Anastasia glances from me to her brother, the skin between her brows rippling. She shakes her head after a second; seems I’m the only one who noticed her reaction, everyone still focused on Zeno.
“…Madre is dying to see you. Ready to go home?”
Not really.My attention slides to Vanessa. For weeks, I’ve been harassing him to let me make some sort of connection with her, and despite the conversation Zeno and I had last night before he went to bed, when he reassured me he won’t keep us apart, I’m scared going home will make him forget that deal.
But this isn’t our home. Plus, Zeno’s right—Madre’s probably losing her mind. Then there’s Alessio… For that reason alone, I nod again and have to hope Zeno sticks to his agreement.
He releases me to cross the room to Lev’s side, who immediately stiffens at the commotion my brother makes. The mug continues partially hiding his face—or that may be because he keeps it ducked.
Zeno juts his hand for a shake. “I’ve said it a million times already, but truly, no number of thanks are good enough for what you’ve done for me, for Serafina. The entire Mancini clan of the Cosa Nostra owes you, and if there’s anything you need, ask it.”
“Don’t mention it.” Lev quickly shakes my brother’s hand before dropping his, seeming uncomfortable as he crosses his arms, the mug shifting to accommodate the position.
With a parting smile, Zeno tugs Vanessa away. “Meet me outside in two, Sera. We’ll leave right away.”
“Sure,” I reply to the empty doorway.
I’ll make it five minutes to give them time alone. The more he falls for her, the less uptight he’ll get. He’s so busy being Capo, I’m pretty sure the last time he swam in his own pool was when I dragged him in there years ago. He needs someone to slow him down, someone to draw his suffocating focus off me.
Anastasia pushes off the counter to follow them. “It was nice meeting you, Serafina. You held your own yesterday, little kickass. If your brother ever unlocks your cage, you’d make for a damn good fighter.”
Zeno would bury himself six feet in the dirt before seeing that happen.
He and Madre’s entire aim is to give me a regular life, and not one normally expected of a Capo’s sister. Growing up, their efforts were appreciated and welcomed, but the older I get, the more I understand all of what Madre gave up to raise me andall Zeno does to keep me out of harm’s way and avoid life in the mob.
It’s a lot of work.I’ma lot of work. Which makes my thoughts feel like I’m betraying him. Sometimes, I wonder how things could be different. If Zeno’s father was never murdered, he’d still be the one calling the shots, and maybe, over the years, he and Madre could have reconciled. Maybe we’d move back into Rome, where I’d be expected to be a mob princess. I don’t even know what that fully consists of, because heaven forbid Zeno explains anything of substance.
“Sleep well?” Lev’s deep voice pulls me from my musings.
“Better than a chair, that’s for sure.”
He smiles, and it’s beautiful. For a moment, it literally knocks the breath out of me. When my lungs remember to inhale, it’s masked by a nervous cough.
“Good.” Lev rests his mug on the counter and leans back on his arms, regarding me with a slight tilt of his head. Sweat beads in places I never believed possible from nerves, as silly as that seems.
No longer being injured in a vehicle’s backseat or lying in bed reveals how tall Lev is, and how, if I was closer, he’d tower over me—and I’m far from the shortest in my age group, considered average height.
“How’s your shoulder?”
“Sore but healing. It’ll be fine with time.” He twists away, using his uninjured side. His shirt strains across his back as he reaches for a fruit bowl beside the coffee machine, returning with a bright red apple that he rolls in his palm and to the tips of his fingers before offering it to me. “Breakfast for the road?”
Apples are gross, but I take it since Lev’s offering, tucking it close to my chest. “Thanks. I should probably go before my brother becomes his neurotic self and drags me away.”
“Doubt he’d do that, but I understand all the same. You guys have a long flight back to Italy.”
“Exactly.” Keeping the apple close, I back up. “Guess I’ll see you around some time?”
When that’d be, I couldn’t predict. With university starting in a few weeks, any trip Zeno takes to see Vanessa will likely be alone. Holidays, perhaps? Zeno and Nero always come to our house for Christmas, and Madre cooks for everyone. Maybe Vanessa will join too, but it’s doubtful her friends would tag along, which means who knows when the next time Lev and I will see one another is.
A disturbing thought. I can’t deny, even injured, Lev did something no one else here did: he looked at me as if I wasn’t a job—despitehis chore yesterday being to get me out of the warehouse. Vanessa is as uncertain as I am, and Anastasia is a stranger being nice because of my connection to Zeno. Lev could have kicked me out of his room yesterday and built that barrier, but instead, the world slowed down, and I wasn’t expected to play a role. I could justbefor him.
I enjoyed that.
Lev’s brows furrow, like he’s thinking the same. A wistful expression comes over his face—or at least, that’s what I tell myself it is—and he jerks his chin. “Yeah. See you around, Serafina.”
I turn away, feeling his eyes on me as I walk out the door. Right before I’m out of sight, I take a bite from the apple.
5
