Page 37 of The Silence Lies

Levi

Exiting the dressing room with more than a pleased look on my face, I see Giovanni standing stoically to the side of the curtain, glaring at me like I just stole his fucking candy. I’m not sure what his problem is but I have no doubt that he heard us. Try as she might, Sera was not quiet. Maybe that shit makes him uncomfortable. He’d better get used to it, though, because now I’ve had a taste of her, I won’t be letting her go.

Eventually, the curtain draws back and a less flustered looking Serafina appears, clutching the silver gown. I smirk, catching her eye and watching her cheeks bloom a rosy color all over again. I wasn’t lying when I told her how good she looked in that dress, especially coming apart under my tongue. I’m already feeling jealous about everyone else getting to see her in it.

She doesn’t say a word as she pushes past me, heading towards the desk to ring up the sale.

I glance over at Giovanni, but his gaze is focused solely on Serafina as she walks away from us. I can’t say I blame him–-her ass looks divine as she saunters away with a just-fucked glow about her.

It takes more willpower than I know I have to turn around. When I do, I’m taken by surprise at the person I see in front of me. “Luisa?”

“Levi!” My sister jolts back a step, shock widening her eyes as she clutches her chest. “What are you doing here?”

I glance over at Serafina, who is grabbing her bag from the cashier. “Shopping with Donna Bianchi,” I answer swiftly.

Luisa’s features go from surprised to anxious in a matter of seconds. I haven’t seen her since Enzo was killed, and I can’t even remember when Luisa and Sera last crossed paths.

“I better go before—”

“Before what?” Serafina frowns behind her, crossing her arms over her chest. “Before I see you?”

My sister visibly recoils. Like a child being scorned, she instantly turns timid and wary. “Donna Bianchi,” she mutters, eyes cast to the floor.

Serafina rounds my sister like the viper she is, but her gaze is anything but hard. There’s a flash of sympathy, a gentleness to the way she looks at her. “Relax, nobody is going to hurt you.”

Though I’d like to give her a piece of my mind.

I hold back, knowing Serafina has complete control over the situation. It would have only taken a few more words out of my traitorous sister’s mouth before I blew up and caused a scene, so I’m thankful for Sera coming out when she did.

“I’m sorry about… Enzo.” Luisa gulps, slowly lifting her gaze to meet Sera’s. My sister looks scared, petrified that she is speaking to the leader of La Cosa Nostra. While I revel in the fact I was right, people do respect Serafina and her power, I hate that my sister looks so uncomfortable. This isn’t like her at all.

“Me too,” is all Sera can manage.

“You weren’t at the funeral,” Luisa says to both of us.

Sera slides her gaze to mine. We share a look, mutual understanding passing between us with regard to who Luisa is married to. “No, we weren’t.”

We have to be careful what we say. Despite Luisa being my little sister, she has always been easily manipulated. I wouldn’t put it past her husband, Ronaldo, to ask her to spy on us. She would make the perfect mole, too. She’s so quiet, so unnoticeable that nobody would suspect her.

But I would. Serafina would, too.

“Well…” Luisa shifts nervously, looking over her shoulder. “I’d better go.” She looks even more anxious now. Her dark hair covers most of her face as she dips past us, and as much as I want to check up on her, I don’t.

I don’t stop her, either. She’s just another reminder of what we need to do, what we need to accomplish.

“Tell me you saw that,” Sera mumbles as she hooks her arm through mine.

I frown, looking down at her. Even in heels I tower over her. “What?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “You men are so oblivious. You didn’t see how scared she was?”

“Of you? Yeah.”

“No,” she snaps. “Someone is watching her. And those bruises—”

“Bruises?” I spin around, about to head back to follow my sister, but Sera grabs my hand.

“Levi,” she says softly. Her lips thin and the look of sadness in her washes over me. “Not here. We both know what the Verdis are capable of.”

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