Endings & Beginnings (New Mafia Trilogy #3) by E. J. Fechenda Read Free Book Online Page B

to plan and pay for the rehearsal dinner. Grant was ready to
step up and foot the bill, but apparently Dominic’s Uncle Franco and Aunt
Gloria balked at the idea and offered to host the dinner at their restaurant at
no cost. Aunt Gloria refused to take no for an answer. Grant told me she even
shook a spatula at him when he tried to turn her down. He wisely acquiesced.
    Before we could even get to the dinner, we had to go
through the actual rehearsal first. Even though my mom had her car, we took a
cab from our hotel to the church to avoid parking issues. We were quiet on the
ride over. I had a lingering hangover from the bachelorette party the night
before and was nervous about being around everyone and seeing Dominic again,
especially after my drunk-texting. My mom was busy staring out the cab window
at the neighborhoods we drove through. Since it was a beautiful spring day,
sidewalks were crowded and our driver had to slow down occasionally when a kid ran
into the street, usually chasing a ball of some sort. All of the trees were
covered in new leaves, the bright spring green complemented red brick row
homes. The windows were cracked and all of the blossoms made the air sweet,
covering up the usual metallic tang. We drove past a rectory and then turned
the corner to see a towering limestone structure that was taking up half of a
city block. Each ornate door was framed by a large arch and colorful stained
glass windows broke up the monotony of gray stone. Instead of spires like some
of the other churches in the city, this one was built almost like a castle.
    Mom paid the driver and we stepped out onto the
sidewalk that, despite being in front of a church, was still desecrated with
years’ worth of gum; gray, green and black dots were forever pressed into the
concrete. Our heels, mom’s sensible one inch pumps and my three inch black
strappy ones, clicked as we walked up to the slightly curved stairs that led to
the front door. An identical set of steps was on the right adding to the grand
entrance and castle-like effect.
    One of the double doors was propped open and we
stepped inside the entryway. Like with most churches I’ve experienced, there
was a hushed reverence as if the building was soundproofed from the outside
world. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim interior, I noticed a man standing
right inside and I jumped. Mom did too and latched onto my arm. I didn’t
recognize him. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt underneath a navy suit
jacket that matched his pants. One of his hands hovered near his hip and he had
a military vibe to his stance. He had thick dark hair and stubble coated his
square jaw. The way he visually frisked me and my mom made it clear to me that
he was a soldier and guarding the entrance. My mom kept looking back at him
over her shoulder once we passed by, so I hooked my arm through hers and
practically dragged her through stained glass doors into the sanctuary. This is
where the hushed reverence ended and the boisterous Grabanos began.
    A chorus of conversations bounced off the high
ceilings of the sanctuary. Certainly the people crowding around the first two
rows of pews demanded attention, but I was distracted by the murals on the
walls and ceilings in the alcove surrounding the altar. I knew Michelangelo
didn’t paint them, but whoever did possessed comparable talent. Being an
artist, my eye was immediately drawn to the rich hues of red and gold that
popped against a twilight sky. Religious scenes were depicted in great detail
with angels and saints looking down on the scene below. On the back wall of the
alcove, the obligatory statue of Jesus on a cross stood as witness to all. I
was so busy looking up, that I didn’t see Dominic approach until he was almost
in front of me.
    One minute I was standing in the middle of the
aisle, staring at gold filigree molding and the next minute deep green eyes
obstructed my view. “Oh! Hi,” I said breathlessly, still a little awestruck by
the