“Roy and I make the rules, and whatever new playbook we choose to create.” Luca shrugged before giving Di Lucas his back.
Chapter 25
A New Unspoken Beginning… April 2nd, 2026
La’Nova gripped the steering wheel tighter than she meant to as the iron bars curled apart in front of her. The familiar patterns of roses and thorns stretched wide around the black metal, catching the late evening sun as it slid across Luca’s estate. Her stomach fluttered and her heart refused to settle as her camper rolled forward carefully over the smooth stone driveway.
It had been over seven days without Luca. She figured they needed space since so much had transpired with him and Roy. Luca mentioned when he got back in the car that day how she needed to be safe and that he would put his men on her to protect her. When La’Nova asked him why, Luca explained how his grandfather isn’t as forgiving as him and Roy are. That in itself made La’Nova make a silent and sad decision to create space and watch her own back instead of trusting Luca’s word.
Although she enjoyed her time alone and traveling … She missed him. Missing Luca came as a surprise on the first day without him. He texted her every day, simply checking to make sure she was good.
He called her at night, making sure he ended the night hearing her voice. La’Nova spent her past week checking out bigger campers. She surprised herself by buying herself a 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE truck. It was a small treat to herself after she opened up a new checking and savings account at a credit union. She thought smart about placing millions into an account.
She felt uncomfortable keeping all that money inside of her camper. La’Nova kept debating with herself about buying property. A nice sized family house where she could buy a safe and hide the bulk of her money inside of. She made a mental note as she came to a stop in front of Luca’s home to talk with him about it later on tonight since she planned on spending the night.
“Alright, go up in here and act normal,” she voiced to herself.
She looked down at the lavender dress that brushed against her thighs as she shifted in her seat. The fabric was soft, light and flowed perfectly with her mood. She hadn’t worn something pretty in a long time. La’Nova spent yesterday getting her nails and feet done. She couldn’t stop staring at the lavender French tip nails and toenails.
Her hair was pressed bone straight with a side part. She clipped her ends to give herself a bold cut look. To La’Nova, this wasn’t just dinner. This was walking back into his space. That took a lot of trust on Luca’s end. She released the breath she was holding as she got from behind the wheel and went to grab the bags that she brought for Cain and Abel.
She bought markers, snacks, coloring books, and two Roblox cards. Luca mentioned how he put the boys on a week-to-week allowance since they begged for things on Fortnite and Roblox.The bags crinkled softly in her hands as she stepped down from the camper. The evening air wrapped around her shoulders, carrying her vanilla scent in the wind. She glanced back at her sleek black truck attached to the back of her camper and smiled proudly.
La’Nova’s sandals strutted across the stone path with confidence mixed with anxiousness. Her fingers tightened around the bags as she reached the massive double doors. She thought about her art room that Luca gifted her and wondered if it was still intact or if he tore it down once she ran away from him.
A thought crossed her mind that she quickly tucked away. She barely lifted her hand to knock before the door flew open. Cain and Abel stood in front of her with matching crooked grins and bright eyes. Their hair was freshly braided straight to the back of their heads with sharp parts enough to show that a professional braider hooked them up.
They were the spitting image of Kentrell. Same cheekbones, brows and mouths when they smiled. Something in La’Nova’s chest tightened at the sight of them as images of whooping their mother’s ass in their defense crossed her mind.
Cain wore a black athletic set with thin silver stripes running down the sides of the sleeves and pants. His sneakers were as fresh as his casual fit. Abel wore dark denim joggers and a soft gray hoodie. The sleeves were pushed halfway up his forearms like he forgot to fix them earlier. His shoes were black with red trim, laces tied uneven as if he were in a rush. It pleased La’Nova that both boys looked well fed, safe, and taken care of. They didn’t have to tell her their name since Roy spoiled both boys with iced out Cuban link chains with their names in big bold cursive letters.
“Hi,” La’Nova stated a bit timidly. “I’m La’Nova, your uncle Luca’s friend.” She smiled politely, trying to appear as welcoming as possible.
This was all new territory for her, meeting kids, and hoping that they’d accept her instead of give her a hard time.
“What’s good.” Cain spoke first.
He forced his voice to sound deep as he slightly leaned to the side. La’Nova bit into her bottom lip to stifle her laugh.
“Hey.” She waved, smiling warmly at Cain then Abel.
“We knew it was you.” Cain added with a smirk on his handsome face.
“Yeah, Uncle Luca went to get flowers for you ‘cause he forgot earlier,” Abel said with a silly grin covering his face.
“You wasn’t pose to say all that. ’Member Uncle Roy said to stop all that snitching.” Cain scowled.
La’Nova blinked then she laughed softly before she could stop herself. The nervous knot in her stomach started to loosen just a little, replaced with butterflies at the thought of Luca running out just to get her flowers.
“He didn’t have to do that,” she mumbled quietly to herself.
“He wanted to,” Abel replied.
He reached forward without hesitation and grabbed her wrist.
“Come on.” He tugged at her gently.
The foyer opened wide around her, marble floors shining bright under the massive chandelier light. The house smelled likedinner and something sweet baking in the kitchen. Cain closed the door behind them and immediately spotted the bags in her hands.
