Page 30 of Broken Wolf Heart (Mafia Pack #3)

LEXI

T he click of my heels echoes in the empty lobby. But when the elevator opens on the second-floor news office, we step into a scene completely opposite. Noisy, chaotic, and smelling of stale coffee, the scene brings me up short. For a moment, I don’t know where to look.

“Oh, there’s Savannah,” Mia says, waving at a brunette in a deep blue business suit, who smiles as she approaches us.

“You made it.” Savannah extends her hand first to Mia and Andy and then finally to me.

“Hi, I’m Lexi,” I tell her.

“Oh, I know.” She smiles at that, but it’s friendly.

She looks familiar, and it’s not until I’m shaking her hand that I place where I’ve seen her before.

“We’ve met,” I say, remembering the night Grey took me to dinner.

The paparazzi had been lying in wait outside, though we’d known they would be.

The same night Grey’s mother had told me that my parents had run from Franco only after they’d failed to change things here for the better.

Something I’m determined to do in their memory. Even if it means coming here .

Mia assured me Savannah has a reputation for kindness rather than exploitation like some reporters in this city. I hope she’s right.

“It was a big crowd,” Savannah says. “I’m surprised you remember.”

“Of course I remember. You asked me what Franco thought of my engagement.”

She tilts her head. “Sharp memory. You’d make a good reporter.”

“Oh.” The compliment throws me off. “Thanks.”

“Then again, you have a more important job now.” She grins at that and motions for us to follow her. “Come on back; I’ll show you where we’ve set up.”

We turn away from the maze of cubicles that fill the center aisles.

A few people give me curious looks as we pass them, but most ignore us.

At the end of the hallway, Savannah shows us into a room that feels a lot like what I pictured for a TV studio.

Two oversized chairs face one another, each with a side table set with staged books and decor, and several bright lights on tripods are pointed at the sitting area.

“Take a seat,” Savannah says. “My producer will be in the room to your right. Your friends can wait there too.” I glance over and note what must be one-way glass on the opposite wall. “As requested, the only other person in the room with us will be the cameraman,” she finishes.

Andy and Mia linger, both giving me a look that makes it clear they won’t leave until I say it’s okay. My chest fills at that, but I nod at them, ignoring the roiling in my stomach at what I’m about to do.

“I’ll be fine,” I tell them.

“You’re going to be great,” Mia corrects.

“Break a leg,” Andy says as they file out. “But not someone else’s,” she adds, and I hear them both snicker before the door shuts behind them .

When I’m alone with Savannah, she takes a seat. I do the same, settling into the chair opposite her, careful to keep my ankles crossed demurely. I can only hope I don’t forget myself and pull my knees up to my chest halfway through the interview.

“Nervous?”

I look up to find Savannah watching me, amusement shining in her eyes. “Is it that obvious?”

Her expression fills with understanding. “Pro tip: Pause before you answer my questions so you can catch your breath.”

“Do you get nervous too?”

“Sometimes.” She winks. “Also, it just makes the whole thing feel more dramatic, which is good for ratings.”

My expression must reflect my anxiety at that because she hurries to add, “Sorry, newsroom humor. I don’t mean to imply I only care about the ratings.”

“I know, I just… I want this to be honest and genuine. No manipulation.”

“You mean the opposite of what Vincenzo Diavolo did today?” she asks wryly.

“Basically, yes.”

“You can relax. I don’t do business like that.”

I exhale, letting her words reassure me. Though my nerves are still sending adrenaline coursing through me. I’ve never been much for the spotlight, and now I’m about to shine a light on every dark corner of my past for the entire city to see.

I make myself a deal to not throw up until after it’s over.

“You tell me when you’re ready, and we’ll start rolling,” Savannah says.

I tense. “Are we live?”

“We will be. Just like you asked.”

Right. I exhale shakily, reminding myself this was my idea. And when it comes to Vincenzo, it’s the best one I have. I’m fighting fire with fire .

“Okay.” I inhale, letting my breath fill all the scared, lonely places inside me. And even though it’s a lie, I say. “I’m ready.”

Savannah nods at the one-way glass.

A moment later, a scruffy-faced guy in a stained shirt slips into the room and pushes a few buttons on the giant camera aimed at us. With the bright lights aimed at my face, it’s hard to even notice him there. I focus instead on Savannah, whose open, relaxed posture reassures me.

