Page 13 of Broken Wolf Heart (Mafia Pack #3)

LEXI

W e arrive at the Giovanni estate— my estate, apparently—just after midnight.

The four armed guards manning the guardhouse at the gate give nothing away in their expressions as they look me over then wave us through.

When we get close, the lights shining from inside the house cut through the darkness like watchful eyes.

From the outside, it looks exactly the same as it did earlier today when I was dragged through these doors in my wedding gown. Only now, I’m not a prisoner.

Now, I’m the one calling the shots.

Hopefully, that makes up for the fact that I’m still naked and wrapped in a blanket.

The SUV rolls to a stop in front of the wide double front doors.

Before I can reach for the handle, Grey is already out of the car and circling to my side.

He opens my door and waits while I get to my feet, adjusting the blanket and tucking it in on itself so it’s more like a dress.

Then he holds out his hand like this is just another night, just another house.

It’s not .

I take his hand anyway, using my other one to hold the blanket in place. Then, I do my best to walk with the kind of confidence an alpha would have—even a naked one.

The doors are already open when we reach them.

A woman stands in the foyer, silhouetted by the soft gold glow of the chandelier behind her.

Her brown hair is slicked into a low bun, and she’s wearing a knee-length black dress that screams “practical” and “funeral” in equal measure.

Her eyes are sharp, dark, and wholly unimpressed.

She looks like she could poison a man with nothing more than a pointed glance.

“Ms. Giovanni,” she says, not missing a beat. “You’re late.”

“And you are?” I ask, mustering all the fake courage I can find.

“Elena Vargas. House administrator. I ran the estate for your grandfather. I assume I now run it for you.”

There’s no sarcasm in her voice. No fear either. Just that cool, unnerving calm that tells me she’s already assessed every variable in this moment—and found me lacking.

“That would be fine,” I manage, hoping it’s the appropriate response to learning you have a house administrator—whatever that is.

She doesn’t bow, but the others behind her do.

Three figures who stand side by side in the foyer all dip their chins nearly to their chest. Two men who look vaguely familiar from my first visit here—security, maybe?—and a woman. Andy.

Oh shit. What does she think of me killing her husband?

Before I can catch her eye to find out, a second SUV pulls up behind ours. Razor, Mia, and Dutch get out. I resist the urge to hug them, but I’m so damn glad to see them here. It feels like backup. Like friends.

I go straight to Razor first. “I’m so sorry about your arm,” I tell him. “I wasn’t in control. I hope you can?— ”

“Relax,” he says, pulling up his sleeve to show me. “Already healed.”

I exhale. “I really am sorry.”

“I’ve had worse scratches,” he says with a grin.

Mia winks at me as she and Crow step up behind us.

Dutch dips his chin at me and says with a mischievous smile, “Evening, High Alpha.”

The title ripples through me, and my confidence surges.

More movement catches my eye, and I look to my left in time to see three strange men rounding the corner of the house. They stride toward us, wearing simple black clothing and earpieces. More security.

All of them belonged to Franco. Were loyal to him.

I tense at the sight of them, but they stop several yards away and fold their hands in front of them. They don’t challenge me or seem surprised to find me wearing nothing but a blanket. They don’t speak either. They just… stare. Not just at me but at Grey and the others too.

I knew this would be a risk, claiming my throne with former Diavolo pack beside me. But I refuse to do it any other way.

The air is tense. Charged. As if one wrong word will shatter the silence and spark a war inside these walls.

I can feel my wolf pressing against my skin. She doesn’t like their eyes on us. Doesn’t like the smell of uncertainty clinging to the air like smoke.

I take a breath and step inside the house.

No one moves to stop me.

“Summon the lieutenants,” I tell Elena, following the instructions Grey gave me on the way over.

“Which ones?” she asks.

“All of them.” I try not to make it sound like a question, but I honestly have no idea how many there are .

She nods once. “Would you like to address them here or in the atrium?”

“Here,” I say.

I want them to see this is mine now. I want them to see I’m not hiding in the shadows of a dead man. But just in case they aren’t convinced, dragging a dead body out the front door sounds a lot easier than cleaning up whatever the atrium is.

“As you wish.” Elena turns and disappears down a hallway with a grace that feels more like a threat than a courtesy.

