Twisted Mafia Vows 2: Nico & Serenity

Chapter 1

Chapter One

NICO

The receptionist’s voice is very far away.

Sitting in the waiting room, my mind spirals over everything I might have done to prevent my life from unraveling. Serenity had gone to the doctor to find out what was causing her illness.

At some point, she made a concrete decision to uproot her life and leave town.

For good.

I straighten my black tie and smooth it against my black dress shirt for the hundredth time.

My hands shook so badly this morning it took four tries to slide my diamond-encrusted N cufflinks through the buttonholes.

There’s a hole in my chest where my heart used to be.

Can’t believe she’s gone.

I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to breathe. Dressed in a tailored black suit with my hair slicked back, and a five o’clock shadow covering my jaw, I’ve done all I could to appear the composed mafia boss.

Inside, I’m falling apart.

The receptionist stops in front of me with a sympathetic smile.

“Mr. Cichello will see you now.”

I rise to my feet, buttoning my suit jacket.

“Thank you.”

She asks if I want something to drink. I tell her no. My throat is closed anyway.

I cross the threshold into Tizáno’s office.

“Good morning.” The words taste bitter on my tongue.

Nothing about this morning is good.

“Good morning, Nico.”

He steps around his desk and extends his hand.

I shake it firmly.

“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”

“It’s not a problem. Have a seat.”

He returns to the oversized leather chair behind his desk. I unbutton my jacket and settle into one of the two chairs opposite him. His office screams CEO. The gleaming wooden surfaces, with exquisite paintings decorating the cream-colored walls.

“How does it feel?” he asks. “Being boss.”

“Not much different,” I tell him. “I have been an earner long enough that the title is mostly a formality.”

A knowing smile tugs at his lips.

“I’m sure you made your father proud.”

For the first time all morning, the corner of my mouth lifts.

“I did.”

Silence settles between us.

Then his expression turns serious.

“What can I do for you today?”

He already knows.

I can see it in his eyes. The hint of amusement.

The arrogant boy who once stood before him claiming his daughter belonged to him is gone.

The man sitting here wants back what he lost.

“Your daughter and I discussed restoring our relationship.”

He chuckles. “I wasn’t aware you two weren’t in a relationship all these years.”

“Your daughter does forgiveness on her own terms.”

I swallow hard. “She opened up to me about her tragic past.”

I can feel I’m getting choked up. “Serenity said she’s not all there in the head.” My voice breaks.

Tizáno’s shoulders sag. I see the guilt all over his face.

For a moment, he doesn’t look like a mafia boss.

He looks like a father who couldn’t save his little girl.

“She went through a painful situation no one should go through. Especially not a fourteen-year-old girl.”

I lean forward.

“She refuses to marry me.”

I pause.

“And she doesn’t want children.”

He drags a weary hand through his dark hair.

“I can’t blame her.”

His voice is rough now.

“This life takes and takes until there’s nothing left.”

He curls his hands into fists against his chest.

“My wife and I lost our unborn child because men without souls decided women and babies were acceptable targets.”

The office falls silent.

I stare at him.

Then whisper the truth I’ve carried for years.

“Serenity is the love of my life.”

I shake my head.

“My best friend.”

“I need her beside me.”

He studies me for a long moment.

Then sighs.

“Son...”

The single word guts me.

“My daughter will never be whole again.”

Every muscle in my body locks.

“Let her go.”

His words hit harder than any bullet ever could.

“Tizáno, please tell me where she is.”

The desperation in my own voice embarrasses me.

I press my fist against the surface of his desk, not hard, not threatening, just the gesture of a man who needs something to hold on to.

He reaches across the desk and rests his hand on my forearm.

“She’s in Italy.”

Relief and heartbreak collide inside me.

“If you go there and drag her back, she’ll only leave again, and next time she won’t tell anyone where she is.” He pats my arm. “Take a step back. The time apart will do you both good,” he says, settling back in his chair.

I stare at the floor.

Then back at him.

“Where in Italy?”

He blows out an exaggerated breath. “Nico.”

“For my sanity, I just want to know where she is.”

“Serenity’s living with my mother.”

It’s my turn to exhale as I relax in the seat. “Those assholes will never stop looking for her.”

Recognition flashes across his face.

He understands exactly who I’m talking about.

He drums his fingers across the desk.

“I know. I doubled her security.”

I nod once.

“Good.”

For the first time since walking into this building, I manage a genuine smile.

We stand together.

He offers his hand.

I take it.

“Thank you for everything, Tizáno.”

He studies me before speaking.

“You were a spoiled little shit when you were younger.”

A faint laugh escapes him.

“But if my daughter had ever chosen to marry anyone...”

His eyes meet mine. “I always hoped it’d be you.”

The words land somewhere deep. Tizáno and I had finally turned a corner.

I don’t have plans of seeking Serenity out. She ran instead of trusting me to keep her safe.

Blood pounds in my ears as I step onto the elevator with my bodyguards. The elevator doors slide shut. For the first time in my life, I wish I wasn’t a mafia heir. Maybe then she would’ve trusted me to keep her safe.

Once in the backseat of the SUV, I place a call. The phone rings twice.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Nolan, pack your bags. The jet will be fueled and ready to go in two hours. I’ll send additional men once you’re settled. Oh, and don’t forget your passport.”

“Where am I going?” he asks.

I stare out the window as the city slips past.

“Florence, Italy.”

I end the call and rest my head back against the seat, and close my eyes.

I am not going after her.

I need eyes on the ground. I need to know she is safe. I need to know that Ettore and Aleksandr do not know where she is and that the men around her are competent enough to keep it that way.

But I am also going to make sure I know exactly where she is every single day until she comes home.

Because she is coming home.