Chapter 106

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 106 We arrived at the chapel shortly before noon.

My brothers and their wives – and fiancées, for fuck’s sake – were all in the other cars.

I rode with my future father-in-law. Neither one of us said anything the entire way.

The entire time, I was seething inside.

Every single ONE of them got the woman they wanted –

But me?

NO.

I’m the one who has to throw away my entire goddamn life!

As we drove up to the chapel, I saw two of Vicari’s goons out front – one tall, one short.

They were smoking cigarettes, which they quickly threw on the ground and stomped out.

Vicari got out of the SUV and walked over to them. “Well?”

“Nobody around, sir,” the tall one answered.

“Well...” the short one muttered, “there was a chick inside.”

Vicari looked at him sharply. “What?”

“Some woman whose mother died last week, sir,” the tall one said, giving his shorter partner some serious side-eye. “She was saying prayers.”

“Where is she?!” Vicari demanded.

“Uh...” The tall one looked around at the open door to the chapel. “She left, sir.”

“She left?” Vicari asked incredulously. “You didn’t throw her out?!”

The tall one winced. “She was just some woman saying prayers for her dead mother, sir...”

“Idiots!” Vicari snarled, then walked back towards me.

“I fuckin’ told you,” the short one muttered to the tall one under his breath.

“Problems?” Niccolo asked as he got out of his car.

“No,” Vicari answered. “No problems at all.”

Suddenly, I heard an engine in the distance.

I looked over to see a silver car heading for the chapel.

Vicari’s men went for their guns –

“Calm yourselves,” he said loudly. “That’ll be the priest.”

Everyone watched as a silver Rolls Royce pulled up beside Vicari’s fleet of vehicles, and a chauffeur in a suit hopped out.

When he opened the rear door, an elderly man got out. He wore black velvet robes with a red zucchetto – the traditional skullcap worn by bigwigs in the Catholic Church.

“Your Excellency,” Vicari said as he bowed his head to the priest.

“Signor Vicari, so good to see you on this blessed day,” the old man said. “I trust you have what we discussed?”

Vicari handed the man a fat envelope, which disappeared into the priest’s robes.

“Very good, very good,” the old man said. Then he looked at me and winced. “Good heavens, boy – what happened to your face?”

“The bottom of the Mediterranean, padre,” I said.

“Oh... you’re the groom, I presume?”

“Yes,” Vicari answered for me.

“And the bride?”

“My daughter will be along any moment.”

“Wonderful. In that case, I’ll go ahead and prepare for the ceremony.”

The old man hobbled inside the chapel as the chauffeur stayed outside with the Rolls.

In the distance, half a dozen black cars came from the direction of Don Vicari’s compound.

“My family are here,” he announced.

The cars pulled up next to the Rolls, and everyone inside spilled out.

First there was Rocco. For once, he was dressed in a suit.

He walked towards the chapel with a woman carrying a screaming toddler.

As he passed by me, he looked at my face and smirked.

He was less confident when he faced his father. He apparently hadn’t wormed his way back into Don Vicari’s good graces quite yet.

“Ciao, Papa. I’m gonna go inside and – ”

“Wait here for Nonna,” Don Vicari snapped. “Your wife can go in.”

Rocco sheepishly obeyed, gesturing for his wife to go inside.

Next were the sisters, Abriana and Marcella, and their brood of children. Accompanying them were their husbands, two of Rocco’s henchmen I’d seen in Pozzallo and Gela. They all followed Rocco’s wife into the chapel.

Then came the old lady – Don Vicari’s grandmother and Isabella’s great-grandmother.

Vicari helped her out of the car and walked her over to Rocco.

As she passed by me, she gave me a sunny smile.

Even though I felt awful, I did my best to smile back.

Then Rocco took her arm and helped her up the steps of the chapel.