5. Emiliana

"I don't want to go" 

"Get out of the car, Emiliana" 

"If you do this I will never forgive you. It's not too late papa" 

"People are waiting. Get out" he says impatiently.

Tears swim at the edge of my eyes and I blink hard to stop them from falling. Not because I care about my makeup being smudged but because I can't show any weakness. Not even in front of my father. It's my wedding day and we've arrived at church. Funny how they insisted on a church wedding when everyone here is a sinner. That's the thing with sinners. They're the most pretenders. Exhibit A: my father. He goes to church every Sunday then turns around and sells drugs and weapons every other day. As if it's nothing. As if his business isn't responsible for millions of death across the world. As if he's never taken a life.

I'm not saying I'm a saint. I mean, in just a few hours, I will be a murderer. Just like him and every man in that church. On this side of the world, I don't think there are any saints left except for maybe kids. But for him to insist on a church wedding? I hope lightning strikes the humongous building and kills us all. Taking a deep breath, I get out of the car. Ignoring my father's hand, I adjust the dress wondering if every other woman felt as miserable as I do during their wedding. In Cosa nostra, people don't marry for love. I'm not the first to be forced into an arranged marriage and I won't be the last. The silhouette ball gown my mother chose has a sweetheart neckline, fits my waist then flows out around me in tons of tulle and lace. The veil is longer than the dress. Trailing behind me. Any other day, I would have been in awe of it. Today? I'm too nervous and angry to care. The only person who came through for me was Elena. She brought me a gun this morning which is safely strapped on my thigh. 

Fuck Valerio and his false promises. 

Fuck the person who sneaked into my room and left the letter. Because I managed to sneak out of my house for nothing. The address on the paper was empty. A warehouse on the outskirts of the city that looked like it had been deserted eons ago. To say that I was pissed would be an understatement. There's nothing worse than giving someone false hope. I sat in that godforsaken place for an hour crying my eyes out because for a moment there, I thought I'd found a solution. I thought I wouldn't have to marry a man who makes my skin crawl. But here I am. Dressed to the nines with my father ready to walk me down the aisle. I look up at him one last time. 

For someone his age, he's still handsome. The silver hair lining his edges is supposed to make him look older but they only add to his appeal. He eats healthy and works out twice a week to maintain his muscular physique. I've seen photos of him when he was younger. Vito Calderone was a total knockout. I know for a fact women still hit on him. This one time we'd gone to a restaurant, I heard women talking about him in the bathroom and how they wouldn't mind being his mistress or second wife. But for all his faults, I know my father is not a cheater. He orders my mother around but he also loves her. I hope they live a long, miserable life together. Grabbing my bouquet from the back seat, I slam the door close, pick up my dress and start walking up the stairs that lead to the church. 

Balloons and flowers hang at the door where two men are guarding it. I don't know if they're ours or Romeo's and I don't care. One of us is going to die. Guests are settled inside since there's no one outside. God, this feels more like a funeral than a wedding. And in some ways, it is. Because tomorrow morning, we will be burying either Romeo or me. 

"Emiliana" my father calls and judging from his tone, I can tell he's on his way to getting mad. Well, boo fucking hoo. I hope he swells with anger and eventually combusts "Stop right there, Emiliana. I will not repeat myself" 

Stopping at the closed door, I spin around and look at him one last time. My chest heaving. He was strict but he was also a good father. Up until now, he protected me. Sheltered me. Loved me. Up until now, I was known as the Calderone princess, and thanks to him, everywhere I went, people treated me nicely. Whether they wanted to or not. Blinking back more tears, I say, 

"Thank you. For raising me and giving me everything I ever wanted. You were a good father, papa. Up until you decided to marry me to that old pervert. I don't care about your reasons for doing it. Whether you're preventing a war or owe him something, I don't care. The fact is, I'm standing here in a wedding dress and about to marry a guy who promised to defile me on our wedding night" he blinks and for the first time, I see him hesitate. Like he's not sure about this wedding. About his decision. But it's too late. If I don't show up in church, a war will break out and innocents will die. The only blood I want on my hands is Romeo's. Besides, even if I do run, I have nowhere to go "You're not walking me down the aisle. Because the moment I step foot in this church, I cease to be your daughter. You will be dead to me. All of you" spinning around, I indicate to the two men standing beside the door to open it. 

The double doors open inwardly and with one last breath, I walk toward my doom. Of course, the place is packed. I can't imagine anyone would have wanted to miss this wedding. Because I'm still trying to come off as innocent, I smile sweetly at the people I pass. They're all standing. On one side is everyone from Barnacle Bay Outfit. On the other side is everyone from Cosa nostra. Here to celebrate my wedding. If I had a grenade, I'd drop it in the middle of the church without a care in the world. I'm so angry that I think no one deserves to live. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all just dropped dead? I should have gotten on the dark web and purchased one. How soon can they deliver? No, I wouldn't go through with it. Not when I can see kids smiling and looking at me in wonder. A little girl from Cosa nostra has a look of awe in her eyes as I walk past her. 

If only she knew...

