Page 20 of The Silence Lies

“Low stakes?” she comments with a quirk of her brow. “I’m surprised at your lack of confidence, Marchese.”

I narrow my eyes on my cards, then glance back at Luca. Damn, how does that guy have such a good poker face. “You wanna test my confidence, Donna Bianchi?” I mutter.

“Something you want to tell us?” Matteo smirks at me.

Serafina leans forward. I watch Matteo’s eyes drift to her chest, and that possessive monster begins to rear its ugly head. She snatches the cigarette from his clutches, and blows a smoke ring into his face. “Play fair, Ferrante.”

Marco is the first to laugh, followed by Luca who chuckles to himself. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen the fucker smile. I think he realizes it too because he quickly schools his features like it never happened.

Matteo shakes his head, and I’m just left with the admiration I feel for my boss.

“Well doesn’t this look cozy, Topolina?”

Sera is the first to stop laughing. She goes rigid beside me as she locks eyes with her ex, Luciano Verdi standing in the doorway to the VIP room.

He’s wearing a smirk, one that would send you running if you were alone. But it’s six against one here. The fucker is outnumbered and he knows it.

Luciano looks around the table, taking in the twins and Giovanni who has positioned himself in front of Sera. Then he looks from me to Luca and tuts. “So, the little slut has you wrapped around her little finger, too?”

“The fuck did you say?” I growl, shooting up from the chair. Sera pushes forward, but Giovanni is there to stop her as I approach Luciano. “Say it again.”

“Levi,” Sera warns from behind me.

“I don’t recall addressing you,” Luciano sneers, averting his gaze from me to Sera. “I knew you had your claws in LaRosa, but I didn’t think you would fall for it, too, Fontana.”

Luca grits his teeth, his jaw going tense. He doesn’t move, but it looks like it’s taking all of his patience and strength to remain there. His knuckles are white as he grips the armrest of his chair, eyes still focused on Sera.

“You do know that cock tease is the reason your father is dead, right?”

“Get the fuck out!” Sera snaps.

Luciano shakes his head, his eyes traveling over my shoulder to her. “Such a filthy mouth. I bet you enjoy having it filled with their cocks, right? Puttana.”

All of the sudden, Luciano’s head snaps to the left. Luca stands over him as he stumbles backwards, and I’m frozen in shock. We’re all here to protect Sera, but I didn’t realize how serious Luca was taking it until now.

Luca

Luciano laughs, blood dripping from his lip. “Your old man teach you to hit like that?”

In the split second it takes for me to lunge at him again, Luciano is too quick. He swipes a right hook at my face, knocking me sideways. But I hit back again, taking Luciano down to the floor. Nobody, especially Verdi, will take me down.

Suddenly, I feel someone yanking me off him, while Marco is grappling at Verdi’s jacket, tugging him away from me.

Giovanni and Levi stand close by, and then I hear it.

Click.

We all freeze. The sound of heaving breaths and angry tension pierces the silence. We all look towards where the sound came from, and there she is, in all her glory.

Serafina stands over Luciano’s body with a gun pressed to his forehead. “I should kill you, just for trespassing, Verdi.”

He looks up at her, a bloody smile dripping sadistically. “Then do it.”

“Tell me why you’re here,” she snarls.

“Rumor has it Fontana and the twins are helping you. I had to see it for myself.”

She shoves the gun against his face, knocking his head sideways. “Get the fuck out of here.”

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