Chapter 20
Adriano Pov~
Walking out of the room and toward the basement cellar, I felt the beast inside me stir.
It had been waiting. Waiting for answers. Waiting for the moment I could finally put the pieces together.
I felt like I had been running in circles since arriving in Italy. Every answer I found only led to more questions. My mind was filled with thoughts I couldn't silence, questions that burned through me day and night.
I should have left the family at home. I should have come here alone and dealt with this mess myself. But I was selfish, I needed them close. Even if keeping them near me placed an even bigger target on their backs.
I thought back to my conversation with Raf earlier and couldn't help but understand where he was coming from.
He wasn't wrong. I didn't live my life with my heart, I lived with my head. I did what I had to do to survive. And I didn't regret any of it.
I would tear down anyone who threatened my family. I would walk through hell itself if it meant keeping them safe.
That was the difference between Raf and me. He feared losing his humanity. I feared losing them. I glanced at him as he opened the door, allowing me to walk inside first.
The moment I stepped through those doors, my demeanor changed. The uncle disappeared. The Capo remained.
Raf's expression shifted as well. His face became unreadable, business-like. He understood what we needed to do.
We needed to present a united front. If we wanted answers, we couldn't show weakness.
Giovanni looked toward me, lowering his head slightly in respect as I passed him and approached the man sitting in the cellar.
Kale was conscious. His eyes widened when he saw me, confusion and fear mixing across his face. I straightened my posture and let my gaze settle on him.
The effect was immediate. He shifted uncomfortably in his restraints, swallowing hard under my stare. Without hesitation, I walked toward him. The anger I had been holding onto all day surged through me.
I didn't stop.
I didn't hesitate.
I struck him.
The impact made his head turn, and I watched as realization crossed his face. He knew exactly who had walked into that room. I stepped back, staring at him coldly. This was only the beginning. I needed answers, and I didn't have time to waste. I removed my jacket, my eyes never leaving him.
At that exact moment, Matteo walked into the room. I tossed the jacket toward him, then began rolling up my sleeves.
Raf stood nearby, watching silently. Not afraid or surprised. He knew what came next.
I smirked as I held out my hand so Raf could pass me a tool. I watched as the terror and fear crept it's way onto the mans face. I reviled in the act as my beast inside was about to make his appearance. And I wasn't going to stop him this time.
Gianna Pov~
I tucked my baby girl, Callie, into bed as she finally managed to fall asleep. I glanced out the window as the sky slowly turned into the darkness that consumed us every night.
"Goodnight, baby," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple before carefully tiptoeing out of the room and closing the door behind me.
Cata and Dantae were already asleep, with the twins, Kalani and Kaia, helping watch over them. They could be such sweethearts when they wanted to be.
AJ, Marcio, and the boys had returned about two hours ago, before dinner. Unfortunately, they hadn't gotten any information from their search, so they went downstairs to join their fathers in the basement.
Adriano had been down there for nearly eight hours now. I didn't want to imagine what kind of pain he was inflicting on that man.
Ales hadn't left her room all day, not even for dinner and I was worried. I had tried checking on her earlier, but she was still sleeping. I understood her fear. I understood the thoughts running through her mind.
Sometimes, sleeping was the only way to escape. It was something I used to do when I was still living with my father. If I was asleep, I didn't have to think about my problems. I didn't have to face my fears.
It was just me and my dreams.
I walked down the hallway and gently knocked on Ales's door. A small voice murmured something from inside, and I took it as permission to enter.
I slowly pushed the door open. My heart immediately broke.
Ales was curled up on the bed, her head resting against the headboard. Her knees were pulled to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them as if she was trying to protect herself.
When she looked up at me, tears filled her eyes. "Aww, honey," I whispered softly. I walked over and sat beside her, pulling her into my arms.
She immediately broke down, sobbing quietly against my chest. I held her tightly. My heart sank at the thought of almost losing my daughter. Almost having someone take her away from me.
After a few minutes, her tears slowed, and she pulled away. Her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks flushed from crying. I brushed her hair away from her face. "I was so scared, Mom," she whispered.
Her fingers played with the hem of her pajama pants. "When I couldn't break free... I thought that was it." Her voice cracked at the end.
I reached for her hand and held it firmly. "We are strong, Ales." My voice carried certainty. "We would not have let that happen."
She stared at me, those blue eyes that mirrored her father's looking back at me. "You are strong, my baby girl. Trust me, I know how you feel."
