Page 16 of Unspoken Ties

“I can’t believe how fast you got to know him,” Luciana said when they were out of earshot. “It took you what, a month until you could speak an entire sentence to me?”

I tried to form a protest but came up short. I wasn’t sure why I could speak to Ettore so quickly and freely.

“Survival,” I said, somewhat half-heartedly.

“Survival?” She repeated, one eyebrow arched in scepticism.

“Well, yeah. I mean, look at the situation I’m in. I kind of had to get used to his presence quickly.”

“Hmmm,” was her only response as she picked up a pillow from the floor, fluffing it absentmindedly.

Was that the only reason why?The little voice in the back of my head asked. It really needed to learn when to shut up.

Chapter eight

Ettore

Most days, I’d make my way into the warehouse that served as our base of operations. Within its walls, we conducted our illicit business, from orchestrating schemes to torture prisoners to keeping track of our illegal money laundering activities. It was a hub of danger and deception, but also a place where we all came together as a team.

But I needed to take today off. Filling Leone’s shoes would require a lot of work, and I could trust my friends to handle things in my absence. And I was just one call away if something went south.

“We need to work on some things today,” I said to Liria.

“Like what?” she responded.

I had organized her father’s files and had a rough idea of what was going on. The problem was, I couldn’t just waltz in and declare myself the successor of Leone Alto. No, it required a blood relative; an heir.

Liria.

“We’re going to meet with one of your father’s contacts.”

“What? No,” Her response was to physically turn away from me, emphasizing her point without saying a word. “You said you just needed access to his contacts.”

“I know,” I replied, keeping my gaze fixed on the back of her head. “But you’re his heiress, Liria. They need to see you. They need to hear it from you.”

Her body stiffened, and she turned around to meet my eyes. They were hard, a sparkling blue that could rival the most precious sapphires, but behind the hardness was fear – I could see it.

“I can’t...” she started, her voice choked and her face pale. She was visibly shaking now. “I don’t know how...”

Liria didn’t finish her sentence, but I knew what she meant. She would fail if she tried to talk to a stranger.

“Yes, you can,” I reassured her, closing the distance between us. “I’ll be there. You just have to introduce yourself, and I’ll do the rest of the talking.”

She glanced at me from beneath her long lashes, doubt flickering in her eyes. “You promise?”

I nodded. “Cross my heart.”

We spent the rest of the day going over our plan, preparing Liria for the meeting. I made her practice greeting the contact, taught her a few phrases that would make her sound confident and in control even when she was anything but.

Night fell on the city, casting long shadows that danced in tandem with the neon lights of bars and night clubs. We climbed into a sleek black car, and I gave our driver the address. The ride to our destination was silent; Liria was too busy staring out the window, her eyes taking in the cityscape. Her hands were balled into fists, knuckles white against the black of her dress.

“Don’t worry,” I said, placing a reassuring hand on her knee. “You’ve got this. And,” I paused, giving her a devious smirk. “I’ve seen the firecracker side of you, so I know it’s in there.”

Liria let out a small, nervous laugh, her gaze flicking to me before darting back to the window. “I’m not sure that’s a side of me anyone wants to see,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“I do,” I responded honestly.

“You don’t count,” she said, the corner of her mouth turning down.

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