Chapter 15
Alessandra Pov~
Mrs. Hart remained silent as she watched my father walk toward her.
The moment he reached her, his usual intimidating expression melted into one of his warm, charming smiles. He held out his hand, and she couldn't help but smile back as she shook it.
Dad always had that effect on people. Mom always said she couldn't resist whatever it was about him that pulled her in.
I usually told her to stop talking before I gagged. I mean...I guess Dad was handsome. I'd give him that. But he was my father, and I really didn't want to think about him that way.
"You must be Mrs. Hart," Dad said warmly. "Thank you for allowing my children to take shelter in your home. I truly appreciate your kindness."
Mrs. Hart beamed. "You're very welcome. These children are so sweet and polite." She smiled at all of us. "They must be a breeze to raise."
My uncles immediately snorted. "Yeah...right," Uncle Matteo muttered before wrapping Marcio in a headlock. Marcio grunted and elbowed his father in the ribs.
It would've hurt anyone else. Uncle Matteo barely reacted. Instead, he laughed before finally letting him go.
Mrs. Hart chuckled. "Just keep them safe," she said softly. "And whatever the reason these boys are carrying guns..."
She looked pointedly at AJ, Leo, Damien, Raf, and Marcio.
"...I certainly hope it's a good one. I'd fear for everyone's lives if my own son ever carried one."
Leo and Damien laughed before giving Mrs. Hart another hug and thanking her once more for dinner. Marcio, Kalani, and Kaia each hugged her goodbye. Then I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her too.
"Thank you," I whispered. She rubbed my back gently before smiling at me.
AJ and Raf were the last to say goodbye.
"If you ever need anything, Mrs. Hart," AJ said sincerely, "please let us know." She nodded warmly. "I will."
Dad and my uncles thanked her once again before saying their goodbyes. As we walked outside, Dad leaned over and quietly whispered something into her ear.
I couldn't hear what he said. Knowing him...he probably offered to buy her house. We climbed into the SUVs.
AJ drove the one we had arrived in, while I climbed into the other with Dad, Uncle Matteo, and Uncle Giovanni.
As Uncle Gio pulled away from the secluded house, I watched Mrs. Hart wave at us from her front porch until she disappeared behind the trees.
"Not too bad, huh?" I murmured, glancing over at Dad.
He let out a quiet laugh. "Not too bad."
Without another word, he draped an arm around my shoulders and gently pulled me against his side before pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
I melted into the hug. "Thanks for saving us, Dad," I whispered.
His grip tightened ever so slightly. "Always." It was the last thing I heard before exhaustion finally claimed me.
~***~
The gentle rocking of the SUV brought me back to consciousness. I slowly opened my heavy eyes. It was still dark outside. Judging by the sky, it had to be around three in the morning.
I looked out the window and immediately recognized the estate.
Home.
I climbed out of the SUV, rubbing my tired eyes. The others stepped out of the second SUV looking just as exhausted as I felt. We all looked like zombies, and it was only our first day in Italy.
I wasn't sure I wanted to know what the rest of this trip had in store for us. Dad walked ahead of everyone and unlocked the front doors. The foyer was dimly lit. I had barely taken two steps inside when someone slammed into me.
"Oh, my babies!" Mom cried, wrapping me in one of her bone-crushing hugs.
I laughed despite how tired I was. Around us, chaos erupted. My aunts rushed toward their own children before somehow switching kids halfway through.
Within minutes, everyone had been hugged...
Twice. And kissed at least three times.
"We're fine, Ma," AJ complained as Mom kissed his cheek while refusing to let go of Damien.
Unlike AJ, Damien hugged her right back. He probably knew she needed the reassurance more than we did.
"Amore," Dad said quietly, walking over. "The kids need some sleep." He tried pulling Mom away from Damien. She refused to move.
"You can hug and kiss them all you want tomorrow," Uncle Giovanni said as Aunt Leena continued squeezing Leo.
"It is tomorrow," Kaia pointed out from beside Dad. Kalani stood tucked safely beneath Dad's arm while he gave up trying to rescue Damien from Mom.
"Never again," Aunt Yana warned Marcio.
"You can't hold me hostage, Ma," Marcio mumbled from inside her death grip.
She pulled back just enough to glare at him. "And who says I can't?" she challenged. "You're my son, and I'm your mother. I can do whatever the hell I want."
"Babe," Uncle Matteo warned. Yana shot him a look before finally releasing Marcio. He immediately inhaled like he'd just come up for air.
"I'm going to bed," I announced.
"Me too," Raf said, kissing his mother's cheek before following me upstairs. AJ wasn't far behind.
"See you all in the morning," Leo called over his shoulder. I smiled tiredly before making my way to my room. The moment I stepped inside, I kicked off my shoes and collapsed onto the bed.
My head barely touched the pillow before I was asleep.
Next Day
AJ Pov~
I was dressed and ready for another adventurous day in Italy. Tan jeans, a white T-shirt, and white sneakers. Simple.
I'd somehow managed to sleep until nine, which was late for me. Years of training had my body programmed to wake up early whether I wanted to or not.
It worked out, though. I needed to talk to Dad about everything that happened yesterday. I stepped out of my room just as Callie came barreling down the hallway with Lia right behind her.
Before I could even react, the two little girls latched onto my legs like baby koalas.
"Whoa, what's going on?" I laughed, trying to pry them off me. "What did you two do this time?"
"Dean and Michel are coming after us!" Lia blurted, peeking around my leg with wide, frightened eyes.
Of course they were. There was never a peaceful morning in this family. I sighed dramatically, fighting back a smile.
"If you let go of me," I said, using my best older-brother voice, "maybe I can actually help you."
