Page 145 of The Silence Lies

He rolls his eyes at me, but I can see the humor start to take form in them as he snakes the car around another bend. The trees whip past us faster, the Maserati purring as we hit a hill.

“Sexy?”

He clears his throat, adjusting himself on the seat. If that isn’t a tell that I’ve hit a nerve in some way then I guess I don’t know him as well as I thought.

“Oh, I know! Big boy! No, wait. That’s yours.”

“Did it ever occur to you that one name might not be enough?” he interjects playfully.

His words take me by surprise, but then again, anything Luca does always shocks me. I’m in awe at how controlled his damn emotions are all of the time. Okay, most of the time, since his outburst with Sera wasn’t exactly controlled. But that was when we were all on edge. Giovanni had just been shot and emotions were running high. He could have said anything and it would have been an insult.

I pause for a second, contemplating his words. A frown creases my forehead as I try to figure out what he’s not saying. “I don’t know if I should be grateful or offended.”

All of a sudden, Luca swerves the car, pulling us to the side of the vacant road. We slam to a halt, and Luca shuts the engine off. He pins me with a glare, but there’s a deviant look in his eyes, filled with lust and desire that I know is for me and me alone.

“How about silent?” Before I know what’s happening, Luca slams his lips onto mine. He winds his hand around my neck like a snake, pulling me toward him. The air in the car is electrically charged, pricking my skin with tiny bolts. He pours everything into our kiss, winding his tongue with mine. I feel every part of Luca as he kisses me deeply. So much so that I don’t have room for argument when it comes to his feelings for me.

I know how fast things have moved between us. But somewhere, amidst the chaos and confusion, we’ve found where we belong. We’ve found ourselves.

Luca pulls away, breathless and full of wonder. “Is this really about a nickname or about something else?”

“Both,” I smile weakly, stroking Luca’s face. The scruff along his jawline is back. It’s been back for a while, but he’s been keeping tidy, and I kind of like it. I run my fingers through the blond tufts, my eyes following the action. “I want Sera to be happy, but—“

“So let her be.”

I shake my thoughts. Luca is right, Sera is happy. My thoughts might be on other things, like the fact I find it strange that after three months of silence, Giovanni finally chooses now to speak. Or the worry that we are still no closer to finding out who was helping us that night at the warehouse. There are still so many anomalies that we need to address, and we’re no closer to the answers.

“I didn’t trust him when I first met him,” Luca interrupts my thoughts, like he knows what I was thinking.

I look up at him, eyes wide and brow furrowed. If Luca didn’t trust him, he must have had a good reason. Luca has always been the most observant one. The guy assesses every situation with one eye on his target and the other on the exits. If he didn’t trust the bodyguard, why did he agree to leave Sera with him today? What changed?

“But,” he sighs, rubbing his brow. “Gio is just as loyal to her as we are. He’s done nothing but protect her. He took a damn bullet for her.”

“Yeah, I know.” I suddenly feel guilty for the thoughts racing around in my head.

“Look, whatever connection they have, isn’t going to compare to yours.” Luca grabs my hand, lacing our fingers together. It’s the most sincere and comforting gesture I’ve ever received from him, and it only makes me like him more. “Or ours.”

I grin back at him. I love the fact that even through my chaotic brain, he manages to comfort me.

He gives my hand a squeeze before returning his attention to the road, peeling us over the asphalt. We make quick time heading back to Sera’s, the sunlight behind us, yet high in the sky. I look out at the blue haze, then back at Luca. His side profile is beautiful, effortlessly good to look at. I could sit and stare at him forever and not get bored. I realize how sad that sounds, but it’s true.

“What?” I frown, noticing the way he narrows his gaze ahead. I follow his eyes, and suddenly my blood runs cold. “Is that?”

“Yeah.” Luca screeches to a halt, the dirt flicking back as he throws the car onto the side of the road.

My body lurches forward, but before I can stop him, Luca is already out of the car, marching towards a car wreck up ahead.

“Luca!” I yell after him, pushing out of the vehicle. I spring forward, each step more determined than the last until I’m shoulder to shoulder with Luca. My pulse booms loudly in my ears as I look at the wreckage; the bullet casings, the glass, the blood.

Luca draws his weapon, aiming it Sera’s SUV as he carefully steps forward. “Sera?” his voice wobbles.

“What the fuck happened?” I look around us, but all I feel is the emptiness and destruction. The space that is forcing its way through my chest is cracking it open. I push through the anger and pain, the doubt and fear as I check the car over. I have to keep a level head, before I break.

But there’s nothing here to find. Nobody left to save. I pull my phone out, pulling up Sera’s number and hitting dial. But it just rings… and rings…

I glance down at the ground, seeing a phone screen light up.

Levi calling.

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