Chapter 9 - THE HEIRLOOM (THE HAPPY ENDING)
Bang.
The gunshot deafened the cathedral.
But I didn't feel any pain.
Before Vanessa’s finger even fully depressed the trigger, Luca had moved. With terrifying speed, he grabbed the heavy silver candelabra off the altar and hurled it directly at her.
The heavy metal struck her wrist a fraction of a second before the gun fired. The bullet sailed harmlessly into the vaulted ceiling, shattering a stained-glass window.
Vanessa collapsed to the marble floor, screaming as her wrist broke, the derringer sliding away across the polished stone.
Instantly, ten Moretti enforcers descended on her, pinning her to the ground in her ruined white dress.
Total silence fell over the church, save for Vanessa's pathetic sobbing.
Luca didn't even look down at the woman he was supposed to marry. He turned and sprinted down the aisle toward me.
He grabbed my shoulders, his dark eyes frantically searching my face, my chest, for any sign of blood.
"Lily? Are you hit? Lily!"
"I'm fine," I breathed, my knees finally buckling from the adrenaline crash.
He caught me, pulling me hard against his chest. He buried his face in my hair, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe. But I didn't want to. Being in his arms was the safest I had ever felt in my entire life.
"You did it," he whispered fiercely against my ear. "You saved them."
At the front of the church, Michael broke free from the stunned guard and ran down the aisle. The heavy cathedral doors opened, and Daniel stepped inside, carrying the bundled baby, with Anna right behind him.
"Michael!" Anna screamed.
"Anna!"
The two collided in the center aisle, falling to their knees, weeping as Michael held his wife and laid eyes on his daughter for the very first time.
There wasn't a dry eye in the church. Even the hardened mafia capos looked away, giving the family their moment.
Don Bellini stepped into the aisle, looking like a man who had just aged twenty years. He looked at Vanessa, pinned to the floor in handcuffs, and then looked at Luca.
"The Bellini family disavows her," the old man said, his voice broken. "She broke the laws of the Commission. She is yours to deal with, Moretti. And the Vitiello debt... we will handle ourselves."
Luca nodded once. "Get her out of my sight."
Guards dragged a screaming, thrashing Vanessa out the side door. She would face the Commission's justice, and in this world, that meant she would never see the light of day again.
The war was over before it even began.
Luca turned back to me. He gently took my right hand, looking at the dirty silk handkerchief covering my burn.
"You don't belong in an apron, Lily," he said softly, his thumb brushing my wrist. "You don't serve anyone anymore. Not ever again."
"Luca..." I whispered, overwhelmed by the intensity in his gaze.
"Mommy!"
A tiny voice echoed from the vestibule.
Chloe walked into the church, holding Leo's hand.
Leo let go of his aunt and ran down the long aisle, his little dress shoes slapping against the marble.
I dropped to my knees and caught him, burying my face in his neck.
"You came back!" Leo smiled, wiping a tear from my cheek.
"I promised I would, baby," I smiled, crying happily.
Leo looked up. Standing above us was Luca. The terrifying mafia boss looked down at the six-year-old boy, and his intimidating aura melted away completely.
Luca knelt down, getting eye-level with my son.
"You were very brave last night, Leo," Luca said. "You helped save the day."
Leo puffed out his chest a little. "I drew the picture."
"You did," Luca smiled, a real, genuine smile. "And because of that, I want to ask you a question. How would you and your mom, and Aunt Chloe, like to come live at my house? For good?"
Leo’s eyes went wide. "The big house with the pool?"
"And the movie theater," Luca confirmed.
Leo looked at me, practically vibrating with excitement. "Can we, Mommy? Can we stay?"
I looked at Luca. He wasn't offering me a job. He was offering me a place by his side. A family.
"Yes," I whispered, my heart soaring. "We can stay."
Luca stood up, pulling me up with him. He wrapped his arm securely around my waist, pulling me against his side, and kissed the top of my head.
We walked out of the cathedral not as boss and maid, but as equals.
The nightmare was over. But as we stepped into the bright Chicago sunlight, Daniel approached us, a grim look on his face.
"Boss," Daniel said quietly. "We have a problem."
May you like
Luca’s smile faded. "What is it?"
"It's the Vitiellos," Daniel said. "They just found out Vanessa's merger failed. They realize they aren't getting paid. And they’ve just put a hit out on everyone who was in the cathedral."
