Song above for the chapter: "Madness" Ruelle

ELENORA

"There you are," I rush to Rico, smiling when I see him walk in with Domani and the others, he mutters something to them and they move away from him, spreading out through the large room.

I'm hit with the strong odor of cigarette smoke when I hug him.

"What's wrong? Why are you smoking?"

He takes a shot glass from a waiter walking by and throws it back. "Nothing's wrong, it's all a little overwhelming. There's a lot of people here. More than I thought there'd be." His eyes skirt around the room.

"Yes, but most of them are your family and your men, so really it's not a lot of new faces," I chuckle. "Come on, they want us to cut the cake."

"Can it wait? I need to tell you something." The seriousness in his voice catches my attention. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I wasn't sure how to do it. Your father...he knew my—he was a friend of my fathers."

"What are you talking about?" My heart begins to pound, and my hands begin to sweat, with the uneasiness that comes over me.

"Nora, Rico! Come on!" Clara pulls me away. "It's time for cake!" She tells us over her shoulder. I glance back at Rico and the worried look on his face has a knot growing in my stomach.

We stand together as Clara hands us the knife and everyone starts gathering around the table. The photographer instructs us to slice into the cake and I notice Rico's hand is shaking before he places it over mine. I peer up at him and his eyebrows are furrowed together.

"I need you to smile guys!" The photographer prompts us and I force a smile as we slice the cake together. Rico and I had talked about not smashing the cake into each other's faces but now I don't know what to expect. He picks a small piece and brings it to my lips and gives me a small smile and then I do the same.

A tapping on a microphone grabs everyone's attention and we all look toward the stage. Rosetta is standing with a microphone in her hand.

"Fuck," Rico mutters under his breath as he rubs his short beard. The anger on his face is clear, but there's something in his eyes that worries me. He's scared, too.

"Elenora, please listen to me. I love you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen like this, not after I fell in love with you." He holds my face in his hands, his eyes pleading with mine. "Please believe me. I love you."

"Don't worry Federico, I'm finishing this once and for all," Rosetta says into the microphone.

"Finishing what? Is she drunk?" I chuckle, unsure of what's going on.

"Good evening everyone, my name is Rosetta. I am Federico's aunt." Murmuring spreads across the large hall. "Though I did raise him as my own, his mother was my sister, who was married to Alessio Di Maggio." The whispers grow louder among the crowd.

But my father's distinct voice stands out as he questions. "Di Maggio?" He looks back at me and then at Rico. I should have told him about Rico's last name.

"What the hell is this?" My father moves through the crowd coming to us. "You're Alessio's son?"

"Damn right, I am," Rico storms up to my father, but I pull him back.

"What are you doing, Rico?" I grab his hand, but his angry eyes are focused only on my father.

"Tiziano Borelli," Rosetta starts talking again. "Twenty two years ago you represented my family, specifically my brother in law, Alessio, in a biased case where he was wrongfully sent to prison, due to not only your incompetence but your betrayal, you sold him out to his enemies."

"That's a damn lie! I got Alessio acquitted of all charges. The head of the Gallo family, at that time, was convicted. Alessio was killed on his way home from the court," My father's voice carries through the large room as he makes his way up to the stage and Rico pulls me forward following him.

"Rico, what is this?" But he doesn't answer as Rosetta continues.

"You can lie all you want, Tiziano," Rosetta tells my father and then dabs at her eyes. "My sister was beaten and violated, because she was Alessio's wife, and they didn't stop until they killed her. The attackers recorded themselves stating you were behind it all." She points an accusing finger at my father.

"This is madness! Alessio and I worked together for years. I was at your baptism, Rico," He turns to him, the confusion on his face mirrors mine. "But...there was a fire shortly after Alessio was assassinated and no one survived. I thought you had all died."

"Thought or hoped?" Rosetta goads him. "For twenty two years we waited and planned to take our revenge for your betrayal."

My father turns to Rico. "You can't believe these lies. I knew your mother well, Rico."

"Don't talk about my mother!" Rico shouts. "I was robbed of my childhood after my mother and my father were killed because of you!"

"Rico!" I stand in front of him and hold his face. His skin feels hot under my hands. "Stop this. Why are you doing this?"

He tears his furious eyes away from my father to look at me, breathing heavy. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way." His eyes search mine. "I...I was going to make your father pay for what he did to my parents, by making you fall in love with me and then I would walk away but..." His hand reaches for my face. "I couldn't resist you, the more I was around you."