I refuse to look at the man waiting for me in the eyes. If it was up to me, I would prefer to never see his face ever again. With my eyes on the floor, teary eyes because I can't believe how my life took a turn for the worse so fast, I approach the altar. There are three pairs of feet. Romeo's and two others I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say his bodyguards. Which means I can't kill him now. I have to wait until we're alone. I don't even have a maid of honor. What a fucking joke. Ten more feet. If I trip on my dress and accidentally bang my head on the edge of one of the chairs, will my skull split open? Seven feet. I need to be strong. One of us will end up dying tonight. I can't let that person be me. He's lived long enough. It's my turn now. Four feet. But if I fail, I'd rather die. I don't want to but...

"Aren't you a vision, wife?" The hairs at the back of my neck bristle. That rough, grating voice makes me want to pull out my gun and end my life. Or his. I flinch when his hand comes to my chin and jerks my face up "Beautiful" he says breathing on my face. Whiskey or is it scotch? I can't tell but I officially hate that smell. My lips lift up into what I hope is a shy smile and not a snarl "Let's begin, father" Romeo says pulling me to stand beside him. The priest must have conducted a lot of weddings because he doesn't bat an eyelash at the way I stumble and almost fall. 

"Dearly beloved we're here to celebrate the holy..." 

What does he mean by holy? Nothing about this marriage is holy. If anything, it should be called unholy matrimony. I zone him out, thinking of how I'm going to do it. When is the best time to kill him? I've never had such destructive thoughts in my life. I grew up in a happy family. Loved and cherished. At least I thought I was loved. How did it come to this? Are my parents really going to let me marry this man? My skin burns where he's touching me. I want to shove him aside and then use one of the candle holders behind the priest to bash his head in. Are they heavy enough to do some real damage? Damn it. Why won't my heart settle down? 

Save for the priest, the church is quiet. Which is probably the reason the thump is loud enough for everyone to hear. Before I can wonder where it came from, the doors behind us open and I whip around to see a man striding toward us. The men behind him, I count at least eight, spread behind the church and I notice the weapons they're holding. Everyone in the church is probably packing but they're hidden. If you look hard enough, you could see the bulges. Why are these newcomers flaunting their weapons? And why is this guy late? Who is he? I've never seen him.  

"Nice of you to join us," Romeo says from beside me. Does he know the man? I turn to look at him again. He's tall, dressed in a form-fitting suit, and truth be told, he's fucking hot. That's what I think until he gets closer and my eyes catch the blood on the front of his shirt. Now that I think about it, there's a lot more blood on his clothes and the closer he gets the more I can see his face. The cold look in his eyes makes the blood in my veins chill. When he keeps coming and doesn't stop to sit, I find myself taking a step back "Dante, what is the meaning of this?" 

He stops in front of Romeo because I took more than one step back. I'm standing close to the priest now. He looks over Romeo's shoulder to where I'm standing. Raking his eyes down my frame then dismisses me and goes back to look at my soon-to-be husband. I'm grateful for that and ready to denounce that old pervert if it means I don't have to face this guy's wrath. No one would dare interrupt Romeo Vernetti's wedding unless they have a grudge against him. We were in the middle of the wedding. I'm not married yet and even if I were, I'd gladly take a step back and let Romeo handle his enemies. I'm not qualified to do anything.

"What is the meaning of this?" Romeo repeats the question. It occurs to me how different they are. I'm thinking if he wanted to, this intruder can easily overpower anyone in this room. Except, half the people in the church are from Barnacle Bay and he only brought eight guys with him. No way they can take out everyone and get out unscathed. Still, he's standing in front of Romeo. That has to mean something. Right?

"This means I'm tired of your greed, Romeo," the man says, his voice deep and hard "You have a knack for stealing things from me and it's time I remedy that" 

"Have you lost your mind Da-" 

"On the contrary. I was going to give you a year or two but as always, you just proved to me that you don't deserve it" in a move no one sees, he grabs Romeo and stabs him in the neck. Collective gasps ring out in the air as everyone jumps up. Not everyone. Just people from Cosa nostra. No one from Barnacle Bay even flinches "You have a habit of taking things from me, uncle. My territory, my family, my woman. It ends. Right. Now"

Oh, so this is about a woman? Damn. In the next breath, my brain processes what is happening.

Holy cow. 

Holy fuck. 

Holy... I'm freaking out. 

I'm freaking out. He's killing Romeo. For the life of me, I can't look away. I want to make sure that fucker is dead before I start celebrating. Romeo coughs up blood as the guy twists the knife until finally, his body goes limp. There are a few seconds of silence where I expect the angels to come out singing. It doesn't escape me that the guys who I thought were Romeo's bodyguards did nothing while he was being murdered. Then again, who cares? I don't have to get married anymore. I'm free- 

"Let's continue father" 

Wait, what? 

"Continue?" The priest asks, confusion marring his wrinkly features. 

"Yes. This wedding will continue. The only difference is that now I'm the groom" 

"Where's your bride?" I blurt out without thinking. Romeo's death means I don't have to get married. Right? 

"You of course. Do you see anyone else dressed as a bride in this church? And don't even think about it, Vito. They're all neutralized" he says talking to my father but not looking back to where he is.

Wait, what the fuck is he talking about? 

"Father, please proceed. I have an empire to build, men to lead and a wife to fuck. I would appreciate it if you would hurry up. Please" 

Did he just say- 

"No fucking way. I'm not marrying you!"  

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