Chapter 7 - The Eve of the Storm
The night before the wedding, the Rinaldi estate was locked down. Dozens of heavily armed guards patrolled the perimeter. The massive ballroom was decorated with thousands of white roses, ready for the ceremony tomorrow. Inside his dark bedroom, Massimo was not sleeping. He was standing by the window, fully dressed in a sharp black suit he had hidden in the back of his closet. He moved with lethal grace, testing his balance, stretching his muscles. He felt stronger than he had in years. A quiet knock on the door made him freeze. It opened slightly, and Carla slipped inside. She gasped when she saw him standing there, bathed in the moonlight, looking like the terrifying Don he truly was. "Massimo," she whispered, rushing over to him. "Dean just moved his personal guards to all the exits. He's planning something right after the ceremony." "I know," Massimo said calmly.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a heavy, loaded Glock 19 pistol. He checked the magazine, the metallic click echoing in the quiet room. "Carla, listen to me carefully. Tomorrow, when the ceremony begins, I want you and Nina in the underground wine cellar. Lock the steel door from the inside." "I'm not leaving you," she said, her voice shaking but defiant. Massimo stepped closer to her. The height difference was dramatic now that he was standing. He looked down into her eyes, feeling a surge of overwhelming emotion. He gently cupped her face with his large, rough hand. "I am a man of violence, Carla. Tomorrow, this house will see blood. I cannot let you or Nina witness what I have to do." Carla leaned into his touch, a single tear escaping her eye. "Just promise me you'll come down to the cellar when it's over." "I promise," he said. And in the quiet darkness, Massimo leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't a rushed, desperate kiss. It was deep, claiming, and full of a promise for a future they were both going to fight for. When they parted, Carla's eyes were shining. She nodded, slipped out of the room, and left Massimo to prepare for war.
