11. Today Is for Us
ELEVEN
Today Is for Us
ZANO
I walk around like a caged animal, pacing back and forth at the entrance hall of the church. The priest disappeared when all hell was breaking loose. One glance from Reno, and Father Franco discreetly left to his office. Dante raced out the door when Leo broke the news. I was on my way out the door when Reno told me to hang back and sent Sebastian instead.
Everything inside me wanted to beg Reno to let me go with them, but this would only anger him. Reno doesn’t like being questioned. Once Reno walks away, Leo pulls me aside.
“Smart move. Dante and Sebastian have this,” Leo says, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“What do we know?”
Victorio spotted a red sports car that had been tailing them. I advised the car behind them to check it out. Victorio was right. They’ve taken action to get Elena, Ally, and Victorio to safety,” Leo replies. We all have given her that nickname, and Allegra seems to like it.
“Yeah, okay.” I let out a breath. Dad comes over to join us; Leo briefs him on the delay. Dad pulls me close in a manly hug.
“Gotta have trust, son,” he murmurs in my ear, then heads back to keep the guests calm.
* * *
A n hour later…
We’ve heard word that everyone is safe, and we’re waiting outside the church as Dante’s car comes into view and pulls right up to the front steps. I race down the steps as Victorio gets out of the back seat. I nearly shove him aside and poke my head inside to see Allegra shaking like a leaf, but safe and unhurt.
I hold out my hand for her. “Come on, baby. Take my hand.” Her fingers slip into my hand, and I guide her out of the car. She’s wearing the dress she should have chosen from the start. She looks like an angel.
“I must look a fright,” Allegra says, putting a hand up to her face.
Elena speaks up on my behalf. “Ally needs a few minutes to touch up. Is there anywhere we can sit and do that inside?”
Reno steps in to say, “Absolutely. Sebastian will take you to it and will stand outside until you’re ready.” He nods at Ally. “We take care of our own. They will pay for this.”
“Thank you, Capo.” Her voice is quiet but steady. Ally may have been away from the Mafia world for a short time, but she was born and raised in this life, and she knows what to expect. She needs to be strong and show Reno that she can deal with whatever comes our way.
“I want a briefing on what happened. Dante, Victorio, come with me. Zano and Leo, join us,” Reno says. I squeeze Ally’s hand, letting her go as Elena places an arm around her, and they are led away by Sebastian. Reno waits until the women are out of earshot before asking, “What the hell happened out there?”
Victorio starts to recount the events, and Dante continues with “We’re collecting footage from the dashcam and whatever else I can find. Tonio, in the car behind them, said he didn’t recognize any of them. He was able to get some photos before the shooting started, but they’re blurry. I’m going to see what I can do with them later.”
“We have nothing,” Reno says, running a hand through his hair.
“We have the make, model, and partial plate numbers, thanks to Victorio,” Leo adds. “That’s something.”
Reno turns to Victorio. “I see you’re benefiting from your time with Leo. That pleases me.”
You can literally see Victorio’s chest puff out. He wants to prove himself so much. “I want to help, Capo. What can I do?”
“For now, we get this wedding underway. Tomorrow, we’ll tackle this issue. We will not let our enemies taint this day,” Reno decides, then looks to me. “Let’s get you married.” He grins. It’s rare to see Reno do that in public.
I have questions of my own I want to ask, but I’ll set them aside for now, because my greater concern is to get to Ally.
* * *
Allegra
F ixing my hair with only a comb was a chore but doable. The smeared mascara and smudged makeup are another story.
“I’ll be right back,” Elena says, then, not a moment later, comes back with Oliva and Anna in tow. All of them open their purses and offer me all they have to redo my face. I steady my hands and get to it.
As crazy as this sounds, I think I look even better than before. The colors are lighter and more natural, and they suit me.
“You look amazing,” Anna says happily.
I stand and look in the mirror. “This is as ready as I’m going to get.” Elena smooths out my dress, while Olivia takes my bouquet and reties the ribbon.
“Okay, all done,” Olivia says, handing it to me. “Anna and I will let them know you’re ready.”
Victorio comes in and smiles. “Never looked better, Ally.” Elena gives my arm a squeeze and leaves my brother and me alone for a private moment.
I’ve wanted to ask Victorio a question since I knew we were being followed, and this is the perfect time to ask, “Was it the Skulls, Vic?”
His face gets serious. “I don’t think so. I would tell Leo if it was. It all happened so fast. They’re being good to us. I wouldn’t hold back, I swear.”
His expression and tone say it all. He admires Leo and wants to belong in Nostra Casa. He wouldn’t jeopardize this. “I believe you,” I say, and he relaxes.
“We have a fresh start here. I can prove myself, and Leo says I’m doing well. But are you happy?” he asks.
I tilt my head, confused. Happiness has eluded me for years. I don’t even think about it anymore. There are days when I catch myself smiling in the moment, and I guess that’s happiness. I don’t even think in those terms anymore. I think about survival. It’s been that way since our father made us pariahs. I’ve mastered the art of smiling, especially in front of our mother. Then, when she left us, I kept up the charade for Vic.
