Chapter 26
L EILANI
The Wedding Day
The last door on the right. The last door on the right.
A voice screams in my head, barking the instructions.
We have rehearsed this quite a few times, so I’d get some muscle memory, and my feet would know where to carry me.
Panting like crazy, I hold my skirt up, move as fast as I can, and look for that damn door.
The echo of the gunshots mixed with shrilling screams fills the corridor as people dash to the exit––a crowd of sharply dressed men and women––in a frantic attempt to save their lives.
The guests weren’t the target, but once a rain of bullets started to fly over the people sitting quietly in their seats as the wedding ceremony was underway, nothing could stop the mayhem in the church.
Everything had been perfect up to that point.
Callum looked dashing in his three-piece dark grey suit. Who am I fooling here? He always looks dashing.
He walked me down the aisle as he had promised he would do, and my heart couldn’t stop spinning with emotion.
It was a mixed bag.
I was nervous since I knew what would happen. I was also emotional because of the symbolism of all this.
And lastly, I was scared for my life and his, although he had repeatedly told me things would be all right.
The groom was waiting for me near the priest.
Not in the slightest more handsome than he was the day he checked me out and agreed to Callum’s proposal.
He looked even more grotesque with that creepy expression on his face.
My grandparents sat in the first row.Next to them sat Flavia and her husband.
Rory had claimed to have a bad case of the flu and never showed up.
I counted the seconds in my head.
Two things needed to happen.
Callum’s signal to the priest and my pulling away, but not before everything else got started.
Once the priest stepped back, I had to turn right and run for my life.
Bullets were flying.
Some of the first ones were silent; they came from Callum’s gun and killed Varela at once.
The chaos that erupted afterward was mostly the fight that broke out between Callum’s men and Varela’s.
The last time I saw Callum, he was ducking as he grabbed another gun from his ankle.
The last time I saw my grandparents, I was sprinting past them.
Sylvia reflexively wanted to grab me, while Giorgio pulled her down to protect her.
They were never a target, but once people started shooting at each other, no one was safe.
All I know is that I have to find that door and hide.
The only other thing I also know is that Callum has stayed behind to lead his men and finish this.
My heart explodes with worry when I finally reach that room, push through the door, and lock it.
My back hits the door while I push out rushed, shallow breaths.
Most of the people dashed out––that’s why he picked this room––but some footsteps still ring outside.
I hold my breath as I listen. They move past the door.
I’m still afraid that someone might come after me.
I don’t need Callum to tell me I have become quite a target.Anyone grabbing me right now could have leverage over him.
I don’t want that.
I don’t want to lose him.
Every passing moment increases my anguish. Every muffled gunshot makes me shudder in fear.
Please, please.
Please don’t be him.
This man is everything that’s good in my life.
I know he’d put some contingency plans in place in case something bad happened to him and I found myself in the crosshairs of evil people, but it’s still not enough for me to make it alive after this incident.
Plus, if that happened, I’d always live like a runaway, assuming a new identity, with no connection to anyone from my past life.
Not even Nona or Rory.
What kind of life would that be?
Heels click along the corridor outside, and I straighten and pay attention as they slow down and stop in front of the door.
For a few seconds, I’m spooked.
It’s like no one is on the other side of the door, although I know for sure someone is there, perhaps listening, waiting for me to make a noise.
At least I know it’s a woman.
It could be anyone.
A stranger. Sylvia. Varela’s sister. There are other women in his family.
Whoever it is, they must be familiar with this church, or perhaps they’d kept an eye on me and seen me moving in this direction.
Maybe they’re assuming that I’m here.
Or maybe they’re looking for a place to hide as well.
Weirdly, they do nothing. And then I hear Sylvia outside the door.
“Leilani? Open the door, honey.”
She knocks quietly.
“I know you’re there, dear. I have some bad news for you. Please open the door.”
Oh. Fuck off.
I know she’s lying.
This is one of her dirty tricks.
“Callum is dead. And Giorgio is on his way to the hospital. We don’t know whether he’ll make it or not. I just wanted to tell you about them before I go to the hospital to be with your grandfather.”
I bite my lip to stop my voice from flowing from my throat.
No matter how much of a snake she is, and she could say anything to me to make me open the damn door, this is about Callum.
