say softly, then head off in search of the bride.
Her three cousins, who make up the bridal party, are standing in the vestibule, chattering among themselves. I continue around the corner to the door leading to the church administrative building, where Isa was getting ready.
When I arrive at the room, it’s empty.
Did Cosimo come to get her? It’s not quite time for the ceremony, but he could have wanted a word with her.
I check the bathroom first, then head back to the main church. “Have you guys seen Isa?” I ask the group of bridesmaids.
“DiAngelo wanted to talk with her alone,” the eldest says, confusing me.
“What do you mean DiAngelo wanted to talk with her?” I was just talking to DiAngelo. He couldn’t have been in two places at once.
“Yeah, he said he needed a moment alone with her, so we left.” She stares at me like I’ve lost my marbles.
Hell, maybe I have.
“I went back to her room, and she’s not there. The bathroom was empty, too.”
They stare back at me blankly.
“Will you guys go look for her in the other building? I’ll make sure she isn’t over here.”
They nod and scurry off in a flurry of whispers. I don’t blame them. This feels a little off.
Could Isa have come to her senses and run? Maybe, but it doesn’t explain the odd part about DiAngelo.
I continue my search, double-checking the confessional and the transepts. I can’t imagine she could have snuck into the main sanctuary without being seen—a bride generally draws a lot of attention—but I want to be thorough.
Once I’ve walked the church, I head back to the other building. This time, the girls look much more frantic.
“We can’t find her anywhere.” The eldest wrings her hands together.
“Okay, you guys hang here in case she shows up. I’ll go tell the others.” I jog back to the church, which has started to fill with guests. I make a beeline straight for D, who is standing with Cosimo.
If she’s not with Cosimo…
“Something’s wrong,” I blurt in a rushed whisper. “Isa’s disappeared.”
“What do you mean, disappeared?” Cosimo demands.
“The other girls said DiAngelo came by to talk to her—”
“I haven’t gone to see her.” He interrupts with a thunderous expression.
“I don’t know. That’s just what they told me. We’ve looked everywhere for her. She’s gone.”
“She swore she wanted this,” Cosimo says, his brows knitted in worry.
I get out my phone. “Let me try to call her.” I only have to wait a second before I hang up. “It went straight to voicemail.”
“Something’s not right here,” DiAngelo says before getting Renzo’s attention nearby. Once he joins us, we explain the situation, then go in search of the priest.
“The church has security cameras, right?” Renzo asks.
“Yes, what’s happened?”
“We need to see the footage from the last hour, immediately.”
The older man with small wire-rimmed glasses nods and leads us to the administrative building, where the bridesmaids are huddled. The priest unlocks the office, and we all pile in.
“It’s this building we’re interested in,” DiAngelo clarifies. “She was over here when she disappeared.”
“Someone’s gone missing?” the priest asks in a worried tone.
“The bride.”
The priest crosses himself, then continues his work at the computer. “This is the camera at the back entrance. It’s motion-activated.” He starts the most recent recording.
We all watch in stunned disbelief as Isa rushes from the building, hand in hand with a man.
“Pause it,” Renzo demands. “Jesus, look at the knife in his other hand. It’s a karambit.”
He and DiAngelo exchange a knowing look.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
Renzo’s frown deepens. “It’s a special type of curved blade.” He pauses, as though not wanting to say more. “It’s the sort of knife the Reaper is known for using.”
“God, no,” Cosimo pleads on a heavy exhale.
“Let’s watch the rest. Maybe it’ll give us a clue as to who he is.”
The video resumes. Much to our astonishment, the man stops them and turns, lifting his gaze directly at the camera. The priest pauses the recording.
Our entire group breathes a collective gasp.
DiAngelo staggers backward, his face horror-stricken.
The rest of us look from the computer screen to him in confusion because it’s DiAngelo in the video.
“See,” the bridesmaid pipes up. “I told you it was DiAngelo.”
D’s face goes ghostly white, eyes fixed on the screen as he slowly shakes his head. “It’s not me. It’s Elio. He’s alive.”
Thank you so much for reading Hunter’s Keep!