Chapter 10: Alessio's Six Years

Alessio's POV

I left Serena asleep and went down to look at an empty wall.

The book had been in a steel box set into the study shelves, and the box had a lock only three people could open.

I was one.

The second was my uncle, who had never in his life stolen a thing he could simply order.

The third had worn a cream cardigan to dinner for six years.

I stood in front of the empty box and made myself think as the Don and not as a man.

There was no force on the lock.

Whoever had opened it had a key and had known exactly when I would be too tired to hear the door.

I knew when that had been.

I had not been tired.

I had been inside Serena for the first time in my life, and I had not heard anything at all.

For six years I had run a Family and a city on four hours of sleep.

I had not let a single man or woman see me bleed.

I had let myself bleed once, last night, against a wall of books, and the world had taken the opening.

I shut the box and went upstairs.

Serena was awake when I looked in.

She sat up with the sheet at her collarbone and her hair across her face, and I wanted to cancel every duty I had and stay.

"I'm going to find it," I said. "Stay with your mother. I'll be back before noon."

"Alessio."

"Not one hand on you, you said. I will keep that promise from now on, if you want me to."

"I don't want you to."

I came close to turning around and getting back into the bed.

Instead I left, because Ruggero's midnight was coming, and so was the council.

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