Chapter 31
Raf Pov~
The ride back to the estate was quick. I made sure of it.
AJ sat in the backseat with Mrs. Hart this time, trying his best to calm her down. She had been completely flustered the moment she got into the car, firing question after question at us nonstop.
Of course, we were under strict orders not to reveal anything until we were standing in front of Uncle Adriano. So all we could give her were vague answers, which clearly did nothing to ease her anxiety.
“Listen, Mrs. Hart, we can’t answer anything else like we’ve stated for the past hour,” Marcio said from beside me, his patience clearly running thin. “But we’re almost at the house, and all your answers will be waiting for you there.”
I glanced at him, immediately scowling. She wasn't some enemy we had captured. She was a confused older woman who had no idea what was happening. She didn't need Marcio's attitude on top of everything else.
He noticed my glare and rolled his eyes. I leaned slightly toward him, keeping my voice low enough that only he could hear. “I will beat the shit out of you if your attitude stays the same.”
His head snapped toward me, a mischievous smirk appearing on his face. “I’d like to see you try,” he muttered.
I raised my eyebrows and scoffed. Challenge accepted. A few minutes later, I pulled into the driveway. The massive copper gates closed behind us as we entered the property.
Leo immediately jumped out of the car. “Finally, we’re home,” he exclaimed with an exaggerated sigh. I rolled my eyes at him before shutting off the engine and stepping out.
AJ guided Mrs. Hart toward the front porch steps. “This way, Mrs. Hart. Don’t worry, my dad will have all the answers you need.”
We followed behind them into the house. But the second we stepped inside, we were met with chaos.
Michel, Antonio, Dean, and Dantae were all in the lobby. And they were fighting.
“What the fuck is going on?” AJ snapped.
He immediately moved toward them, and the rest of us followed, each grabbing one of the boys before things escalated any further.
Damien glanced at Mrs. Hart with an apologetic expression before turning his attention back to us. “Sorry,” he mouthed.
Because whatever this was, it wasn't a normal sibling argument. Michel’s face was bright red with anger.
And honestly? They all looked ready to tear each other apart. The guys and I exchanged looks. This wasn't a game or playful fighting. Something had happened.
“Get the hell off of me! I’m not done with these shitheads!” Michel yelled, struggling against AJ’s grip.
Dean’s expression immediately hardened, and he started fighting against the person holding him back as well. That caused the other boys to start moving again.
My patience was wearing thin. I tightened my grip. “No.” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “What the fuck is wrong with you guys?”
AJ tightened his hold on Michel’s arms, forcing him to look at him. “Damien, take Mrs. Hart to the office. We’ll handle this.”
Damien nodded quickly and turned toward her. “Come on, Mrs. Hart.”
He gave her a gentle smile before guiding her farther into the house. “This usually doesn’t happen...” I heard him explain quietly as they walked away.
The boys remained silent. Still angry and refusing to explain. I looked around the hallway, searching for the one person who could probably get answers out of them.
And then I saw him.
Uncle Adriano walked down the hallway, his massive frame approaching us with a hard expression.
Behind him came Uncle Matteo. The two brothers looked almost identical as they stood there. Which told me one thing. They had clearly fixed whatever issue they had between them.
Or at least enough to stand in the same room. Good because we had another problem to deal with.
Adriano Pov~
As I searched for Matteo around this massive house, I came across the perfect five-year-old who could help me.
Lia came walking down the hallway with a ball tucked under her arm. The second she saw me heading in her direction, she slowed down and suddenly looked away.
I frowned slightly. That was strange. Usually, she would run straight toward me, launch herself into my arms, and immediately start telling me everything she planned on doing for the day.
Who could blame her? I was her favorite uncle. Obviously. I walked toward her and crouched down to her level.
“Hi, Lilli,” I greeted, using the nickname I had given her.
“Hi, Uncle Adri,” she mumbled, still staring down at her sparkly sneakers.
“I’m looking for your dad. Do you know where he is?” The boss inside of me immediately noticed something was off. She was hiding something. My first instinct was to push until she gave me the answer.
But she was five years old. She wasn't one of my men. She was my niece. She shook her head before quickly peeking up at me.
“You sure?”