I squeezed her hand gently. "But it will get better. We are all here for you." She nodded, wiping away her tears.
A knock sounded at the door before a familiar head appeared. AJ. His fierce blue eyes immediately landed on his sister.
He visibly relaxed when he saw she was okay. Without hesitation, he walked toward her. Ales stood from the bed and rushed into his arms.
AJ wrapped them around her tightly. They could fight. They could argue. They could drive each other crazy. But at the end of the day, they were twins. And they were inseparable.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there," AJ muttered as he held onto her.
Ales pulled back slightly, giving him a small smile. "You had something important to do. I don't blame you."
His expression softened. I stood from the bed and kissed both of my twins goodnight before leaving the room. AJ had left the basement. Which meant Adriano should be done soon too.
Leena Pov~
I walked out of Antonio and Leo's room saying goodnight to them.
I saw Gianna walk into Ales's room and sighed.
My heart goes out to Ales. It is a scary situation to be in and I don't know what I would do if that was one of my kids.
But I felt like it was my own children being taking away.
Gio claims that it was 100% Kale Giordano, whoever this man was.
He was a ghost. There is no previous record of him, no dental, medical, school, anything.
He doesn't even exist to the government.
I walked down the hallway and into my own room.
I saw the scattered white dressed shirt, black slacks, the jacket and boxers all a trail leading towards the bathroom where I heard the shower running.
I smirked at the messy man picking up the clothes.
I grimaced at the bloody stains on the clothes.
There was a sick feeling in my stomach when I thought what the man looked like down in the basement.
I threw the clothes away. He had a lot more, he shouldn't miss one suit and shirt.
I wasn't going to waste my time trying tot get those blood stains out.
As I finished with that I felt the door shift open and the warm air entered into the chilled room.
I turned around and saw my sexy husband only with a towel wrapped around his torso and the water dripping down his luscious abs and defined muscles.
He was drool worthy. He caught me staring at him and smirked.
He sauntered over to me and pulled me flush against his wet body as I squeaked a little at the sudden quick movement.
His eyes flicked to my lips and with one look he had me melting all over.
I felt the pressure down there and craved him instantly.
He inched closer and as his lips was barely touching mine he whispered "I should get dressed.
" and then left me there walking away into the closet.
I scoffed and my irritation grew as I realized he knew how flustered I was.
"Nu-uh." I said as I ran up to him and tackled him on his back.
He caught me and flipped over just in time so I landed on him instead of the floor.
I laid on him with a triumphant smirk on my face.
The towel was now unraveled and laid on the other side.
I looked down at his naked glory and I felt my cheeks heat up.
He chuckled at my flustered face and brought my head down to give me a deep passionate kiss. He flipped me over and pretty soon my clothes were scattered across the room as well.
~***~
After our heavy love making session, I felt like I was walking on air. I couldn't help the little giggle that escaped me as I quietly made my way down the stairs, with Gio following closely behind.
I was starving.
We had burned through all the food I had eaten earlier, and Gio hadn't gotten the chance to eat at all.
The moment we stepped into the kitchen, I smiled as he caught up to me and wrapped his arms around me, spinning me around before placing a sweet kiss against my neck.
I stuck my tongue out at him. "I wouldn't do that unless you want to start another round, sweetheart," he whispered in my ear.
A shiver ran through me at his words.
"I'm too hungry for another round," I whined, pulling away and walking toward the fridge to grab the leftovers.
I heard him chuckle behind me. We were halfway through eating when the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. Immediately, Gio changed.
The playful expression disappeared from his face, replaced by the cold, calculating look of the man everyone else feared.
His head turned toward the sound. Everyone was already inside the house, and no one knew where we were. Something was wrong.
"Stay here," he commanded.
Gone was my sweet, loving husband. In his place stood Giovanni Volkov, the man who had survived this world for years.
He walked toward the far corner of the kitchen and opened a hidden drawer inside the cabinet. My eyes widened when he pulled out a gun. I stared at it in disbelief. Did they seriously have weapons hidden in the kitchen?
With children living here? I made a mental note to have a conversation with him about that later.
Gio left the kitchen and moved down the hallway, his weapon raised. I followed behind him, ignoring his order completely. He stopped near the front door, his eyes scanning everything carefully.
The security camera was shut off. That was strange. He positioned himself against the wall beside the door, his body tense and ready.
For three seconds, he waited. Then, with precise movements, he unlocked the door and pulled it open.
His gun immediately aimed at the person standing outside.