Chapter Seventeen

I dreaded the congratulations for one reason only. When Fabiano and his family stepped forward to congratulate me, I knew it was almost time. Fabiano shook my hand with a barely there smile. Our relationship had never been overly close. Now it was poisoned.

I supposed Nevio and me almost killing each other had soured the situation further. Even Aurora who was usually the nicest and most bubbly of the lot looked as if her smile cost her, especially when she shook Cressida’s hand. I wasn’t sure how close Aurora and Greta were, they were three years apart but Fabiano pretty much lived under one roof with the Falcone clan.

I swallowed when Remo and his wife stepped forward. Remo gripped my hand tightly, his eyes glinting with warning. He leaned forward. “You made the right choice today, one that’s going to save many.”

My answering smile was far from pleasant. “For now.”

Serafina dug her nails into his arm and pulled him aside but they stayed close. Remo’s eyes didn’t hide his hatred for me. We’d never liked each other, but since Greta, simple animosity had turned to pure loathing. Slamming my knife into his son’s stomach was one of the best moments of my life, only every moment I’d spent with Greta beat it, which was ironic.

Then every ounce of hatred bundled inside of my evaporated as Greta stepped out behind her father. I hadn’t expected her to be here, had wished she wouldn’t show up, but in true Falcone fashion she faced complications square on.

Her dark hair was put up in a loose updo with a few strands framing her lovely, elfin face. She wore a simple long silk dress in a subdued mint which was held up by the thinnest straps I’d ever seen. She wasn’t wearing a bra, couldn’t possibly, but still it wasn’t indecent. Whatever she wore beneath covered her nipples. She looked like the frailest beauty, like a flower too beautiful and delicate to be touched by human hands. Of course, she wasn’t wearing heels even if she barely reached her father’s chest, nor mine. I couldn’t imagine Greta ever wearing them. She wore simple golden sandals and for once nail polish, the same color as her dress.

Greta met my gaze, her lips pulling into a smile that ached worse than Nevio’s knife in my side. “Congratulations, Amo.” She turned to Cressida. “Congratulations, Cressida.”

Cressida scanned Greta from head to toe. And just the brief flicker of disapproval in her expression made me want to snarl at her.

“Thank you. When you turn of age in a few years, I’m sure you’re going to have a nice wedding too,” Cressida said.

Greta only smiled at the jab. Cressida knew fucking well that Greta was of age. She’d had to learn the names and ages of the most important players in our world before marriage, and Greta was one of the most important even if she didn’t act like she was.

“Greta doesn’t need to marry to be a queen. Only by existing, she’s shining brighter than most ever will,” Remo said in a harsh voice.

Cressida dug her nails into my palm, obviously wanting me to say something, but Remo had only voiced what I’d thought.

“It’s a pity not all of you could make it,” I drawled, not bothering to hide my insincerity. Savio and his wife, Massimo, Nevio and Alessio, and the younger kids had stayed in Las Vegas. I’d desperately hoped Greta would have stayed there too, even if seeing her now was the highlight of this dark day.

With a last harsh smile, Remo turned and led his wife and daughter away. I focused on Adamo and his wife Dinara. I didn’t see Nino and Kiara anywhere, though they had been in church. Maybe Nino thought he needed to stop his brother from doing something stupid.

The Falcones disappeared early from the party. The atmosphere had been too strenuous to bear it much longer. Dad hadn’t declared war, not with two important drug deliveries on the way, and Remo hadn’t either—Greta’s influence no doubt.

Cressida and I excused ourselves not long after midnight. Cressida didn’t stop talking when I steered my car toward our new townhouse. I couldn’t believe that place would be the place Cressida and I would share. Maybe I’d come to tolerate her one day.

I led her into the house and motioned at the staircase. “Why don’t you go ahead? I need another drink.”

Cressida’s lips pinched but she stalked up the stairs covered in the fluffy white carpet that she’d picked. She’d picked the furniture for the entire place, which made it feel even less like home. I’d probably spend more time in my apartment than under a roof with Cressida. I glanced at my Rolex. I had another hour.