Razor exhales beside me. “She’s charming.”

“She’s terrifying,” Mia mutters.

“I like her,” Dutch adds, smirking.

I ignore all of them and make my way farther into the house.

This time, I stop to notice the details I missed earlier. Granite floors and gilded artwork on the walls. A gleaming glass table with a crystal bowl that probably costs more than I’ve made in my lifetime. The grand staircase inlaid with ornamental details that continue up to the balustrade above.

It’s all pristine. Not a speck of dust, not a thing out of place. If ghosts are real, I feel Franco’s watching me from the walls, daring me to touch his things. But at least he’ll see exactly what I do next.

I walk over to where Andy stands. The security guards beside her avert their eyes, refusing to meet mine without my permission, but Andy holds her chin high. If she wants to kill me, I can’t sense it on her.

I try to think of the right thing to say. She showed me friendship earlier, and I returned it by killing her husband right in front of her.

“How are you?” I ask, feeling awkward.

“I’m okay. How are you?” she asks.

“I’m good. ”

She holds my gaze. It’s still clear, but I know I can’t bring this up here. Not now.

“Will you show me to one of the guest rooms?” I ask.

Confusion wrinkles her brow. “Why?”

“I’d like somewhere to sleep that’s not—” I stop, unwilling to say his name. He deserves to be forgotten. To never be mentioned again.

“Of course,” Andy says knowingly. “This way.”

She takes the lead.

Grey is at my side instantly, and the others fall in behind us.

“Actually,” I say, glancing at Razor and Dutch, “Can you guys wait here and make sure the only people who gain entry are the ones we invited?”

They look from me to Grey, who nods.

Different pack, I realize.

That’s going to take some getting used to. Not just giving orders but remembering who follows whom. Wolf hierarchy is so weird. But I don’t have time to adjust either. I’m already in the deep end. Now it’s sink or swim.

“What can I do?” Mia asks.

I turn back, considering her offer. “We both need a change of clothes.”

And I don’t trust anyone else. I don’t say it, but she nods as if she already knows.

“I’m on it.” She’s out the door without a glance at Grey, which makes me smile inwardly.

Mia is her own hierarchy.

To Crow, I ask, “Will you guard the stairs to make sure no one else comes up?”

His gaze flicks to Grey, but he doesn’t hesitate. “Consider it done.”

I exhale, relieved to know the people watching my back actually care whether I live or die. If the security guards are miffed that I didn’t ask them for anything, they don’t show it .

“Ma’am?” one of them calls when I’m halfway up the stairs. “What are your orders?”

I hesitate, considering. “What was your post before?”

“Patrolling the grounds,” says the one who called out to me.

“Continue on your current schedule until further notice,” I say.

They hesitate, their attention turning to Grey. “Word is you killed Albero. Is that true?” one of them asks.

I tense, remembering belatedly how I spilled those beans at the meeting earlier. And then completely forgot to tell Grey about it. But he stands tall, unflinching.

“It is,” Grey says. “He attacked my mate, and I reacted accordingly.”

I brace for some kind of fight, but they all nod. The one in the middle, the speaker, blows out a breath. “He assaulted my sister at a party last year. So, thanks for what you did, man.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Grey tells him.

“We’ll see you around,” the guard says, and they walk off, respect in their gazes.

It’s a better outcome than I expected, but even so, I catch Razor’s eye, and he nods then follows them out.

With Andy at the lead, Grey and I ascend the grand staircase. At the top, we take the corridor to the right—the opposite direction of Franco’s suite. Good. I don’t care if I’m High Alpha or Queen of the damned, I’m not sleeping where that monster laid his head.

Andy stops in front of a door at the end of the hall.

She pushes it open and I peer inside to find a king-size bed, a dresser, and a sitting area, all done in neutral tones.

There’s a gas fireplace in the corner, unlit.

Considering it’s in Franco’s home, the space feels surprisingly inviting.

But just like the rest of the house, there is zero evidence my father ever lived here .

Grey slips past me and wanders inside. He moves to open the windows, letting in the night air.

I turn back to Andy, lowering my voice. “I’m sorry,” I tell her, “About Toros.”

“Don’t be,” she says. “He doesn’t deserve your apology.”

“Maybe not, but you do. You were nice to me, and I repaid you by killing your husband.”

