AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His meeting lasts an hour and I have a cup of coffee and a breakfast muffin while I wait.
When I see them standing up and ending the meeting, I get up too so that I can go out onto the street and wait for him.
I walk across the road toward him and stand just outside the coffee shop where they had their meeting, far enough away to not interfere with the end of his meeting and close enough for him to notice me if he looks around. I'm grinning, feeling silly and fun because of the surprise.
The men step outside onto the walkway; two of them march off in a huff, and another two stay behind to share a few more words with Antonio.
“Antonio, it will not be easy getting them to accept that you are the new heir to the mafia family here in New York. It’s a big thing you are taking on. Are you sure you are ready for this?”
“I have been ready for this since the day I arrived in New York, Arton, and you would do well to not question me.”
“I know, man, I'm just saying. Look, my father is very bitter about it all. He has always been a bitter man; ever since his brother was in charge, it got worse. Massimo was a good leader for our family. My father would never have been able to do what he did. I'm sure you are going to prove yourself well enough.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Antonio holds out his hand, and a man around the same age as him shakes it.
My heart is hammering in my chest. The heir?
Is he the new mafia boss of New York City?
He has been hiding this from me the entire time. He told that man that he was ready for this from the moment he landed in New York. This is something he knew about; he came here for this. This was not just about reading his father’s will - this was about inheriting a heritage, and becoming the new Mafia Boss.
My stomach knots. I feel the blood drain from my face.
Was he ever going to tell me?
Does that mean he is moving here? Was he intending to keep me around or toss me aside when he took up this new position as the heir?
The other man walks away from Antonio, leaving just one more person to say goodbye to. Antonio glances around himself, spotting me. He grins, but then his face falls dark.
My eyes narrow, and my brows knot together.
My father lied to me, my grandfather kept secrets from me, and now the man I love has done the same thing. Antonio has kept massive secrets, even after I have been so honest and open with him.
“Seraphina,” he says, his voice strained. He knows I have heard everything.
“The new boss of New York?” I whisper.
He doesn’t know what to say; he knows he has hurt me. It would be impossible not to see the pain etched across my face.
I glance down, trying to calm my thoughts. I look up again, and he is still staring at me.
The last man from the meeting is trying to say goodbye to him, but he is staring at me.
I can’t be here anymore. I spin on my heels and bolt.
I run, at full speed, through the streets of New York. I duck around people, bump into them, and don’t even bother to say I'm sorry. I run and run, not even knowing where I'm going. I just know that I have to be far away from all of this.
I don’t look back, not even once. I don’t want him to follow me. I need to be alone.
How can I trust him? How can I open up my heart to someone who has not done the same in return?
My body gave up on me, leaving me gasping for breath and completely worn out after my marathon-like run.
I walk around the streets of New York for another hour, but I know he'll look for me, and I don’t want to be found. So when I spot a dodgy-looking motel with filthy walls and peeling paint and a broken sign that is only half lit up, I walk straight into it.
“I need a room, please.”
“Hour rate or night rate.”