"You were...going to hurt my father? You wanted to hurt m-me?" Anger builds deep inside of me. "You were using me to get to him...This whole time...this was all part of your elaborate revenge?" I gesture around me. I can't control the shaking in my voice. "All of this is a lie?"

"No. That's what I'm telling you. I fell in love with you, Elenora. Yes, this was all going to be fake at first but our love...our marriage is real, amore." He reaches for my hand but I slap him instead.

"How could you do this?" I look around at all of the faces of his family and his men. "And you all knew, you all went along with it!"

"Nora, I didn't know, I swear!" Serafina tells me as tears fall down her face.

"Rico has been planning this for a long time, Nora. And nothing was going to get in his way, not even you. Do you honestly believe his love is real when he's still sleeping with other women, dolcezza?" Rosetta laughs. (sweetheart)

"Rosetta don't!" Rico shouts.

The video that's been playing still photos of Rico and me as babies and children, cuts out and I watch in horror as a naked Angela climbs over Rico and they begin having sex. The room gasps in unison while the sounds of her moaning his name slice into my heart.

The memory of witnessing something similar unfolding before my eyes at a client's wedding comes to mind as my heart thuds in my ears. It's all a joke...this entire thing...

Time slows down around me and it's hard to breathe. Rico shouts as he charges toward the stage. I find it strange that Angela is crying, too. Gabriel is yelling at her with his arms and hands swinging around, Renzo appears to keep him back from her at one point.

I cover my ears, but my heart is beating so loud inside my head as I take in the chaotic room once more. My father is holding on to Rico's suit now, shouting at him along with the rest of my family, but Clara is holding Maya, turning her away from the video and covering her ears.

My heavy breathing resonates in my ears when several men stop Gabriel from going towards Rico now.

I snap out of my frozen state when my nonno grabs me, dragging me away from the crowd to the entrance of the main room. His hands clamp down on my arms as he shakes me, jostling my body with the force.

"Look at what you've done, you always find ways to bring shame to your family!" The back of his hand hits me across the face hard and I fall to the ground.

"You son of a bitch!" Clara shoves my nonno; he turns on her, ready to unleash his fury on her as well, but Domani gets in his way aiming his gun at my nonno.

The sound of more guns unholstering registers. Ciccio and Mostro stand in front of me with their guns pointed at my nonno. "You will not touch Nora again," Mostro states in a low growl. Luca helps me up but I push him away and I grab his gun and aim it at them.

"You knew!" I accuse Luca, then I turn towards Domani, Ciccio and Mostro. "You all knew." My vision blurs. "I thought...I thought we were friends." They lower their guns and look back at me with remorse on their faces. "You all made a fool of me. You knew what he was doing, what he was planning the whole time." Tears overfill my eyes and fall.

"Nora, listen. It started out as one thing, but Rico does love you. He's never loved anyone like you," Mostro tells me.

"You call this love?!"

"Elenora," Rico rushes to me but I aim the gun at him. Several other guns unholster in the room. Rico shouts at his men to stand down, to put away their weapons before turning back to me.

"Amore, please give me the gun."

"How could you do this to me, Rico? I...I gave you my heart," My chin quivers, but I clench my jaw to keep it from trembling. "After everything you know I've been through, how could you?"

"I love you, Elenora. You might not believe me seeing...that, but it's not me. Angela and I haven't been together since we were kids."

"You're going to stand there and lie to me? It's right there!" I scream at him.

"Dolcezza, please put the gun down," My father pleads, but I shake my head. (sweetheart) My sister's plead and cry for me to do the same. My mom is holding Maya's face away from the scene, her little shoulders are shaking from crying, too. My mom covers Maya's ears because the video is still playing on an endless loop, or maybe they're still going at it. I have no idea.

"Congratulations Rico. You got your revenge. You wanted me to fall for you and I did. You asked me once if I had a death wish and I realize right now in this moment that I do. My nonno is right. I don't bring anything but bad luck to myself and to my family."

I shift the gun under my chin as tears fall down my face. There's a collective gasp and Rico moves forward, but stops when I cock the gun. My mom and sisters scream for me to stop.

"Don't do this, Nora. I'm not worth your life." Rico holds my gaze with his eyes red.

Mrs. Jones' and Ruben's also plead for me to stop.

"After Leo left...I thought the pain wouldn't end but then I met you...and even though you were mean, and arrogant, you made me forget the pain just like you said you could, just by being around you; even before anything happened between us..." My hand shakes holding the gun. "But...this....this hurts worse than what Leo did, even after I found out it was him who.... How is that possible? Why?" Rico doesn't bother wiping the tears falling from his eyes.

