Chapter 43 #4
Giovanni didn't miss the edge in my voice, and neither did Matteo.
There was a beat of silence between us, heavy with what none of them needed to say out loud.
I knew exactly what they were thinking, you trained them for this, and they weren't wrong.
I had. I had taught them how to defend themselves, how to recognize danger, how to shoot, how to fight, and how to stay calm when everyone else was panicking.
Because I refused to let any of my children ever experience what I had at thirteen, but knowing why I'd done it didn't make watching them come home bruised and bleeding any easier.
Giovanni gave my shoulder a small squeeze.
"They're okay, Adriano." I nodded, watching the staircase for another moment. "I know."
I finally turned toward my wife. Gianna was watching me with that look she always gave me, the one that saw straight through the Capo and found the father underneath. She slipped her hand into mine, and I squeezed it.
The house was already filling with laughter again, and somewhere upstairs someone suddenly screamed, “WHO TOOK MY TOWEL?!” followed immediately by, “NOT ME!” and then, “YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE IN HERE!
” and “PROVE IT!” I closed my eyes for a second, letting the noise wash over me, the kind of chaos that meant we were truly home.
We had been back for less than ten minutes, and already everything had returned to normal.
And strangely enough… I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Matteo Pov~
Home, Finally.
Our bedroom in New York had never looked so good.
The lights were low, the city humming faintly beyond the thick windows, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime...no one was bleeding, kidnapped, or plotting murder downstairs.
I kicked the bedroom door shut with my heel and let out a long sigh.
"My back is officially filing a complaint," I muttered, dropping my bag beside the dresser. Yana was already at the vanity, pulling off her earrings. She caught my reflection in the mirror and smiled softly.
That smile, the one just for me, still hit me like a punch to the chest after all these years. "Your back complains every time you have to do actual work," she said sweetly.
I clutched my chest dramatically. "Actual work? Woman, I fought a war."
"You supervised a war," she corrected.
"Details." I said with a wave of my hand.
She shook her head, laughter dancing in her eyes as she stood and crossed the room toward me, but I didn’t give her a chance to walk past. I caught her around the waist and pulled her into me, making her let out a surprised little sound as her hands landed against my chest. “Matteo-!” she started, but I buried my face in the crook of her neck and murmured, “Shhh. I’m home.
Let me be dramatic,” while her fingers slid into my hair automatically, her nails scratching lightly against my scalp.
I melted instantly as she murmured, “You’re impossible,” though she didn’t move away.
“Mm. But I’m your impossible,” I replied, and she snorted, “Unfortunately.” I pulled back just enough to look at her and said, “You love me,” earning a raised brow in return.
“I tolerate you,” she said flatly, and I gasped like she’d just stabbed me.
“After everything I’ve done for this family?
” I protested, and she answered without missing a beat, “Yes.” I couldn’t hold back the grin.
When we pulled apart, her forehead rested against mine. "I missed this," she whispered.
"Me too," I admitted quietly. "Missed you. Missed home. Missed not sleeping with one eye open." She slid her hands down to mine, squeezing them gently.
We stood like that for a moment, just breathing each other in. No chaos. No shouting. No gunfire. Just the soft glow of the lamp and the woman who had been my anchor through every storm.
Then she pulled back slightly and looked at me. "You snore again tonight, and I'm smothering you with a pillow."
I blinked. "That's so Romantic."
She replied, "I'm serious." I shot back, "I almost died, and this is how you treat me?" without missing a beat, she said, "You didn't almost die." I pressed a hand to my chest. "Emotionally, I did." That made her laugh as she pushed me lightly toward the bed. "Get undressed, drama king."
I gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am." Then I flopped backward onto the mattress with a groan of exaggerated relief. "Ohhh, yeah. This is the life. King of the castle. Hero of the people."
She climbed into bed beside me, reaching over to turn off the lamp. "Idiot," she murmured fondly as she settled against my side. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and pressing a kiss into her hair.
Outside, New York buzzed beneath us. Inside, my world was quiet.
Adriano Pov~
Later That Night
The estate had finally gone quiet.
I stood by the windows in the main living room, looking out over the dark stretch of land surrounding the estate. Security lights glowed along the perimeter, guards moving through their usual positions.
Everything was secure. Gianna came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I covered her hands with mine automatically.
"They're all in the living room," she murmured. "Pretending they aren't exhausted."
I huffed quietly. "Stubborn."
"They get that from you." I didn't argue. From the other room, I could hear them, low voices, the rustle of takeout bags, someone laughing way too loudly at something that probably wasn't even that funny.
Alive. All of them. That truth sat heavier than any crown I wore. Matteo walked past the doorway, paused, then looked at me. "Business starts again tomorrow?" "It never stopped," I replied. He smirked faintly before disappearing down the hallway.
Gianna squeezed me once more before letting go. "Come sit. Just for a minute. Be with them."
I hesitated. The Capo in me had a hundred things to plan. Calls to make. Moves to anticipate. People to check on. Loose ends to tie up.
But the father...the father won.
"Let me put this away, and I'll meet you out there," I said, looking down at her. She nodded and reached up to kiss my cheek before walking out of the room.
I finished up quickly, shutting everything down, draping my jacket over the chair, before making my way down the hallway toward the den. I loosened the collar of my shirt as I walked, already feeling some of the tension leaving my shoulders.
The low hum of voices and laughter reached me before I even stepped inside. That sound, my family relaxed, unguarded, annoying as hell, alive...did more for me than any victory ever could. I slowed as I reached the doorway.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Gianna was curled up on the large sectional, one of the throw blankets wrapped around her shoulders.
Damien sat on the floor with his back against the couch, controller in hand.
Michel and Dantae were arguing over which movie to put on, while Kalani and Kaia were sprawled upside down on the other end of the couch like a couple of feral cats.
AJ leaned against the armchair, pretending not to watch the chaos while absolutely watching the chaos. Alessandra was tucked into her mother's side, looking perfectly comfortable.
No one had noticed me yet. I leaned against the doorframe, just watching.
This is what I fight for.