24
SERAFINA
T he car roars to life as Luca pumps the gas. Tires screech and dust picks up behind us as we make our way down the drive and through the gates of my estate. With the sun blazing down on us, I’m thankful for the blacked-out windows of Luca’s Maserati—and yes, I’m impressed with the car, too.
We ride in silence as Luca drives us toward the Bay. I can’t deny that I’m still a little nervous about this plan. The last time we ventured out this far, our convoy was taken out. This time, there are no cars following us. There’s nobody else with us, it’s just me and Luca.
Hold up.
There are no cars following us.
I glance at Luca, who’s wearing the same expression as I am; a look of relief relaxing his features as he smiles back at me. The man is utterly beautiful when he smiles, I wish he would do it more. The world needs to see Luca’s softness, his vulnerability. He’s ethereal and gentle when he shows this side of him, but I’m certain I’m the only one who gets to see the real Luca.
Before I can open my mouth to say anything, his phone rings through the speaker.
“We have a tail,” Levi rushes out .
My pulse instantly picks up. I look to Luca for some form of comfort but he’s far too calm and collected to spare me the attention.
“Just following?” Luca clarifies, picking up speed.
“For now.”
“Good.” Luca turns us around a sharp corner expertly, sliding his palm against mine and locking fingers with me. “Take the long route, make it look like you’re trying to lose them.”
“Got it. Where are you?”
“We’ve just left.”
I squeeze Luca’s hand, allowing the warmth of his palm to calm my jittery nerves. The thought of Levi and Giovanni in danger doesn’t sit well with me. There’s nothing I can do about it from this car, but I really hope the other night doesn’t repeat itself.
“How’s Bianchi?”
My attention snaps back to Levi’s voice. A wave of heat mixed with confusing shame washes over me. “I’m here,” I answer, clearing my throat. “I’m fine.”
“Good. Stay safe, Beautiful.”
“I will. Fontana’s got me covered.” I glance at Luca, and the serene look he had is now replaced with a tension I don’t really understand. He was fine a minute ago, and now he’s retreating.
Luca slides his hand out of mine, placing it on the steering wheel as he maneuvers the car down the hill. He doesn’t have to say anything for me to know something is wrong. He probably won’t tell me, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to try and find out.
Levi and I say goodbye, and then the dead dial tone pierces through the silence. Luca’s hands grip the steering wheel until his knuckles whiten, his eyes focusing ahead of him as if looking at me would turn him to stone.
“What’s wrong?” I frown, resting my hand on his leg. It’s a poor attempt at comfort, but right now, I don’t really know what else I should do. We had the perfect moment between us earlier, and now his sudden mood change is stinking up the car.
“Nothing,” he snaps.
Liar .
I take in his features; the way his brow furrows and his jaw clenches. I’ve seen that look before; it’s the same one he gave me after we first kissed, when Raf was giving us an update on what he found out about The Vultures. He thinks I didn’t see how he watched me, but I did. It bothered him that Levi was so close to me. I hazard a guess that it has something to do with Levi, again. He tensed up as soon as Levi mentioned me.
I observe him a little longer, the silence drawing us into its murky depths. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Luca.”
He relaxes slightly. A sigh parts his lips before he glances at me for a brief moment. It’s only long enough for me to see the confusion in his gaze. “I guess I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”
It’s not the first admission by him, but it is one that makes me wonder if he’s finally opening up to me. Luca is always so closed off from everything that even that first kiss took me by surprise. Even now, he’s warring with indecision.
“Talk to me,” I urge.
Luca takes another corner, the road finally opening up as the city comes into view. “You and Levi,” he sighs. “Are you a thing?”
While I was expecting that question to come up, I didn’t think it would be so soon. Things between Levi and I are still in a gray area. While they’re good, I’m still reserved about getting too close. It’s not as easy as you’d think to go from an abusive relationship to completely celebate, to diving into something with my second in command. There’s a process—if only there were guidelines too because while I’m still navigating everything, Levi has made his intentions clear. But I’m not ready to take that leap just yet. Levi is one of the sweetest guys I know, but he’s also intense. I like that about him, I do, but it also conjures up memories of my past, things I don’t want to relive.
“We’re something.” I shrug, averting my gaze to the tree line that whizzes past us. “We haven’t exactly discussed it, but I like him.”
“Something?” Luca raises a brow.
“Yeah.”
Confusion etches across Luca’s face. For a while, we don’t speak. It feels like the silence is enough, but then I feel like he has so many questions. I realize we don’t actually know each other that well, and though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I want him to understand that I’m not ready to have any discussion about labeling mine and Levi’s relationship just yet.
Levi was the first guy I’ve been with since Luciano and just the thought of trusting someone so intimately draws out those fears of history repeating itself.
“Luciano was my first, for everything.” My words fill up the gaping void in the car, like a black hole being stuffed with explanations I know I need to give. I take a deep breath, returning my gaze to Luca. His brows have relaxed now, and he’s not gripping the wheel so tightly anymore. So with another heavy inhale, I continue. “He was my last, too. You know what he did, and I’m not about to make the same mistakes I did back then.”
