Leone's pov

I’ve never been afraid of silence.

In this house, silence meant power. Control. Death, sometimes.

But tonight?

Silence is the enemy.

It wraps around my throat like a noose, choking me with everything I never said. Everything I should’ve done differently.

The whiskey didn’t help.

Neither did the painkillers Dante left behind.

Even the pain sharp and pulsing under the stitches in my side wasn’t enough to quiet my mind.

Her scent was still here. ...