Well…that’s better. Some of my anger fades, though only some. A meagre fraction. Barely any. “But he’ll follow me around.”
“Sì,”Zeno replies.
Sometimes, I dream Zeno’s father accepted me as a daughter, and Madre and I remained in the Mancini villa. That he raised me with the ideals and rules that go along with being a Capo’s daughter—and later, a sister under Zeno’s authority. At least then, I’d know what to expect. It would be better than this: a life that switches based on Zeno’s needs.
“Is your internal issue really that bad?” My question is a mumble that states my willingness while still searching for a way out.
“Sì.”
“And you won’t tell me what that is?”
“No.”
“Then I get to choose who it’ll be.” Who’ll be stuck with me as much as I’m stuck with him.
The words are out before I can stop them, because a specific face slips into my mind. A person I barely know, but the only one I can envision being around so much. Someone who already lied on my behalf. Someone who saved my life and didn’t immediately run away. Who, for a moment, slowed everything down and made me feel safer than I’d ever been.
My brother’s brows furrow. “No, that won’t be?—”
“Lev. He’s the one.”
The dip between his brows deepens. “Vanessa’s guy?”
“If you’re changing your wholelet’s allow Sera to attend school without protectionby giving me my own stalker, I get to pick the guy forced to live with me, follow me, spend basically every waking minute with me. I want that to be Lev.”
What am I asking for?Zeno’s going to read more into this than there is. He’ll find passages of an unwritten book simply because that’s how he is. Albeit, it’ll be a short one, since my entire reasoning is simply that Lev feels morerightthan any stranger Zeno pulls from his ranks.
Instantly, he shakes his head. “Impossible. I have no authority over Lev.”
“Then ask him. Or Vanessa.”
“Once again, that’s impossible. Evenifthey agreed, we can’t expect him to give up his life in order to live with a student.”
“Yet it’s fine for someone else?”
“Yes, because Icontrolthem. I pay them. They swore fealty to me, and that’s how this works. Lev has a job. In case you’ve forgotten, the Bratva has a problem on their hands.” He pauses, his head ticking to the side. “Why Lev?”
Figured that question would come up eventually.
“You stuck two guys on me, and I got away. If they were really good, they would have foreseen my attempt, so forgive me if I’ve lost confidence in the men you employ. Lev saved my life. If I’m stuck with protection because of thisinternal issueyou refuse to explain, I’d rather it be someone who cares if I live or not.”
Zeno huffs. “That doesn’t count.”
“She makes a point,” Madre chimes. “You said you were struggling to find someone appropriate enough for the job. That the two you picked were ‘good enough’, and she still slipped their attention. If my daughter is going to have protection, I’d prefer it be someone who’ll actually protect her.”
Thank you, Madre, for taking my side.
Zeno looks like he could kill our mother—though he’d never raise a hand against her. With the new ammo, I beam as he rubs a hand over his face, sighing. “I can’t promise anything.WhenVanessa tells me no, we’ll have to hire internally, but…I’ll ask.”
“If she says no, we could always forgo the security plan,” I offer, aware he won’t take my comment lightly.
Zeno scowls. “Not fuckin’ happening.”
“Then make Lev happen.”
7
LEV
