Voices came from down the hall into the family room where I was waiting. Jayden had opened the door for Toni, her mother, and Nonna and I was going to see and try on Nonna's wedding dress.
I forced a smile as they entered the room. Toni was carrying a large box and looked really excited.
"I have got to see this on you," she said. "I'm telling you, you're going to love this dress."
As the four of us went upstairs, Nonna took my hand. I felt a little odd holding her hand, but when she looked up at me and smiled I got choked up for a moment. Something in her face reminded me of my mother and I felt like she was there in spirit.
Entering the bedroom, Nonna and Mrs. Gambino sat on the couch in the sitting area. Toni put the large box on the bed and pulled the lid off. Nestled in white tissue paper was the dress.
It was ivory and made of a lace unlike anything I had seen before. The lace was a series of roses connected by intricate hand-stitching and was softer than I could imagine. Toni lifted the dress out of the box for me to see.
"It's perfect," I said. "I can't wait to try it on."
She handed me the dress and I quickly ran into the bathroom to put it on. It was a mermaid dress that hugged my curves in all the right places that gently got looser as it went down. It had delicate straps that covered my shoulders and a small train. I was lucky the Gambino women were also curvy. It needed to be taken in on some places and let out on others, but otherwise it was a perfect fit.
I walked out and they all smiled at me. Toni clapped her hands and ran into my closet and pulled out a pair of heels. The dress was exactly what I had imagined. I was so happy to have a dress to get married in, but I still felt like something was wrong. I tried to push my bad feelings away, but they weren't going anywhere.
"Mom, why don't you and Nonna go downstairs and have a snack or something?" Toni said as she escorted them out of the bedroom.
Once they were gone, Toni closed the bedroom door and raised an eyebrow at me. "Spill it," she said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said, looking away from her pale blue gaze that was too much like Dante's.
"Tell me. "What's going on? Are you unhappy with my brother?"
"Oh no, nothing like that at all. I think I'm just overwhelmed. Everything moved so fast, you know with the wedding. Just the planning and everything. I feel like something's not right, but it's probably just the rush of organizing everything. I'm sure any bride would feel worried if she was kidnapped and her fiancé arrested all in a matter of a week."
"True," she said, smiling at me. "It's probably just that. But if this isn't what you want, you should talk to Dante. He'll understand."
It seemed crazy how quickly time flew by. As I looked at myself in the mirror, my dark hair brushing against the lace shoulders of the dress, I knew the wedding would be perfect. In two weeks Dante and I would stand in front of our families, say our vows, and be united until death did we part.
My stomach fluttered nervously as the bad feeling came back. What what wrong with me? Why couldn't I stay happy? It had to be pre-wedding jitters, but it felt like more. I wanted to marry Dante, but why did I keep feeling like something was wrong?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Two Weeks Later — Saturday the Sixteenth
Sonny
I couldn't get her out of my head. Everywhere I looked I saw her. I was haunted by her smile, her scent, everything about her. It was a problem.
Meeting Harper was an accident. But when I heard screams coming from Carlo Carlisi's house, I acted before thinking. The Gambinos were known for being impulsive, it was one of the few things I had in common with my half brothers.
With the sun glistening in Harper's wet dark red hair as she kneeled over one of Carlo's children, I was awe struck. I had heard of moments where people met the love of their life, of the jolt in their heart, their mind going blank. I thought it was all bullshit until that moment when it happened to me.
She didn't see me. She was focused on the kid and when he sat up and I saw he was alright, I exited the backyard as quickly and quietly as I entered.
Love was a fool's game and I wasn't a fool. Why was I even calling it love? That emotion was nothing but a problem. A way to make people stupid and careless. I wasn't going to fall in love. Especially with a woman I had never spoken to. But why couldn't I get her out of my mind?
I parked the black Town Car around the corner from La Terrzza. It needed to be close, but I had to avoid their security cameras. While I would have preferred a smaller, quicker car as a getaway vehicle, the Town Car had a way of blending in.
Entering through a delivery entrance at the side of the building, I made my way to the second floor. I followed the crowd towards the chapel where the wedding was taking place.
Draped with flowers, the chapel looked less formal than it usually did with it's marble columns. People were split between both sides of the seating area. If I sat, I needed to stay on the end so I could escape.
Standing at the back, I spotted the groom towards the front with his best man and a few of his brothers. He was handsome with his dark hair swept back and reminded me of a classic movie star. I didn't want any of them to notice me. I was only there for one person.
I scanned the seated guests and found her. Toni Gambino was seated with her boyfriend close to the altar, on the end of an aisle. At least she was smart enough to not move to the middle. It was risky, but I had to talk to her. I didn't have a choice.
A grey haired couple sat behind her. I didn't recognize them and hoped they wouldn't' recognize me either. As I approached the pew, the couple looked at me and slid over, leaving me space directly behind Toni. I lowered the kneeler and knelt so I was at the perfect height to whisper into her ear. I bowed my head and leaned close to her.
"Everything's set," I whispered knowing her boyfriend wouldn't hear. "Two minutes. In the hall."
Barely moving her head she nodded then looked at her watch. I stood and exited the pew, not turning to look at the groom. I didn't want him to feel my eyes on him.
