Page 40 of Sworn to Revenge
“Bigger news?” Now Cora’s curious, raising an eyebrow at Alin. Yep, let Alin be the one to break it to them. I’d rather it come from her.
“Mariano, Luca, I suggest you both sit down,” Bay adds, raising the tension, while the familiar burn in my hand starts up again, tiny sparks crackling. I’m not sure how our capo is going to take this news, and I can’t even imagine how he’ll react.
Bay grabs my hand tightly, trying to calm me down, and like she’s the only cure to my problem, the burning sensation instantly fades. I glance around quickly, relieved no one noticed, and I don’t let go of her hand.
“Just spit it out already,” Luca growls through gritted teeth, staying where he is. Patience has never been his strong suit.
Alin swallows hard before letting out the truth that sends a wave of silence crashing over the room. “We found your mother.”
“What are you talking about?” Mariano finally reacts after a minute that felt like an eternity, looking confused.
“Your mother is in our city, and she’s... not exactly dead,” Alin clarifies.
Luca grips the gold necklace around his neck tightly, his body tensing. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the capo at a loss for words.
“Luca?” Alin asks, concerned, holding his arm.
“They’ll be fine, they’re grown men,” Bay whispers to me, sensing the tension in my body. I’d forgotten she was still holding my hand—it feelslike a second skin at this point. She quiets the storms inside me as fast as she knows how to stir them. What am I supposed to do with this woman?
I turn to look at her. “I know, but it’s still not easy news. They spent years searching for her, and they didn’t even get to bury her properly,” I whisper back the painful truth. I feel so comfortable letting my guard down around her.Fucking hell. I’m really done for.
“She’s alive?” Luca finally manages to ask, and we all turn to him. Even Cora is holding her breath now, afraid to make a sound. The tension in the room is thick enough to cut with a knife.
“Yes and no,” Alin answers with one of her frustratingly vague responses. He’s about to explode.
“I’ll explain everything later but think of it like she’s been in a coma for nearly three decades. She’s not dead, but she’s not alive either, and she’s marked just like Pedro, connected to our royal lineage,” Alin quickly adds, realizing now isn’t the time to hold back any information.
“Have you ever seen potions like the one I gave Pedro with your mother?” she asks when Luca doesn’t immediately react, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths like a beast wrestling with its demons to stay in control. That’s right, the queen mentioned she took some weird potion too.
He shakes his head, his gaze fixed on some invisible point on the wall. I recognize that look—it’s not the time to drop any more bombshells on him. I stare at Alin, and she knows what to do immediately.
“Come, I’ll explain everything,” she says, taking Luca’s hand, and his body follows hers quietly out of the office.
“What about you? Did you lose your voice too?” I ask Mariano, whoseems to be handling things a bit better, though still in shock, as the door closes behind them, separating us.
“I was only a year old when it happened. I don’t remember much about her. But I do remember all the times over the years when Luca would listen to her recordings, and the crushing disappointment every time he hit a dead end trying to find her. I don’t know how he’s going to handle this news,” he answers honestly, sinking onto the couch in front of Luca’s desk. Cora immediately sits beside him.
“Her recordings?” I ask, surprised, momentarily pushing aside the emotional weight in the room. Luca has recordings of his mother?
“He had this lion stuffed animal as a kid, a gift from our mom. There was a recording device hidden inside. Every night, she’d record the stories she’d read him and their conversations before bed,” Mariano explains, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
He’s just as scared that this news might break our capo. We can’t afford that right now, not with the problems breathing down our necks with that unknown woman, the snitch and we still have to help the family in Vegas.
“I had no idea he had those recordings,” I admit to Mariano, suddenly finding some comfort in knowing that my brother has this softer, more human side too. It’s not a side I’ve often seen in my life. I respect him, I trust him with my life, and I’d die for him. But imagining him sitting there listening to recordings of his dead mother like a lost child? It hits differently.
“Why would his mom record that?” Bay suddenly asks, raising an eyebrow in curiosity toward Mariano. Bay didn’t grow up in our world; it’s no surprise she doesn’t understand.
“When you grow up in the mafia, every day could be your last. You prepare accordingly,” I explain as if this information didn’t surprise me as much as they did her.
She looks at me now, shock taking over her glowing eyes, which are wide open.
“So, you’ve made preparations too, just in case today was your last?” she asks, swallowing hard, revealing the real concern bothering her. Her eyes show a deep worry that sends my heart pounding in my chest as I nod.
“We’ve all made preparations for when that day comes,” Cora quietly adds, and no one dares to say another word, so I shift the heavy mood toward some lighter news.
“Bay got her powers back,” I announce with a forced grin, while Bay offers a small smile in return.
“Really? What are your powers?” Cora asks, her excitement a sharp contrast to the tense conversation we just had.
