14. Lucrezia
Chapter 14
Lucrezia
T he soft click of the door closing behind us seals us away from the rest of the world. My room is modest—a bed pushed against the wall, a worn dresser, and a small window overlooking the street below.
Daniela stands near the door, her fingers nervously tracing the strap of her handbag. The crisp scent of her rosewater perfume mixes with the faint aroma of cedar that lingers in the room. Her eyes dart around, never settling, like a sparrow caught indoors.
I lean against the edge of the dresser, crossing my arms. The old wood creaks beneath my weight, a familiar sound in this room that suddenly feels too small. “You wanted to talk,” I say.
She nods, swallowing hard. The movement makes the delicate gold chain at her throat catch the light. “Yes,” she whispers, her gaze flickering to meet mine. “I—I needed to see you.”
“Well, here I am,” I reply, arching an eyebrow. My fingers dig into my biceps where they’re crossed. “What’s so urgent that you had to show up here unannounced? You could have called me if you needed me.”
Daniela takes a shaky breath, her fingers twisting together until the knuckles turn white. “Saverio reached out to me.”
A cold knot tightens in my stomach, but I keep my expression impassive. “Did he now?” The question hangs in the air like smoke, acrid and suffocating.
“He said...” Her voice falters, and she licks her lips nervously, a habit I’ve seen a thousand times when she’s struggling to find words. “He said he saw you at 324 the other night. He seemed concerned about why you’re here.”
The memory flashes in my mind—the dim glow of the speakeasy, the smoky haze from expensive cigars, Saverio’s predatory smile as he slid into the seat across from me. His veiled threats woven into polite conversation. His signet ring catching the light as he thrummed his fingers against the table, a constant reminder of his position and power.
I force a casual shrug, keeping my shoulders loose despite the tension coiling through my body. “And?”
Daniela’s hands tremble as she clutches her bag tighter. “He wanted to know if I knew that you were back. And he wanted to know what your plans are.” Her voice catches on the last word, betraying her nervousness.
“And what did you tell him?” I ask, my tone sharpening like a blade against a whetstone.
“Nothing!” she exclaims, her eyes wide and earnest, darting between my face and the window behind me. “I swear, Lucrezia. I told him I hadn’t seen you.” She takes a half-step backward, her heel catching on the edge of the rug.
I push off the dresser, taking a slow step toward her. The floor creaks softly under my boots, the ancient wood protesting beneath my weight. “So, you’re lying to him now?”
She flinches visibly, a deep crimson flush rising from her neck to her cheeks like watercolor bleeding across parchment. “I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to betray you. You have to believe me.”
“ Betray me?” A bitter laugh escapes my lips, sharp and cold as broken glass. “Funny choice of words, considering our history.”
Her gaze drops to the floor, her shoulders hunching as if trying to make herself smaller. Her fingers twist nervously in the fabric of her coat sleeve. “I just thought you should know. I thought you deserved that much.”
Silence hangs between us. The distant sounds of neighbors waking up drift through the windowpane—the blare of an impatient car horn, a mother yelling at her children to hurry up, the rhythmic thrum of construction in the distance as someone begins renovation on their home—all reminders of a world continuing on oblivious to our family’s slow, painful unraveling.
“Why are you really here, Daniela?” I ask quietly, watching her intently.
She hesitates, her teeth sinking into her lower lip—a childhood habit she never outgrew. “I’m worried about you,” Daniela admits.
“Worried?” I echo, a hint of sarcasm coloring the word. “About me ?”
“Yes,” she insists, meeting my gaze with a flicker of determination that seems to cost her considerable effort. Her hands clench and unclench at her sides. “Saverio is dangerous. He knows you’re back, if he suspects anything...”
I step closer, the distance between us shrinking until I can smell the faint trace of her rosewater perfume. I can see the fluttering pulse at the base of her throat, hear the unsteady rhythm of her breathing, watch the way her shoulders tense at my proximity. “I can handle our brother.”
“Can you?” Daniela asks, desperation creeping into her tone. Her eyes search mine, pleading. “You don’t know what he’s become. He’s a family man now, he’s a?—“
“I know exactly what he is,” I reply coldly. “He’s a snake. Just because he popped out a baby with Lucia Terlizzi doesn’t mean he’s a changed man, Dani. It just means he has more to lose.”
She reaches out tentatively, her fingers hovering near my arm before she lets them fall back to her side, the silver rings on her hand catching the dim light. “Lucrezia, please. This path you’re on... it’s not too late to turn back. You can still choose differently.”
I narrow my eyes, a spark of anger burning hot and familiar in my chest. “Turn back to what? To being his pawn? His plaything?” My voice rises, echoing off the bare walls. “To sitting pretty and doing what I’m told?”
Daniela winces as tears well up in her eyes, making them shine like polished amber. “No, that’s not what I meant. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”
“Hurt?” I scoff, the word tasting bitter on my tongue, like ashes and regret. “Our father already took everything from me. Our brother sent me away because I was too much to handle. There’s nothing left for Saverio to break.” My hands clench into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms.
“That’s not true,” she whispers. A tear finally spills down her cheek as she adds, “You have me. You’ll always have me.”
I pause, the sincerity in her words momentarily disarming. For a moment, I see the scared girl she once was—the one who hid behind doors, watching as I faced our father’s wrath alone. My path was forged in pain, while hers has been forged in purity. We are not the same.
