Chapter 6
Adriano Pov~
"DAMIEN DAX BASILIO!" My gorgeous wife screamed at our severely beaten-up son.
Damien stood frozen in the dining room doorway, bruises covering his face and arms. One eye was swollen shut, and fresh stitches crossed his forehead.
The second everyone noticed me standing in the doorway, every head turned in my direction.
My jaw clenched.
I leave for one fucking day...my eyes landed on A.J. His widened slightly as they met mine.
Good. He knew he was in deep shit. A heavy hand suddenly slapped my back. I growled and spun around, ready to rip someone's head off.
Matteo stood behind me with a grin. The grin disappeared the moment he saw my expression. "Who the fuck died?" he asked.
I jerked my thumb toward Damien. "Apparently my son."
"What does fuck mean?" Callie asked innocently.
"Matteo," Gianna and Miliana snapped at the same time.
I crouched beside Callie and smiled giving her a kiss on her cheek.. "Nothing, Principessa." She smiled back, satisfied with the answer.
I straightened before pointing at the five guilty faces.
"You." I pointed at A.J.
"You." Marcio.
"You." Leonardo.
"You." Rafaele.
"And you." Damien.
"My office. Now." My voice was calm. Too calm.
"Daddy's upset," Caterina muttered around a mouthful of food.
I walked over to my wife, cupped her face, and kissed her hard enough to steal her breath. "I'll handle it," I whispered. Her eyes were still blazing with anger. God...she was fucking gorgeous when she was mad. I smirked at her before turning and walking toward my office.
Matteo and the boys followed behind me. Once inside, Matteo shut the door with a loud slam.
I took my rightful seat behind my desk while the five boys lined up in front of me, their faces carefully expressionless.
Matteo leaned against the wall beside my desk. I'd deal with his unexpected return later.
Right now...I had five boys to interrogate. Silence filled the room as I looked each one of them in the eye.
Finally, I held up a single finger. "One day." My voice remained dangerously quiet. "I left you in charge for one day, and somehow you managed to turn your brother into the fucking walking dead."
No one spoke. "Explain."
The boys exchanged quick glances before A.J.
stepped forward. "There was a problem with the manager at one of the underground rings last night.
We handled that first." He swallowed before continuing.
"Afterward... I promised Damien he could fight in the ring.
You know...let him live out his dream for one night.
" He kept his voice steady, but I still caught the nervousness underneath it.
My eyes drifted back to Damien. Bruised ribs, swollen eye, split lip. Twenty-something stitches.
My son fought in the ring...and walked out alive. The corner of my mouth twitched upward. "You won." It wasn't a question.
Damien nodded, immediately wincing from the movement. "You killed your first man." I folded my arms across my chest. "How'd it feel, son?"
A slow smirk spread across Damien's face. The exact same smirk I wore. There it was. The Basilio curse. I had always known it ran through his veins.
Now...I knew just how deeply.
"Fucking maniac." Matteo chuckled proudly. "My nephew." He clapped Damien on the shoulder, making him wince again.
I pushed away from the desk and walked over to my son.
For the first time since entering the room, uncertainty flashed across his face.
I gently grabbed both sides of his face.
"You will never step foot in that ring again.
" My voice was low...deadly."I don't give a fuck if you win every single fight they throw at you. Do you understand me?"
His expression softened with understanding. "Yes, Dad."
I nodded once before stepping back. "How many stitches?"
Damien lifted his shirt, revealing bruises blooming across his ribs along with five fresh stitches.
"I'd say around twenty-two altogether," Raf answered. "I know... because I'm the one who stitched him up."
I looked over at Rafaele, genuinely surprised. "You stitched him?" Raf nodded confidently. "He would've needed a hospital otherwise."
I gave him an approving nod. "Good thinking."
Then my attention shifted to Marcio and Leonardo. I crossed my arms. "You two have a lot to fill me in on."
Neither of them looked away. Good, at least they had enough backbone to face whatever was coming next.
~***~
Leena Pov~
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I instantly knew who it was.
My Gio. I turned around with a bright smile, excitement bubbling inside me at finally seeing my husband again.
The moment I looked into his face, my smile faded.
His expression was distant, cold and haunted. Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him against me.
He buried his face in the crook of my neck, taking a slow breath as if trying to steady himself with my scent alone.
He looked like he'd seen a ghost. I held him tighter, silently willing him to feel me instead of whatever pain was consuming him.
