Chapter 4 - The Sound of Gunfire in the Garden
The crack of bone echoed under the floral archway as Nathan Whitmore flew backward, crashing hard through the minister’s podium and landing in a heap among scattered hymnals and crushed hydrangeas. The guests erupted into screaming chaos. Women dropped their clutches, scrambling over white chairs to flee toward the estate driveway, while men shouted frantically for police and security.
Nathan rolled onto his side, coughing blood onto the white silk runner, clutching his fractured jaw. ""Kill him!"" Nathan choked out toward the tree line near the carriage house. ""Russo! Take him down!""
From behind the dense boxwood hedges near the estate’s private driveway, three armed men in black tactical jackets appeared, drawing submachine guns from beneath long raincoats. They were not Whitmore's private guards; they were Dominic Russo’s enforcers, planted on the grounds to ensure the wedding concluded without interference.
""Down! Everyone down!"" Marco Kanti roared, drawing his weapon as the first burst of automatic gunfire shattered the afternoon peace, chewing through the wooden trellis and sending splinters flying across the lawn.
Matteo didn't hesitate. In a single fluid motion, he lunged forward, grabbed Elena by the waist, and pulled her down behind the heavy marble communion table that anchored the altar. Clara had already thrown herself onto the grass behind a concrete statue, shielding Lucy with her entire body.
""Elena, look at me,"" Matteo commanded, his voice slicing through the screaming and gunfire like a blade.
Elena was shaking violently, her wedding veil torn, her eyes wild with terror as the deafening crack of bullets ripped through the air just inches above their heads. ""What is happening? Who are you?""
""I am Matteo Bellucci,"" he said, holding her gaze with an intensity that forced her to breathe. ""Nathan tried to destroy you and take your daughter. I am taking you out of here alive. Do you understand me?""
She stared at the sharp angles of his face, the absolute calm in his dark eyes amidst the gunfire, and something primal inside her chose to trust him. She nodded fiercely. ""Yes. Just protect Lucy. Please, protect Lucy!""
""Lucy is safe. Marco!"" Matteo shouted over the noise.
""Boss, two targets down on the west perimeter!"" Marco yelled back, firing two controlled shots around the corner of the Escalade, dropping one of Russo's shooters in the azalea bed. ""Local police sirens are entering the lower gates! Russo's team is falling back toward the river launch!""
Matteo drew his customized Colt .45 from his inner coat pocket. He rose just enough to acquire the sightline. Nathan was crawling on his hands and knees toward the side veranda, leaving a smear of crimson across the flagstones. Matteo fired a single round that ricocheted off the stone step two inches in front of Nathan’s fingers, stopping him dead in his tracks.
""Move again, Nathan, and the next one goes through your spine,"" Matteo said, his voice flat and terrifying.
Nathan froze, his face pressed against the dirt, trembling so hard his teeth chattered against the stone.
Moments later, the wail of sirens filled the entire estate. Four Charleston Police Department cruisers tore onto the lawn, followed by an unmarked federal SUV. Captain Miller and half a dozen officers leapt out with rifles raised, quickly securing the grounds and pinning the remaining shooters against the garden wall.
Captain Miller approached the altar with his weapon lowered, taking in the scene with a hardened, experienced eye. He looked at Nathan bleeding on the grass, then at the terrified bride, and finally at Matteo Bellucci, who was calmly holstering his firearm.
""Mr. Bellucci,"" Miller said cautiously. ""I assume this is the cleanup you warned me about.""
""Mr. Whitmore is all yours, Captain,"" Matteo said, brushing marble dust from his sleeves. ""You will find eleven recorded hours of criminal conspiracy, medical malpractice, and organized theft on that phone by the altar. His financial records in the study will confirm the accounts tied to Dominic Russo.""
Miller signaled his deputies. Two officers hauled Nathan to his feet, twisting his arms behind his back and snapping steel handcuffs around his wrists. Nathan glared at Matteo through swollen, bloody lips, his eyes burning with venomous hatred.
""You're dead, Bellucci!"" Nathan spat, blood dripping from his chin onto his ruined white tuxedo shirt. ""Russo will burn your entire family to the ground for this! You won't leave South Carolina alive!""
""Dominic Russo won't have time to worry about me,"" Matteo said quietly. ""By midnight, the federal authorities will be raiding every warehouse he owns from Savannah to Wilmington. Take him away.""
As Nathan was dragged screaming across the ruined lawn, Elena collapsed onto her knees, the adrenaline draining from her body, leaving only pure exhaustion and shock. Clara rushed over, placing Lucy gently into her mother's trembling arms.
""Mommy! Mommy, you're okay!"" Lucy wept, wrapping her small arms around Elena’s neck.
Elena buried her face in her daughter's hair, sobbing uncontrollably. ""I'm so sorry, baby... I'm so sorry I didn't see... I didn't know...""
May you like
Matteo stood beside them, his silhouette tall and imposing against the smoky afternoon light. He extended a hand down to her.
""The wedding is over, Mrs. Harper,"" Matteo said gently. ""Now it's time to get you and your daughter to safety.""