“Those weren’t your mistakes.” Luca takes my hand, his warm palm soothing the chill that settles over me. “Luciano is an asshole who gets off on beating women down. That’s not on you.”
“Still. He controlled everything I did, who I spoke to. Labeling what Levi and I are isn’t something I’m ready for.”
“Levi isn’t like Luciano,” he says with conviction. And don’t I know it. Nothing about Levi comes remotely close to how Luciano was. Levi is caring, attentive and intensely loving. But would I be getting more than I asked for if things progressed?
Then again, this isn’t about just Levi. It’s not about me and Levi. There’s somebody else in the picture for me, and I don’t know if what I’m thinking is strange or just unconventional.
“Neither are you.”
Luca glances back at me before returning his frown to the road. The high-rise buildings begin to pile up as we drive through the city, the whirring of car engines and chatter of pedestrians surrounding us. For a while, Luca holds a pensive expression, like there are so many questions he wants to ask but has no idea where to start.
I, on the other hand, have no idea how I would answer them. It’s uncharted territory for me, depths I’ve never swam in before .
“So… you want us both?” Luca finally asks, running his hand through his hair.
Is that what I want? A piece of both of them? Would it be selfish of me to be honest and say yes, or would it be just what Luca wants to hear?
I know I’m playing with fire. Wanting two guys is never a good thing for anyone. But I can’t deny that the prospect of having both Levi and Luca by my side in more than a platonic way is enticing. I might not be ready to put a label on things, but I’m ready to take the plunge and navigate these feelings.
“Yes,” I answer, nodding hesitantly.
The car turns down an alleyway. The sunlight is blocked by the buildings, shadowing the car in a condensed heat that creeps down my spine. We roll to a stop as Luca swipes through the security barrier to the underground parking lot of Haze. He seems to be thinking long and hard about my answer, not replying until we are parked up in the private parking bays.
“Are you expecting us to share you?” he accuses. “Because it sounds like you’re just biding your time to see who you like more.”
His words sting. I can see how he would think that, and he’s probably right. But if I were to go off of the kisses we’ve shared, there’s no competition between my second in command and my enforcer. Levi and Luca are parallel, opposites that I want to explore. Levi kisses with adoration and purpose; Luca kisses with intent, like nothing in the world could stop him
“It’s definitely not like that,” I say. “I like you both. Equally.”
We lapse into an awkward silence. Luca runs his hand through his hair for the fifteenth time since we started this conversation.
“I don’t really know how it works. I just know how I feel right now.”
Luca sighs, but other than that, he doesn’t speak. It’s awkward and uncomfortable. I’ve definitely been in worse situations than this, but Luca being silent adds a certain tension that makes me cringe. At this point, I’m wondering whether I should have kept my mouth shut, or lied. No, nothing good comes from lying .
“Luca?” I turn to him. The hairs prickle on the back of my neck. The longer I look at Luca, the more uneasy I feel. “Say something.”
“I… “ Luca looks ahead, focusing on a point on the wall that seems more important than this moment. “I don’t really know what to say.”
He pushes out of the car, slamming the door behind him and making the car shake. I follow him out into the parking lot, watching him pace and run his hands through hair.
“Don’t tell me it was a mistake,” I growl.
“I know! I mean… I wasn’t expecting you to pick me over him or… fuck! I don’t know what I was expecting!” Luca marches past me again, offering me a glimpse of the vulnerability reflecting in his blue eyes.
“You were acting on how you felt.”
Luca stops pacing. His furrowed brows and accusatory glare have me pinned in place. For someone like me, who should hold all the authority and power that comes with my position, I feel powerless right now. Not just with Luca, but with Levi, too. Something about them draws me in. We all share pain in one way or another, and maybe that’s what links us. Maybe that’s what I’m drawn to; the paralleled pain and suffering we’ve all endured bonds us in some way.
“So am I.” I step forward, taking Luca’s hand in mine. “I don’t know how this works, I really don’t. But there’s no competition. I promise.”
“Does Levi know?”
I shake my head. “It’s probably something I need to talk to him about.”
“No shit!” he scoffs, snatching his hand away.
“Luca—“
Screeching tires have us both spinning around. Our gazes fall to the security entrance, where Giovanni’s black SUV is followed by five other cars.
Seeing the convoy pushes me forward. Relief washes over me as I lock eyes with an unharmed Levi and Giovanni. But that relief quickly evaporates and in its place is something deeper and sharper. Guilt .
What Levi and I shared the other night was special. Not just for him, but for me, too. I know he feels the connection we have isn’t forced, but at the same time, I don’t want to hurt him for liking Luca as well.
Luca pushes past me without another word. All at once, the moody version of him has returned. He rests against the passenger side, communicating something with Levi before he rounds the back of the SUV and opens the trunk.
Giovanni steps out of the driver’s side, joining Luca.
“You okay?” Levi’s voice draws me out of my focus.