Her little face immediately gave her away. She hesitated before letting out a dramatic sigh and looking back toward the bedroom.
“He’s in the room with Mommy, but he... he says he no want you to go in there.” She hugged her ball tighter, a tiny bit of fire entering her voice. Just like her mother.
“But I have to talk to him, so I have to.” I smiled softly. “Thank you, Lili.” She smiled back before running away with her ball.
I watched her go, a small chuckle escaping me. Straightening up, I rubbed my hands over my suit jacket, taking a deep breath. This was going to be interesting.
I walked toward Matteo and Yana’s bedroom door and knocked loudly. A few seconds later, I heard movement. The door opened, revealing Yana.
She looked up at me and immediately sighed. “Finally. I can’t deal with the giant baby anymore,” she muttered. I raised an eyebrow but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
She stepped aside, and I looked into the room. Matteo was lying on the bed, face down, hugging a pillow while staring at his phone.
Like a child.
“I’m just going to leave,” Yana whispered. Before I could respond, she pushed me into the room and shut the door behind me.
I stumbled forward, staring at the closed door. “Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath. Turning around, I found Matteo hadn't moved. Not even slightly.
I stood there waiting for him to acknowledge me. Nothing. He was purposely ignoring me. And slowly, very slowly, my patience started to disappear.
“So you’re really going to act like a child and ignore me?” I stepped closer to the bed. “I learned from the best,” he mumbled.
My eyes narrowed. I had about ten different responses ready, but I forced myself to remember why I came here. Not to argue. Not to fight. To fix this. I took a deep breath and walked around the bed until I was standing in front of him.
His eyes remained locked on one spot on the mattress. His phone was forgotten beside him “Look, I know you’re angry that I kept Gabriel from you all these years.”
His jaw tightened.
“But you have to understand why I did it. I was trying to protect him from this life.” I paused. “I’m sorry, Matteo.”
For a moment, silence filled the room. Then he scoffed quietly and shook his head. “Alright. Whatever.”
The dismissive tone immediately irritated me. “What do you mean, whatever?” His eyes stayed down. “Nothing. It’s fine, Adriano.” But his voice wasn't angry. It was hurt.
And somehow that confused me more. “No, it’s not fine.” My frustration started rising again. “I apologized. I can’t go back in time and change what happened. So what else do you want me to fucking do Matteo!"
My voice grew louder despite my attempt to control it. “Tell me.”
That seemed to snap him out of whatever state he was in.
One second he was sitting on the bed, and the next he shot up, his face red with anger. He pointed a finger directly at me, his chest rising and falling heavily.
“You don’t understand.” His voice was low, but the anger behind it was unmistakable. “I don’t fucking give a shit about your apology, Adriano!”
I stayed silent, letting him get it out.
“All these years I thought that we were brothers. Equal in strength, stature, and power.” His voice grew louder with every word. “I HAVE BEEN BY YOUR SIDE FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE.” His finger pressed harder in my direction.
“I do all the grunt work for you. I take care of your clubs, arenas, companies, employees, warehouses, mafias... even your fucking planner because I know how busy a Capo can be.”
I felt my jaw tighten, but I didn't interrupt.
“But you keep secrets. You lie. And yes, you’re the Capo, so I understand there are things you can’t tell me.” He shook his head, frustration written all over his face. “But this... this is the biggest secret you have ever kept from me.”
His voice cracked slightly. “Something that involved me. My life. My feelings. My emotions, Adriano.” He stepped closer.
“Who gave you the right to decide how I would react? Who gave you the right to decide what I could handle and what I couldn’t?
” His eyes burned into mine. “I am not a child, Adriano.”
He paused, breathing heavily. “Do you know how demeaning that is?”
The room went quiet. Matteo backed away slightly, running a hand through his hair as he tried to collect himself. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, but the hurt underneath was much worse.
“I am not your secretary. I am not just your Mafia man or your grunt worker, Adriano.” He looked back at me. “I am your brother.” The words hit harder than I expected.
“You promised me when our Father was alive, before you took on the Capo di Capi role, that we were in this together. That when you became the leader, things wouldn't change.” His eyes searched mine. “But they did.”
My chest tightened.
