A Dance of War - Ellie R. Hunter Page 0,44

powerful it’s going to feel when I see my ring on her finger and hear her referred to as Mrs. Marocchi.

It keeps me up at night sometimes that she won’t want to take my name, but I fall asleep telling myself she wouldn’t want to marry me if she was ashamed of it.

She catches me staring at the cross and beams. “I haven’t taken it off since you gave it to me.”

“Good. I like knowing there’s a piece of me with you when we’re apart.”

“Soon we’ll never have to part. What do you think life will be like for us?”

Prowling over her, she lowers herself onto her back once more and I hover above her.

“It’ll be whatever you want it to be. When I see the future, I just see you by my side and us living free.”

“Free. I like the sound of that.”

Opening my eyes, the past fades away, and the Father’s coffin is the first thing I see. The priest is rambling on, reading a poem about love and light, and I begin to regret my choice in coming and having to sit through this.

I have respect for the dead. I’ve been to countless funerals of the men who have died for my family, but sitting here for appearances’ sake is proving to be harder than I expected.

“The chief hasn’t taken his eyes off us since he walked in,” Cristian murmurs under his breath.

“Then don’t give him anything to catch,” I whisper back, trying not to move my lips.

The chief already knows it was me who ordered the hit on Father Antonio, but with no proof, there’s no arrest.

Cutting my eyes over to Mila once more, her head is bent and her lips are moving beneath her veil, no doubt praying for the Father and lacing it with vows of revenge aimed at me.

The service drones on for another hour before Father Antonio’s coffin is carried out to be buried in the cemetery behind the church. I remain seated, as does Mila and Trey until everyone has left.

Resting my arm on the back of the pew, I half turn to face the woman who has caused me so many sleepless nights.

“Would you dare show your face at my funeral after having me killed too?” she snaps. I must admit, this is the angriest I’ve ever seen her.

“One has to keep up appearances, Mila. You know that.”

Her top lip curls, her anger feeding into my need of having her attention on me.

“If I never find peace, nor will you. I guarantee it,” she warns.

I can’t help but laugh. “Peace? You still think peace is achievable? You’re a fool if you do.”

Rising to her feet, her startling black dress clings to her body: her heels adding five inches to her height.

“I warned you what would happen if you showed up here again, yet you didn’t take me seriously. Why?”

Dragging my ass up to my feet, I come face-to-face with her, noting Trey’s jaw tensing over her shoulder.

“Because even you wouldn’t commit murder in the Lord’s house.”

“Maybe not. But eventually, you’ll have to step outside.”

Her coldness seeps into my pores as I call her bluff.

“Then I ask you, Mila Camarco, will you dare to show your face at my funeral after having me killed?”

A cruel but stunningly beautiful smile transforms her face.

“One has to keep up appearances, Raphael,” she sneers, throwing my own words back at me. “Take your chances on your way out.”

Her heels tap loudly as she walks down the aisle, Trey taking long strides to catch up to her.

“Well, that went swimmingly,” Cristian mutters sarcastically. “Shall I call Leo and let him know to put two coffins on order now, or just leave it up to him to throw our asses in our graves and be done with it?”

Turning, I narrow my eyes at him. “You know, it’s beginning to piss me off.”

“What is?”

“Your lack of belief that I would walk in here without having various routes of escape if needed. Come on.”

With everyone at the burial, the place is empty, and Cristian follows behind me as I lead us through one of the side doors and down a series of stairs until we come to a small wooden door locked with a rusted bolt. It takes some finagling, but it comes undone, and we’re faced with the old tunnels that lead out in various directions under the city.

“If I ask how you know about this, will you give me a straight answer?”

“No.”

Cristian taps the torch setting on

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