Reaching the end of the aisle, I saw her. I had to blink to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but there was Harper. Her hair was swept back and red curls cascaded onto her shoulders. She was in a dress with small colorful flowers that hugged her curves. Even though it was warm she had on a small jacket. It was something my mother did to hide her arms and I wondered if the woman I worshipped thought she needed to hide herself too.
Worshipped. What was wrong with me? I had been hanging around Dante and Gia too much. I had to stop it with that crap.
I slowed my gait to see why she was there and a tall man appeared and put his hand on her lower back as he steered her down the aisle. Who the hell was he and why was she with him?
As I watched them reach their seat, Toni cleared her throat as she passed me. The timing couldn't be worse. Giving Toni some space before I followed, I exited the chapel.
The marble hallway was beginning to empty as the time for the ceremony approached. Toni was already down the hall, standing by one of the balconies. She looked like she was lost in the view, but I knew better.
"Let's go," she said as I reached her.
"No, I need a few minutes."
"Are you kidding me? I don't have a lot of time before Chance wonders where I am."
"Harper–"
"Harper Carmichael? Anthony Santangelo's fiancée? What, are you crazy?"
Fiancée? I stared at Toni as the word sunk into my brain. I was so busy looking at Harper, I didn't even realize she was with Anthony Santangelo. He was a made man and a member of the Molinari family. The Molinaris were one of the oldest of the five families, each of which were represented at the wedding. He shouldn't be messed with. But he wasn't going to be around for much longer.
Without a word, I left Toni and headed back to the chapel. The ceremony would start any moment now so I didn't have much time. My mind raced as I thought about how I would get Harper away from that gavone Anthony Santangelo.
&nbs
p; I slipped into the chapel with my head down, trying to blend in with the rest of the guests. Snaking my way over to the pew behind Harper, I slid in and leaned towards her. I was overtaken by her scent. Vanilla. Exactly as I imagined.
"Is there a problem?" Anthony Santangelo asked as he shifted in his seat to give me the eye.
I hoped he wouldn't recognize me. I made it a habit to keep myself in the background, to blend in. The annoyed look on his face said he had no idea who I was and didn't care. I was in the clear.
"I have a phone call for Miss Harper Carmichael," I said. "It's Carlo Carlisi."
"I'll take it," Anthony said.
"No," she said, putting her hand on his arm before turning to me. For the briefest moment her brow wrinkled and I wondered if she did see me that day in the backyard. "Is Darla ok?"
"I don't know, Miss," I said. "He only said it was important."
Harper stood and Anthony let her out into the aisle before taking his seat again. She followed me into the hall and once we were out of Anthony's line of sight, she touched my arm.
"There is no phone call, is there?" she asked.
My eyes met hers and for the first time I saw her eyes were hazel. I didn't know what to say. I hadn't thought about anything past getting her out of the chapel.
Toni appeared and smiled widely at Harper.
"Harper, how are you? It's been a long time," she said. As she pulled Harper in for a hug, I heard Toni whisper to her. "Please come with us, don't ask any questions."
Harper looked at me and then at Toni and nodded.
"Let's go," I said firmly.
They followed me down the hall and as we approached the service entrance, a hush took over the chapel. Glancing down the hall I saw the bride, dressed in white, with the faintest glimmer of dark hair showing through her veil. Our time was almost up.
I opened the door and we ran down the stairs. For a moment I wondered why Harper would follow us, but I didn't have time to think about it. I was just happy to have her with us. I pushed open the service door that led to the street and held it open for Toni and Harper.
As she walked past, Harper looked at me again. Her eyes swept over my face and then scrunched briefly as if she was trying to remember something.
"How do I know you?" she asked.
Toni sighed impatiently. "We really don't have time for this," she said. "Sonny, you have a lot of explaining to do. This wasn't part of the plan."
"I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone, Toni," I said.
I opened the car door for them to get in and looked back at La Terrazza. The happy couple were probably exchanging vows by now. Toni got into the car, but Harper stopped and looked at me again.
"You were there that day, weren't you? When Benny hit his head in the pool."
"Get in," I said. I tilted my face down to meet her eyes. I needed her to know I was serious. I didn't have time for this now.
She slid into the car beside Toni and I closed the door and started driving. I wanted to be out of this area before it happened. I didn't want to get stuck in the traffic it would cause.
In the underground garage of La Terrazza were Town Cars parked by my associates. I gave them exact instructions on where to park the cars. In the trunks were timed explosives Dante had taught me to make years ago and each car was parked next to a building support.
As I steered the car onto the expressway, I knew we were in the clear. To the right I could see La Terrazza in the distance standing out like a beacon. I checked my watch and as the second hand swept past twelve, a series of small explosions took out the supports on the second floor. And just as I planned, they were quickly followed by the car bombs below.
A scream came from behind me and I watched through my rearview mirror as Harper pressed herself against the window facing the collapsing building. As she sobbed, Toni shot me a look of annoyance as she tried to comfort Harper. I knew I complicated things by bringing Harper, but I couldn't let her die.
