Page 29 of The Silence Lies

Sliding back against the Governor, I tilt my head up at him and flutter my eyelashes. “You think that’s the appropriate way to talk to a lady?”

His grip lessens, only enough for me to turn around and slip my hand between us. His eyes widen when I grip his prized jewels unforgivably, and through gritted teeth, I offer up a warning of my own.

“Threatening a Bianchi is enough to seal your own fate, Governor. You don’t know me or what I am capable of.” I tighten my fist around his balls. “These are mine, D’Angelo. Don’t you fucking forget it!”

Pushing me off him, I stumble backwards, my back hitting a hard body. Hands gently capture my arms, keeping me upright while I watch the Governor scamper off.

Giovanni steps around me, staring me down with disapproval.

“What?” I snap, rolling the tension from my shoulders. “Faccia di merda.”

Levi

“You did what?” I spit out my beer. I don’t think hearing it the second time is going to help matters, but she answers anyway.

“I put him in his place,” Sera says with a shrug of her shoulders. Nonchalance isn’t Sera’s strong-suit, but even I’m impressed with the confidence she exudes. She stands in the center of the living room like she owns the place — in all fairness, she does.

I followed her back after the ball this evening, which was cut short after her encounter with the Governor. Unsurprisingly, Luca was waiting outside her house. It seems he had the same idea as I did.

“So you grabbed his dick?” I deadpan, my teeth grinding sharply. My eyes dart between Sera and Giovanni. I don’t even want to ask how she got into that predicament but Giovanni is meant to stop this sort of shit from happening. I don’t like the thought of the Governor’s hands all over Sera, but she’s not mine. I don’t own her.

That doesn’t mean I have to like the situation.

I can already feel the room charging with fierce energy nobody can contain. If it doesn’t diffuse soon, words bound for regret are going to start flying.

“It was his balls,” she defends, pulling her hair up into a messy knot. “At least I think it was his balls. They were really small.”

Luca snorts a laugh, his lips turning up in admiration for our leader. “Looks like Bianchi finally found her balls.”

“You’re not helping,” I grind out, fists bunching. Luca is usually the collected one, the guy who remains stoic and stern, angry under the multiple layers of golden skin. He’s not the joker, I am! Asshole.

Sera offers him a gracious smile before turning her attention onto me. “The guy had it coming, Levi. He thought I was just going to roll over and suck his dick in exchange for immunity. The same immunity he gave my father.”

“You think your father sucked his dick too?” Luca laughs. I don’t know where the hell Luca got his recent sense of humor from, but it’s not helping things. Especially when Sera is laughing at his joke.

My jaw clenches again, my teeth grinding as I fight the urge to punch Luca then pin Sera to the wall and remind her she can’t do shit like that. But I’d be lying. She can do whatever she wants, and Luca seems to admire that she is doing just that.

I want to feel some kind of happiness that he isn’t being a moody asshole like a few days ago, but right now I don’t have the room for that emotion. I’m far too pissed at the entire situation.

Ignoring Luca’s comment, I redirect my anger to the one person who should have prevented anyone from getting their hands on our leader. He’s standing stoically beside his mark, not even batting an eyelid at the arguments ensuing.

“And where were you?”

Sera stands in front of Giovanni, blocking my path. “I told him to stand down.”

“Sera,” I growl. “This is the exact reason Gio was hired!”

“No! He was hired to protect me from harm. From my enemies! The Governor is not an enemy, just a pawn in this stupid game! I had it handled!”

“Listen, Bianchi. I’m on Levi’s side,” Luca says, approaching us both. While I’m grateful for his support, I don’t really give a shit. Sera is the only thing I care about right now and anything could have happened to her.

“I can’t win with you two!” She points a manicured finger at Luca, hand shaking with anger. “You want me to be a leader!” Then she points the same sharp finger in my direction, “And you want me to be some weak ass cagna stupida!”

“I want you to be safe!” I snap.

“Well, you can’t have it all, Levi! I can’t build a reputation by magic. I have to earn it, I have to fight for it. I have to show those assholes that I am not to be messed with. Just like I did tonight!” Before I know what’s happening, Sera is spinning on her heels and heading upstairs.

The room lapses into silence, an angry chill settling over us. There’s so many thoughts flying around my head, so many possibilities of what could have happened all because Sera’s bodyguard fucked up.

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