Page 18 of Reign of Hope

“Yeah, okay.” I let out a breath. Dad comes over to join us; Leo briefs him on the delay. Dad pulls me close in a manly hug.

“Gotta have trust, son,” he murmurs in my ear, then heads back to keep the guests calm.

* * *

An hour later…

We’ve heard word that everyone is safe, and we’re waiting outside the church as Dante’s car comes into view and pulls right up to the front steps. I race down the steps as Victorio gets out of the back seat. I nearly shove him aside and poke my head inside to see Allegra shaking like a leaf, but safe and unhurt.

I hold out my hand for her. “Come on, baby. Take my hand.” Her fingers slip into my hand, and I guide her out of the car. She’s wearing the dress she should have chosen from the start. She looks like an angel.

“I must look a fright,” Allegra says, putting a hand up to her face.

Elena speaks up on my behalf. “Ally needs a few minutes to touch up. Is there anywhere we can sit and do that inside?”

Reno steps in to say, “Absolutely. Sebastian will take you to it and will stand outside until you’re ready.” He nods at Ally. “We take care of our own. They will pay for this.”

“Thank you, Capo.” Her voice is quiet but steady. Ally may have been away from the Mafia world for a short time, but she was born and raised in this life, and she knows what to expect. She needs to be strong and show Reno that she can deal with whatever comes our way.

“I want a briefing on what happened. Dante, Victorio, come with me. Zano and Leo, join us,” Reno says. I squeeze Ally’s hand, letting her go as Elena places an arm around her, and they are led away by Sebastian. Reno waits until the women are out of earshot before asking, “What the hell happened out there?”

Victorio starts to recount the events, and Dante continues with “We’re collecting footage from the dashcam and whatever else I can find. Tonio, in the car behind them, said he didn’t recognize any of them. He was able to get some photos before the shooting started, but they’re blurry. I’m going to see what I can do with them later.”

“We have nothing,” Reno says, running a hand through his hair.

“We have the make, model, and partial plate numbers, thanks to Victorio,” Leo adds. “That’s something.”

Reno turns to Victorio. “I see you’re benefiting from your time with Leo. That pleases me.”

You can literally see Victorio’s chest puff out. He wants to prove himself so much. “I want to help, Capo. What can I do?”

“For now, we get this wedding underway. Tomorrow, we’ll tackle this issue. We will not let our enemies taint this day,” Reno decides, then looks to me. “Let’s get you married.” He grins. It’s rare to see Reno do that in public.

I have questions of my own I want to ask, but I’ll set them aside for now, because my greater concern is to get to Ally.

* * *

Allegra

Fixing my hair with only a comb was a chore but doable. The smeared mascara and smudged makeup are another story.

“I’ll be right back,” Elena says, then, not a moment later, comes back with Oliva and Anna in tow. All of them open their purses and offer me all they have to redo my face. I steady my hands and get to it.

As crazy as this sounds, I think I look even better than before. The colors are lighter and more natural, and they suit me.

“You look amazing,” Anna says happily.

I stand and look in the mirror. “This is as ready as I’m going to get.” Elena smooths out my dress, while Olivia takes my bouquet and reties the ribbon.

“Okay, all done,” Olivia says, handing it to me. “Anna and I will let them know you’re ready.”

Victorio comes in and smiles. “Never looked better, Ally.” Elena gives my arm a squeeze and leaves my brother and me alone for a private moment.

I’ve wanted to ask Victorio a question since I knew we were being followed, and this is the perfect time to ask, “Was it the Skulls, Vic?”

His face gets serious. “I don’t think so. I would tell Leo if it was. It all happened so fast. They’re being good to us. I wouldn’t hold back, I swear.”

His expression and tone say it all. He admires Leo and wants to belong inNostra Casa.He wouldn’t jeopardize this. “I believe you,” I say, and he relaxes.

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