Chapter 27 #2
His fingers traced small circles against my side. "Ales understood that this was eventually going to happen because I warned her before we left New York. But seeing Aldo in person shook her. Knowing he might have been connected to her kidnapping made her afraid."
His jaw tightened. "But I assured her she was safe. That we were going to handle him."
I nodded, letting him continue. "What about Dantae?" His expression softened immediately. "Our boy was scared."
My heart clenched. "He stayed right beside me the entire time. I comforted him as best as I could, but he asked me..." Adriano paused, his voice becoming quieter. "He asked me, 'What if I'm not there the next time Aldo comes?'" The pain in his voice broke my heart.
His anger returned instantly. "I can't stand seeing them scared, amore. I can't fucking handle seeing my kids feel unsafe. I have to stop him. And quickly."
I reached up, placing my hand against his cheek. "I know you will."
He leaned into my touch. "Callie and Cata were confused more than anything. I just reassured them that they were safe. Michel had questions about why the Italians hated the Russians so much, but he understood after we talked."
His expression turned serious again. "We just have to keep supporting them and reminding them who they are. The prejudice isn't going to disappear overnight. Today was only the beginning."
I nodded, resting my head against his chest. "I know. But they have something a lot of people never had." He looked down at me. "What?"
"A family that will fight for them." His eyes softened. "And they have parents who would burn the world down before letting anyone convince them they aren't enough."
A small smile pulled at his lips. "I'll talk to AJ and Damien tomorrow." he said. I smiled up at him."
"Can I ask you a question, my love?" I whispered.
"Anything," he answered without hesitation.
"Who is Gabriel to you?" It was the one question that had been sitting in the back of my mind since meeting him earlier. Something about their interaction felt deeper than friendship. The way Adriano looked at him, the way Gabriel looked at him...there was history there.
For a moment, Adriano's face went blank. Then his expression shifted into something thoughtful, almost hesitant.
He sighed, looking into my eyes. "It's a story. Are you sure you're not too tired to hear it?"
I shook my head immediately. "Nope. I'm actually very interested in finding out." I narrowed my eyes playfully. "And you better not lie to me this time."
A small guilty smile tugged at his lips. "I deserve that."
I waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts. "When I was younger, around seven or eight, my father had already moved us to New York. He was the boss at the time, so he would frequently travel back to Italy to handle business."
His jaw tightened slightly. "Sometimes he would take Matteo and me with him.
Sometimes he wouldn't." He looked down for a moment, lost in the memory.
"One day, I had just gotten home from school and went to his office because I needed to speak with him about something.
I don't even remember what anymore, but when I got there, the door was cracked open. "
His voice lowered. "I heard him talking about Gabriel." I frowned slightly, listening carefully. "I found out my father had another son. A baby he had with a woman during one of his trips to Italy."
My eyes widened. "Another son?"
Adriano nodded. "At the time, I didn't understand everything. I was only a child. All I knew was that my father had this huge secret, and I wanted to know who this Gabriel was."
He sighed. "So the next time he went to Italy, I demanded to go with him. I was about ten years old. I never told my father that I knew. I just wanted answers."
My heart ached for the little boy he used to be. "When we arrived, I discovered Gabriel was the neighbor's son."
I tilted my head, confused. "Your father gave him away?"
Adriano shook his head. "Not exactly. The couple next door couldn't have children. My father arranged for them to adopt him and raise him as their own. At the time, I didn't know all the details."
I stared at him. "So Gabriel is your half-brother?"
He nodded. "Yes." A million things suddenly clicked into place. The closeness. The protectiveness. The way Adriano looked at him. "I told him the truth when he was eight," Adriano continued. "I'm seven years older than him, so I always felt responsible for him. That's why we became so close."
He looked away. "Matteo, Mili, Leena, and the others don't know. I never told them."
My eyebrows lifted. "Adriano..." He sighed. "It was such a big secret when my father was alive. I spent years carrying it. I guess after everything changed, I just never thought about telling anyone."
My heart broke a little. Not because he kept the secret, but because he carried it alone for so long.
"I cannot believe you have held that inside for all these years." He gave me a small shrug, but I could see the weight behind his eyes.
"You know you have to tell your siblings, right?" He looked at me silently. "Do I really?" I scoffed and lightly smacked his chest. "Yes. They deserve to know they have another brother."
He sighed but nodded. "And I think it's time Gabriel starts acting like he is actually part of the family." Adriano looked at me. "He has been missing out on this family for too long."
His expression softened. "They're going to kill me."
I laughed softly. "Why?"
"Gabriel grew up around the family. Everyone knows him. They all have their own relationship with him. It's not like he missed out on having siblings."
I pushed myself up slightly and looked him directly in the eyes. "But didn't he?"
That question made him stop. Really stop. Because deep down, he knew the answer. Gabriel had grown up beside the Basilios, but he never truly had them.
I laid back down, wrapping my arms around his torso. "You will make the right decision, my love." I whispered against him. "You always do."
For once, Adriano didn't have an answer. He simply held me tighter.