“It’ll be okay,” she whispers in my hair. “It’ll be over soon. You did good.”
When my arms slide around her back, one is dragged down by the weight of this agreement—of the rock on my finger. I release her to rip the damned thing off and chuck it across the room, wishing diamonds weren’t as strong as they are. The door opens at the exact second it pings off the nearby wall, Anastasia yelping in surprise before going for it.
Lev walks in behind her, his expression masked, but he remains by the door while Zeno crosses to our side.
“Like he’s trying to make a statement.” Anastasia carries the ring back to me, but I push it away.
“Please, keep it far away. Hide it until the ceremony.”
She slips the ring inside its holder, musing, “Maybe we can lose it altogether. Think he’ll notice?”
Zeno sighs, wrapping his arm around Vanessa’s waist. “Fuck, I need a drink. Let’s go home.”
47
LEV
Zeno parks in front of his villa and leads the way across the grassy yard towards the front doors, a man leaning beside them, a large Doberman by his feet. The dog runs straight for Serafina. Her peel of laughter gets swallowed up by the vast, open land stretched around us, more open than I’m comfortable with. The dog goes through the entire group, lingering around Zeno and Vanessa for the longest before retreating to Serafina’s side.
As we near the house, the man—Nero—pushes off the wall to embrace Serafina. Unlike the first time I saw them hug, this time, there’s no inappropriate jealousy, only appreciation for the man who’s a second brother to her. He’s someone else who’ll protect her, not one who’s trying to steal her from me.
He murmurs something in Italian, and she replies the same with a downturned smile before showing him the ring box. He takes it, pinching it open with a whistle. “That won’t suit you at all.”
Glad we agree on something.It’s gaudy and huge, and I’m seconds away from tossing it into the Olympic-sized pool beside us. Instead, I stuff my hands in my pockets.
Today, I’ve wanted to kill something exactly fifty-six times—primarily Vitale—but number fifty-seven hits at the sight of that ring. Too large, too flashy. Serafina might deserve the best, but not from Vitale.
I want to kill that fucker then resurrect him and do it all over for taking what’s mine.
Not yours. Never yours.
But also, nothis.
The way he fucking knew too, when he left the restaurant after his few minutes inside with Vanessa and Serafina. The smirk he threw my way as he headed for his vehicle had me itching to punch him. I waswaitingfor him to say something, to give me reason—at least in Zeno’s eyes—to go after him.
There’s a month until their supposed union, and it’ll be thirty days too long. That’s eight hundred and eighty hours, or one thousand, four hundred, and forty-four minutes.
That’s one minute too long. Every second will be pure fucking agony.
Nero greets Vanessa next and then shakes my hand before centring on my sister. Like most men, he gets all bug-eyed and annoying before his goofy grin consumes his expression—and his sense of worth. Ana will eat this guy for breakfast and have his remains buried by lunch.
“Long time no see.” He juts his hand, which, after a few minutes’ hesitation, she takes.
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”
He blinks, but when someone else might brush her dismissal aside, he merely falls into step next to her. “Then I’ll have to make you remember.”
Serafina takes my sister’s place beside me, close enough that her hands brush against mine, but it’s more of an accidental touch than anything else before entering the villa.
Vanessa and Zeno head in too, leaving me to go last, dreading the length of time we’ll be here.
It’s…chaotic.
Between everyone cursing Alessio, Nero trying to blatantly flirt with my sister, Vanessa and Zeno so obviously wanting to sneak away, and Serafina looking physically in pain, the evening passes at a horrible pace that has my head about to explode. Literally.
Zeno points out places we can all crash. There are a handful of spare rooms, so Anastasia and I each take one. Nero and Serafina already have their own rooms, and Vanessa joins Zeno in his.
At some point, Serafina disappears and heads upstairs, presumably to hide. I envy her. Few people seemed to notice, but I certainly did. The moment she stood from the couch, her absence was felt. Her energy was gone, taking my own with her.
