Chapter 4

• ***
• Writer's POV:
• Lodovica stared at her son with mixed feelings. She was angry and sad. The lady was very happy about her last son's change. But what about her first? Leandro was a very nice person with his family and loved ones. He was funny and jovial. But she knew that was that side of him, he wanted his family to see. She also knew he had a dark side that made him commit atrocities.
• Like any normal and loving mother, it hurt. It hurt to admit that yes, Anthonio was finally healed, but there was one more to go. Leandro. And she feared that he might never change. His case seemed worse and the highest she could do was pray for his change.
• "What happened?" she asked him slowly.
• He smiled and walked up to his mother, holding her shoulders.
• "Nothing I can't take care of." he reassured her, with a smile that hid answers and secrets. He kissed her forehead and walked past her.
• "Leandro." she called, turning to him. He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn to her.
• "Mm?" he hummed
• "Amore ha bisogno di aiuto (Sweetheart you need help)."
• The mafioso clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. He hated when people told him that. He felt like they were indirectly calling him insane or something of the sort. But this was his mother speaking.
• "Non so cosa per. (I do not know what for)." he said, turning to her. "Mama, this world is made up of three kinds of people. The good ones, the bad ones and those in between." He started, "Donnica and you are part of the good ones, Anthonio is now in between."
• "And you?" the woman asked her son, "You're bad? Why can't you be in between? Or good?"
• "Because that's how things are supposed to be. I lead this group. I'm the boss. A true mafioso thinks with his mind not heart. How do you expect me to take care of this business if I'm softhearted and forgiving? There's no way. Excuse me."
• She watched him turn and leave. She felt like losing hope. But she would not.
• ***
• After a day, Kloe decided to travel back to Chicago. She kissed her friend goodbye. She'd decided to keep what had happened with Leandro to herself, pretending in front of everyone that everything was fine And hiding her bruise with the clothes she wore.
• "I'll miss you Kloe." Donnica had said with watery eyes, hugging her friend.
• "I'll miss you too, honey. We'll meet whenever you come to the U.S. If not, we'll face time." Kloe had replied.
• "Of course."
• Kloe then turned to Anthonio whom she hugged and wished the best, then she did same to Lodovica.
• On reaching Leandro, she gave him a fake smile and he smiled back.
• "Leandro..." she'd said in a friendly tone.
• "Kloe..." he smiled.
• They hugged. It was a cold and short one, but long enough for her to whisper:
• "I wish never to see your face again. Rot in hell."
• They broke the hug and smiled at each other. Then Leandro said,
• "Thanks you too. But be careful what you wish for." he chuckled and she faked a laugh.
• It was now confirmed. She hated his guts. And she was more than glad she was leaving. She'd decided to keep what had happened to herself because she didn't want to get Donnica all worried. It was nothing she couldn't take care of herself.
• "Seems like y'all have started to get along." Donnica mused.
• "Yes, we have." Leandro replied, smirking at Kloe who ignored him and turned to hug Donnica one last time.
• *
• Leandro and his mother traveled back to Rome with the twins a day after Kloe, leaving the newly wed a few days to themselves in Hawaii.
• ***
• Anthonio and Leandro laughed as they watched the twins play with their toys on the carpet.
• Anthonio's POV:
• "This one's gonna be as troublesome as you." I told Leandro, laughing.
• "You think?" he asked with a smile, staring at Alejandro.
• "Yeah. He seems more daring. And he does play a lot."
• "Yeah. I noticed. Lorenzo looks calmer."
• "Yeah."
• We watched the twins for a minute or two then I decided to ask Leandro what I'd had in mind since the day after my wedding.
• "Lee?" I called.
• "Yes?"
• "We're only the two of us. And we tell each other almost everything." I started and he leaned back into his chair.
• "You're beginning to scare me." he chuckled and I laughed.
• "Don't be. I just want you to be sincere with me." I said, leaning close.
• "What is it?" he asked, leaning in too.
• "Did anything happen between Kloe and you?" I dared to ask.
• And as expected, he laughed. I shook my head amused.
• "Lee I'm serious."
• "Why the question?" he asked with a smile.
• "We've had the same training. We read people at times. Kloe wasn't acting the same after my wedding night. She was trying to act normal. But that didn't fool me. And the day she was leaving too, I recognise a fake smile when I see one." I stated and saw a change in Leandro's expression.
• He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
• "I made her hate my guts." he admitted to my surprise and I had to withhold myself from laughing out.
• "What? Why?" I asked with difficulty, trying hard to suppress laughter. But then all the amusement died down when a possibility crossed my mind. "Don't tell me you tricked her into sleeping with you."
• Leandro gave me one of his wide smiles, making me panic a little and I immediately looked around to make sure Donnica wasn't close by.
• "You did?!" I asked. I hoped not!
• Leandro was a case at times! We'd told him she was engaged. I'd told him to stay away from her. If he did anything bad to her it was going to be my problem too. Donnica would make it my damned problem.
• "I wish I had. But I didn't." he said with a chuckle, "You should've seen your face. Guess the only person you're afraid of is your wife."
• "Shut up. Dumbass. So tell me, what happened?"
• I listened to Leandro tell me what happened.
• "Couldn't you just let her leave that room in peace?" I asked, shaking my head. Leandro was unstoppably stubborn.
• "Why? Not after her being rude."
• "She became rude because you stopped her from leaving in the first place."
• "That's her dead problem. I don't give a shit. Girls like that are headache and I would've loved to flog the hell out of her." he grumbled and I laughed.
• "Lucky she kept it to herself."
• "As if she had the choice. If not she would've been seeing me in her dreams, killing her over and over again."
• "Who?" Donnica asked, stepping into the room.
• "No one important." Leandro replied with a smile.
• She smiled back and walked to me. She gave me a short kiss before picking the twins up and walking away.
• Leandro and I stared at each other for a while.
• "Yup. She probably hates your guts now." I mocked and he threw a cushion at me, laughing.