Chapter 40
From the shadows, I watch as Sera greets everyone with a wide smile, those damn plum colored lips drawing me in. She wears the look of serene power while looking effortlessly breathtaking in that deep purple dress. I can’t seem to take my eyes off her as she tours the room, shaking hands with the heads of the families.
Those waiting to meet her stand patiently aside, their eyes cast warily around the room. It sets me on edge, forcing me to remain alert. I know she’s got the guys protecting her, but that won’t stop me from looking out for her. It’s all I’ve ever done. Anything could happen here tonight, but we’re as prepared as we can be. Nobody is getting in or out of this building without us knowing about it, and we’ve taken every precaution we can to ensure no weapons are brought into the event–aside from her protectors.
Even the guests have been asked to park away from the venue, just to be on the safe side. The only cars allowed on site in the parking garage below are ours.
I scour the room, watching out for the one guest we’re really here for, but he’s yet to show his face. Sighing, I take a sip of my whiskey and relish the burn as it travels down my throat. I’ve situated myself away from the main area, in the darkest corner of the room. Luckily, people are far too excited to meet Sera to really pay attention to the rest of the guests. Especially the fact I’m very much alive and not six feet under.
Murmurs of greetings and general conversation flutter through the room. Sera navigates it with finesse, her determined strides exuding authority.
Taking another sip of my drink, I cast my gaze over the room once more. Everyone is in high spirits, laughing and joking. I take note of who’s here tonight; who showed their face and who didn’t.
It’s mostly small families; those who respect Serafina enough to be in her presence. They’re the ones we least suspect to be working with Verdi, but they’re not completely off the list. Someone has to be cocky enough to think they can take her out, and I’m here to make sure they get caught before anything happens.
The Bernardi family greet Sera with wide grins, the tall couple anxious to meet their leader. As far as I’m aware, they’ve not had the chance to officially exchange words until tonight. They run the outfit down in San Diego, dealing with drugs. They’re no real threat tonight, so I continue to watch from my shadowy corner as they converse.
The Caruso family are up next. Don Caruso shakes Sera’s hand firmly, his wife casting her gaze to the ground like she’s scared to make eye contact with her leader. It’s almost laughable the way these families are afraid of Donna Bianchi. If it weren’t for the rumors circulating of Sera’s recent abduction, and the bodies trailing behind her, I’d say they didn’t need to be. While she’s fierce, Sera hosts more compassion and kindness than the entire guest list put together.
That’s not to say Sera isn’t a threat to be wary of. Her strength puts her in a league of her own. If she even thinks someone doesn’t consider her a worthy opponent, she’ll make damn sure they regret the notion. It’s probably why her smile is so tight right now. She’s keeping her mask firmly in place, ensuring everyone sees only what she wants them to.
Just like the last, the Caruso family are nothing to worry about. They don”t even remotely pose a risk to Bianchi or this party. They’re a small family living close to San Francisco, dealing with liquor most of the time. Harmless in comparison to the other families on the roster.
Still no sign of Greco—or his son.
Alfredo appears, though, showing his support for his daughter—after all, he was the one who sent out the invitations. He greets his daughter with both adoration and respect, sliding his gaze around the room until his eyes finally meet mine. He offers me a subtle nod, and I silently appreciate the fact he’s not drawing attention to my presence. He understands that to everyone else here, I’m dead, so he doesn’t make a scene about my attendance.
After Sera’s finished making her rounds with all the other families, she takes a seat in the closest booth, making her presence known to the entire room. It’s the ultimate power move, showing her confidence and authority. It’s a play that shows the rest of the room she’s not afraid. She trusts the men with her to back her up, and that in itself speaks volumes.
Giovanni stands to the side, watching the room carefully. He has a wariness about him, like he too feels as if something might happen tonight.
When our eyes meet, he tilts his head. Acknowledgement and understanding floats between us, and a split second later, his attention is back on Sera. I still don’t trust the guy, but right now he’s got incentive. With the prospect of finding his daughter, he’d be stupid to even consider betraying Bianchi or us again. That’s the only thing stopping me from burying him with Verdi.