“I do all the work, and you get the praise.” A humorless laugh escaped him as he opened his arms dramatically. “The Capo. The all-mighty leader with all the power.” He bowed mockingly, a bitter smile crossing his face. “I won’t take it anymore.”
The silence that followed was suffocating.
“So no...” His voice dropped. “I don’t accept your fucking apology.”
I stared at him.
And for once... my pride and ego didn't block the words from reaching me. They cut straight through. This wasn't what I thought Matteo felt. Not even close.
I had no fucking idea that this was what had been eating at him all these years. That underneath all his jokes, his sarcasm, and his loyalty was a man who felt forgotten.
I wanted to move. I wanted to walk over there and tell him he was wrong.
Tell him he was one of the most important people in my life. Tell him that none of this would exist without him. Tell him that I trusted him more than anyone.
But my mind couldn't form the words. My heart couldn't push past my own stubbornness. So I stood there.
Frozen. Watching my brother break right in front of me. My body fought against itself. Every instinct screamed at me to fix this, to pull him into a hug and remind him who he was to me.
But my pride was stronger.
The Basilio curse. When emotions became too much, we buried them. When pain became unbearable, we turned it into anger.
So I did what I always did. I took control.
Even when I knew it wasn't the right way. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I seethed through gritted teeth.
Matteo’s expression shifted immediately. Confusion replaced some of the anger as he looked at me.
"Do you want me to walk around every fucking day reminding you how much I love you? How much I appreciate you? How much I couldn't be running a hundred businesses, raising a family, guiding the Mafia, and dealing with threats without YOU!?" I shout, my voice echoing through the room.
My chest rises and falls heavily as I stare at him.
"Do you want me to get on my knees and tell you how great of a father, husband, role model, and brother you are? Do you want me to hand you my title? Because I will!"
I step closer, my anger burning through every word.
"Don't fucking test me, Matteo." I stand directly in front of him, our eyes locked. Same height. Same stubbornness. Same damn pride.
"I am only the leader I am because I have you." My voice lowers, the anger slowly turning into something else. Something heavier.
"My brother. My equal in strength, stature, and power. The person who helps me when I don't know what the hell I'm doing. The person who guides me when I lose my way. The person who calms me down when I get so pissed off that I can't see straight."
I swallow, forcing myself to say the words that never come easily. "And I hope I have been that person for you too. If I haven't... then I'm sorry, Matteo." The words taste foreign, but they are the truth.
"I'm sorry I haven't been the brother you needed when you've spent your entire life being the best brother I could have asked for."
His expression shifts slightly, but I continue.
"And I'm sorry for making decisions for you. For deciding what you could handle and what you couldn't. But you need to understand something."
I point toward his chest. "You are my little brother. You can be a grown man. You can be one of the strongest men I know. You can run half of this organization without breaking a sweat."
I pause. "But I will always see you as my little brother." My voice cracks slightly, but I refuse to look away. "And I will always try to protect you. Not because I am your Capo. Not because it's my responsibility."
I place a hand against my chest. "Because you are my brother."
I take a breath. "So get it through your thick skull that without you, I would fail." The room falls silent. "We are a team, Matteo. We always have been. Don't you ever forget that."
I step back, breathing heavily as I try to calm the storm inside of me. For once, Matteo doesn't have a sarcastic remark. He doesn't argue. He doesn't fight.
He just stares at me. And I stare back. Two stubborn idiots waiting for the other to break first. To my surprise, he does.
He walks toward me and wraps his arms around me tightly. For a second, I'm frozen. Then I hug him back.
Because even though we are supposed to be these untouchable Mafia men, sometimes we need this. A reminder that underneath the titles, the power, and the responsibilities...
We're still brothers.
After a moment, we pull away. The gloomy expression on his face is gone, replaced by the familiar mischievous look I know too well.
"So..." he says, crossing his arms. "You would really give up your title for me?"
I let out a laugh and shake my head. "If that's what it took." He scoffs dramatically. "Nah. Keep it, old man. Seems like way too much stress."
I roll my eyes but can't stop the smile from forming. "You're impossible." He grins. "Come on. Enough emotional bonding. Let's go torture the guy in the basement."
I laugh, shaking my head as we walk toward the door. "Gladly." And just like that, we were back to being us.