“This might sound cold to you, but I’d say I got the better end of our friendship already,” she says, and I blink.

“Earlier, you seemed comfortable around him, and I thought…” I trail off, unsure how to describe it.

“Comfortable and love are not the same thing.”

She has a point. I meet her eyes. “You’re really not mad?”

“Lexi, you’ve taken out the four most toxic men this pack has ever been ruled by. Five if you count Dom. For the first time in my life, I’m hopeful.”

I don’t know what to say to that.

All I can think is that her count is wrong. I’ve only taken out three. Grey killed Franco. But I can’t tell her that without unraveling this entire thing. And maybe even sparking a war. So, I keep my mouth shut and simply nod.

“I’ll come get you when the lieutenants are assembled,” she says. Her gaze flicks to the blanket I’m still wrapped in. “And I’ll send Mia up the moment she arrives with your clothes.”

“Thanks.”

She strides away, and I close the door with a soft click.

I turn to find Grey already studying me.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

No. Not even a little.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admit.

“You’re going to be great. And when in doubt, just rip out a throat or two,” he jokes.

I wince.

“Too soon?” he asks .

I shake my head, padding into the room with the blanket still pulled snug around me. “I don’t want to rule like Franco did.”

“I know, bad joke,” he says. “Hey.” He catches my hand in his. “You’re nothing like him.”

“Thanks. It’s just… I’m terrified I’m going to screw it up and they’ll figure out I don’t belong here.”

“The fact that you want to do a good job means you’re a leader who cares.” He tucks a stray hair behind my ear then presses a calloused palm to my cheek. “And no one’s going to question whether you belong. The power rolling off you is unmistakable.”

I don’t know whether to be relieved or worried at that.

There’s a soft knock on the door. Elena doesn’t wait for permission—she opens it and inclines her head just enough to show respect without deference.

“Clothing for you both.” She hands a garment bag to Grey, who hangs it on the closet door for me. “I’m told more is being delivered soon. I’ll make sure it’s all put away.”

“Thank you,” I tell her.

“The guests are assembled in the foyer,” she says. “Would you like me to announce you?”

I shake my head. “I’ll do it myself.”

She leaves, and Grey slips his hand around my waist, drawing me close. “Everything’s going to work out,” he says before I can find words.

“What if they don’t pledge loyalty to me?”

“They will.”

“But what if they don’t?”

He shrugs. “Then we’ll make rugs out of them.”

I snort. Then I remember what he said when we were in the woods. “What about the hex blade?”

“What about it?”

“Should I use it to forge my pack? Like you did? ”

He shakes his head. “The magic of the hex blade is an amplifier. It made my alpha stronger by speeding up my transition.”

“So, why wouldn’t it work the same for me?”

“It would, that’s the problem.” At my confusion, he asks softly, “Do you really want to offer your wolf more power than she already has?”

“Definitely not.” I shudder.

His lips twitch. “I thought so.” But then Grey’s smile vanishes, and he says, “Pick a second in command.”

“Like a general?”

He nods. “Someone you can trust to have your back.” Regret flickers in his eye. “I know that’s my job, and I’m not saying you can’t count on me, but your pack needs a hierarchy. Establishing it sooner rather than later will put them at ease.”

“Wait, you want me to pick one right now? Tonight?”

“It would help,” he admits.

“I don’t even know any of them— Wait. Who did you pick?” I ask suddenly, thinking of Mia and the others. Of their new hierarchy.

“I haven’t,” he admits, wincing a little. “And believe me, it’s not any easier without one.”

I don’t say anything to that.

Grey unzips the bag of clothing and takes out a pair of slacks and a shirt. The pants look tactical more than dressy, and there are heavy black boots to match. It makes me wonder what Mia expects to happen at this meeting.

“I’m going to head down first and see if I can send word to Mia to get us new phones while she’s at it,” he says.

Right. I haven’t seen mine since Vincenzo locked me away in his pool house days ago.

“What happened to yours?” I ask.

“Pretty sure it shattered when I shifted to go after you.”

“Shit, I’m sorry,” I say .

“Don’t be. My father likely had a tracker in the damn thing anyway.”

I blink, considering it.

When he’s done getting changed, Grey kisses me. “Get dressed. I’ll see you out there,” he whispers, and then he’s gone.