Page 74 of That Time I Accidentally Took Over the Mafia

The front door opens, and the sound of footsteps on gravel breaks the silence. I don’t have to look up to know it’s Luca and Enzo coming out. My stomach tightens just thinking about it—the tension, the things we haven’t said, and the things we did say.

Jax’s arm around my waist gives me a sense of security, but when Enzo and Luca come into view, I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff.

Enzo takes Luca’s suitcase and gives me a wink as he walks to the back of the SUV. Luca shoves his hands in his pockets and doesn’t look at me. His eyes are bloodshot, and he looks terrible. The wall between us is too high to climb over. My heart aches at the sight of him, but it also hurts because I know he’s the one who put it there.

Luca opens his mouth, then pauses, like he’s weighing what he’s about to say. Finally, he speaks in a voice that’s too soft, too full of regret. “I’m sorry,” he says, his eyes still on the gravel. “There’s no excuse for what I did. I fucked up. I said things”—he flinches—“did things... that are unforgivable.” He finally looks up at me, and another crack forms in my heart. “It’ll never happen again.”

His words hang between us, heavy with meaning. My mouth opens, but no words come out. There’s so much I want to say, but the lump in my throat won’t let me. Before I can find my voice, he turns, walking to the SUV and getting in without another word. It feels like a door slamming shut between us.

Jax’s arm tightens around me, and I let myself lean into him.

Enzo shuts the back of the SUV and gives me a kiss on my head. “Are you okay?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.

I nod, keeping my voice steady even though everything feels broken inside me. “Yeah,” I whisper. “I’m fine.”

Jax opens the back door for me, and I slide into the seat. He follows in beside me, his presence a silent comfort. The SUV starts up, and we begin to drive, the tires humming against the road as the scenery changes.

I close my eyes for a second, just trying to breathe. The faint scent of Luca’s cologne lingers just in front of me, but it feels like he’s a million miles away. It’s like I’m standing between two worlds—one with him, one without.

The plan from here is simple: drive for an hour, then board Enzo’s private jet. We lost a day letting him rest after nearly being blown up and then drinking half the river. Honestly, I’m thankful we don’t have to spend a whole day driving. The plane ride to Wisconsin will only be a few hours, so I’ll have plenty of time to lose my mind thinking about the reading of my father’s will tomorrow.

As the miles pass, the tension between Luca and me remains thick. We haven’t said a word to each other since we left the house, and I’m not sure what to say. My mind keeps flashing back to everything that’s been left unsaid between us.

Luca, ever vigilant, is the first to break the silence.

“Someone’s tailing us,” he mutters, his voice low but sharp as he points to his side-view mirror.

Instinctively, I glance back, like I have any idea what it looks like when a car is tailing you. To me, it just looks like other cars on the road, driving like we are.

Jax, who’s been clearing a row of colorful blocks on his phone, tilts his head to get a better look, then bursts out laughing. “It’s Marco Serrano. That fucking idiot.”

They mentioned him yesterday when we were looking at the photographs. Marco Serrano is the underboss they’ve been keeping an eye on, hoping he would lead them to the person trying to wipe me off the planet.

“We can’t let him follow us to the airfield,” Enzo says, his tone clipped and focused as he drives. “He can’t know where we’re going.”

I turn toward Jax, my mind already clicking through options. “You know, we could always do my idea.” I suggest, a smirk forming. “Use me as bait.”

Luca’s jaw tightens at the suggestion. He doesn’t respond, but I catch the sharp tick in his muscles.

Jax looks at me, his grin widening as he picks up on the plan. “I love how your mind works, Peach. Yeah, let’s do it. He’s dumb enough to follow you on a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

Enzo looks between the two of us in the rearview mirror but says nothing, trusting our judgment. He exits the highway and turns toward a small gas station just up ahead.

Sure enough, Marco Serrano follows. He pulls into the other side of the gas station, like that makes him invisible.

“We wait here,” Jax says, nodding toward the station. “You go to the bathroom, and when Marco follows you like the idiot he is, we’ll take care of it.”

“Okay.” I give Jax a wink as I grab my phone and stick it in my back pocket. “I’ll be right back,” I say, pushing open the door and stepping out of the SUV.

I walk toward the station with deliberate steps, making sure to glance back over my shoulder as my guys pretend to pump gas at the SUV. I can feel Marco’s eyes on me, his presence like an itch I can’t scratch.

I head inside, pretending to ask for the bathroom key. With it in hand, I step back out, making a show of looking casual, even tossing my hair over my shoulder as I head toward the bathrooms at the back of the building. Marco doesn’t even try to hide—he’s leaning against the wall, trying to look nonchalant but failing miserably.

When I round the corner where the bathrooms are, I stop, leaning casually against the wall with my arms crossed. A devilish grin spreads across my face.

This is kind of fun.

Marco rounds the corner, and I swear he yelps like a startled puppy. What kind of kidnapper yelps?

---