Page 261 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

Outstanding!

So shedidget it.

“That’s awesome,” I said, and I meant it. I was happy to hear my big brother was okay – and that nobody was listening in on her side of the conversation. “Will he be able to come to the wedding?”

“I’ll be honest… all of us think he should stay in Venice and rest, but he absolutely insists on being there. I don’t think anything but a direct order from Dario would keep him away – and maybe not even that.”

I chuckled.

“Tell him thank you.” And then I said something she knew was out of character for me: “I really want everybody I love to be there at the chapel.”

The last time I’d used those words –everybody I love– was the night I’d found out Massimo was shot.

I had specifically been talking about Cat.

In fact, ‘everybody’ might as well have been code for ‘Caterina.’

Alessandra had picked up on it then; I was hoping she would pick up on it now.

From her reply, I was pretty sure she got it.

“I’m sure everybody will try. What’s going on?”

“I wanted to know when everybody was coming.”

“Last I heard, we’re flying over to Sicily the morning of the wedding.”

“Would it be possible for everybody to come 24 hours ahead of time? I’d really like to see everybody.”

“No,” Don Vicari interjected.

I’d planned for that.

“Come on,” I asked him, pretending to plead. “What’s 24 hours ahead of time?”

“NO,” Vicari snapped. “Don’t ask again.”

I hadn’t been trying to convince him.

I’d been emphasizing‘24 hours ahead of time.’

Alessandra got the hint.

“I think it would be possible, Valentino, but if your father-in-law doesn’t want it – by the way, Don Vicari, what time IS the wedding on Saturday?”

He frowned like he couldn’t quite decide if something was up or not. “Noon.”

“And it was at that little chapel near – what was the village? Retusanno?”

“Resuttano.”

“Right, Resuttano.”

Alessandra was letting me know she’d tell Cat to be at the chapel outside Resuttano at noon tomorrow –

Twenty-four hours before the wedding.

My heart leapt in my chest, but I managed to keep a poker face.

---