I poured myself a small glass of Bourbon before I made my way upstairs. When I stepped into the bedroom, Cressida was still in the bathroom. I went into our walk-in closet and got out of my wedding suit, throwing it over an armchair there before I grabbed a black shirt and black cargo pants.

“You have a new scar!” Cressida exclaimed as she sauntered in, wearing a sexy white negligee. Her hair was down and she was wearing heels.

I followed her gaze toward the stab wound that was still tender but no longer bandaged. Not saying anything, I pulled up my cargo pants. I hadn’t seen reason to reveal the events of Las Vegas with Cressida. Showing any kind of weakness in front of my wife seemed like a bad idea.

“What are you doing?” Cressida asked, confused.

“Getting dressed. I have business to attend to.”

Her eyes widened with incredulity. “It’s our wedding night!”

I put on the shirt and raised an eyebrow. “I never wanted this marriage. I told you what to expect if you married me. This is a marriage on paper. Don’t expect any emotional attachment.”

“We have to consummate our wedding. It’s tradition!” Her voice became increasingly shrill. I walked out into the hallway but she rushed after me.

“We consummated it in advance. That should do,” I said. I had absolutely no desire to touch her right now.

Down in the armory, I grabbed two gun holsters, and my favorite knives and guns. Cressida caught up with me. Her heels had obviously slowed her down. She scanned my attire. “Where are you going?”

“Business.”

“A husband should fuck his wife!”

“Maybe I’ll do it when I return in the morning.”

I grabbed my car keys and headed into the lobby. Cressida let out an enraged cry and one of her heels hit the mirror beside my head, making it splinter.

“You’re lucky I don’t have time for your bullshit right now,” I growled and left.

No virgin blood would be spilled today, only Falcone blood.

I put on pajamas but I couldn’t fall asleep. My thoughts revolved around Amo. He would be sharing his wedding night with Cressida now.

I had spent a week begging Dad to let me attend this wedding, arguing I needed to see Amo get married to close this chapter of my life. You needed to face your fears, that was what Dad always said, and it was something I had internalized too. Now I wasn’t so sure it had improved my emotional state. It definitely didn’t feel as if a chapter had been closed.

But maybe my presence had showed our goodwill to maintain peace, which felt so terribly fragile.

Nevio had been absolutely furious but Dad had insisted he stay in Vegas. It would have only crushed what was left of our truce if he’d come. His anger had been potent, and I was still worried he’d do something stupid. While Nevio respected Dad, his boisterous nature often made him forget reason and Dad’s orders.

I brushed the finger where a ring would have been if I’d accepted Amo’s proposal.

It had been my choice, the only reasonable choice at the time, to let go of Amo, but right now it felt as if something had been ripped from me that I didn’t want to lose.

Voices sounded in the living area of our suite. I finally got up and went there. Fabiano, Nino and Dad were talking in hushed voices. Adamo sat on the sofa, his arms stretched out on the backrest. He was the only one who didn’t look completely tense. He’d enjoyed his time in New York and was friendly with many Famiglia soldiers. If more of us made the effort he had made, things would be far less tense between the families.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Dad slanted me a look. “Nothing.”

I pursed my lips. I could tell that wasn’t true. He always said women were treated like the weaker sex because they acted like it, but his protectiveness sometimes made it difficult to act out of my comfort zone.

“Nino has a sort of premonition,” Adamo said with a chuckle. His curly hair was all over the place.

“What kind of premonition?” I asked.

“There’s nothing clairvoyant about my observations.”

“I won’t flee New York in the middle of the night like a fucking coward because you’re overly cautious.”

“And you’re being arrogant and prideful.”

“I know Luca. He always prides himself for his goddamn honor. He would never use a wedding night to attack. That would be deeply dishonorable.”

Dad obviously thought there was nothing wrong with using a wedding for nefarious purposes.

“Aria was her usual nice, excited self. No alarm bells there. But Luca doesn’t tell her everything. Maybe he wants to give you a taste of your own medicine,” Fabiano said with a shrug. Dad sent him a warning look I didn’t understand. “Luca can adept if he thinks it’s necessary. Recent events might have made him reevaluate his values.”

