The Truth Hurts: Part Two: The Twisted Betrayal Duet

Prologue

“First thing on the agenda…?” I ask as I wrap the bandage around Sera’s hand. She winces, but she tries to hide it from me. I know her too well, though. There’ll be a small scar on her palm, for sure, but the more permanent mark is the one she left on that parchment when she signed her name in blood. Right next to mine.

Because that’s how it’s always been. Me and her. Since I was brought into this world, I knew my place. I knew what I had to do before the words were even uttered to me. From the moment I locked eyes with her defiant brown ones, I silently devoted my life to Sera in more ways than one. It’s how I’ve become her second-in-command.

Usually, a leader selects someone trustworthy and impartial to the family that can vouch for her. But clever Serafina found a loophole. We’re not related. We have no conflict. The Elders couldn’t object, especially against someone like her. She’s always been stubborn; a force to be reckoned with, but sometimes she needs a little push.

That’s what I”m here for.

I stare a little longer than I should at my best friend. Her dark hair flows effortlessly over her shoulders, her lips pursed in thought as she glances around the terrace of her grandfather’s house. Everyone stands in groups, talking amongst themselves, light hearted laughter filling the air.

“Tell me,” she replies, her gaze still lingering on the family leaders.

I survey the terrace, noticing the Verdis have already left. Good. I’m still holding back my anger at their outbursts earlier. That family holds no precious place here, not after what they did to Sera. I still don’t know why her father let them remain in the organization after how they treated their future leader, but it wasn’t my place to question at the time.

Now, however, it’s part of my job. Advise and consult; and also question the choices Sera makes. We both know the Verdis are vermin, and now that Sera has taken the mantle from her father, it’s high time to rain hell on them.

I finish tying the bandage with a knot before turning to observe the same scene as Sera. “Is it too soon to deliver a kill order?”

“On who?” she frowns, turning to me.

Rolling my eyes, I tug out a cigarette and bring it to my lips, lighting it instantly. “You know who.”

She fights a scoff that I sense is barely contained beneath the surface. “Enz, if we could kill everyone we hated, there wouldn’t be a Mafia. Sometimes we have to set aside our differences for the family.”

“Spoken like a true leader,” I tease, nudging her with my shoulder.

That’s the bonus of our relationship. We can have a serious conversation hidden beneath our humor.

“If you say so,” she grumbles back. She chews on her lip, a nervous habit I recognize so well. She’s lost in thought, reeling through her emotions over today. I have no doubt she was nervous, but I didn’t get the chance to give her the pep-talk she deserved. I was too busy ensuring the complex was safe before the meeting.

“La Cosa Nostra needs someone like you.” I drag on my cigarette, letting the smoke hit my lungs before expelling it into the air. “Or should we be calling it La Cosa Nuova?”

Today marked the day of a new era. A moment in time that might just spark a new kind of leadership in years to come. La Cosa Nuova; the new thing. I kinda like the sound of that, though nobody would ever agree to the renaming of a centuries’ old organization.

I guess I can let that slip since this is the first time a woman has ever been inaugurated into the family. The old times are behind us, the new ways are the future, and I have no doubt Serafina Bianchi will be the one to lead the fight. And she’s going to have a big fight ahead of her.

Between the Verdis and the other families who turned their nose up at her today, Sera’s going to have to spend a lot of time convincing them she’s capable of leading us. I know what she can do, though. We’ve grown up around each other. We know one another inside out and if there’s one thing I know about Sera, it’s that she is determined. I can’t help but admire her in the crisp white suit only she would dare to wear. It adds to her tenacity, her stubbornness and her rebellion. It’s subtle, but I notice.

I always notice her.

A chuckle slips from her lips, making her look both sophisticated and cute as fuck. I’m not even ashamed to admit that to myself, but Sera can never know. She’s my leader now. There needs to be a level of respect between us. Even so, I lean into her and drop a kiss on the side of her head. “Relax, you’re going to be great,” I reassure, meaning every word.

No sooner have I pulled away before commotion sounds from the other side of the terrace; raised voices and scuffling sounds of gravel before a gunshot rings out.

I snap my head towards the sound.

The champagne glasses that were perfectly positioned on the table behind us obliterate, shards bouncing in all directions as gunfire ensues. My immediate reaction is to shove Sera behind me for protection.

Protect her at all costs.

“Get down!” I order her, pushing to the ground as I pull out my gun. My pulse pounds in my ears as I steady my breath and focus on my surroundings.

Men appear from the corner of the terrace, guns raised and aimed in all directions. I fire out automatically, my heart racing as I take down two of the closest men. But the bullets keep coming. The entire yard is filled with the racket and ricochet of glass and metal.

A couple of men drop to the floor; the enemy and us.

Don Fontana bounds towards me; a trustworthy man whom I actually admire. He barely reaches us when the sound of a bullet soars so quickly through the air that nobody has time to react. He drops to the ground with a thud, staring empty-eyed at Sera.

Merda.

Shit is getting real.