As her cries filled the car, I tuned them out. I had to fight every urge to pull over and hold her and wipe away her tears. But I knew she wouldn't want that. Not from me. Not from the man who killed her fiancé.
Days ago I had Jayden place bombs underneath the pews in the chapel. They were chemical bombs and it was unlikely anyone would be able to trace their signature. I had connections in the military and was able to get my hands on stuff no other civilian knew existed.
La Terrazza would be a pile of rubble before the firetrucks and police could get there. No one at the wedding would have survived, but anyone with connections to the five families would know exactly who was responsible and the message being sent.
EPILOGUE
The Next Day
Dante
"Where the hell is he?" I said angrily. "Where is Sonny?"
I paced the carpeted windowless room waiting for someone to answer me, but only got silence. My mother was busy moving from each of my brothers as she placed the orange rose boutonniere on each of their tuxedos. The only one missing was Sonny.
Mitcham entered the room looking dapper in his tux, a similar one to the one I wore. He smiled at me as he walked over.
"You're more nervous than the bride," Mitcham said. "FYI, she looks stunning."
"You went over there?" I asked a little annoyed.
"Of course. This is the one time I get to do something you can't," he said with a chuckle.
Gia had taken the whole wedding tradition thing to the extreme. I hadn't seen her since yesterday when she sprung on me that I couldn't see her the day of the wedding until she walked down the aisle.
Her timing was perfect though. She didn't know I was behind the La Terrazza explosion and I know she would have suspected something if she noticed the information coming to me before it hit the media. I knew the wedding would clear us of any guilt, but Gia's sticking with tradition kept her even more innocent.
"We're running out of time," I said. "Where is that sonofabitch?"
"I'm here," Sonny said as he walked into the room carrying his tuxedo jacket over his shoulder. "You know I wouldn't miss my own brother's wedding. I was just checking on the bride."
"Nice of you to join us," I said, annoyed that he got to see Gia too. "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"
"Have you seen the view?" he asked.
"You really are a son of a bitch," I said.
"Hey, hey!" my mother said. "He might not be my son, but you don't talk about your brother that way. I'm sure that puttana of a mother of his is a perfectly nice woman."
"Mother," I said, "not now."
"Alright, alright," she said. "I'm going to take Nonna and look in on Gia. At least she has a sense of humor."
After my mother left, Sonny approached me as he slipped his jacket on. He looked around before looking back at me.
"I'm sorry about how things went down yesterday," he said. "She was there and I...I couldn't. You understand?"
"Is that situation under control? There's a difference between the families thinking it was us and them knowing, capisce?"
"Everything's fine. She's not talking. I think she's been around long enough to know better."
"Good. One less thing to worry about," I said.
"I'll still keep an eye on her though."
"I'm sure you will," I said with a laugh, but Sonny didn't find it very funny.
Sonny would find out soon enough that there are things in life you cannot control. Falling in love is one.
Toni peeked in and then entered the room. It was the first time I had seen her since involving her in my plan. I wasn't sure what to expect, but if she was upset she was hiding it well.
"How are you holding up?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said. "I got duped and put the family in danger. Papa is dead because of me."
"No, Toni. Don't disregard how smart those people are. They played you, but if it wasn't you they would have found someone else. At least you got to settle the score."
She
nodded. "Trust me, it won't happen again. I'm done with dating. I'm going to head back to Gia and help her with her veil. It's almost time." She smiled as she started walking out the door. "Oh and Dante? Very cool of you to bring us all out to California. I could get used to this weather."
***
Two weeks ago
Gia
Sitting on the balcony outside our bedroom in a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, I stared out at the ocean. The grey sky made the ocean a sad, dingy color, but it didn't matter because my mind was blank. Since Toni, her mom, and Nonna had left, I couldn't think. With the dress now taken care of, I didn't know what to do next. I was stuck.
I had so much to plan for with the wedding, but my heart wasn't in it. Every detail reminded me that Momma wouldn't be there and that I didn't care if the rest of my family was. Except for Carlo.
Carlo and I had grown closer since Terry's funeral. We regularly spoke on the phone and I looked forward to that. As I watched the waves crash onto the beach, I thought about him and reached for my phone.
"Carlisi Construction. This is Carlo," he said answering the phone.
"Hey, it's Gia. Are you busy?"
"Of course not. Everything ok? You sound...weird."
I sighed. I hated that my voice gave up so much of my emotions.
"I don't know," I said, shaking my head even though I knew he couldn't see it over the phone. "It's this wedding. I just feel like it's out of control and not what I want."
"Is it Dante?"
"Why do you always go there? Dante is perfect. I want nothing more than to marry him. It's just this whole wedding business."
"You're still planning on having it at La Terrazza? Even after what happened to you?"
"Yes," I said sighing. "I'm not going to stop going places just because something bad happened there. The place is nice and it's big enough for everyone."
"Big enough?"
"Yes, big enough. We're up to three hundred guests. I don't even know ten people outside our family. My list is our family. I swear it's like this wedding has a life of its own and it keeps growing. But it's more than that. I keep thinking about Momma and how I wish she could be there. And I don't even have a father to walk me down the aisle because he died so long ago."
Boss: A Mafia Romance Page 6