Potere | Book II ✓

vii | peaceful ruler

vii | peaceful ruler

a/n: you all deserve an award for patience. school and plato have been kicking my ass and then i got sick. the chapter is about 3k shorter than usual, but I'm okay with that.

p.s. if anybody suggests that Rico is the mysterious, hooded, katana person one more time in my comments – i'm going to mute you. stop this madness goddammit.

sorry for an errors. i'm not perfect.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

How do you mourn when the name of the person you're trying to grieve over won't die with them?

Every time I hear Federico's name, I die a little more inside. Every time I see Dominic shed a tear, my stomach twists in knots. Every time I hear Rosie mutter his name as she absentmindedly twirls her silverware, my chest tightens. Every time I look at Carmen I have to look away. I failed Rico as a friend and the thought has haunted me since the day we heard the news.

Out of all the files in that office, Rico's is the one that was taken. Hearing Liam say his name is like another painful stab to the gut.

All it adds is another question to the towering amount that I already have. Why his file?

I'm frustrated. I'm exhausted. Pressure forces a dull pounding on either of my temples as I sit quietly, alone in the backseat of an unmarked SUV later that day. Austin is driving with Steven in the passenger seat. I blink, my blurry vision clearing for just a second as we whiz by familiar office buildings, coffee shops, and gas stations.

A steady, chilling rain dampens everything under the city as the sun begins to set. It's light quickly fades as storm clouds roll in, hiding it before it can dip below the horizon. People rush through cross-walks, beelining towards their cars as they hold umbrellas high above their heads. Others use newspapers and articles of clothing to keep themselves from getting wet.

I look up just as lightening strikes across the sky.

More rumbling follows.

"You're oddly quiet." To my surprise, Austin is the one that interrupts the peaceful sound of rain pelting the windows. He tilts his head to his right, giving a rarely silent Steven a dubious look. The question came out softly, making me wonder if they were trying to keep the car quiet for my sake, or theirs.

Steven's left leg bounces as my attention darts between the two of them, my lips pursed as I listen. He has a hand on the iPad in his lap, keeping it from slipping out of his seat. I watch him tug on the edge of his tan beanie, briefly adjusting the position of his glasses as he clears his throat. He doesn't look to his left.

"Thinking," Steven turns and stares out the window as we pass over railroad tracks. "That's all," He finishes in a mumble.

"I already regret saying this," Austin shoots Steven a look, one he misses, before focusing back on the road. "but think louder."

Steven takes the invitation to talk as he angles his body towards the driver. He glances over his shoulder just as I look away, not wanting it to appear that I'm blatantly eavesdropping. I listen even more closely as he drops his voice in volume, doing everything he can to keep me from hearing. "You just...you don't think this is weird?"

Austin breathes out through his nose as he taps the steering wheel, stuck at a light. "You're going to have to be more specific than that, kid."

Steven runs a hand down the side of his face as he falls back into the seat with a sigh. Again, he tugs on his beanie, paranoid that it'll slip off. "I went snooping around the house the other day and I found this video."