Page 79 of The Silence Lies

“Well that’s the truth isn’t it? You can’t decide, so you want to test us both out?”

“Are you being serious right now? Is that what you think of me?”

Levi steps closer to me. I can feel the heat of his breath skate over my face, but it’s not a proximity I welcome. The nice Levi has gone; the one who would do anything for me. Now, I’m looking at a broken Levi. A guy who doesn’t seem to understand what I want or how I feel. I know it’s not all about me, but I just don’t know how I’m meant to handle this situation and clearly, I’m doing it all wrong.

“I honestly don’t know what I think of you anymore.”

I freeze. “Remember who you’re talking to, Marchese. I am still your leader.”

In an instant, Levi’s expression changes from hurt and betrayed to a new level of disgust. I don’t like how this is playing out, but I have no control over Levi and his emotions. The only thing I can control is the business side of things and as of now, I’m not sure whether Levi is still with me on that.

“You’re not the leader I thought you were.”

Footsteps resound as Levi finishes his sentence. The room lapses into a tense silence that I’m struggling to escape from. His words sting and my vision starts to swim with threatening tears.

When I finally look up, it’s Giovanni I lock gazes with. But not even his soft green eyes can steady me.

As if on cue, Levi gives me one last look of disappointment that pinches at my chest before walking away from me, leaving a trail of restrained anger in his wake. I’m left with the awkwardness of Giovanni’s inquisitive stare and a fuck-load of answers I never gave Levi.

I should have been softer with him. I should have broken this news to him in a different way. No matter how much I try to figure this out, though, I have no clue what I’m doing. I’ve never been in this situation before and there’s not exactly a book on threesomes for dummies.

Spinning around, I swipe a stray tear from my cheek. Levi’s words hurt me more than I thought they would, and I was expecting some different words entirely. But this; the disappointment and dismissal, cuts a lot deeper than just calling me a whore would.

The slam of the front door signals Levi’s departure. I gulp in several breaths of air to try and calm down, but it’s too damn difficult.

And then I hear the commotion.

Levi

Figlio di puttana! This is so fucked up!

I have so many questions, and I know I didn’t give Sera the chance to answer them, but damn. How the hell am I meant to navigate this? I spent so much of my time sitting on the sidelines, waiting for Enzo to make his move—he never did—but I respected him enough not to act on how I felt. Now I have the chance and Sera steam rolls me over with new information. Information where I have to share her with someone else.

How can she want me and Luca? It’s like one of us isn’t enough for her. Or has Luciano fucked her up that badly that she’s too scared to face an actual relationship, so she’s more comfortable bouncing between us?

At least she was honest. I can’t fault her for that. Her delivery was shit, but then again, what she admitted isn’t exactly conventional. I’ve heard of situations where there is more than one guy, but I never once thought I would be a part of something like that. What does she expect me to do? Watch her fuck Luca or let someone watch us?

Fuck that. I didn’t spend years on the sidelines to be ‘the other guy’.

The door slams shut behind me as I march out into the courtyard. I have every intention of trying to calm down and make sense of what Sera just told me. But I can’t seem to make head nor tail of it. And as soon as I see him, my anger rages to the surface.

I storm over to Luca like a bullet aimed at a target. He’s in deep conversation with the Ferrante brothers so he doesn’t notice me coming. I’m surprised, because with rage coursing through my veins, I can practically feel the heat emanating from me.

It’s not just because of what Sera said, but the fact that Luca knew there was something going on between us and still fucked her. I sensed he liked her, but I never thought he would act on it.

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

Luca spins around, his brows furrowing, but I don’t give him the opportunity to answer me. I don’t even think. I just lunge forward, arm swinging until my fist connects with his nose and an almighty crack sounds between us. I feel every knuckle pop under the pressure, the force not only bringing Luca to stagger, but me too.

His coffee cup smashes to the ground, the shattering sound drawing us into a hefty silence.

“The fuck?” he bawls, grabbing his nose. Blood spatters his crisp white shirt, the once clean rigid look Luca always portrays has now gone and between his fingers I see the stream of crimson liquid thread through them. “What the fuck is your problem?”

“You’re my problem, Fontana!” I go to shove him against the side of the SUV but he catches me on the jaw with a right hook, growling as he sends me swaying sideways. “Fongoul!”

It stuns me for a moment until I right myself, my vision tunneling until it’s just me and him. My nostrils flare, my fists clench and without a second thought, I rush him. My knee connects with his gut, barreling him over, but he’s quick to throw a punch into my ribs.

“Fig—“ Pain radiates up my side, but it only fuels the fury. I pin him to the vehicle, catching him with a cheap shot to the eye.

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