27. Serafina
CHAPTER 27
Serafina
T hese days, the Mancini Gardens feel more like a cage than a sanctuary. I walk beside Lucas, stealing glances at his striking profile, trying to find the man I fell in love with underneath the hardened exterior. He's distant, his eyes reserved and vacant, and I'm afraid to touch him, unsure of how he'll react.
In the week since his first kill, I've witnessed Lucas's transformation. From a carefree and passionate man, he's become dark and brooding. He carries a burden that weighs heavy on his shoulders, and I don't know how to help him carry it.
"You've been quiet, mi Reina," Lucas says softly, his melodic voice soothing and familiar. "What's on your mind?"
I inhale deeply, the aroma of blooming roses and freshly cut grass filling my lungs. How could the same hands that now brush gently against mine take a life a week ago? I can't forget what he did; I feel it in how he holds himself, the shadows lurking in his once-vibrant eyes.
"Lucas," my voice cracks as I finally give breath to the thoughts tormenting me. "I'm supposed to marry Luciano and become a proper wife in two weeks. But the very thought makes me sick to my stomach."
Lucas stops abruptly, turning to face me. His calloused hands cup my face tenderly, his touch igniting a flicker of hope amidst my despair. "Serafina, I can't watch you suffer like this anymore. I won't."
"What choice do we have?" My words fade as tears threaten to spill.
"I've been thinking, planning..." His grey eyes bore into mine, intense and resolute. "You’re right. The only way out of this is by leaving. Let's go away, Serafina. Far from here, from all of this."
My heart stutters in my chest. "Go away? Where?"
"To Mexico. We can start over and create a new life together. Leave the Mancini name and all its baggage behind."
His words hang in the air between us, a lifeline I'm desperate to grasp. A chance to escape, to be free...
"What's changed? Last week, you said you couldn't leave with me." I grab his arm tightly, hoping to pry the truth out of him.
Lucas leans in closer, his forehead resting against mine. "I just needed time to do things right. I've got it all figured out, Serafina. New identities, a place to stay. We can finally be together; no more hiding or pretending."
The sincerity in his voice, the hope in his eyes... it's almost too much to bear. A part of me yearns to say yes, to run away with him and never look back. But the rational side of me, the part that's been molded by years of Mancini loyalty, hesitates.
"Lucas, how?"
"They won't find us, Serafina. Do you trust me?" His thumb caresses my cheek, wiping away a stray tear.
"I trust you," staring into the depths of his eyes, I know that as crazy as the idea is, it's the only way. The only way we can ever be together.
He pulls me into his arms, holding me tight as if he never wants to let go. I cling to him just as desperately, my heart racing with a mixture of exhilaration and terror. We're really doing this—leaving everything behind for a chance at happiness.
He pulls back slightly and reaches into his pocket, retrieving a folded piece of paper. My fingers tremble as I unfold it, revealing an address scrawled in messy handwriting. "Meet me here tonight at midnight," he whispers.
I'm busy in my room, quickly stuffing clothes into a small duffel bag, when I suddenly hear a loud knock on the door. My heart races with fear, but I had locked my door earlier, so whoever is outside can't just barge in. Still, panic sets in as I frantically hide the duffel bag inside my walk-in closet before finally unlocking the door. "Just a minute!" I call out, trying to compose myself before facing whoever is on the other side.
Dominic is standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders tense and his expression unreadable. I cautiously invite him inside and he quietly walks into my room, taking a seat on my velvet green couch. He motions for me to sit next to him.
I do as he asks and patiently wait for him to explain why he's here. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" His question catches me off guard, filling me with unease.
"Cut the shit, what is this about?" I snap back, owning the anger that always surfaces when I'm in a tense situation.
"I just want to make sure you’re holding up your end of the deal. I saw the two of you walking out of the gardens very closely." He rotates his upper body towards me with his piercing green eyes fixed on mine. We chose to stroll through the hedge maze for some privacy, one of the few places in this mansion where we can have any. He must have seen us exiting the garden together.
I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Now you’re watching my every move? Isn't it enough that you have him keeping tabs on me?"
He ignores my question and instead warns, "You don't know who he truly is. He's dangerous."
What the hell is he talking about? "I know he’s a professional boxer, asshole. That doesn’t make him a threat to society." I argue. "But I know someone who is." I say pointedly, looking directly at him.
He moves closer to me, causing my body to tense up. "He's connected to a Cartel. One that probably wants our city. And our parents don't have another daughter to marry off to them. So I beg of you, stay the fuck away from him."
I don’t indulge in his wild notions; he's always suspicious of everyone. Instead, I question, "If that’s the case, then why is he our sicario?"
"Ever heard of keeping your enemies close?" he responds.
His words throw me for a loop. What could he possibly mean by that? Lucas has spent his entire life trying to distance himself from this type of lifestyle, not embrace it. I've seen how he lives, been to his home. There's nothing there that screams Sinaloa Cartel to me.
I shrug off his comment and bluntly ask, "Is that all you came to say? If so, you can get the fuck out of my room now." I stand up and motion for him to leave.
"If I find out that you’re still fucking him, I swear to god -"
"Get out!" I raise my voice this time.
He walks away without saying another word and closes the door behind him. He knows he has planted a seed of doubt in my mind. But I have no time to entertain his ridiculous accusations. My life with Lucas awaits, and I need to catch my ride before it's too late.