Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Anton
A few hours later, Serena and I sat in the backseat of the Maserati as it passed through a break in the stone wall surrounding Lucca. The hum of the engine could barely be heard, a Rolling Stones song playing on the radio and drowning the outside noises as Zeke guided us onto the open road.
I settled deeper into the seat, stretching my legs out in front of me while Serena curled hers beneath her. Her body was angled slightly toward the window as she absently scrolled through her phone. I watched her, studying the little things—the way her lips pressed together when she was concentrating, and the subtle crease that formed between her brows when she was trying to understand. It had been four weeks since our chance meeting in front of the Met, and since then, it had felt as if my sole purpose in life was to memorize these little details about her.
She was completely absorbed in whatever she was reading, unaware of my scrutiny. My gaze drifted lower, tracing the curve of her bare thigh and the way the fabric of her sundress slid up just enough to tease me. A slow heat coiled in my gut, but I tamped it down. We had a long drive ahead of us.
Zeke remained silent behind the wheel, his eyes locked on the road as the countryside blurred past. I turned my attention out the window, and before long, my thoughts drifted to a place I didn’t want them to go—the end date for my thirty-day arrangement with Serena.
I hadn’t expected to feel this way about her—to want more. More time. More of her.
I knew how this was supposed to go. I had set the terms and drawn the boundaries. But Serena had blurred them from the beginning, slipping through the cracks of my control like sand through my fingers.
And I had let her.
The problem was, she knew very little about me. I’d made sure of that. I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to think logically. It would have been so much easier if I’d kept it all about the Brutus Denarius. Chasing the coin was a challenge I understood. But then I’d laid eyes on Serena, an Italian princess, and all thoughts of hunting down a coin had disappeared.
From that point on, my orderly life had flipped on its axis. I didn’t understand, nor could I predict, what would happen with the woman who sat beside me. I wanted her more than I ever wanted another woman. Yet there were still so many questions that I had no answers to—her father’s death, the motel, the symbol Zeke had uncovered, and how Serena tied into it all.
Serena shifted beside me, drawing my attention back to her. She must have sensed me watching because she glanced up, her head angling inquisitively.
“What?”
I gave her a deliberate once over. “Just enjoying the view.”
She rolled her eyes. “Smooth. Real smooth. ”
I chuckled. “It’s true.”
A blush crept up her neck, and she turned back to her phone, but not before I caught the small smile she tried to hide.
I let the silence settle between us again, but my mind remained restless. I needed to talk to her about her father—about the possibility that he hadn’t just died, but that he may have been murdered. My jaw tightened as I considered how upsetting it would be for her to hear. I didn’t want to bring it up now. Not yet. I didn’t want anything to ruin the weekend.
Once we get back to Lucca, I’ll ask her about it and tell her my suspicions.
The soft vibration of Serena’s phone cut through the quiet hum of the SUV. Seated beside me, she frowned at the screen. Her fingers moved swiftly over the glass, then hesitated. I watched the shift in her expression. Disappointment settled into her features before she looked up at me.
“Caterina just canceled,” she said, her voice even. I frowned, catching the underlying frustration. She turned the phone toward me, the text message glowing against the dim interior.
Today 3:45 PM: Caterina
Something came up at work. I never made it out of London. Sorry, Rena. Next time?
I glanced back at her. “Rena?”
“It’s her nickname for me. It carried over from high school.”
I frowned, not liking the shortened version of Serena’s name. It wasn’t elegant enough.
“I wonder what happened to delay her,” I said, rather than voice my thoughts.
Serena shook her head, her focus still on the screen.
“I don’t know. I just keep thinking…” She seemed lost in thought.
“What is it?”
“Caterina and I have been friends for a long time. We met when we were only fourteen. Cat and Rena, the dynamic duo. We were inseparable until my parents made me move to Italy just after my sophomore year. We lost touch for a bit, but reconnected when I moved back to attend Arizona State. We picked back up right where we left off, and things were great for the longest time. It wasn’t until…” She sighed and set the phone aside, staring out the window. “There was a time Cat would have called to explain. It wouldn’t have been a text. But she’s changed. I don’t know. Maybe I’m making more out of it than there really is.”
I studied her, trying to understand what she might be feeling. I didn’t have many close friends, and the people I was closest to were tied to business. Casual friendships were something I never allowed myself. But despite my inexperience, I knew distance between friends didn’t happen overnight.
“Has this happened before?” I asked.
“Yeah, but it started with small things—like missed calls. This isn’t the first time she’s canceled plans. After graduating from Arizona State, we both moved to Italy for our master’s degrees. She studied in Florence, and I went to the University of Rome. That’s where I met Briana, another friend—or I should say, ex-friend.” She shook her head, disgusted. “Cat, Briana, and I meshed really well. La Terrazza, the restaurant we are supposed to go to tonight, was our favorite hangout spot. But then one day, all went to hell. Remember when I told you that Cade cheated on me?”
My fists clenched involuntarily. “Yes.”
“Briana was the friend he slept with. The weirdness between Cat and me started after Briana left our little trio,” she continued, almost to herself. “Things just never felt the same.”
She trailed off, shaking her head again as if she weren’t sure how to finish the thought.
I took her hand in mine, circling my finger on the underside of her palm. I had no intention of letting her spiral over this and potentially ruin the weekend.