I didn't know what to say. So I waited.
"I saw her." His voice was barely above a whisper, his warm breath brushing against my skin.
I gently pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. "Who?" I asked softly, even though I already knew the answer.
Hatred flashed across his face. "Clara." The confirmation made my stomach drop.
"Where is she?" I whispered. A storm of emotions hit me all at once. Anger and disgust prevalent among them...she actually had the nerve to show her face again after everything she'd done.
But more than anything...my heart ached for Giovanni. I knew how deeply she'd wounded him all those years ago. When I met him, he'd already built walls around his heart. Together, we'd slowly pieced him back together.
I'd always known there would be one crack that could never completely heal.
She was the reason he'd gone emotionally numb for years. And now...she'd walked back into his life as if none of it had ever happened. Bringing every buried memory back with her.
"Adriano has her at the warehouse," Giovanni answered, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
My heart broke. He was trying so hard not to feel anything. Trying so hard to keep every emotion locked away. I cupped his face in my hands and gently pulled him down until our foreheads touched.
"You came home," I whispered. "You came back to me." His eyes softened ever so slightly. I closed the remaining distance, pressing my lips to his.
He kissed me back instantly, pouring every ounce of hurt, anger, and relief into that single kiss.
Slowly, he guided us backward until we sat on the edge of the bed, never breaking the embrace. I wrapped my arms around him tighter. He responded immediately overpowering the kiss and laying me gently on the bed, his mouth never leaving mine.
Right now...He didn't need questions. He didn't need revenge. He just needed to remember that he wasn't facing this alone and I wasn't going anywhere.
Gianna Pov~
I lay on my back, trying to catch my breath after another vigorous lovemaking session with Adriano.
He lay beside me, his breathing just as uneven as mine. I turned onto my side until I was only inches away from his face. His piercing blue eyes met my brown ones, filled with nothing but love.
My fingers traced the light stubble along his jaw. I knew it wouldn't last long, he always shaved before the day was over, preferring a clean, smooth face.
"I love you, mio amore," he whispered before pressing a slow, tender kiss to my lips.
"I love you too," I replied with a smile.
My gaze drifted lower over his toned, tattooed body, and apparently I wasn't very subtle about it. A smug grin spread across his face. "Oh? You want more, amore?" he teased.
I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm still trying to recover from the last four rounds."
His deep laugh filled the room as he shrugged. "Not my fault you're such a sexy little vixen."
He climbed on top of me again, making me laugh, but instead of starting anything, he simply kissed my cheek before pulling me against his chest.
I wrapped my arms around his torso and pressed a kiss against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
We spent most of the day in bed after he returned home. The kids had already gone back to school after Adriano finished speaking to the boys about their... behavior.
"Hey, love?" I asked as we lay in bed watching a movie, his fingers absentmindedly running through my hair.
"Hm?" he murmured.
I sat up, leaning against the headboard, and he followed a second later.
"So... since you came back early, does that mean the boys are off duty?" I asked, unable to hide the hopeful tone in my voice.
I hated knowing my sons were in the line of fire. I was their mother. I was always going to worry.
Adriano looked at me for a moment before answering. "They're still going to finish out their assignment."
My shoulders slumped slightly. "Even though your back?"
He nodded. "It wouldn't be fair to take it away now. They were given responsibility, and they're going to see it through. That's the only way they'll learn."
I understood his reasoning... I just didn't have to like it. "Isn't it going to be weird?" I asked. "You're... not going to be the boss for a few more days."
He shrugged. "I'll have more time with my family."
A soft smile tugged at my lips. "I guess that's true."
"But," I added, pointing a finger at him, "don't go all crazy on them if they mess something up."
His eyebrows shot up. "I don't do that."
I stared at him. "...Really?"
"What?" he asked innocently.
I scoffed. "Adriano Basilio, you are the most impatient man on the planet."
"The planet?" he repeated flatly.
"Yes, the planet."
He folded his arms. "I disagree."
I couldn't help laughing. "Just wait," I said, giving him a knowing smile. "The moment you see something isn't being done exactly how you would do it, you're going to march right into that office and take over."
He smirked. "You have very little faith in your husband."
"I have complete faith in my husband." I leaned over and kissed him softly. "I just know him a little too well."
He chuckled under his breath but didn't argue.
Because deep down...we both knew I was right.