Chapter 124

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 124 It was an awesome wedding.

It was an even better wedding reception.

We got married in Resuttano, but afterwards we went to the other side of Sicily, as far away from Don Vicari as we could get.

The old lady came through for us a second time, because three empty cars were waiting for us outside the chapel.

There was a piece of paper on the dash of one car, along with a handwritten note and a telephone number:

Call after you leave Sicily.

Lars and Rachel checked the cars out thoroughly for bombs, but after they were satisfied, we drove three hours and found a little village in the middle of nowhere.

We sat outdoors around a stone table, feasted on food from the only restaurant in town, and drank glass after glass of champagne.

Cat sat on my lap, her arm draped lovingly around my shoulders.

Everybody was happy –

Except for Niccolo.

He just sat back in his chair, frowning the entire time, a dark cloud over his head.

After we finished lunch, Dario said diplomatically to Isabella, “I’m assuming your days in Sicily have probably come to an end.”

“Yes, but that’s alright. Lu and I have lived our entire lives on one tiny patch of land. It’s time to see other places.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay with us until you figure out where you’re going,” Alessandra offered.

Dario looked at his wife in surprise.

“Well?” Alessandra asked. “Isn’t she?”

“...yes,” Dario said, recovering with a polite smile. “We would be delighted to have you.”

“That’s very kind. Thank you.”

“Oh, so now we’re taking in strays,” Niccolo grumbled. “And in the middle of a war.”

“Niccolo,” Alessandra snapped.

Nic just drained his glass of champagne and didn’t say anything else.

“Do you have funds to travel?” Roberto asked Isabella.

“No, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

“Let’s talk when we get back to Tuscany,” Roberto said. “We can provide you with something to get you started.”

“So now we’re giving money away after nearly going broke?” Niccolo spat.

“We’re flush with cash at the moment,” Roberto reprimanded him. “We can afford a wedding gift.”

“A wedding gift,” Niccolo said sarcastically. “Wonderful. As if nearly getting killed wasn’t enough.”

“Niccolo!” Alessandra snapped.

Dario looked annoyed with Nic, too, but everybody else was downright uncomfortable.

Cat squeezed my hand nervously.

Lars and Rachel kept their eyes on their plates.

Mei-ling held Roberto’s hand in a show of support –

And Massimo shot Nic a look like, Can you please shut up?

Lucia, on the other hand, was highly entertained. She kept glancing back and forth like she was watching volleys at Wimbledon.

Isabella looked embarrassed. “I’m very touched by your offer, but we don’t want to be a burden – ”

“Nic’s not pissed at you, Isabella,” I said loudly. “He’s angry at me. So Nic, why don’t you and I take a little walk and hash this out, huh?”

“Gladly,” Niccolo snarled.

Cat looked at me in a panic as I lifted her off my lap and stood up.

I gave her a wink. Don’t worry. I got this.

Once again, I was going to have to face the music for what I’d done.

But after what had gone down in the chapel, this would be a piece of cake.

I walked over to a nearby alley with stone walls covered with vines. Niccolo followed right behind me.

“If you’ve got something to say to me, say it,” I said in a low voice.

“You disobeyed my orders over and over,” he hissed. “You deliberately sabotaged everything – and you could have gotten us all killed.”

“Yeah, well, it worked out – ”

“By the grace of God and an old Sicilian woman,” Niccolo snapped. “Dario should throw you out of the fucking family.”

I stood there in shock like he’d sucker-punched me.

Back in the chapel, I’d told Dario I would bear any punishment he doled out – including being disowned and banned.

But deep down, I didn’t really think he’d do it.

However, I knew Niccolo would.

“Is that what you’re going to recommend?” I finally asked. “As his consigliere?”

“Because of what you did, we can never trust you again,” Niccolo fumed. “When the chips are down, we have no idea if you won’t go rogue again and fuck us all.”

“That’s not what I asked,” I said coldly. “Are you going to recommend Dario disown me?”

“I’m going to strenuously suggest he consider the option,” Niccolo snapped.

If Nic was really going to push for me to be banned from the family, then fuck it –

I wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Fuck you,” I hissed. “YOU fucked up.”

Nic gave an ugly laugh. “By trusting YOU? Absolutely.”

“No – you fucked up because you got everything wrong. Lars is alive. Massimo’s alive. Roberto got the money. Everything’s fine.”

“No one knew it would turn out that way!”

“Yeah, but when it did turn out alright, you were still going to sacrifice me – even when it wasn’t necessary!”

“We made an agreement – ”

“And I was the one who was going to suffer for it.”

“I did what I did to give this family a fighting chance against Fausto!”

“Yeah, as long as you didn’t have to pay the fucking price.”

Niccolo’s face hardened. “Well, now we’re ALL going to have to pay the price. Do you realize what kind of an enemy you made today?”

“He can’t kill me,” I smirked as I held up my hand.

“And what about the rest of us?” Niccolo raged. “We didn’t get a pass from the old woman, did we?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Vicari wouldn’t do that – not after what his grandmother said – ”

“Maybe not directly, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help OTHER people kill us, you stupid, self-centered little – ”

“Consigliere,” a voice said darkly.

We both turned to see Dario standing there.

He gestured with his head. “Take a walk.”

Niccolo scowled. “I was only – ”

“I said, take a walk.”

Niccolo clenched his jaw...

Glared at me one last time...

And then walked out of the alley.

Dario waited until Nic was gone, then strolled over to me with a half-smile on his face. “You two were really going at it.”

“He was ripping me a new asshole,” I admitted.

“Yes, I heard. And he has a point.”

My stomach dropped.

I knew this moment was coming...

And I had been dreading it.

But now that it was here, I had to face it with courage.

“Don Rosolini,” I said humbly, “I fucked up. I disobeyed your orders, and I beg you to forgive me. All I can say in my defense is I was in love – and I was too stupid to know it when you offered me the chance to marry Caterina. If I had been smart enough then to – ”

“She’s your sola e unica,” Dario said quietly.

Your one and only.

“Yes. Yes, she is – and I was too dumb to know it until it was too late. I’m begging you, please don’t – ”

He held up one hand.

I immediately shut up.

Then he smiled kindly. “You’ve done a lot of growing up since I saw you last.”

“...I guess I have.”

“I knew you were in love with her when I made you that offer. But I could see you didn’t know it yet.”

I nodded. “You’re right.”

Dario clapped me on the shoulder, then put his hand affectionately on my neck. “It’s your wedding day, Valentino. And my gift to you is this: because you were in love with a woman you were willing to risk your life for, I will forgive your disobedience.”

Relief flooded my body. “Don Rosolini – thank you – ”

Suddenly his hand tightened on my neck.

When he spoke, his voice was steely, and he stared into my eyes with a look that chilled me to my soul.

“But do not EVER. Do it. Again. Understood?”

I swallowed hard. “Never again, Don Rosolini. I swear it on my love for Caterina.”

He peered into my eyes for a long moment...

And then he gave me a kind smile.

“Alright. Come on... let’s go celebrate. It’s your wedding day, after all.”

And he put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me as we left the alleyway.