“I know it bothers you, but I can’t say that I’m upset about not meeting her. Her loss is my gain. Now I get you all to myself.”
Her gaze snapped back to mine, a flicker of amusement chasing away the disappointment. “That’s your takeaway from this?”
I grinned. “I warned you that I wasn’t a nice guy, princess. Selfishness is one of my most redeeming qualities.”
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through restaurant options near our hotel in Florence. La Terrazza was out. I didn’t want Serena sitting through dinner with a forced smile, pretending she wasn’t thinking about her so-called friends. Instead, I chose a spot just down the street from the hotel, an intimate restaurant with a menu that didn’t require overthinking.
The weekend was now completely ours, and I intended to make full use of it. A slow smile tugged at my lips as an idea began to take shape. I recalled the night outside of Club O when Serena admitted to wanting to be the woman in the flames. So far, our sex had been vanilla—conventional, yet still hot as hell. I hadn’t attempted to pull her into my world or test her limits.
It was time to change that.
Opening a different browser page, I typed in a new search. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for.
Florence, you don’t disappoint.
I shifted slightly, turning to face her. “Change of plans. I found a restaurant down the street from the hotel we can eat at. What we do after that all depends on you.”
She arched a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I want to take you out to a club,” I said, deliberately vague.
Her expression turned wary. “A club?”
“It’s upscale. Exclusive. Do you have anything suitable to wear? ”
She thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Possibly. Why?”
“Because if you didn’t, I’d want to make time for you to shop.”
“I have a black dress that should work,” she mused. “But I’ll be honest. I’m not sure what girls wear to night clubs these days. I haven’t been clubbing since undergrad. Aren’t we too old for this sort of thing?”
The corners of my mouth turned up, thinking about the patrons at Club O. They came in all shapes and ages, and the dress attire was never the same. In some rooms, clothing was optional. But I wasn’t about to suggest that to Serena—yet. Tonight was a test. I needed to know if my time with her could extend beyond these thirty days. A part of me already knew Serena was going to fuck up my life plan, but Club O was part of my very identity. I would never give it up. I just wasn’t sure how receptive she would be to this sort of lifestyle.
Leaning in, I whispered, “Trustfall, princess. I’m taking the lead. Tonight, I want you to truly let go and be the woman in the flames.”
Her eyes widened, and she angled her head curiously. Surprisingly, she didn’t press for more details.
“Alright. You’re the boss,” she said, shifting to rest her head on my shoulder.
I wrapped my arm around her, pleased she was being so agreeable. Although she didn’t know about my club in New York, I had standards, and the club I found in Florence seemed to check all the boxes. However, information online could be deceiving. While Serena and I ate dinner, I would send Zeke ahead to make sure it was up to snuff.
The night air in Florence carried an odd mix of car exhaust, garlic, and fresh bread as Serena and I walked down the narrow street toward Rosso Fiore, the restaurant I had chosen. The city was alive, buzzing with conversation. Laughter spilled from cafes and wine bars, but my focus was solely on the woman beside me.
When she’d stepped out of the bathroom at the hotel, I’d nearly told her dinner was canceled. I’d always thought Serena had an effortless kind of sex appeal, but tonight, she looked every bit the seductive princess who had haunted my dreams for weeks.
Her dress was a sleek black number that clung to her curves like it had been sewn onto her body—and it was fucking lethal. The plunging neckline teased just enough to make me want more, and the slit at her thigh made me hard on the spot. Her dark, espresso-brown hair cascaded in glossy waves down her back, catching the light with hints of warm chestnut. Silken and thick, it framed her face with effortless sophistication.
She’d opted to wear the ruby necklace I’d bought for her, too. She’d paired it with strappy red heels that accentuated the graceful lines of her legs. Later, I planned to bury my cock in her while she wore nothing but the necklace and those matching fuck-me shoes.
While the outfit was undeniably sexy, it was still on the conservative side for where I planned to take her after dinner. But all things considered, it might be for the best. The club was a world apart from anything she was used to.
I slid a hand to the small of her back, turning her down the street that would take us to the restaurant. This area was quieter than the main drag and there was little to illuminate our path. The only light came from a single streetlamp, casting long shadows against the buildings.
We passed a dark alleyway a few blocks from the restaurant. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. A woman was on her knees before a man. Her hands gripped his belt, her shoulders tight .
And beside them, a boy.
Instantly, I tensed. He looked to be around six, maybe seven. Small. Thin. His arms wrapped tightly around himself as he stood a few feet away, his body angled just enough so that he didn’t have to watch. His face was partially hidden in the shadows, but his gaze lifted, and he looked straight at me.
Our eyes locked and my breath seemed to freeze in my lungs.
I knew that look—the kind of quiet acceptance that came from knowing the world wouldn’t save you from cruelty. He was surviving, and survival meant looking away. Pretending not to hear. Not to see.
Looking at the boy was like looking into a mirror at a child version of myself. A coldness settled in my bones, the air around me suddenly too thick. I turned before Serena could notice—before she could see what I had seen. Before she could ask questions that I wasn’t willing to answer.
“The restaurant is across the street. Let’s cross here,” I murmured quietly, ensuring my voice didn’t betray the storm of emotion churning inside me.
We moved away from the alley, away from the ghosts of a past that refused to disappear, and didn’t look back.