25. Serafina
CHAPTER 25
Serafina
T he floorboards creak beneath my feet as I pace back and forth in my bedroom, my mind a tangled web of conflicting thoughts. Lucas's scent still lingers on my skin, a bittersweet reminder of stolen moments and forbidden love. I can't marry Luciano, not when my heart belongs to Lucas.
But how can Lucas and I escape this life and find our freedom without bringing the wrath of my family and Luciano's down upon us?
I need to talk to Lucas to come up with a plan.
I slip out of my room and make my way to the security wing where Lucas stays now, my bare feet padding softly against the cool marble floor. The darkness of night has descended again, casting a chill over the already cavernous halls, amplifying their sense of loneliness.
As I approach his door, hushed voices float out to me. I halt, pressing my ear to the wood.
"Carlo Rizzi has become a liability," Dominic's stern voice sends a chill down my spine. "Lucas, make it quick and clean. No loose ends."
My hand flies to my mouth, stifling a gasp. Not this. Lucas can't do this; I can't let him. If he goes through with it, if he kills for my family...it will stain his soul forever because of me. His dreams of being more than this life, of walking a different path, will slip through his fingers like grains of sand.
Hot tears prick at my eyes. The weight of it all crashes over me like a tidal wave, threatening to pull me under. I blink them back, a fierce determination rising within me. No. I won't let this happen. I have to stop him, have to do something.
Taking a shaky breath, I straighten my spine. I'll follow him and find a way to intercept him before he reaches his target. Talk some sense into him. Convince him there has to be another way, for us, for our future.
I hurry back to my room to change, my mind racing as I form a semblance of a plan. Hang on, amore mio. I'm coming.
Darkness cloaks the street as I pull up outside Carlo's place, my heart hammering against my ribs. I cut the engine, eyes scanning for any sign of Lucas or my brothers. Niente. Nothing. Just the eerie silence of the witching hour and a few faint lights from Carlo's house illuminating the darkness.
Where are they? Did I miss them? Anxiety coils in my gut like a serpent ready to strike. I grip the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as if it's the only thing keeping me anchored.
As the minutes tick by, each one an eternity, doubt begins to creep in. Exhaustion pulls at me, the events of the day, of the past months, catching up in a dizzying rush. My eyelids grow heavy, drooping despite my best efforts.
No. I can't fall asleep. Not now.
But the darkness is insistent, a thick blanket enveloping me in its embrace. Slowly, unwillingly, Isuccumb, drifting into a restless slumber filled with shadowy figures and whispered secrets...
A sudden noise jolts me awake, heart leaps into my throat. I blink, disoriented, the world coming into focus through the haze of sleep. Everything is dark, including Carlos’ lights, except for the eerie glow of the street lamps. Merda. Shit. How long was I out?
Panic rises like bile in my throat. Lucas. Did I miss him? Is it too late?
No. I refuse to believe that. Desperation propels me into action. Gotta think. Where would they go after? Somewhere familiar, somewhere safe.
Rossi's Deli. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. It's where our security always meets after jobs, a ritual of sorts. If I hurry, maybe I can catch them there. Stop this madness before it's too late.
I turn the key, the engine roaring to life, and peel out onto the deserted street. Tires squeal as I take corners too fast, my mind consumed with one thought: get to Lucas. Nothing else matters.
As I approach Rossi's, I see it. A flash of light, brief but unmistakable. The kind that comes from the barrel of a gun. The type that heralds death.
"No," I breathe, the word catching in my throat, sharp and jagged. "Lucas, amore mio, what have you done?"