Dad’s lips curled. “Let him attack if he thinks himself so clever.”

“You’re letting your rage overshadow reason,” Nino muttered. “But there’s more on the line than our lives.”

Dad glanced at me, obviously still unwilling to listen to reason. “I have to admit Luca would get my respect if he really lured us here under the false pretense of peace, only to attack. That would mark a new low for him, one I’ll gladly return.”

I trusted Nino’s judgment on principal but what he suggested was so horrible I couldn’t, I didn’t want to believe it to be true.

A soft beep drew my attention back into my room. I moved to my nightstand where I’d left my cell, my eyes growing in surprise when I saw a message from an unknown number.

I clicked on it.

Leave the hotel now, Greta.

My heart sank and I whirled around, rushing back into the living area. Without Nino’s words, I might have thought this was Amo trying to meet me in secret, but I knew this was a very different message. It was from Amo, but he was trying to warn me. My instinct left no other conclusion.

Dad took a look at my face and strode over to me. I handed him the phone. “Get every gun! Wake everyone!”

Dad stormed into his and Mom’s bedroom, rousing her. Seconds later, he dragged her out only in her nightgown. A minute later, we were rushing down the staircase to the underground garage. Dad refused to take the elevator.

When we reached the garage, the lights went out.

“Damn it!” Dad snarled, his grip on my arm tightening. In the dark, we stumbled toward our cars. Mom, I and Kiara huddled in the backseat with Dad and Nino in the front. Fabiano and Adamo were in the other car with Aurora, Leona and Dinara. The car’s engine roared to live and we jerked forward. Dad held toward the rolling gate with full speed. “Down!” Nino ordered, and we ducked our heads. Mom wrapped her arms around my body, shielding me. An ear-splitting bang sounded as we crashed through the gate. I whimpered, my heartbeat fluttering in my chest.

Soon gunshots rang out and Mom’s arms around me tightened even more. Kiara shielded me from the other side, not letting me get up. I didn’t want them to risk their lives for me. Several bumps and turns threw us around on the backseat until I lost every sense of up and down.

Suddenly we began spinning and the car jolted to the side, then crashed against something that made a metallic sound. My head collided with Kiara’s and everything turned black.

Gunshots woke me. I opened my eyes, despite the sharp pain in my head. I was still on the backseat. But Mom was no longer beside me. Only Kiara was cradling her head, blood covering her face. My own skin was slick with blood as well.

“Damn it!” Mom whispered, hitting the steering wheel.

“It’s too damaged,” Kiara said in a quiet voice.

Mom looked over her back, at me, then at something behind us. Fear filled her face. She turned the keys again and the car let out a stutter. “We have to run to the other car. It’s not too far.”

I straightened and looked through the rear window, and found Dad, Nino, Adamo and Fabiano in a shooting match with Amo, his father and several other Famiglia men.

My heart slammed against my ribcage as I climbed out of the car.

“Greta!” Kiara shouted, but I didn’t listen.

I stepped out behind the car.

Amo spotted me first and froze. He and the other Famiglia men were shielded by two cars, while my family hid behind an overturned van.

All this because of us? Because we shared a bond that could not be?

The expressions on the face on both sides didn’t give me hope. Only death for the other side was the goal. Maybe torture first.

We were in an industrial harbor area, with the black water of the Hudson to our right. In the distance I could see more cars approaching, black limousines. Probably reinforcement.

“Get back in the car,” Dad shouted.

I only looked at Amo.

“Amo!” His father snarled. Amo’s expression was hard.

Nobody shot at me. Mom grabbed my arm and tugged me away behind a container that our car had rammed.

Soon the Famiglia would outnumber us. Good God. What could I do? Amo would protect me but he’d kill my family. Maybe if I begged him he’d spare them? I felt sick and cold sweat broke on my skin. My head pounded with a fierce headache and my pulse raced too fast, making me dizzy.