I start backing out of the room and he begins following me. "Don't. Don't come near me." I attempt to rip the rings off my finger, but my hands shake so badly, only the engagement ring slips off and I throw it at him before I turn and run.

The only thing on my mind is to run. To get away from everyone and everything. A door comes into view and I rush to it, running out into the parking lot.

And of course, to add to this awful moment, it's raining. I run toward what looks like the main road and pick up the pace when Rico's shouts for me to stop. I sob, struggling to lift the dress that is being weighed down by the rain while still carrying the gun. I kick off my shoes to be able to run faster.

Cop cars pull up to the building, and several policemen run inside. I round a corner to keep running, but Rico's footsteps are getting closer.

"Elenora, please stop!"

I slow down, resigning myself to face him. The rain drenches our clothes. "Please don't run from me." He takes slow steps toward me. "I love you, Elenora. The moment I knew I had fallen for you I didn't want to go through with the plan. I didn't know my Zia would take it this far."

"But you still want revenge on my father."

His eyes dart around as he takes a deep breath in before they meet mine. "He's not a good person, Elenora. He's not who you think he is."

I scoff. "Do you know how many times people have said that about you?"

He takes another step closer to me and I back away; his jaw clenches.

"I should have told you about my history with your father, but I never lied about how I feel about you."

"Except for what you said to Luca about me on the first night, right?" I let out a humorless chuckle. "I don't know what is real anymore. I don't even know who you really are."

He steps closer and I raise the gun.

"You know me better than anyone ever has, Elenora. You're not going to shoot me," He takes a confident step forward. I lift the gun for his head and he stops. "What about our vows?"

"You mean the fake vows, for our fake marriage?"

"The minister was real, all of this..." He points back to the building. "It's all real; I meant what I said and I know you did too, mia patatina." (my little potato)

A whimper escapes and I shake my head. "I wish I never met you. I wish I never looked into your eyes, or let you into my heart. I should have listened to my instincts to stay away from you. I could feel the darkness in you."

I wipe the rain and tears from my face. "I realize now, it was my body and my soul's way of warning me that you're no good. I confused those feelings with the false sense of safety I thought I felt being with you."

"I do make you feel safe." His voice is quiet. "And you don't mean that, you love me as much as I love you."

"You don't even know what love is! How could you? You have nothing but darkness inside of you, a black stone, instead of a heart. You were right, Rico. You don't deserve happiness." More tears fall as his eyes reflect pain. "I...I wish you were dead."

"If you really wish that, then shoot me and your pain and mine will end, Elenora."

I stare at him for a moment, knowing there's truth in his words, tightening my grip on the gun. My finger hovers over the trigger. "You're right..."

But I can't do it.

As much as I hate him for what he's done to me, to us. I still love him. My thoughts are interrupted by a loud clapping sound. At first I think it's thunder from the rainstorm, but dread comes over me when Rico's eyes widen and his body jerks back.

He exhales, falling to his knees and brings his hand to his chest, a small red dot starts to grow on his white shirt under his shoulder. I watch in horror as he falls back on the ground. I drop the gun and hold my hands over my mouth.

What did you do, Nora? Did I shoot him? I look around frantically, sobbing. I start to back away and then turn.

Don't look back, don't look back.

My hands are shaking, but the pain in my chest from my shattered heart is unbearable. I clutch at my chest and turn back; Rico's lying still on the ground.

I killed him. I let out a sob and run back to him. "Rico!"

His eyes are half closed and his breathing is shallow as I come over him. He whispers my name.

"Rico, open your eyes, please," I cry. His shirt is soaked with blood and I press my hand over the wound.

He lifts his hand to the one I have on his chest. "You're not here. You're not real. You left...you left me," He gasps.

"Rico, I'm here. I'm with you." I start patting his pockets to find his phone, but I don't feel anything. I struggle to roll him over but his back pockets are empty too.

"Someone help me! Please!" I scream.

A black van pulls up, screeching to a halt and a sense of relief washes over me. "Help me, please! I need to get him to a hospital!" The doors open and men in masks rush out and a wave of terror comes over me.

They grab me and start pulling me away, but I hold on to Rico. "No! No! Rico, don't let them take me! Rico!"

"Rico! Help me! Rico!"

He starts to move and reaches for my hand, but his hand is just out of reach and the men start hitting and kicking him. "No, stop it!"

Something comes over my head and several rough hands grab and pull at me, throwing me inside the van, with the door slamming shut.