44 Chapter 44

"Go ahead, Mr. Gambino. Tell the guests what's happening."

"Thank you, Father Donnelly. I hate to bring this news, so I'm going to keep it simple. It seems my bride has run away with another man. I won't sugarcoat it because the gossip will surely follow in the coming days. I don't know where she is. She just left me this letter and notice that Roman D'Amico is somehow involved. I will sort this out. In the meantime, please join my father and mother in the banquette hall. Enjoy the food and drink and have a good time. If you don't mind, I need some time to myself to process, so I won't be going with you. Have a wonderful evening."

Standing, his father directed people to the doors. Giving his son and soft smile, he knew it wasn't as bad of news as he let on. He was free of Claudia, but now he needed to get down to business to know what was happening behind this sudden change in her plans.

Soon, Luke would find out exactly who he had planned to marry. Also, why the vile woman was more ruthless than her father ever claimed to be. Little did Luke know, but he just dogged the proverbial bullet and didn't even know it.

As the guests cleared the room, Luke waved to his second in command. When the man stepped toward him, he looked more guilty than he'd ever seen him.

"Carlos, what do you know?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Don't make me repeat myself. You were told to watch her over the past few months. She went missing, used my credit cards, I have money missing from my safe, and now a runaway bride. Now, I know damn well everyone wants me to believe that missing money was Roman's doing, but he's not that stupid to break into my house. Nor risk the cartels being on his ass for stealing their money and product. He's up for the top position upon Godfather Don Ricci's retirement. He won't risk a damn war amongst the families."

Carlos' eyes narrowed as he took the accusations from Luke that he wasn't doing his job. "Are you blaming me for that bitch rolling your ass? It's not the first time she stole money. You were fucking stupid to trust her."

"Are you really going to talk to me that way? What happened to telling me to just stick it out? It will be okay, Luke. Just go with the flow. Right?"

Letting out a huff, the man shoved his hands in his pants pockets, as if annoyed to be bothered by his superior for any request he may have. "What do you want me to do?"

"Look into those credit cards. I don't believe for a damn minute Claudia wrote that letter. That wasn't a dear John letter. That was a clue."

"Clue? To what?"

"Don't you worry about that."

Looking at the envelope Luke held in his hands, Carlos looked a little shifty. When he went to reach for it, Luke pulled it from arm's length.

"No. This I'll take care of. You investigate those credit cards. See where they were used in the airport. I want to know exactly what she bought. That will tell me if she was going or coming. I also want to know every flight going and leaving New York that day."

"That will take forever," the man groaned.

"Well, I suggest you get busy then. I told you before, Carlos, no one messes with my money. That woman didn't just max out those cards for no reason. I want to know exactly every move she's made in the past month. Now get out of my face. I need time alone."

"Yes, sir." Rolling his eyes Carlos, walked away before he turned back to Luke with a warning. "The Godfather isn't going to like this. Keep this shit up, Luke, and you're going to lose everything. Stop looking into those crazy conspiracy theories of yours. This shit with the Eye of the Serpent has you acting like a nutcase. No one is out to get you and the five families. And I damn sure doubt Claudia has any underground ties to anything but two-bit hustlers. "

Taking a long stride to get closer to the man, Luke grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him nose to nose with the angry mobster. "Conspiracy? That's what they all say until they know it's true. None of this shit happened until Claudia got to town. I don't think that's a coincidence that all this is happening."

Letting out a chuckle, he loosened the grip Luke had on his shirt. "Then why marry her? Who's really the gold digger, Luke?"

"Mother fucker, I'm nothing like her. If you want to keep your damn job, you'll watch who you're talking to."

"Then why are you so paranoid all the damn time? It's not like you, man. You don't trust anyone anymore. Not even me and I'm supposed to be your right-hand man."

"As they say, Carlos. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

***

From the cathedral balcony, above the failed wedding, was a wall-scaling vixen with a breaking heart. She had been silently crying as she hid from view, listening to the sounds of wedding music playing for the man she loved. Yet, it was not her wedding that was to take place. Luke had been set to marry the one woman that made Remi's skin crawl. Even though she knew the wedding wasn't going to happen, the tears flowed with longing for him. Tears of wishing she could have been at the end of that aisle making him happy.

Wiping away the drop that betrayed her very being, Remi was now so confused she didn't know what to do. She needed to find Beau's killer, and in her heart, she knew it wasn't Luke's doing. Not really. He was taking the heat for his father's mistakes.

She didn't cry, but lately, it seemed like it was all she ever did. On one hand, Luke wasn't getting married. That was a positive, at least for her. She still had a chance to set things right. On the other hand, he mentioned Roman's name and blamed him.

Even knowing what the letter said and that it was a plan to flush out whoever killed Beau, she still was conflicted over the entire situation. On one hand, she loved her brothers. On the other, she knew she made a mistake years ago of walking away from Luke. She needed him now, and whatever it took, she'd mend things amongst the families. At least then she might be happy.

One thing she knew for sure; she was going to help Luke and Roman. They deserved to have closure and mend the fences between them. Deep down she wondered, could this be a way to bring the former friends back together? A growing suspicion told her yes. In her mind, they were both looking for the same answers to the same plot, and this was far from over.

Standing from her hidden seated position on the marble floor, she looked over the balcony. There below her, standing alone in an empty church, stood Luke, staring right up at her. His dark eyes stared into her very soul.

"Luke," she whispered to herself as he gave her a sad smile.

She could fool so many people, and sneak in and out whenever she wanted, in the most dangerous of places, but she could never fool him.

Watching his dark eyes full of hurt, her heart pounded against her ribcage as he walked away, but not before touching his finger lightly to his lip. Their subtle symbol they once shared in secret. A way of showing they cared for one another while hiding the truth from her brother. A symbol of the kiss they knew they couldn't share.

Touching her lip, just as he did, her heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. She knew she may never be able to tell her true feelings to Luke, and the thought made her feel like she was losing him all over again, just as she did several years ago. As a tear trailed down her cheek, she felt like everything she ever wanted in her life was lost. All joy was replaced with a cold vacancy within her heart.

Wiping the tears away, she swore to herself to never cry again. It was a sign of weakness. It was the one thing in her line of work that got people in trouble. She was a ruthless woman with a heart of stone, and she'd do well to keep it that way.