Chapter 18 #2
He glanced at me before letting out a slow sigh. I expected to see anger. Hatred. Maybe even despair.
Instead...his eyes were filled with sorrow. Confusion.
"What you did was the right thing, Rafaele," I said firmly, hoping my words reached his heart. "Never second-guess yourself for saving someone's life. Ever."
He straightened before turning around and leaning his back against the brick wall. "Why is our family so... fucked up?" he muttered, staring out across the parking lot.
The question caught me off guard. But I refused to let it show. I leaned against the wall beside him.
"We aren't normal," I admitted quietly. "We're not like most of the families you see walking around out there." I nodded toward the crowded parking lot. "We're part of something much bigger."
Raf let out a bitter laugh. "We're just like every other messed-up Mafia family out there. The Albanians. The Russians. The Mexicans."
He shook his head. "We're no different. We steal money.
We distribute drugs that could kill people.
We torture people, blackmail them. We control out of the same fear we instill in them.
We're doing the exact opposite of everything the world says is right.
" His voice dropped. "The world talks about peace...
joy... making people's lives better. And we're the opposite. "
I stayed quiet for a moment before asking, "Do you know what your uncle actually does?"
"He leads." He looked over at me. "He's the Capo di Capi."
"Yes," I said with a nod. "He's the Capo di Capi. The man every Mafia fears."
Raf smirked. "And what does that make you?" He raised an eyebrow. "His queen?"
A laugh escaped me. "I suppose it does." I fell silent, gathering my thoughts before continuing.
"Your uncle was the first man to truly break away from tradition.
He became Boss when he was barely thirteen years old.
" He reduced the number of murders and sexual assaults inside his own Mafia before pressuring other organizations to do the same.
He makes sure the money is distributed fairly so no Mafia family under his protection goes hungry.
He personally pays for every child in those organizations to receive an education.
College, trade school... whatever they choose.
Every penny comes out of his own pocket.
If one family is struggling financially...
or emotionally... he's on the next plane before anyone even has the chance to ask. He does everything he can to fix it."
I sighed.
"Yes... he still allows drugs. I've argued with him about that more times than I can count. But he insists every shipment is tested and believes adults make their own choices. I don't always agree with him. And I never will." I smiled softly as thoughts of Adriano filled my mind.
"But after carrying the weight of thousands of lives on his shoulders every single day...he still comes home. He still makes time for me. He still gives every child in that house his attention. No matter how exhausted he is. Sometimes he barely sleeps."
I looked over at Raf. "I'm not telling you your uncle is a saint. He isn't. No one is. But every day...he tries."
Raf was quiet for several moments. "I never thought about it like that." He looked back toward the parking lot. "But does any of that erase the fact that we're still criminals?" His eyes burned with uncertainty.
"No," I answered honestly. "It doesn't." I held his gaze. "But nothing in this world is ever completely pure. Nothing is ever one hundred percent right. There will always be flaws in every choice we make. It all depends on what values guide those choices."
I smiled gently. "The way I see it...you've been raised with compassion. You've been taught loyalty. You've been taught sacrifice. And you've been given opportunities that most people would do anything to have."
I reached up and squeezed his arm, forcing him to look down at me.
"You have a golden heart, Raf. Don't let anyone take that away from you.
Not fear or anger. And definitely not this life.
That heart is your greatest strength. It's something so many men in this world have already lost. Hold onto it... and you'll always come out ahead."
For the first time since the attack...he smiled. Without another word, he pulled me into one of his signature bear hugs, nearly squeezing the life out of me.
"Thanks, Aunt," he whispered.
I laughed. "You're crushing me."
He immediately loosened his grip, chuckling under his breath. "Come on," I said as we started walking back toward the mall entrance. "Adriano should be here any minute."
The moment we stepped back inside, I spotted Adriano striding through the opposite entrance with Matteo and Giovanni close behind him.
Without hesitation, Adriano crossed the distance to Alessandra and wrapped her tightly in his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"I'm sorry, Dad," I heard Alessandra whisper through fresh tears.
Adriano gently pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for."
His expression hardened in an instant as his gaze shifted toward the unconscious man still lying on the floor.
Giovanni crouched beside him, studying his bruised face. A second later, his eyes widened slightly. "It's him," Giovanni said, looking over at Matteo.
"Who?" I asked, turning to Adriano.
His jaw tightened. "Kale Giordano."
Michel Pov~
The pizza parlor was packed. Dean and I waited in line for almost fifteen minutes before finally grabbing our slices. We claimed an empty table in the far corner by the window. It was the perfect spot, we could keep an eye on the street while inhaling our food.
"I wonder where the guys are," Dean mumbled around a huge bite of pizza.
I shrugged, stuffing my own face. "They couldn't have gone far. The SUV is still here."
"Those Mafia guys are still outside watching us." Dean glanced through the window. I followed his gaze. Sure enough, a few of the men lingered across the street, pretending to mind their own business.
"We aren't that interesting." I snorted. "What do they think two kids are gonna do? Rob a bank? Plant a bomb?"
Dean's grin slowly spread. "We should give them something to look at."
I immediately shook my head. "No. I'm not listening to you anymore. After what happened last time, my dad will skin us alive."
Dean laughed. "Come on. You have to admit that was legendary."
"I guess." I shuddered. "I've never seen Kaia's face turn that red before."
We finished eating and tossed our trash before heading back outside. The shopping district was still crowded, tourists wandering from store to store with bags hanging from their arms.
Then someone screamed. "Help!" Dean and I stopped walking. "You heard that too?" I asked.
He nodded once. The cry came again. "Please!" We followed the sound until we reached a narrow alley tucked between two buildings.
Why is it always an alley?
Broad daylight spilled into the opening, making everything painfully clear.
A woman was curled up against the brick wall, trembling. Two men in black suits towered over her, trapping her with nowhere to run.
The second they heard our footsteps, they both turned. Recognition hit me instantly. Italian Mafia.
The same men who had been following us. My jaw tightened. They weren't about to do what I thought they were...were they?
One look at the woman's terrified face answered that question. Rage settled deep in my chest. I wasn't about to stand here and let it happen. Dad would never forgive me. Neither would I. I glanced at Dean, he already had that look.
The one that said he was thinking exactly what I was. The woman looked at us with wide, panicked eyes. "No!" she cried. "Run!" She thought we were just kids. I gave her a small, reassuring smile and pointed toward the mouth of the alley.
"Leave." She hesitated, shaking her head frantically. "I said go." For a moment she stayed frozen. Then she finally bolted past us, disappearing into the crowd.
Now it was just Dean and me...and the two men standing between us and the alley. One of them cracked his neck. The other smirked.
"Well," Dean muttered beside me, rolling his shoulders. "I guess shopping's over." A grin tugged at my lips. "Looks like it."
The two Mafia men stepped toward us. Perfect, they wanted to find out what two Basilio boys could do.
They were about to get their answer.