Page 44 of The Silence Lies

“Is that what that is? You’ve matured in the space of a few weeks?” he laughs, taking a corner smoothly.

“Maybe,” I shrug. “So are you going to tell me what’s going on between you two?”

Because I sure as shit feel guilty about what happened earlier. It was nothing, but everything all in the same breath. Sera calmed me, liberated me in the most subtle way that I can’t even deny the effect she has on me anymore.

“Nothing to tell,” Levi mutters, though it’s audible enough for me to catch.

Liar.

I guess I can’t blame him if he’s keeping his cards close to his chest. I can tell he’s afraid of getting burned, but I don’t think that’s the reason he’s staying closed off. Maybe she wants to keep things quiet, not that there would be anything wrong with what they’re doing—if anything.

“What about you?” he quirks a brow. “You two looked pretty cozy earlier. That was more than just dancing, Fontana. I saw the way she was looking at you.”

“You were watching?”

Before he can answer me, my phone is ringing. I frown, looking down at the screen. “It’s Marco.”

“We have a tail!” he says sharply when I pick up the call.

“Who?”

“Well if I knew that, we’d be having a different conversation.”

BANG.

The sound of gunfire ensues, the reverberant echo through the phone marries with the noise behind us. Bullets whiz through the air, twanging against the cars while tires screech behind us.

I twist to get a look, my body practically vibrating with anticipation as I grab my weapon. I knew tonight was going too smoothly. I knew that sooner or later someone was going to take the opportunity to come after Bianchi. Without firm proof, though, I had nothing.

I’ve learned to trust my gut when it comes to these things. But that’s the problem, you can never convince others if you don’t have the proof. The only time my gut ever let me down was when it came to my father’s death, but I was drowning in guilt, too suffocated by my loss to actually see sense. Now, I’m seeing clearly enough to know that my gut was right.

Everything fell into place tonight too easily, too quickly. The Verdis never made a move, Greco conceded like a puddle. The entire night was too normal for someone like Bianchi, and I should have figured this out sooner.

“Hold steady!” I twist my body the other way, pulling myself through the open window. The Ferrante brothers are still on the road, battling with another car. I can’t make out anything past the glaring headlights and swerving cars, but I can hear the scream of metal as it collides and scrapes.

I aim for the enemy’s car, but they swerve at the last second, taking out the back end of Sera’s SUV.

They twist and turn. The tarmac screams and burns up while smoke whirls from the back end.

No!

It’s like I’m watching it in slow motion. The headlights seem to glow brighter, the car seems to decelerate. Sera’s SUV hits the bank with such force that it flips once, bouncing and rolling from its roof to right-side up. The vehicle slides through the grass, coming to a halt beside a tree.

I don't know which is worse, the shock or the anger raging through me. By the time I register that it’s both, Levi has slammed on the brakes and has us skidding in a full circle.

“Out!” he barks.

Bullets soar through the air, bouncing off metal and tarmac. We take cover behind the open doors, but it won’t be enough. I glance to the right, where Sera’s car is half buried in the grass. There’s already smoke whirring from both ends of the vehicle now, and there’s no movement.

“We need to get her out!” I bark over the ruckus, even though the probability of anyone surviving that crash is low.

“I’ll cover you!” Levi nods, positioning himself by the open window.

Gunfire pops through the air once more, this time it comes from the other side of the enemy. Marco and Matteo emerge from their own wreckage, guns blazing, allowing me just enough time to dart out from Levi’s car.

With only the light from the enemy’s van, I use the shadows to block me while Levi fires out. Each bullet misses, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a distraction, a diversion so I can get to the SUV.

I round the front that’s half buried in the dirt and grass, my pulse pounding in my ears.

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