AGAINST THE TIDE Book #2

Chapter Thirty One: The Hit

Marcelle's POV
"When is the wedding?"

The problem with belonging to a family that is half Italian and half Greek, I'd that we are big on weddings. We love weddings. If someone is dating, even if it's the first introduction, the question is always "when is the wedding?" and my father is not immune to such.

"Nick, they are not even engaged yet. Slow down." My mom gave him a bowl of gelato. Today, it's simply cioccolato. He took a spoonful and broke into song. I think that gelato is the only thing that makes him happy.

"When is the engagement? Why are we waiting? Let's get engaged -"

"Let's?" My mom interrupted him. "The three of you?"

"I'll be right beside my son when he proposes. So yes,the three of us. Vee, Marcelle and I."

I almost choked on the fragola flavored gelato in my bowl. I'm coughing and laughing halfway at how my mother is looking at him.

"It's the two of them Mr. You are not part of it."

"Marcelle... hey! Don't waste the gelato by choking on it."

"Honey, are you okay?" Mom rubbed my back but dad helped himself to my bowl.

"I'm good. I'm good."

She sat down.

"As I was saying, I can help you find an engagement ring." He carried on. "Then we can have the wedding. Keira, where is the bride to be? I'm happy hungry!"

"Marcelle?" Mom turned to me.

"She was having lunch with Tancredi. They should be done by now. It's been hours." I checked my phone for any messages. She hasn't said anything.

"I still can't believe Tancredi is her father. But it makes sense. He's a good man. Like he's really a good man." Dad pointed out something about Tancredi that is undeniable.

"Marcella is calling me." I informed them.

"Tell her there is no gelato left." Dad told me.

"Hey beauty, there's no gelato left."

"I wish I was calling for that. I'm at the nursing home, back room. Tancredi was shot."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Vee? Is she hurt? She was with him."

"She's not hurt but come to the nursing home. She's... in shock." She hanged up.

"You look pale. What's wrong?" Mom asked.

"Tancredi has been shot. He's at the nursing home. Vee is there too. Thanks for cooking mom." I kissed her forehead. "But I gave to go."

"We're coming too!" She got up and the three of us left together for the nursing home. Marcella has a back room that we use for such emergencies. Walking into a hospital is not an option.

"Not too fast." My father urged me. Mom is in the back seat making phonecalls to find out who shot Tancredi. "Vee wasn't hit, right?"

"Right." I gripped the steering wheel tightly. The nursing home is just up the next turn. When I pulled up, I left my parents in the car and made my way to the back. There's a short hallway with a bench. Vee isn't alone. She's with several bodyguards including the ones assigned to her. She got up immediately to embrace me. "Are you hurt?"

I looked at the pretty dress she wore today. It's full of blood.

"It's Signor Tancredi's." She informed me. She's trembling. "It's all over... It's all over." She started sobbing and trying to wipe her hand frantically. "It's not coming off. It's not... it's..."