“Rolling,” the camera guy says.

Savannah doesn’t acknowledge him. She just starts talking.

“Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining us. I have with me today in the studio none other than Lexi Giovanni herself, the new high alpha of Indigo Hills and heir to Franco Giovanni’s legacy and empire.

Thank you for agreeing to this interview,” she says. Her eyes are sharp but not unkind.

“Thank you for giving me a chance to speak,” I reply.

No turning back now.

“Ms. Giovanni,” she begins.

“Please call me Lexi,” I say quickly.

Savannah smiles almost ruefully. “Lexi, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised that you called. Apart from doing this live interview with me, you’ve already had quite the week.”

I smile faintly. “You could say that.”

“Is it safe to say the events of this week are the reason you’re here to talk to us?”

“It is.”

“There are so many events to choose from. Let’s see, you got married, took out an alpha—” I try not to flinch at that part. “—and were voted in as the city’s newest high alpha. Goodness, is that everything, or did I miss something?”

“I think that pretty much sums it up,” I say, feeling my cheeks heat as I think about what happened after that vote. With Grey. Claiming him. Fucking him out in the open. Are the rumors saying that part? I really hope not .

“Wow, where do we start?”

“Well.” I follow Savannah’s advice and pause to catch my breath. It really does help me collect myself a little before I say, “I think I’d like to aim straight for the elephant in the room. The statements Mr. Diavolo made about me earlier this morning.”

“Ah. Yes, his interview has stirred up some speculation about you.”

“Yes, I imagine it has raised some concerns.”

“Some,” she agrees, “But I think people just really want to know more about you. Are you up for that?”

“It’s why I’m here.”

“Great. Let’s start with your background. Can you tell us about your upbringing?”

I nod. “My parents moved away from Indigo Hills when I was very young. They died shortly after, and social services couldn’t find any other living relatives, so I grew up in the foster care system.

I didn’t know about my family legacy or being a shifter.

I didn’t know anything except that the world can be a very lonely place when you don’t have anyone. ”

Her brows knit with genuine confusion. “You didn’t know you were a wolf? How is that possible?”

“I’ve recently learned that my wolf was suppressed when I was a child.

” I hesitate and then say the truth that has to come from me for this to work.

“I recently took an antidote to the suppressant I was given as a baby. The first time I shifted was in the council meeting that named me as High Alpha.”

“Wait. That was the very first time you ever shifted?” Savannah’s wide-eyed shock is genuine. “How is that possible?”

“When Mr. Diavolo brought me here, he told me about the experiments Franco—my grandfather—had performed on me. He offered to help trigger my wolf, but in exchange, I had to promise to give him access to my blood so he could use the research on himself. ”

“Are you saying Mr. Diavolo knew about the lab and was complicit in its methods?”

“I am.”

“And your wolf… it was made in a lab?”

“No. I was born a shifter. The gene mutation my grandfather triggered in me was an attempt to make my wolf stronger and faster.”

“He wanted to make you a stronger alpha than he was.”

“No. He intended to use the winning research on himself.”

“So that he would remain unchallenged?” she asks.

“Yes, but more than that, I think he wanted to find a way to live forever.”

“I see.” Savannah’s frown tells me she sees it all. And her thoughts are racing to sift through and find the best questions.

I’m glad Mia chose her.

There’s no judgment in her tone. Only curiosity. And concern.

“How did you know to come here?” Savannah asks suddenly, and I realize I was right about her finding the best question to ask. “To Indigo Hills, I mean. If you didn’t know you were a Giovanni or even a wolf…what made you come to this city?”

I hesitate for only half a breath before I say, “Mr. Diavolo kidnapped me.”

Savannah’s shock is almost comical.

She recovers quickly, though her expression darkens as she warns, “That’s a strong word to use here.”

“Is there another word for being thrown in a trunk and driven here then locked in a tower?”

Savannah shakes her head. “No, I guess there isn’t. But there’s clearly more to the story if you’re sitting before me today, not only a free woman but the most powerful one in the city.”

“Yes, I suppose to tell every detail would be a very long story,” I say, “But the gist is that I fell for Grey. And he fell for me. And we decided to fight for each other. We could have run—more than once actually—but we decided to stay and fight for the people of this city too. That’s what I came here today to say. ”