A Van barreled toward us and stopped with squealing tires. The sliding doors jerked open and Nevio got out, a woman in his hold and a knife at her throat.

“Stop!” Matteo roared. The Famiglia stopped firing and so did my family. Dad’s expression told me he hadn’t known Nevio was here.

“Surprise, motherfuckers,” Nevio shouted with a wide grin, dragging the woman along as he walked toward Dad, Nino, Fabiano and Adamo. After him, Massimo jumped out, and then Alessio, a teenage girl in his hold. I recognized them as Matteo’s wife and daughter from the wedding today.

“If you touched a single hair on their heads, I’m going to make you regret the day you were born,” Matteo growled.

Nevio flashed his teeth at him and provocatively pressed his palm to the woman’s red hair. She tried to escape his grip but he pushed the knife against her throat as a warning once more. “I don’t regret anything yet.”

“Isabella, Gianna, are you okay?” Amo called.

Gianna was in Nevio’s hold and she had a bruise on her cheek.

Matteo stormed forward but Luca caught him by the arm and jerked him back. “The fucker hit you!”

“I’m afraid that’s not true,” Nevio said as he stopped beside Dad, who glanced between Gianna and Nevio with a hint of excitement. Nevio shrugged, grinning at Dad. “Sorry, Dad. I disobeyed, but I simply couldn’t resist ruining a wedding. If I’d known it would come to this…” He chuckled and exchanged a look with Massimo and Alessio, looking like this was the greatest night of his life.

Alessio had his arm wrapped around the girl and his dagger was pointed at her belly. Her glasses were askew and her eyes wide and fearful.

“You’re going too far,” Matteo said quietly.

“Too far?” Dad snarled. “You attack me and my family while we’re guests in your territory. Never talk about honor to me again. I’m the master at playing dirty, Vitiello. You just opened the fucking Pandora’s box.”

Nevio peered down at Gianna and sucked in a deep breath. “I smell war.” He laughed.

“Your wifey looks like a cougar, Matteo. Good catch.”

Amo took a step forward, raising his gun a bit more. Matteo struggled against Luca’s hold again.

I stared up at Mom in horror. Her eyes were wide and teary. Kiara huddled on the ground, still cradling her wound.

“Leave my territory. We’re even. And let Gianna and Isabella go right now,” Luca said.

Amo’s eyes slanted to me, and I thought I caught regret in his gaze but maybe I was just hoping for it.

“Even?” Dad asked in a low voice. “Plenty of Famiglia blood will be spilled before I’ll consider us even, Luca.”

Nino leaned toward Dad and said something but Dad didn’t react. Adamo and Fabiano exchanged looks. Today would end badly. Very badly.

“I think Alessio took a shining to your daughter,” Nevio kept provoking.

He wanted the Vitiellos to lose control, to attack. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill a woman. For him it didn’t matter, human was human. He enjoyed killing everyone equally.

Nevio said something to Dad and they all looked toward a tattooed man in his forties and a younger version of him. Growl and one of his sons, Maximus.

“How about you give us my half-brother and his son?” Dad asked with a cruel smile.

Amo looked toward his friend who had already taken a step forward.

“In exchange for my wife and daughter?” Matteo asked.

“In exchange for not letting them bleed out right here before your fucking eyes,” Nevio snarled. “We’ll keep them for now.”

“I should have slashed your throat,” Amo said.

“It’s not too late, Vitiello. Come here and give it a try.”

I turned my back on the scene and began running, catching Mom by surprise. I wasn’t sure if what I’d seen in Amo’s eyes would be enough to save us all, but I had to give it a try. And if nothing else, this would stop Nevio.

I stormed toward the edge of the harbor platform. The Hudson was black and unwelcoming below me. Before my anxiety could stop me, I closed my eyes and then I jumped, my arms pressed flat to the sides of my straightened body. My fall was short and the impact hard and cold. Terror gripped me.

The same terror that had overwhelmed me every time I’d been surrounded by water for as long as I could remember. That’s why I had never learned to swim.

“Greta!” Several screams rang out before all sound was cut off.