I guess I’m taking too long to answer because Victorio says, “If you’re not, we can make a run for it. You’ve given up so much for me, and if this isn’t what you want, we’ll leave,” he says, adding, “Right now.”
The thought of leaving Zano is like a knife to my heart. Zano and I have found some quiet moments during the last few weeks, and the more we talk, the closer we’ve become. He’s never hidden the truth from me, and we both vowed that no matter what happens, we will never lie to one another. After all, Dad lied to all of us and look how that ended. Does marriage scare me? Hell yeah! Does being part of Nostra Casa terrify me? Even more! But would I leave Zano behind? No, I won’t. I’ve come to care for Zano and his family.
“We’re staying, Victorio. Zano and I vowed to make this work together, and I won’t go back on my word. He’s being good to me, and I’m seeing this through,” I tell him. I’ve never had time for men. From the time Vic, Mom, and I were on our own, my job was to hold us all together as a family. I found a job, came home, and helped Mom as much as I could. Yet, I’m not a stranger to good-looking men. At the salon, we catered to both men and women. Melissa runs a high-end business, and the men who came in were business types. Several clients flirted with me, but I played innocent and brushed it off.
It’s different with Zano, though. Whenever he’s around, I find myself staring. It’s not that he’s hotter than any man I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s much more. He asks about my day, and he truly listens. Zano talks about his childhood and asks me about mine, even about my father. He showed me his mother’s photo albums, and baby Zano was the cutest baby ever. I have no pictures to show him, and if there’s anything I regret, it’s not having prepared to leave in a hurry. If I had, our family pictures would have been one of the few items I would have taken with us.
There have been times when I really thought Zano would finally kiss me. I would feel his fingers brush over my arm or skim the back of the sofa when he put his arm around me. His lips have touched my cheek, my forehead, and even the corner of my mouth. Whispery, featherlight kisses that made my belly flip.
My brother interrupts my thoughts. “Ready?”
I take a deep breath, smoothing down the front of my dress, then link my arm with my brother’s. “Ready,” I reply, plastering a smile on my face.
Sebastian is waiting outside the door. “All good?” he asks, searching our faces.
“Never better,” I tell him.
Sebastian gives me his famous grin and leads us to where Elena is waiting for us, with Dante next to her. I guess after today’s drama, he’s not leaving her alone, even for a minute. Dante walks down the aisle, glancing back over his shoulder to check on his wife.
The music begins, and Elena makes her way down the aisle. Then Victorio and I begin our walk down to Zano, who is waiting for us with his brother by his side. He looks handsome in his black tux, with a lilac rose in his lapel. Despite the insanity that got us to this point, Zano looks completely composed.
“Who gives this woman in marriage?” the priest asks.
In a clear voice, Victorio says, “I do.”
Zano approaches, takes my hand in his, and leads us to the front of the altar. I feel like I’m in a trance. I barely grasp the words the priest is saying, but hold tighter to Zano’s hand.
Elio steps forward with the rings to have them blessed, then takes a step back, palm open for me to take the ring from him and place it on Zano’s finger.
“I, Allegra, take you, Zano, as my husband. To love, honor, and cherish, till death do us part,” I repeat after Father Franco. My voice never falters, and I look directly into Zano’s eyes.
Zano holds my gaze and says those exact words back to me. Although the church is filled with people, I see only my husband. The priest gives his final blessing, then says, “You may now kiss your bride.”
I want to stop this moment in time as his hand cups my cheek, his lips slowly descending to cover mine. His soft, warm lips leave what would be considered a chaste kiss on my lips. However, I feel a tingle running through me from head to toe. When he finally lifts his head, I find myself breathless, and my legs are like jelly. If it weren’t for his steady hand at my waist, I swear I would swoon.
Elena plops the bouquet back into my hands, and Zano and I walk back up the aisle, stopping to acknowledge our capo, then Zano’s parents, out of respect. I regain composure and manage a smile and a nod before letting Zano lead me away.
We’re swarmed by well-wishers as we gather at the front of the church. Reno and Anna approach us, and I can see that Reno is on high alert as he scans the area with a protective arm around his wife’s waist.
Sebastian, stoically standing guard, takes a second to kiss his wife before Dante takes Elena and Olivia into his waiting SUV. Leo walks over with his wife, Lucia. Lucia gives me a big hug.
“You look stunning,” she says.
“Thank you,” I reply, unable to stop my cheeks from heating up. I’m not accustomed to this much attention.
“Hello, Mrs. Conte,” Victorio greets her with a smile.
“Don’t you look handsome today,” Lucia tells him. Victorio jerks his head to Leo, almost in fear. Leo chuckles.
“You clean up nice,” Leo affirms. “But, I’d rather not be standing out in the open.” This is directed more to Reno, who nods.
“Agreed. Dante’s not letting Elena out of his sight. I’m going to ask you to accompany Zano and Allegra to the restaurant. Victorio will ride with us,” he commands.
“I’m sorry—” I begin to apologize again, but Reno lifts his hand to stop me.
“You have nothing to apologize for. This is a day to celebrate. We deal with ugliness every day. Today is for us. We’ll eat, drink, dance, and enjoy. Tomorrow will come soon enough,” Reno states.