Chapter One: Homecoming

“Don’t touch me.” Serenity hissed, pulling back when Giovanni reached for her arm.

“Stop this nonsense, Alessia. I am your father, you will respect me.” Giovanni’s eyes narrowed, the insolent girl before him wasn’t someone he recognized.

“Father?” Serenity scoffed, like the very idea of the word was bogus, “You’re nothing but a captor.” Her face contorted in disgust.

A few years ago she wouldn’t have dared to speak a word out of turn, let alone look the man in the eye, but a lot has changed in four years. Giovanni Lombardi no longer frightened her.

“How dare you?” Giovanni’s face contorted with rage and Serenity felt a chill run down her spine when he advanced towards her.

“What are you going to do? Hit me?” Serenity challenged, spreading her arms out boldly.

Giovanni blinked, the action sobered him up, but before he could refute her claim her brothers entered the room and stopped short.

“Is everything okay?” Lorenzo questioned, looking between them.

“Everything is fine.” Serenity seethed through clenched teeth and turned to leave the room, but Lorenzo’s voice once again stopped her.

“I’ve made a reservation at Lucio’s to celebrate your return, be ready at six.” Lorenzo stared at the back of her head, wishing she would turn around.

“Guess I don’t have a choice, do I?” Serenity scoffed and continued her escape. She could stand being in the same room as them, she had no idea how she’d survive dinner around the same table.

“She hates us.” Darrio stated, watching his sister ascend the stairs with sad eyes.

“This is for her own good, she belongs here. At home, with us where we can protect her.” Giovanni stated, leaving no room for argument and pinned Lorenzo under his gaze, “Is he here?”

“Yes, he will join us at the restaurant.” Lorenzo nodded curtly.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, I won’t lose my daughter a second time.” Giovanni warned and Lorenzo’s jaw tightened.

Swallowing his retort, Lorenzo acknowledged his father’s comment with a begrudging nod. The words weren’t said aloud, but they all knew who was responsible for her leaving the first time. 

Serenity walked into the restaurant with Matteo as her escort, she'd chosen to ride with the brooding brother for obvious reasons and the silence that filled the short ride was just what she needed. She caught sight of the dark haired men long before the host pointed them out, but the three men she'd been expecting weren't alone.

Nearing the table, Serenity felt her heart stammer and her footsteps faltered when her eyes landed on him.

Alexander Moretti.

"Good you're here, I was starting to think you weren't coming." Lorenzo smirked and Matteo nudged her towards the chair Lorenzo pulled out for her.

She could feel his eyes on her and it took all her willpower to avoid his gaze.

"Don't make me regret not taking a wrong turn." Matteo glared and took a seat beside Serenity.

"Serenity, you look beautiful." Darrio complimented, sending her a hopeful smile, which Serenity responded to with a tight one of her own.

"Thank you." She nodded curtly and opened the menu to distract herself from their obvious stares.

"Alessia, it's nice to see you again." Alexander cleared his throat and Serenity had to hide her surprise, she hadn't expected him to address her directly.

"Serenity,” she corrected, "It's good to see you're alive and well too, Alexander. " She regarded him coolly before settling on the menu once again, willing her heart to thud a little softer.

"Are we ready to order?" An upbeat Italian man sidled up to the table with a pot belly and notepad in hand.

"I'll have the prawn Alfredo with garlic bread." Serenity rattled off without hesitation.

"Shall I pair that with a glass of white wine?" The man smiled widely.

"Sparkling water is fine, thanks." She nodded and turned her attention to the soft music that emitted from the piano on the stage. 

Long fingers danced across the keys with confident powerful movements that captivated her. The soothing melody he created was easy to get lost in, but it was his delivery that she found most fascinating.

"Serenity?" Hearing her name, Serenity's gaze broke from the musician to Lorenzo who had his eyebrow clocked in question.

"Excuse me?" She blinked.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to have a glass of wine with your meal?" he repeated patiently.

"I don't drink." She stated, staring him directly in the eye for a second before turning to face the pianist once again.

“He’s good.” Matteo commented and her attention flew to him.

“Do you play?” She frowned, no matter how much she wracked her brain, she couldn’t come up with an answer to her own question.

“No, but mom used to, remember?”

At the mention of her mother, Serenity froze, no one had dared breath a word about her since she came back.

“Used to?” Serenity choked out, her mind was filled with questions and accompanying them was fear.

“Yeah, used to.” Matteo commented calmly and turned away from her, signalling the end of the conversation. His tone gave nothing away and Serenity felt the fear grip her tighter.

The men kept conversation light till their food arrived, the tension around the table was palpable and though Serenity could tell they itched to include her in their talks, her eyes remained trained on the pianist, only moving when his song came to an end and he slid from the bench.

“How are your parents, Alexander?” Giovanni asked out of the blue, addressing the younger man for the first time that evening.

“They’re well, enjoying their retirement.” Xander offered curtly. The two men hardly ever saw eye to eye in the past and she was glad to see nothing much had changed.

“Your dad retired?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and the surprised looks she received from everyone at the table matched her own.

“Yeah, just a few months ago.” Xander’s eyes bore into hers, like they were a window to her soul and held the answer to the world’s greatest mysteries.

“The right hand man to the Don, who would have thought?” She hummed, taking a sip of her water, loving the way it fizzed on her tongue.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Giovanni’s eyes narrowed at her mocking tone and Lorenzo’s shoulders tensed, sensing a fight about to break out.

“It’s ironic, don’t you think? Mafioso usually don’t live long enough to see retirement. I’m impressed.” Serenity failed to hold back the sneer in her tone.

“Serenity.” Lorenzo warned.

“What?” She hissed, glaring daggers at him, “If you think it’s fair to drag me out here against my will, I get to say what I want.” Her eyes dared him to argue, but Lorenzo’s eyes darted around them. Despite the hushed tones they used, their argument had attracted the attention of patrons around them.

“Not here.” Lorenzo gritted.

Serenity dropped the fork in her hand and pushed off the chair, before anyone could say a word to stop her she was weaving between tables.

The cool evening air caused goosebumps to rise on her skin, but Serenity kept putting one foot in front of the other trying to get as far away as possible, but her escape was halted when a hand wrapped itself around her wrist.

“Serenity-” Alexander’s words were cut short when a loud explosion sounded in the air and the force sent them flying backward.

For a moment the world turned silent, as Serenity’s body flew through the air she felt nothing and suddenly that ended.

Her body crashed into the pavement with a startling crack and just as the pain registered, the ringing in her ears grew softer.

Before the world turned dark a single word tumbled from her lips as history repeated itself;

“Xander…”