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"DAD!"
"PAUL!"
Grace and her mother screamed in unison.
My entire body jerked to a stand still. Everything happened so suddenly, screams and gunfire sound resonated all around the place. I was stuck in my seat watching the blood gushing out of Grace's father's head, the blood filled the plate full of food that her father was eating earlier.
Gunshots rang out throughout the ceremony, and the guests were panicking, they were screaming and running here and there trying to find cover. Some people crawled under the tables while others were moving inside the building.
Nikolai stood up and pulled out a gun from behind, he gestured to Scott. "Scott, take them inside!"
I don't know when Scott pulled me up and dragged me inside the building. He slammed open the door and yelled at everyone to get inside. He hauled me inside the building with a few of the other guests.
I looked around and saw hysterically crying Grace, her mother, Nikolai's father, Grace's uncle, and a few more of Nikolai's relatives.
More gunshots were fired, and my face turned pale. My lower body trembled, as I tried coming back into reality, though I continued staring into the distance. I couldn't concentrate on anything.
Mom, dad, gunshots, blood, dead...
People were shouting, screaming their lungs out and children crying but the gunfire didn't stop. I looked down at my shaking hands and saw my wedding ring that had Grace's father's blood on it.
Nikolai...
He was... he was outside.
Fear became a tangible, living force that crept over me like some hungry beast, immobilizing me; my brain, holding me captive.
The glass windows got shattered as the bullets hit them, Grace screamed, her mother screamed while I just stood there in the corner, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this was happening. My ring was covered in blood, my dress was covered in blood and Nikolai was out there in the middle of the gunfight.
I heard his voice coming from outside, he was shouting something in Italian, ordering his men.
Then a second later, everything went silent.
Dead silent.
I waited and waited...
The doors burst open Nikolai entered with blood dripping from his arm. That is when I came to my senses. I forgot that we were surrounded by his friends and family. I forgot that he got married to Grace just half an hour ago. I forgot that his father was in the same room. I forgot that I was supposed to keep quiet.
I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him into a hug. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Please, tell me that you're fine, please..."
