Page 49 of Angelo

Standing with the handful of women, Elyse waited for the casket to be removed from the hearse. She kept a close eye on Valentina. She didn't like the way the blonde kept glancing at Gaspare. A touch of malice gleamed in her blue eyes.

Was Valentina truly planning to go along with this sham of a marriage?

Skepticism plagued Elyse. The blonde's attitude was beginning to feel too accommodating. Suspiciously so. Valentina was probably fantasizing about putting a bullet through her groom-to-be right this second.

Once they entered the church, guests shuffled inside and took their seats along the dark oak pews. Elyse and Valentina sat beside each other. They were close to one of the side exits. Alessandro, Benedetto, and members from the other clans carried Vincenzo’s casket through the entrance of the church. An ethereal rendition of "Amazing Grace" played in the background. With four men positioned on each side, they walked down the aisle with the casket hoisted upon their shoulders in slow, somber steps. The casket was laid down beside the altar.

As Benedetto and Alessandro came to sit beside Elyse, her gaze studied the stained glass windows on either side of the church. Shadows and silhouettes of their men flashed by as they moved into position around the perimeter. They were on standby. If Gaspare De León didn't make a move against Domenico Berlusconi, then—

The priest began to lead them in prayer,"Padre nostro che sei nei cieli..." Our Father who art in heaven...

Elyse struggled to stay in the moment. Fear stung her senses. Her insides were trembling. There was so much going on even though a bullet had yet to fly. These moments were the final lull before the chaos. She felt it in her bones. Elyse forced herself to appear calm and collected, at least, outwardly, as her eyes continued to sweep the room for signs of danger.

Valentina was putting on a masterful performance to her right, weeping and praying softly as crystalline tears glistened down her cheeks.

The priest droned on,"Sia santificato il tuo nome..." Hallowed be thy name...

Across the aisle, Orlando was watching his brother like a spider about to catch a fly.

Gaspare wouldn't stop glowering in Domenico's direction.

A balding, beefy-looking fellow named Ronaldo was one of Domenico's bodyguards. His hand kept drifting toward his chest as though getting ready to pull out a gun from inside his suit jacket.

"Venga il tuo regno..." Thy kingdom come...

Alessandro's face remained impassive, but Elyse could feel the tension radiating from her husband's core.

Aberto and her grandfather appeared to be the most unreadable ones. Elyse didn't know whether or not this was a good sign.

"Sia fatta la tua volontà..." Thy will be done...

Suddenly, a faintly abrasive smell hit Elyse's nostrils. Was the room looking hazier than before? She coughed and glanced up. Thin clouds colored in a ghostly white hue billowed through the air vents, shrouding the ceiling rafters in a light, misty fog. Panic and confusion surged through Elyse's entire body.

Fire?

Captivated by the smoke, she didn’t notice Gaspare as he reached into his blazer to pull out a weapon. Before the priest could utter another word, the final lull of peace came to an abrupt end, and chaos was unleashed in three blood-curdling beats.

One.

An ear-splitting crack sounded through the air.

Two.

Ronaldo screamed and fell to the floor in a pool of blood.

Three.

All the guns came out.

The De Leóns and the Berlusconis were aiming at each other.

Alessandro, Benedetto, and their men had no choice but to pull their guns on the Berlusconis as well. They needed to maintain the facade of being allied with the De Leóns.

The Gravianos and Svizzis followed Alessandro's lead.

The Trevisanos sided with the Berlusconis.

The Morettis did as well.

---