1. Lindsay
Lindsay
ONE YEAR AGO
The wedding is beautiful and blue and looks like it came from a dream. My best friend walks down the aisle, more beautiful than words can encapsulate. Breathtaking as she takes her place in front of her husband, a man I’m still not sure isn’t a monster.
They say their vows, and the love they share is almost impossible to ignore. The sight of it both fills me with hope and leaves my gut twisting. Perhaps I’m wrong and happiness can come from even the darkest pits of hell.
And just as I think that, a gunshot goes off. And pandemonium ensues.
My first reaction is shock, but it doesn’t last more than a few seconds. Sophia is still standing beside me and her shock doesn’t seem to be going away. I duck, pulling her to the ground with me, while I scan the church, looking for the invisible assassin.
But it’s almost impossible to see anything amid the screaming wedding guests running for their lives. A minute ago, this was a beautiful wedding that could have stirred hope in even the most deep-rooted cynics. Now it’s a disaster.
I scan the altar for my best friend but there are several men surrounding her and her husband, protecting them I’m presuming.
“Sophia!” someone screams and I realize it’s their mother, crouching down as she heads over to meet us.
“Mama!” my best friend’s little sister screams back.
I hold onto her arm as her mom joins us, all of us trying frantically to locate Valentina.
A man steps back holding a rifle. He’s not paying attention to what’s behind him and very nearly ends up stomping down on my hand with his leather dress shoes.
I grit my teeth before turning back to the terrified mother and daughter.
“We need to get out of here,” I state and it’s almost like they don’t hear me.
“Mrs. Marino!” I yell, the urgency clear in my voice and this time she looks up at me. “We need to get out.”
She nods in agreement, steeling her expression and clamping down on her daughter’s arm. One last look at the heart of the pandemonium where Valentina must be and we begin making our way out. We’re largely unobstructed since most of the guests have cleared out by now.
The most dangerous kingpins of the underworld, and all it took was a bullet for them to scatter. I would laugh if I weren’t so focused on survival.
My heart races as I head for the nearest exit. I try hard not to think about who that bullet was meant for, who might have gone down.
There’s someone back there, bleeding out and possibly dead.
We get through the doors and into the open air and I take a deep breath. I lead Mrs. Marino and Sophia toward a huge tree in the open courtyard.
“Are you both okay?” I ask.
Sophia looks like she’s on the verge of a panic attack but she manages a small nod, wrapping her arms around her body. Mrs. Marino looks like she’s about to start crying. I place a comforting hand on her arm.
“Hey, I’m sure Val’s okay,” I tell her softly.
She shakes her head, her eyes becoming redder by the minute, “Marco,” she gasps, “He was beside me. And I’m pretty sure he was shot. I-I tried to reach down for him but someone pushed me back and I couldn’t see anything. Oh god, what if he’s dead?”
Since I have no answer to that question, I do what I should have done as soon as the shot rang out. I whip my phone out of the pocket of my dress.
Every outfit I own has pockets, a habit I have yet to regret.
“I’m calling 911,” I inform the hysterical woman.
Just as I’m about to dial the number however, my phone is snatched out of my hand from behind. I whirl around with wide eyes to find dark eyes and full lips pressed into a thin line.
“Not so fast, Ms. Beaumont. No one wants the police getting involved in this.”
I practically growl at the sight of Matteo Vitale. He’s a mobster like the rest of them, brother to the man my best friend just got married to.
“What the hell are you doing? Give me my phone,” I hiss.
He shakes his head, and I can practically feel the coiled tension vibrating through him. I try to grab the phone and he raises it over his head, keeping it away from me. And considering he’s so much taller than me, I resist making a fool of myself by trying to reach for it.
“Relax, princess. Everyone’s fine.”
“Everyone is fine?” I repeat mockingly. “Marco was shot!”
At that, his gaze drops to the two women behind me, “He’s alive. They’re taking him to the hospital now.”
He delivers the news almost coldly, apathy in his tone. Like a robot.
“What about Valentina?” I press.
“The blushing bride is perfectly safe,” he replies, his tone grating.
“I still need to call the police.”
His eyes narrow and I feel the air around me chill. He looks menacing for half a second, and then he blinks, toning it down. Although the chill I felt doesn’t disappear.
I suddenly remember the people I’m dealing with. They murder innocent men and women without a second thought. They’re criminals, and I’m standing right in the middle of their garden.