What if something happened to him?
What if some of what she just said is true?
Still, I know she’s here because of me.
She wants to regain control of me.
She doesn’t care about me or me being broken if anything bad has happened to Callum.
So, I stay frozen, not moving an inch, waiting for her to leave and then maybe, open the door, go change into one of the dresses in the storage room, and sneak out.
A car is waiting for me not far from the church.
It comes with a driver and a bag of cash.
I just need to change my appearance first, so I don’t get picked up by anyone in Varela’s group or my family.
That’s plan B.
The plan I didn’t even want to think about.
I haven’t heard her footsteps move away, and I start to doubt that she is still behind the door.
It’s like she’s waiting for something.
Or someone.
Terrified, I move away from the door, trying to be as quiet as I can, before, a moment later, a deafening noise tears into the room as she shoots the lock open and puts a big hole into the door.
“You stupid girl,” she says, barging in, gun in hand. “You couldn’t keep yourself in check, you little slut,” she barks, hitting my face with the hand holding her gun.
The pain shoots through my brain as I jolt back, stepping over my skirt and falling over, while bringing my hand to my face, where she just hit me.
“You had to ruin it for all of us,” she screams out of her mind, her usually brushed-back hair now looking like a rat’s nest, her eyes spewing vitriol.
“You wanted him to be your king, and he’s a dead king now. How’s that for a stupid girl like you? He killed your mother, and then you got in bed with him and helped him destroy our family.”
She raises her hand again to slap me when firm steps ring outside, and a voice thunders from the doorway.
“Get out, Sylvia. Now. It’s over,” Callum barks, his gun pointing at the floor.
He shoves her to the side, moves past her, and helps me up before he looks at her.
“Stefano Varela’s men killed Bianca. You and your husband both knew that when he came to you and asked you to hand your granddaughter to him.
This has never been about Leilani. He wanted me out and his empire to merge with yours.
Sooner or later, you and your husband would’ve ended up dead like Bianca.
You should be grateful, not harass your granddaughter, or tell her lies. I saved your life, you stupid fool.”
He turns his back to her and pivots to me to check where she hit me. My bottom lip tastes like blood, and his eyes quickly darken.
“Oh, yeah?” Sylvia pushes out, stepping back toward the door while raising her gun, pointing it at Callum. “What about you having no right to claim Leilani? Just because she said yes to you doesn’t mean she’ll be yours. I’ll kill her before seeing her with you, sneering at your side.”
A frown cuts deep into Callum’s brow when he turns to her, thundering.
“Get out, you fucking tool. Grab your husband and go home. You embarrass yourself.”
He barely finishes saying that when she points her gun at me and pulls the trigger.
Things unfold so fast that most of what happens next is just us going through the motions.
The bullet stops in Callum’s shoulder as he anticipates her move and steps in front of me to protect me.
Blood drips to the floor from the hole in his jacket when the next bullet flies.
This time it comes from my gun.
It's the gun I slowly retrieved from my thigh when I was lying down, and she was focused on hitting me again.
She points her weapon straight at him this time, and his bullet flies fast, but mine reaches her first and hits her in the chest. His hits her in the head.
She falls to the ground, her gun sliding to the floor, as more gunshots come from the doorway.
“Get down,” Callum barks, pushing me to the floor while he ducks away from the stream of bullets and points his gun at Giorgio.
The first shot is lethal.
The second one makes Giorgio fall over his wife.
The corridor is suddenly silent, as if we are the last few living people in the church.
Panting, I look at the disaster in the room.
The blood on the floor.
The two people who made it a priority today to come after Callum and me. To finish us.
We were more concerned with Varela, his men, and his family, and yet, the real enemies were they.
What am I saying here? I always knew it was them.
I push up and check Callum’s shoulder, who’s pressing his hand against it.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” he says, removing his jacket to check the wound. “It’s only a scratch. I’ll be fine.”
He looks at me.
“You need some ice on that bruise,” he says, motioning to my cheek. “What a vile woman,” he murmurs, mostly to himself, pressing his handkerchief against his wound.
“How are things outside?” I ask.
He looks at me calmly, smiling.
“It’s over. All of Varela’s top people are dead. The others surrendered.”
“What about your people?”