The two girls exchanged nervous glances before slowly releasing me. I crouched down so we were eye level. "Alright," I said. "Tell me what happened."
Both girls immediately looked guilty. They stared at the floor, twisting the hems of their shirts between their tiny fingers.
"We... we didn't know it was theirs," Callie admitted in a tiny squeaky voice.
I frowned. "What didn't you know was theirs?" Before either of them could answer, an angry voice echoed through the hallway.
"I'M GONNA KILL THEM!" Heavy footsteps thundered up the staircase. Callie and Lia squealed before diving behind me again, each grabbing onto one of my legs.
"Please don't let them get us, AJ," Callie pleaded.
"Pllleeeaaassseee," Lia added, her eyes already beginning to water.
Damn it. Those puppy-dog faces were my weakness.
Michel and Dean appeared at the top of the stairs seconds later, both breathing hard and glaring daggers at the two little girls hiding behind me.
Michel pointed straight at them. "YOU TWO ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE NOW!" The boys charged.
I stepped in front of them immediately, planting a hand on each of their chests before they could get anywhere near the girls.
"What the fu-" I caught myself. "What the flip is going on?" I demanded, trying very hard to stay calm long enough to figure out what kind of disaster I had just walked into.
Dean looked ready to explode.
"They tore up our clothes!" he shouted, his face bright red with anger.
I blinked. "...They did what?"
"What? How could they ruin your clothes?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and giving the boys my best intimidating look.
"I have no idea, but every single one of our shirts has rips and holes in them!" Michel exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.
"And what makes you think these two did it?" I asked, even though the girls had already admitted it.
"We caught them downstairs cutting into our shirts with scissors!" Dean shot back, glaring at the little girls hiding behind me.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Of course they did. "Okay, listen, dipshits. Here's what's going to happen." I pointed toward the staircase.
"You two are going to go downstairs, find Dad, and tell him exactly what happened. The girls and I will be down in a minute."
Neither of them looked happy about it. They turned to leave but not before shooting one last murderous glare at Callie and Lia.
The girls squeaked and tightened their grip around my legs. Once the boys disappeared downstairs, I looked down at the two little troublemakers.
I gave them my disappointed look. Dad was the disciplinary one. Whenever one of us got into trouble, he handled it. That wasn't my job.
"Please don't take us to Daddy," Callie whimpered, her eyes already filling with tears.
My heart sank a little. "I'm sorry, munchkins," I said softly. "You know I have to." I held out a hand to each of them. "Come on."
Lia slipped her tiny hand into mine. "Do you think Uncle Adri will be mad?" she whispered.
I slowly nodded. I hated crushing her hopes, but lying wasn't going to help. We made our way down the grand staircase and headed toward Dad's office. The closer we got, the more clearly I could hear Michel and Dean explaining everything.
I pushed the office door open and gently guided the girls inside before closing it behind us. Dad stood in front of his desk with Michel and Dean facing him.
Uncle Matteo stood beside him. The moment Uncle Matteo looked at Lia, she physically whimpered, already knowing she was in trouble.
Dad shifted his attention to the girls. His expression wasn't angry. It was worse. Calm.
"Girls..." he said firmly. "Can we talk?"
Callie and Lia slowly nodded. Without a word, they walked toward Pops, stopping a safe distance away from Michel and Dean. Neither of them dared look up. Neither of them dared speak. They simply stood there, waiting for whatever came next.
"I heard you cut up Michel and Dean's clothes. Why did you do that?" my dad asked.
Both girls looked down. Callie slowly lifted her head, meeting Pops' eyes for a brief second before shrugging.
"I doh know," she mumbled, sniffling as she fought back tears.
Lia stayed quiet, staring at her pink sparkly shoes.
"We didn't know it was clothes," Lia said softly, taking a quick peek at her dad, Matteo, before glancing over at mine. "We thought it was something else."
The boys were still fuming as they stared at the girls. I'd be pissed too if these little rugrats destroyed my clothes.
"You are going to apologize to Michel and Dean, and you are not allowed to play with any toys—or with each other—for the next two days. Am I clear, young ladies?" my dad said, his face stoic and unreadable.
They both nodded before turning to the boys. "We are sorry," Callie whispered.
"Very sorry," Lia added quietly. I could tell Michel and Dean were still heated, but my father would be even more upset if they refused the apology and held onto their anger.
Family first. Always.
"It's okay," Michel muttered, swallowing his frustration before hugging both girls. Dean followed right behind him. As soon as they let go, the boys quickly left the room before their tempers got the better of them.
"I'm really... sorry... Daddy," Callie cried, the dam finally breaking.
Lia wasn't far behind, bursting into tears herself.
I watched my dad's expression soften in an instant. He scooped Callie into his arms while Unc picked up Lia, cradling her against his chest as he gently rubbed her back. "It's okay, piccola," my dad murmured, hugging Callie close. "I just hope you never do that again. You won't, right?"
Callie quickly shook her head. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Good. We love you girls," Unc said, kissing Lia's forehead. Eventually, the tears faded into nothing more than sniffles. The Capo di Capi and his second-in-command were complete softies when it came to their daughters.
Who would've thought? No one ever got to see this side of them. Only their kids could bring it out. Those girls had every single one of us wrapped around their little fingers.
Me included.
Once the girls had calmed down, Dad and Unc set them back on their feet and reminded them that their punishment started immediately. I wasn't worried. Those two always obeyed their punishments. The girls left, leaving just the three of us in the office.
The warmth disappeared from my father's face the second the door clicked shut.
Business. His expression turned cold as he buttoned his suit jacket, walked around his desk, and lowered himself into his chair.
"Let's get started," he said.
His piercing eyes locked onto mine.
"Start from the beginning."