I think about the number of things that could have flashed through his mind during that brief second.
“I said that’s not happening,” he says dismissively. He raises two fingers and gestures behind him, and two men materialize almost out of thin air. I’m startled by the sight of them. I’d been so focused on the man in front of me that I hadn’t noticed their approach.
“Take Mrs. Marino and her daughter to the hospital so they can see their family,” he commands, his eyes still not leaving mine.
It takes a second for me to realize I was not included in that statement.
“I’m going too,” I protest.
“No, you’re not. I’d actually prefer it if you weren’t found anywhere near my family.”
“Lindsay is Valentina’s best friend,” Mrs. Marino speaks up. “She should be there.”
He finally looks away from me, addressing her. “She’s not going. If you insist on her doing so, I can assure you I will leave you behind, and considering your husband is currently fighting for his life, I’d assume that would take priority over everything else.”
Mrs. Marino sucks in a sharp breath.
“It’s fine,” I say, glaring at the bastard. “You and Sophia can go. I’ll catch up later.”
“You won’t,” he says assuredly.
I watch as Sophia and her mother are led away toward a parked car. Once they’re gone, I turn back to the man standing unnaturally still in front of me, dark eyes assessing.
“Can I have my phone now?” I ask, trying and failing to sound pleasant, if for no other reason than to get him to stop looking at me like that.
Something about his gaze on me has me struggling for breath. It feels consuming, like I’m in the middle of the ocean with only a pocket of air around me.
“That depends on how cooperative you’ll be with my request that you do not contact the authorities.”
“I’ll think about it,” I grit out.
“I’m trying very hard to be civil, Ms. Beaumont.”
At that, he smiles. And worse… it’s beautiful. Sharp, slow, and devastating.
His jaw looks like it was carved with intention. Dark hair that looks effortless. Eyes too intense, too focused, like they don’t just see you, they assess, claim, decide. He’s the kind of man people stare at without realizing it, the kind that draws attention without asking for it.
The kind I should absolutely not be noticing.
Especially not now. I drag my gaze away anyway, refusing to let it linger.
He steps closer, towering over me in a way that makes my breath catch.
“Ah, but I’m not a mobster, princess. I’m an accountant. And a very rich, successful one at that.”
“Honesty and humility aren’t traits you’re familiar with, I’m guessing,” I mutter.
“When it comes to you, neither is patience,” he retorts, finally handing me my phone. He slides it into my hand. When his fingers graze mine, I feel the warmth radiating off him and hurriedly rip my hand away. “Don’t test me, Ms. Beaumont.”
“I could say the same thing to you, Mr. Vitale.”
He’s quiet for a couple of breaths, watching me once again.
Like he’s trying to figure me out. Or like I’m a wounded animal that may lash out at any moment.
I like the latter option better, because while I might not be wounded, I’m waiting for the slightest opportunity to lash out at the Vitales. And take them all down.
His jaw clenches like he can read my thoughts.
“You and I need to talk,” he informs me.
“Sure,” I state, placing my phone back into the pocket of my dress. “When hell freezes over.”
I turn around at that, making my way to the parking lot where my car is located. I need to get out of here. He’s not done speaking and slowly walks behind me until I reach my car.
“That wasn’t a request.” The deep, low cadence of his voice is sexy, not that it matters. It’s nothing but irritating in this moment. “Considering what happened at the wedding, several things require my attention. I’ll come find you soon, and then we’ll have a very important conversation.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get a subpoena from my office soon enough.”
He steps closer, and I hate how my body reacts instantly. I hate it even more that he notices.
“How about we continue this conversation at my penthouse?” he offers, like I’m supposed to be impressed.
“I’d rather be at mine.” I hold his gaze. “I have a very large toy that would put you to shame.”
He closes the gap completely, and the sheer size of him pressing against my stomach steals the breath right out of my lungs.
“You sure about that, princess?” The words are barely a whisper against my ear.
I gasp before I can stop myself.
“Move,” I order, and he steps back.
Despite every attempt to be dignified about it, I can’t resist throwing my middle finger up over my shoulder as I drop into the car. He says nothing, does nothing, but even through the window, I feel his eyes on me like a brand, burning straight through the glass.
I face forward. I will myself to stay that way.
The urge to look back is irritating more than anything, like an itch I refuse to scratch. I don’t want to meet that gaze again. I refuse to get pulled into whatever that was.
PRESENT DAY