Page 39 of The Silence Lies

“I hope this works,” I hear Sera say under her breath.

The doubt encasing her words is the vulnerability only we get to see. Sure, Sera isn’t the most confident of leaders, but she’s still young. Confidence comes with years of experience, and Bianchi has a long reign ahead of her.

“Levi and I will be riding ahead,” Luca explains as he helps Sera into the car. He reaches over, clicking her seatbelt in place, like he’s assuring himself she is safe. “Marco and Matteo will follow behind you and Gio, just in case.”

Sera frowns. “You really think the Verdi’s are going to try something? Today of all days?”

This is where experience comes in. As a leader, she should be looking at every moment as an opportunity for her enemies to make a hit. It’s exhausting, but it’s realistic. Sera is the biggest target in all the families right now.

Luca leans against the car with a sigh, head resting on his forearm as he stares apologetically at our leader. “I don’t trust that they won’t.”

I wish I didn’t agree with him, but Luca is right. Nobody is to be trusted, especially not the Verdis.

Leaning in, I kiss Sera’s cheek. “See you there, beautiful,” I whisper, then close the door.

“Beautiful?” Luca smirks, folding his arms.

I know he’s baiting me. If I gave half a fuck it would work, but then it dawns on me why he’s doing it in the first place.

“Pretty sure she could put her own seatbelt on,” I laugh, nudging him out the way with my shoulder.

“Shut up, Marchese!”

I wink at him as we approach my Porsche, the doors sliding up for us with just the click of a button. “Get in the car, Fontana.”

An hour later, we’re all pulling up in the valley, where the Greco wedding is about to take place. The entire venue is teeming with security, eyes following the stream of cars to the valet. Luca and I get out first, handing the keys to the attendant before heading to the blacked out SUV where Sera and Giovanni are.

The Ferrante brothers pull up just behind, tipping their chins up in acknowledgment. They know what they need to do. They didn’t get an invite, so they’re acting as extra protection, which means they need to keep a close eye on everything going on outside the venue. If anything looks out of the ordinary, they know to alert us.

Luca reaches the car before me, tugging the door open immediately. He’s already poised to help Sera out, and I can’t help but notice the tension in his shoulders, the lingering stare he fails to mask as Sera walks past him.

Approaching the steps, I offer my hand, but she shrugs me away. “I’ve got this,” she says with a wink. And then she saunters off up the steps, her hips swaying seductively. I’m immediately brought back to our moment in the dressing room last week, where she fell apart and finally admitted what she wanted. Maybe not in so many words or in that order, but she wouldn’t have let me touch her if it wasn’t what she wanted, right?

“Pick up your jaw, Marchese,” Luca goads.

I punch his shoulder, knowing he’s probably imagining himself doing what I did with Sera. “I could say the same to you!”

The sound of a throat clearing behind us snares both of our attention. Giovanni smirks at Luca and me, but he’s just another failing to keep his admiration for our leader at bay. Every time he thinks I’m not looking, I see it.

“I’m not going to lie,” Luca says, nervously touching his bow tie. “Bianchi looks good.” If ever there was an admission from the hard-ass himself, this is it. He might be observant, but I pick up on the words people don’t say, the thoughts they don’t want to voice. Call it a talent, but if anyone can pick a liar out of a lineup, it’s me.

“You don’t need to tell me, I’ve got eyes.” And I’m hypnotized by that ass.

As Sera finally reaches the top step, I break out of my entranced state. She gestures for us to join her before turning around and heading further into the venue. I’m sure she’s probably laughing at us by now, there’s nothing subtle about the way we’ve been acting around her. Even the Ferrante brothers are trying to keep their cool.

Luca and I approach Sera with Giovanni in tow. All eyes land on us as we head towards our leader. Hushed whispers, murmurs of Bianchi’s name, I hear it all. I’m certain Luca and Giovanni do too, but my attention is focused on only one person.

I watch as she twists and turns, greeting the guests like she is royalty. In this fucked up world, she kind of is. Some people here are clearly delighted that Bianchi made an appearance, greeting her politely, asking how she is. Then there are those who sneer from the corners, the ones muttering about her abilities as a leader, conspiracies about how she got to be in her position. Just like office gossip, the Mafia follows the same rules.

“Stay close to her,” I murmur to Giovanni.

He goes to step past me, but I grab his arm. In any other circumstance, he could probably take me down with one punch. Thankfully, he knows his place, which is beside Bianchi.

“Don’t fuck up this time.”

He nods without hesitation. Maybe he’ll listen this time.

“Here,” Luca says, handing me a glass of champagne. “Any sign of the Verdis?”

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