I finish my drink with one large gulp, sliding my gaze to the bartender to signal for another. No sooner have I picked up my glass from the bar do I feel the presence of someone who shouldn’t be here.
“Hiding in the shadows, I see.”
“I don’t remember you being on the guest list,” I murmur to Nico Rocco, taking a sip of my drink and not making eye contact with him.
“You and I both know that won’t stop me,” he retorts.
I huff a humorless laugh, letting my gaze follow Sera through the room. Nico Rocco shouldn’t be here for a number of reasons; the main one being he stepped back from helping Sera when she asked for his assistance. Aside from that, he’s harboring secrets that have no business here, not tonight.
“You chose the wrong night to taunt Bianchi, Nico.”
“That’s not what I’m here for and you know it.”
Finally turning my attention to Nico, I let my irritation over his presence show on my face. “What are you doing here, then?”
“I need to talk to Serafina.”
“It’s Donna Bianchi, to you. And you thought her birthday party would be the best time?” I reply, raising a brow. “I don’t think so, Rocco. Make an appointment like everyone else.”
“Suit yourself,” he says, disregarding my comment with a huff, mirth dripping in his tone. “Your family know you’re here?”
I shoot him a sharp glare, one that could slice him in half if he continues to test me. “What’s it to you?” It’s rhetorical, but Nico still smirks like he knows he’s pushed the right button to rile me up.
In answer to his question, no, they don’t know I’m here; alive. Until all this shit with Bianchi is sorted, I’m keeping them at arm”s length. I’m keeping everyone who doesn’t need to know my mortality status out of harm”s way. The less they know, the less of a target they’ll be. It’s the nature of our business, but with my death still a sure thing for everyone around us, I can’t risk more bloodshed on my watch.
Nico huffs a short laugh. Despite the mood that settles between us, he doesn’t leave. We just stand in silence, sipping our drinks while we watch the guests mingle, drinks flowing freely. Every time Sera laughs, my heart skips a beat. Every time she leans into Luca or Levi, my gaze burns with desire to be closer. We’ve come such a long way in such a small amount of time. Not just Sera and I, but the guys. We’ve found a happy medium, a way for us all to be with Sera. I thought I’d be jealous—in a way I am—but what I really feel is relief. Relief that Sera feels the same way as I do. Relief that she has a big enough heart not to reject me. Most of all, I feel relief that she forgave me for what I did to her, for what I put her through.
After what feels like a lifetime of sifting through my own thoughts, Nico disappears, but not before Sera notices him walking away from me. She glances my way, brows gently furrowed in curiosity.
I can only offer her a shrug because I didn’t buy into his bullshit or find out what he wanted to talk about. I know I’ll be paying for it later, I should at least have filtered out what was so important he felt the need to come here, tonight of all nights.
I shake off the interaction and the anticipation of Sera’s annoyance. If he wants to speak to Sera, he’ll have to arrange a meeting like everyone else, despite where he stands on the current feud.
The rest of the evening is relatively boring. Luca and Levi are laughing boisterously, enjoying their night while Sera is caught in a deep conversation with Donatello Lombardi, an older man way past his prime who really should just give up his chair for his son. I don’t know anyone who’s held onto his position longer than Donatello has. Not even Sera’s grandfather held his position for that long.
Eventually, the night draws to a close and Sera starts saying goodbye to her guests. Surprisingly, the night was uneventful. Greco didn’t show his face, nor anyone else that shouldn’t have besides Rocco. I’ll deal with that shithead some other time. Overall, Sera seemed to have had a good night. She spent a lot of her time interacting with the families, staying true to the facade that this was a surprise birthday party and not some cooked up plan to coax Greco out of the woodwork. It didn’t work, but there’s still time to locate the fucker. For now, we can sit back and enjoy the rest of the evening.
