I just need to keep Enzo safe. Everything else, my heart included, is expendable.
5
LUCA
The moment I step through those ornate doors, the weight of a thousand judging eyes crashes down on me.
The grand foyer of my childhood home teems with New York's criminal elite, all dressed in somber black and speaking in hushed tones meant to convey respect but mostly hiding calculation.
Death always brings out the vultures.
I straighten my tie and move through the crowd.
Hands reach out to grasp mine, faces I barely recognize offering condolences with varying degrees of sincerity. I nod and murmur appropriate responses.
"Your father was a great man."
"Lorenzo will be missed."
"The family has our support during this difficult transition."
I spot my siblings across the room, a united front.
Alessandro stands tall and rigid in the center, every inch the heir apparent, flanked by Adriano and Valentina.
The picture of Dante solidarity minus the black sheep, of course.
Taking a deep breath, I cross the room and position myself beside them, completing the family portrait.
"Play nice," Valentina murmurs under her breath, barely moving her lips.
Alessandro doesn't turn to acknowledge me, but his posture shifts minutely, shoulders tensing.
He's been watching me since I walked in, those calculating gray Dante eyes tracking my every move.
Every few seconds, his gaze flickers my way, wary and assessing.
The warning is clear.
Don't step out of line. Don't challenge me. Don't think for a second that you belong here.
I keep my expression neutral, but beneath my expensive suit, every muscle is coiled tightly.
I'm surrounded by people, standing shoulder to shoulder with my own blood, and yet I've never felt more alone.
Allesandro quiets the room. “Thank you all for coming. My father was a great man who will be missed.”
I do my best not to roll my eyes. Especially when he finishes speaking and we can now disperse, which I do quickly.
"You're making him nervous," Valentina says, appearing at my side with two crystal tumblers of whiskey. She hands me one,nodding toward Alessandro. "He's convinced you're here to challenge him for the throne."
I accept the drink, letting the amber liquid swirl. "I didn't come back for a crown." I don’t need it. I have my own kingdom in Chicago. And I have it without the complications of family.
"Yet here you are, looking every bit the returning prince." She raises her glass in a mock toast. "Welcome home, Brother. The kingdom's a mess."
We drift toward a quieter corner of the room. Valentina has grown into her beauty, all sharp angles and knowing eyes. The little sister I left behind is gone, replaced by a woman who clearly knows how to navigate the treacherous waters of our family.
"Father's death wasn't random," she says, voice dropping low. "The Bratva's been unusually quiet, which speaks volumes. And the Alberto family just doubled their security. They know something's coming."