I fire my gun again, hitting another guy. There’s not many of them, but I already know this isn’t going to end well. This isn’t a fight, it’s a damn attack. And I know who’s responsible.

I see Sera freeze up as she stares at Fontana’s body and my instincts hit me at full force. “Sera! Get inside!”

She jolts at my voice, pushing herself upright on my command, but her legs give out and she stumbles forward. Before she hits the deck, I swing around and grab her by the waist, blocking her body with mine as I walk her backwards towards the patio doors, firing out in quick succession.

Locking eyes with one guard who is heading towards us, I realize he’s not on our side. He’s brandishing his gun, pointing it right at me, and I know who the fucker is.

“It’s the Verdis,” I growl as I fire at his approaching figure. He doesn’t stop when my bullet hits him square in the shoulder, so I shoot again, catching the asshole in the middle of the forehead. As soon as his body drops to the ground with a satisfying thud, I spin around just in time to catch Sera from dropping into the glass sprayed along the kitchen floor.

She whips around, her deep brown eyes magnetized to mine. They’re filled with so much fear that I feel it in my gut. Fear isn’t something I’m used to feeling, but with Sera suddenly looking so vulnerable, I’m terrified for her safety. I can’t allow anything to happen to her.

So I take her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “You need to hide!” I order, hating the tone I take with her, but urgency calls for it. “I’ll come find you.”

It’s a false promise. I know I’m not coming back. I know that this is it for me.

Usually, I’d be honest about this shit. There are no secrets between Sera and I—save one— but I have to lend her my strength right now. She will get through this.

Sera’s frozen in place, staring up at me. She doesn’t have to say the words, but I can tell by the look in her eyes that she knows.

I’ve fucking failed her.

“I can’t, Sera.” I shake my head, narrowing my eyes on her. This is it.

“You can!” she screams, yanking my hand. She tries to pull me through the doorway, but I’m anchored in place. “I’m not going anywhere without you!”

“No! Sera!” I lunge forward and grip her shoulders, shaking her so hard that I swear I hear her bones rattle. The sad realization in her eyes breaks something inside of me, forcing me to tug her against my chest and hold on for as long as possible. “I vowed to protect you, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Gunfire sounds behind me, but I push it away to savor this moment. This one brief moment I know I’ll never get again.

“Please, Enzo. Come with me.” The words are barely audible against my chest, over the gunfire rumbling around us, but I hear how distraught she is. She knows as well as I do that I have to protect her. She needs to leave.

I fight the sting in my eyes as I kiss her forehead. It’s an action I’ve done a million times, but this one means more than the others. This time, I force everything I feel for my best friend into the kiss, wishing things between us could be different. This isn’t how her life was supposed to turn out. She was meant to lead, to succeed with me beside her. I’d give anything for hindsight right now, or time travel.

If I could go back in time, I’d destroy the fucker who tried to destroy Sera. I’d make Luciano’s death a long and painful one, and I wouldn’t care if the family shunned me for it. He would deserve it all.

My body suddenly jolts as white hot pain sears through me. I wince as the body-ripping agony radiates from my stomach outwards, soaring to my extremities. I try to hide my pain, though I know Sera sees it.

For just a moment, time seems to slow down as I stagger away from Sera, clutching my stomach. I’m hit with a flashback of memories I don’t want to visit right now. But they say that’s what happens, right? They say just before you die, you reel through your life from start to finish. That’s what happens to me, and it’s both painful and euphoric.

But then I”m slammed back to reality and my vision starts to blur. The room starts to tilt and though I try to stop it, my body follows gravity until I meet the cold, hard floor. The frigid tiles are soothing beneath my burning torso, like a blanket I can’t kick off. My body numbs. I try to move my legs, but they don’t feel like they’re a part of me anymore. Not even my toes can move.

“Enzo!” Sera cries. “Enzo!”

Slowly, she slips into focus, and I manage to slide my gaze up to her beautiful features. She’s always been gorgeous; with long dark hair and captivating brown eyes, she stole my heart from day one. But those brown orbs are now torn up with anger and sorrow, a sickening blend of guilt that I feel just as strongly.

I reach up—even though my arms don’t feel like my own—and like I’m watching from above, I cup her delicate cheek in my palm. “Sei tutto per me,” I think I manage to say, though I don’t really recognize my own voice as it cracks. Agony throbs through my whole body, my focus waning with each shallow breath.

“No!” she wails. “You don’t get to say that to me!”

She’s right. I don’t have any right to tell her how I feel, not now. Not after everything we’ve been through. I’ve had years to admit my feelings, but she’s the one thing I’ve always been scared of losing.

My chest tightens as my breaths start to grow sharper, my lungs burning with the need for more oxygen, but it’s not panicked—no. It’s a calmness, a tranquil wave of breaths that slows down gradually. Nothing hurts anymore. My body is numb, and I’m finally at peace as the image of Sera becomes nothing more than a silhouette growing further and further away. I don’t even try to reach out. I don’t even fight it. I allow whatever light is leading me away from this life, away from Sera’s sad eyes and warm embrace until there’s nothing left but a hollow emptiness.