“Are you sure?” I ask softly.
“Yes,” she insists. “I’m sorry, Lucrezia. For everything. For not standing up for you when we were younger. For not being the sister you deserved. For watching from the shadows while you suffered.”
I turn away, running a hand through my hair, unable to face the naked remorse in her expression. “It’s too late for apologies. The damage is already done, and words can’t heal old wounds.”
“Maybe,” Daniela admits, her voice barely audible. “But I need you to know that I regret it. Every day. The guilt follows me like a shadow I can’t shake.”
I feel a tightness in my chest, a flicker of old wounds reopening. The room feels smaller, the walls pressing in, each breath becoming more labored than the last. “Why now? Why say this now , after all this time?”
“Because that guy out there made me realize that I failed you,” she cries, tears spilling down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails in their wake. “I couldn’t help you then, but I can help you now. Let me make it right. Please, just give me a chance to prove myself.”
I study her, noting the quiver in her lip, the way her hands clutch at the fabric of her skirt until her knuckles turn white. Her vulnerability is palpable, raw, and exposed like a fresh wound, and for the first time, I sense a genuine desire to bridge the chasm between us.
“How?” I ask, skepticism lacing my tone, each syllable dripping with hard-earned distrust. “How can you possibly help me?”
She straightens, squaring her shoulders as a newfound resolve hardens her features, transforming her tearful vulnerability into something more steely and determined. “I’ll do whatever it takes. If you’re planning to go after Saverio, I want to be there. I want to stand by your side. I love him, but this time, I won’t turn my back on you, Lucrezia.”
A cold smile curves my lips, more a warning than an expression of mirth. “And what makes you think I need your help? What makes you think I’d trust you enough to let you?”
“Because you can’t fight him alone,” she replies firmly, her voice gaining strength with each word. “He’s too powerful, too well-connected. You know it as well as I do. But together, we have a chance.”
I arch an eyebrow, letting the skepticism show plainly on my face. “We?”
“Yes,” Daniela nods, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. A trail of smeared makeup is left behind that she doesn’t seem to notice or care about. “We. Sisters. The way we always should have been.”
I let out a slow breath, considering her offer. The idea of having an ally—especially one who knows the family’s inner workings—could tip the scales in my favor. But trust is a luxury I can’t afford. I know I can trust her to stand beside me when I’m broken, but can I trust her to stand beside me when I go to war?
“Why should I believe you?” I challenge. “After years of radio silence while I was locked away in Italy. Now, you suddenly want to help?”
Daniela meets my gaze unflinchingly, her shoulders squared despite the slight tremor in her hands. “Because I have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I’m risking everything just by being here. My position within the family, my safety under Saverio’s rule—maybe even my life.”
The sincerity in her eyes gives me pause. Somewhere outside, a car alarm wails in the distance, but neither of us breaks the heavy silence between us.
“Fine,” I say finally, letting the word fall between us like a stone. “But know this: in three days, I’m going to burn everything down. Saverio’s house, his empire—all of it. Every last piece of his corrupt kingdom will turn to ash. The fallout will be catastrophic. Are you ready for that?”
She nods slowly, the gravity of my words sinking in like a stone dropping through dark water. “I understand.”
“Do you?” I step forward, gripping her chin firmly between my fingers. Her skin is soft and warm, a stark contrast to the coldness I’ve carried for years. “Because when the flames rise, and the ashes settle, there will be no mercy. Not for him, not for anyone who stands in my way. The world I’m about to create will be built on the ruins of everything we’ve known.”
Her eyes search mine, unwavering, deep pools of determination that mirror my own resolve. “I’m with you, Lucrezia. Heart and soul. Until whatever end comes.”
I release her, a surge of unexpected emotion tightening my throat. Something dangerously close to hope flutters in my chest, a feeling I thought I’d buried long ago. “This is your last chance to walk away.” I have to offer her every opportunity to turn back because I don’t know if we’ll make it out alive. If one thing goes wrong, the whole plan will backfire. If Saverio is alive, he’ll come after everyone involved—even his precious, perfect Daniela.
But my sister lifts her chin, a spark of defiance lighting her gaze like struck flint. “I’m not going anywhere. Your fight is my fight now, whatever the cost.”
Slowly, I nod. Trust is fragile, but vengeance is a powerful motivator. “I’ll call Kristopher. We’ll meet tonight. Raiden’s getting the bomb, Kristopher is going to place it, but I need you to find out when Lucia and the kid will be out of the house.” Raiden was right; there’s no reason to risk an innocent life. Lucia may have chosen my brother, but she doesn’t deserve to die because of him.
“I’ll find out this afternoon.” Daniela promptly leaves, the scent of her perfume lingering in her wake. I hear Raiden say something in the hallway, a muffled warning perhaps, but she doesn’t respond. The front door slams behind her with enough force to rattle the walls, and a few seconds later, her car starts with a quiet purr. I watch from my window as she leaves the neighborhood, her silver sedan disappearing around the corner.
I had to burn to rise from the ashes like a dark phoenix, but my time has come. The storm is about to break, and every person who fueled the fire that burned me down will be destroyed. The thunder of revenge rolls through my veins, and when lightning strikes, there won’t be anywhere left for them to hide.