C6 Chapter Six

Alessio

I turn to my brothers and ask, "What the hell are you guys doing here?" as he steps back and closes the door behind him.

“Someone must be angry”, Fabian murmurs.

“Think this big brother isn't receiving enough attention?” Alessandro grinned.

"Perhaps he isn't content enough with what he already has?Quality over quantity, after all, isn't that what they say?” Fabien replied as he entered the room ahead of the other person.I fixed my gaze on the three of them skulking about my area.Fabian reclines into a couch as Alessandro lowers himself into a chair and puts his feet up on the coffee table.

"I thought you were supposed to be in London?" Fabian raises his chin to face me.

“I was ,”

“Is it because of a woman you had to return so urgently ?”

I hold his gaze and didn’t say anything else .

“I knew it !” Alessandro exclaimed .”It always have to be lady who puts him in such a scrappy mood”

“Well it not only my mood which is going to be in scrappy mood soon” I bashed out .

I hold his gaze, don’t say anything else.

"Knew it," Fabien crows. "It has to be a woman who’s put him in such a filthy mood."

"It’s not only my mood which is going to be filthy soon," I growl."What the hell are you two doing here, anyway?"

“Always demanding questions from his brothers “ Alessandro smirks

“Shut up “ I scold while as I rub my face.

Of course, I always have to . I walk over to stand over the two of them. Carlos follows me. "Get your foot off the table, Sandro," I growl at my youngest brother.

"Seriously?" He grimaces, "What’s wrong with where my foot is?

"Want me to show you?" I pull my pocket knife from my belt, flip it over in my hand. I glare at him, and he grimaces.

"You’re such a kill joy , Ales ." Alessandro lowers his foot to the floor anyway.

"You called us ?" Alessandro straightens in his seat. "It has to be something serious that had you summoning all of us here."

I gaze between them and say, "Can't I ask my own brothers to join me? After all, we are a family, aren't we? Oh bloody hell. I can't believe I forgot about that. Shows just how much she's addled my mind that I can't remember half the orders I've issued in the last few days."

"We met just before you went to London, so I take it there have been developments?" Alessandro tips his chin up at me.

"You could say that." I rake my fingers through my hair, then survey them, "I’m getting married."

"Married?" Fabian slowly bats his eyelids, then bursts out laughing,"Che cazzo?"He snickers, "You sure have a strange sense of humor,Alessioangelo."

"I hate that name," I say through gritted teeth, "and what’s wrong with my getting married?"

"Everything." He tries to school his features into some semblance of seriousness, then bursts out laughing. Again.

"And here I thought Alessandro would be the first to get married, considering he's had a lifelong crush on Theresa." Fabian leans forward on the balls of his feet.

"Hey," Alessandro protests, "I don’t have a crush on her."

"Oh, please," Carlos scoffs, "whenever you see her you go all googly-eyed."

"Googly-eyed?" Alessandro putters, "What does that even mean?"

"Why is it that the two of you still squabble like you are ten?" I rub the back of my neck.

"Guess they never learn to grow up, unlike you," Fabian smirks, "though I can't help but think that London’s polluted air got to you. Maybe that's why you decided to get married?"

"You may have a point, " Carlos turns to Alessandro . "Think we need to call the doctor to have him tested out ?"

"F*ck off,testa di cazzo," I growl.

"Oooh," Carlos mock shivers, "I am so afraid."

"I am your Capo," I say mildly, "better show me some respect, or I’ll be asking for your pinky finger next."

"Sometimes," Fabien sighs, "you sound like an actor from a bad Hollywood Mafia movie."

"Too sad ,I don’t watch movies."

Alessandro pretends to do a double take. "Next you’ll be telling me that you are in love."

I laugh, "Good one." I smirk. "I see you’ve been polishing up your comedic skills."

"And you’re going to have to polish up your role as a husband."

"Only until I get an heir." I raise a shoulder.

"Surely, there are fringe benefits," Fabien murmurs. "Who’s the lucky woman, by the way?"

"Someone none of you know."

"Fantastico." Alessandro rubs his hands, "Is she so beautiful that you don’t want us to meet her before the wedding?"

"Yes, she is, and no, that’s not the reason I don’t want you to meet her before the big day. It’s purely because she is currently unaware that’s the plan I have in store for her."

"So, you what, kidnapped your bride ?" He fixes me with his shrewd gaze, "What else are you not telling us, Alessio?"

"I am telling you everything you need to know at this stage."

"You know that, as your lawyer, I do need to know everything, if I am supposed to help you on this in the future.”

"And what makes you think I will be needing your help on this?"

He laughs, "You and I both know that almost everything you do needs my expert touch to steer it along at some point."

"Don’t remind me." I scowl.

"Not that I am not grateful for it."

"You better be." I glower at all three of my younger siblings, "It’s why I gave you three roles in which you didn’t have to get your hands dirty." Fabien my lawyer, Carlos takes care of our finances, and Alessandro? He’s the artist among us. My youngest brother—he's younger than Fabien by two minutes, has the softest heart, the face of a fallen angel, and the talent of a Renaissance artist.

The joke among us growing up had been that he should have been called Alessioangelo, not me—the oldest, the most cynical brother, on whom the responsibility falls to keep the family business going. One way or the other, though, all of us have our lives intertwined with the firm. Once you’re born into a Mafia family, really, there’s no way out, particularly for the males. Even if you are as prodigiously talented as Sandro, who paints masterpieces. We use his growing fame in the art world to identify potential new targets we can kidnap and hold for ransom in return, not for money—that would be too crass—but for influence, power, and the ability to infiltrate governments and those in the higher echelons of power. It had long ago ceased to be about wealth. Our focus now is to build up our network, to ensure we have the means to influence governments and heads of organizations.

"And I, for one, am grateful that I don’t need to be directly involved with the day-to-day business," Fabian murmurs.

"Enough to back me up in what I am going to say next?”

"Which is?"

"That you support my wedding and the consolidation with the other families that I am aiming for."

"But that’s not the only reason you are marrying her, is it?"

I give Antonio a quick glance.Fabian has always had a keen mind. I would involve him more in our operations' planning and strategy if it weren't for the fact that he's an overly knowledgeable lawyer who excels at keeping my men out of jail.