Page 144 of The Silence Lies

This was the life I was promised; a burden to me and nobody else. I should feel grateful that my place in this world isn’t to be married off to another family, but to lead. However, I can’t find it in myself to seek that level of relief just yet. I don’t know which is worse, my life constantly at risk because it’s in the limelight, or forever being a bargaining chip?

It doesn’t matter what I want, regardless of my family’s standing. This life has been ingrained in me. I know what is expected of me, and I’ve vowed not to let my father down. Still, I’m nervous about what the future holds for me. I’ll be the first female leader of La Cosa Nostra, and I know not everyone is going to see eye to eye with me.

“You scared?” Enzo asks, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Of what?”

Enzo runs a hand through his black hair, the ends shimmering in the midday sun. “Of what this world can do to us?”

I frown at his words. Sometimes Enzo does that. He talks in riddles, sometimes for enjoyment because I don’t understand half of the questionable thoughts swimming in his mind. We might have known each other since we were babies, but every day I see more of a change in the boy I grew up with. He’s no longer the scrawny guy with an attitude bigger than his weedy muscles. He’s growing up—fast. He’s already been hitting the gym a lot more, spreading his time between me, his workouts, and his duty to his family. It makes me sad that any day we could lose this. I’m not ready for that. Enzo has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Our mothers are best friends, too.

Casting my eyes down, I watch the ground beneath my feet wobble. My legs sway with the thick branch we’re on, weaving us in the wind. It would only take one wrong move for me to fall and plummet to my death. And just like that my life would be snatched from this world. Maybe that’s what Enzo means?

I shake my head, lifting my gaze back to my best friend. “Why would I be scared? I have you, right?”

Enzo grabs my hand, offering me a wide smile that makes my stomach churn excitedly. He’s always had a beautiful smile, but he rarely does it anymore. The few moments he does are always reserved for me, and I don’t know what I’d do without that smile.

“You’ll always have me, Sera.”

Levi

“See you soon, Dolcezza!” Luca shouts down the phone.

I roll my eyes as he starts the car. It roars to life, the rumble of the engine vibrating my body, my ass well and truly fucking relaxed.

I didn’t expect today to run so smoothly, but it did. The Torres family, the guys Sera put in charge of the docks, had already started the clean up when we got there. There wasn’t a lot to take stock of since the feds took most of it into evidence. But we’ve been assured by Raf that none of it will come back to Sera.

None of this means we’re in the clear, though. We haven’t forgotten what our goal was in all of this, we just need to keep our wits about us.

We peel through the gates to the docks, heading away from the coast and towards Sera’s home. With the amount of time we all spend there, it’s swiftly becoming my home, too. Though I know home for me is anywhere our girl is. Our girl. Bellissima.

“Hey!” I snap my head towards Luca. “Why don’t I get a nickname?”

He raises a brow at me, like my question is of any surprise to him. I’m in half a mind to take back what I said. We’re fucking men! We don’t need nicknames, do we?

“You want a nickname?” Luca grins, no longer fazed by my question. I guess that settles the doubt in my mind, but I’m slowly unraveling with embarrassment.

“Maybe,” I shrug, averting my gaze back to the window.

“Hey,” Luca says softly, his hand sliding onto my thigh. “If you want a nickname, you can have one.”

“What would you call me?”

There’s a pregnant pause, one that fills me with uncertainty. Luca’s jaw feathers slightly as he returns his focus to the road. Either he’s got to think real hard about this, or he’s just placating me. It’s not even that fucking important.

Luca sighs as he smoothly winds us around a bend. “There are too many to choose from.”

I tilt my head in thought. Surely, he can pick one that resonates with me? After all, I’ve literally named him after the size of his cock. The least he can do is reciprocate the gesture. But then another thought crosses my mind.“How about I narrow the list down for you then?”

“Sure,” he laughs, checking the rear-view mirror habitually.

I meet his gaze, a smirk lifting his lips that makes me grin like a madman. He’s always had an effortless smile. One that teases me into submission because I’ve realized how weak I am for it. Maybe it’s because it’s a rare sight, that it makes that much more special.

“Handsome?”

Luca shakes his head, eyes firmly on the road. I can already tell that he isn’t going to make this easy for me. Still, my determination perseveres.

“Hot stuff?”

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