He looks a little disheveled; his tie is worn loosely and he’s looking a bit flustered, but other than that, he’s not wearing any marks that would suggest he’s been in any trouble.
I nod, glancing back at the SUV as Giovanni drops a man to his knees on the concrete.
“What happened?” I ask as the Ferrante brothers roll another guy out of their trunk.
Both men groan as they’re yanked to their full height. They’re wearing leather jackets with the sleeves torn off, their jeans smudged in what looks to be a lethal concoction of oil and blood.
A shiver rolls over me as I catch the eye of the guy with tattoos all over his face. Wings cover the column of his neck, the image of a vulture stretching in ink travels down his arm. While this man looks deadly, I think he’s underestimating the lengths these men around me would go to in order to protect me.
Matteo approaches me with a smirk, moving to my side to observe Luca in front of them. “Thought we would get our own back on them for running you off the road the other night.”
“You ran them off the road?” I glare at Matteo. I know they are experienced—the twins know what they’re doing—but I really wish they would be more careful. Like I said to Luca earlier, I worry about all of them. There’s only so much guilt I can handle, and after Enzo’s death, I’m toeing the line of darkness that I know will swallow me up if I give it just another inch.
Matteo smirks back like he can tell what I’m thinking. “Don’t worry. It’s all part of the plan,” he winks .
It would have been nice to know the actual plan. But I can’t say I’m surprised by the turn of events.
“What do you want with Bianchi?”
I snap my attention to Luca who has his gun pointed at Tattoo-face.
The guy doesn’t even flinch. I’m not surprised. They’ve probably come face to face with a barrel more than all of us put together. The Vultures aren’t exactly known for their gentle approach to situations.
“We have a message,” Tattoo-face explains, locking eyes with me.
Furious heat rages through my veins. Memories of the other night come back in flashes of technicolor. My arm still aches from the near miss, and I’m still dosing up on painkillers because of the cut on my head.
“I got your message loud and clear the other night.” I step toward him, towering over the cocky asshole. I’m almost certain if he was there that night I would have gladly put a bullet in his head along with his friend’s.
“Then why are you still here?” The other Vulture sneers at me.
Luca smacks him over the back of the head with the heel of his gun before returning it to rest between his eyes. Clearly, he’s in a no-nonsense mood. I can’t help but feel like I put him in it, but it’s definitely working in our favor.
“Who sent you?” he growls.
The second Vulture winks at me, blowing a kiss that Luca notices. Within seconds, a gunshot reverberates around us, the echo bouncing off the concrete walls.
Groans follow in a slur of words, followed by thick blood spilling heavily from the guy’s leg.
Luca points his gun at Tattoo-face.
“You already know, Bianchi.”
“Luciano?” A shiver runs through me. The air around me starts to feel suffocating, along with the chill that settles over me. We already knew the Verdis had recruited The Vultures, but hearing the confirmation only spreads fear through me.
“And the rest,” Tattoo-face adds with a smirk .
Conjuring up all the strength I have, I turn my attention back to him. My fists clench as I approach, anger and authority forcing my steps. I’m close to snapping and pulling the trigger on both of them. It might send a fucking message to those who think they can try to hurt me, but it won’t cut the head off the snake. No, I need to be smart. I need to be clever in how I approach this.
Drawing my own gun out—which I never use— I aim it at Tattoo-face. “Why are you working with The Verdis?”
“Does it matter?” he grits out. “You’re dead anyway.”
My rage snaps. Red hot fury snakes through my veins. “Take them to the basement!”
The twins burst to life, marching toward the sad excuses of men on the floor.
“I need better answers than this cryptic shit.”
“We only need one of them,” Levi suggests, forcing the twins to pause behind our new prisoners.
Levi is right. We only need one of them to get the answers we need. The other will serve another purpose. “Well…” I approach the Vulture with the gunshot wound, pressing the toe of my heeled shoe into the entrance wound.
He cries out, fighting to move beneath me, but Marco has a tight grip on him. There’s no way he’s getting away from me now. “You said the Verdis wanted to send me a message, I say we send one of our own.”
Luca stands beside me, gesturing for two of Greco’s soldiers to join us. “Dump him on their doorstep.”
“That’s hardly a message,” Levi remarks.
“Fine,” Luca spits back, drawing his knife out. With one swing of his arm, blood pours from the man’s throat.
A river of scarlet liquid runs over the man’s clothes, pooling at our feet. I step back to avoid the puddle, while Luca looks on with pride.
“How about now?” He looks far too happy for someone who’s just killed a man. He looks a mixture of sexy and lethal, something that gets me hot and flustered and has me clenching my thighs. Despite all the things that have transpired between us over the last few days, he’s still fucking irresistible to me.
I watch as Luca cleans his blade on guy’s jeans without a care in the world, not sparing a glance at anyone else as he completes the action.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that I miss the twins taking Tattoo-face away. It isn’t until a hand rests on the small of my back that I turn around to see who it is.
“You okay?” Levi asks.
“Yeah,” I sigh, shaking my erratic and confusing thoughts from my mind. “But I think it’s about time we paid The Vultures a visit.”