“We had a couple of casualties. A few people were wounded,” he says monotonously.
I ponder his words before looking down at my gown.
“You know it’s still clean,” I say, and he glances at the skirt. “You won the bet,” I add.
He smiles.
“I told you.”
We made a bet.
He claimed no drop of blood would fall on my wedding gown.I claimed it would be impossible.
Whoever won would have a wish granted.
“So, what’s your wish?” I ask, my voice mellow in the crushing silence of the building.
“Marry me tomorrow. I have a priest ready in Long Island. It will be a small ceremony. Only you, your friend, Nona, and my men. That’s it. I don’t want another bloody wedding.”
My eyebrows push up in surprise.
“Tomorrow?” I ask incredulously. “You’re still bleeding.”
“I won’t be bleeding tomorrow,” he says with a smile, sliding his jacket on.
The bleeding must’ve stopped.
“What about all these dead bodies?” I say, pointing to the floor with my gun.
“Who says we can’t have a wedding and a few funerals. We have the wedding first. I want you to be Mrs. Leilani O’Hara.”
“Hmm…” I say with a knowing expression on my face. “So Sylvia Gallo was right. You were after my empire, after all,” I murmur, smiling.
“She was absolutely right,” he jokes, winking at me. “We’ll have the biggest power merger on the East Coast.”
“I will inherit their empire, right?” I say after thinking about it for a moment, uncertain of the legalities of it. “What if I’m not in their will?”
“Trust me. You are. You were supposed to be Varela’s wife. It was part of their deal. He made sure of that. If not, you will be in their will, and no one will dare to contest it. We’ll control the entire territory.”
“It was about damn time,” I say. “I promised Nona something, and I want to keep my word.”
“What did you promise her?”
“That she’ll have her freedom and money to buy a house if I ever get the reins of my empire.”
“Just in time. Cosimo is about to propose to her.”
“No way,” I say as he offers me his arm, and I loop mine through his and carefully step over the dead bodies as we leave the room linked, talking, like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
“One more thing,” he says, slowing down. “I want you to wear this wedding gown tomorrow. You know it’s my favorite. And no veil over your shoulders. Sicily tan looks great on you,” he comments, removing my tiara. “I don’t like this thing either.”
We stop so he can put it on a windowsill.
“Only flowers in your hair.”
My eyes are fixed on his, a smile broadening across my lips.
“You forgot the ring,” I say. “How will you get a ring so quickly?”
“Did I forget it?’
A knowing smile tilts his lips as he reaches inside his jacket.
He removes a small jewelry box.
“No way,” I exclaim. “I want to see it.”
I paw at it.
“First, I need to formally ask the question.”
“Okay. Ask the question,” I say, trying to keep my impatience in check.
“Sweet Leilani, heavenly flower, will you be my faithful, loving wife till death do us part?”
I laugh quietly.
“Have you tweaked the wording a little?”
“Not in the slightest.”
I wrap an arm around his neck and make him tilt his face to me so I can kiss him.
“Will you be my faithful, loving husband till death do us part? "
He looks at me seriously and kisses my lips.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Gently, he strokes my cheek with his thumb.
“Me neither.”
I wince as he touches the area where she hit me.
“Hopefully I’ll look good in pictures.”
“With some extra makeup,” he comments. “You will.”
He kisses me again.
“Can I see it now?” I ask, flicking my chin toward the ring.
“One more thing,” he says, pressing it to his chest, so I don’t have access to it yet.
“I need a name before we close this chapter forever and never think about the past again.”
I turn to stone, knowing exactly what he’s asking of me.
“Why?”
“I won’t rest until I settle that.”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“You won’t hear of me doing anything.”
“I don’t want any revenge.”
“I didn’t say I’d avenge you. I just need to know. Who was the man who harassed you in your parents’ home?”
Long moments of silence flow through the century-old church.
“It was my father,” I say, struggling with the tension in my chest.
He watches me for a few seconds before he lowers his lips to me, a faint smile on his face.
“That’s it. It’s over now. You’ve reached the end of the road. We’ll never speak of this again.”
“I love you, Callum,” I say quietly, my voice laced with tears.
“I love you, too, Lani. Let’s go home now. We have so many things to do.”
Read the Epilogue next.