Page 21 of The Bond

Concerned that the relative calm wouldn’t last, I rushed back to Don Romano, informing him that the exit was safe. Trusting me, he shouted orders at some of the guards in the main church and the guards were soon herding people out of the church to safety outside while Don Romano and I kept watchful eyes over the process.

Eventually, everyone who wanted to leave was out of the church, the security guards increasing their presence around the perimeter.

Satisfied that the guards had finally regained control, Don Romano made orders for the wedding party to head to his hotel for the reception.

At first, I thought it was crazy to go ahead with the reception after the attack, but from the clench of Don Romano’s jaw, I sensed that he was trying to prove a point. We weren’t going to be scared off by some coward who didn’t have the guts to face us man-to-man.

Still, I checked with Valentina as I helped her into the passenger seat of one of my family’s bulletproof cars. “You’re sure about going to the reception?”

Valentina reached out to take my hands, the gesture making me feel like we could salvage the day. Make it ours again, instead of letting a madman think he could conduct things.

“We can’t back down,” Valentina said firmly, her courage once again leaving me in awe of her. “We have to show a united front now more than ever.”

She was right. Forgetting myself, I leaned in close, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Damn it, without a priest instructing me to kiss her, I didn’t know what the hell the protocol was. I had followed my father’s orders and now I was rightfully paying the price for it. Valentina hadn’t forgiven me and that meant, her hatred for me would likely burn brighter than ever.

As it dawned on me that I had probably made a mistake, I felt her lips curve against mine. I pulled back to see the faintest smile on her face. So, she wasn’t rejecting me.

Maybe we could do more than just salvage the day. Maybe together we could salvage this entire marriage before it fell apart.

But there was no time to talk. We had to get to the reception, so I got into the driver’s seat and headed for the hotel.

The reception ended up a lot more low-key than originally planned. For one thing, half the guests weren’t there, the shooting understandably scaring them off. For another, every time there was a news update regarding the shooting, some cousin would read off an announcement from their phone or share video.

There was very little new information to report, but with wedding guests, including politicians and prominent New York businessmen, the shooting was guaranteed to make headlines.

In addition to the news media focusing on us, we also had to deal with communication from law enforcement, which we didn’t like, and from our lawyers working to stonewall the cops.

Both families were sitting at the main table, each side managing to be civil to one other during the reception, which mostly went by in a blur for me.

When it was time for the speeches from the fathers, my old man got up, so drunk that most of his words were in slurred Italian. Valentina told me that she could understand every fifth word so she clapped politely through the speech from her place at the center of the banquet table. She was one of the few who did clap, which was a testament to her having a hell of a lot more patience and kindness than most of the attendees.

Valentina’s father gave the last toast, holding a glass of red wine in his hands.

“Today has been a special day,” Don Romano said. “A strange day. A trying day. One where we’ve been tested. I’d like to thank you all for coming. I know that some faces are missing—and who can blame them? But I’m grateful for your presence in this moment. On behalf of the Romano family and the De Luca family, I’d like to thank you for your continued support.”

Guests applauded.

“I truly wish that today had been peaceful. Sadly, that wasn’t meant to be,” Don Romano continued. “Time and time again, we’ve been tested. I just want to say that over the course of these past several weeks and months, my daughter Valentina and her new husband Enzo have weathered every challenge beautifully. Together.”

More applause.

Don Romano lifted his wine glass, tipping it in our direction. “To my daughter Valentina and my new son-in-law. May your marriage be a long and fruitful one, where you both overcome adversity with the strength and grace that you demonstrated today.”

“To Enzo and Valentina,” the guests said, lifting their glasses to us.

The reception wound down after that, and with a final goodbye to our parents, I got Valentina into the bulletproof car once again to drive her home to the townhouse.

~~*~~

AS SOON AS WE STEPPED into the townhouse, I felt the urge to talk to her. The thought of us going to separate bedrooms to live separate lives was damn intolerable to me. We needed to hash things out. Exhausted as I felt from the day’s events, I wouldn’t be able to get a good night’s sleep again until I showed Valentina my commitment to this. To her.

“Tired?” I asked her, as we strode up the hallway side by side.

She stopped at her bedroom door, tilting her head as she gazed up at me. “Yes. You?”

“Tired,” I admitted. “Not too tired to talk though.”

Valentina nodded slowly, taking in my words. “Today was crazy.”