“Enz!” Levi slurs my name from across the bar when it’s finally empty, save the bar staff, one of which is pouring out another drink for him.
I release a low chuckle, unable to remove the smile from my face. Seeing Levi so relaxed and carefree just brings me back to the days when we were teenagers, sneaking out in the middle of the night to get drunk at the pier. Memories of Levi making a complete idiot of himself, thinking he could hijack a boat, swearing he knew how to drive. He passed out before we could even get out of the bay so me and Sera had to carry him back to his mom’s place.
Another smile tilts my mouth as I join him at the bar, giving a quick nod to the bartender. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough,” I chuckle.
Levi narrows his eyes on me in accusation, then shrugs, knocking back his drink with one gulp. “Lighten up, LaRosa. It’s Bianchi’s birthday!”
Sera appears at the other side of him, rolling her eyes in amusement. “Come on, big guy,” she laughs, swinging his arm over her shoulder to steady him.
“No!” Levi whines, but it’s slurred and comical. He pouts his lips at Sera, exposing his boyish charm that I know Sera finds irresistible. He leans his head on her shoulder. “The party’s just getting started.”
“Sure it is,” I laugh. “But let’s take this party home, huh?”
Levi wiggles his brows at Sera, the innuendo clear as he slides his lips over her neck. But it’s sloppy and uncoordinated, resulting in him almost falling off his barstool.
“Right!” Luca appears behind Levi just in time to catch him under the arms. He huffs exasperatedly as he tugs a drunken Levi from his stool. For someone who was shot in the leg a little over a week ago, he’s doing well maneuvering his intoxicated boyfriend towards the elevator.
We barely step into it when the sudden sound of an explosion ripples through the room. The windows shatter, spreading glass across the floor. The building shudders and shakes like it’s being rocked by an earthquake. No sooner has it started, does it stop.
I wish I could say the same for my pulse, though. A small sweat has already beaded across my temple, my heart rate kicking up several notches when I see a fire blazing up the street from the open window. The lights in the bar dip out, the elevator shutting down as the whole place goes into emergency mode. Only the glow from the front door—that is now hanging off its hinges—allows the light from the streets to seep in.
“What the fuck?” Sera screams as Giovanni slams his body against hers, immediately going into protective mode while Luca holds Levi to his body.
“Go around,” I order, rushing us all to the front door. “You can still get to the cars by going around the building. Stick to the shadows!”
With my gun poised in my hand, I make my way out onto the street, with everyone behind me. In the distance, I notice a car engulfed in flames. But as soon as my eyes lock onto the vehicle, my blood runs cold. “Shit!”
I rush towards the blazing, upturned car, attempting to rip the door open, but as soon as my hand touches the metal, searing hot pain ripples through my palm. I snatch my hand away, feeling the skin instantly blister. “Alfredo!” I call out. I don’t wait for an answer. The way the car is currently surrendering to the fire means there’s only a matter of time before it’s well and truly fucked.
Wrapping my leather jacket around my hand, I duck under the flames and yank the door handle. Relief escapes me in a breath as I spot him, unconscious. “Alfredo!”
“What can I do to help?” Giovanni appears behind me as I pull myself out of the car.
“Help me get him out!” I bark, motioning to Sera’s unconscious father.
With a nod, he works quickly, bending the door backwards which has weakened under the intensity of the heat. Together, we haul Alfredo out of the car, but the second his body lands on the pavement, a second explosion goes off behind us.
My head snaps towards the bar, where Levi, Luca and Sera are. Only the bar is now engulfed in flames, the brickwork crumbling slightly and there’s no sight of them. All the cars along the side of the road flare their alarms, the windows smashed out and one car even on its roof.
My breath catches, all my fears surfacing as I spot Luca heaving an unconscious Levi away from the damage. But that’s when my heart jumps in my throat and I snap my eyes back to Giovanni. My next words fall as a broken question, a question filled with terror.
“Where’s Sera?”