We have gotten around 700 reads and more than 1000 comments. YAY! 😃 I want to thank each and every one of you that has read so far and has commented. I absolutely love to read comments so I don't mind you guys spamming me with them. I can't thank you guys enough. I'm over the fucking moon right now. ❤️ Enjoy this chapter.

---------------------------------------------

          I sat on the same white sofa waiting patiently for the traitor to show himself while Federigo sipped on his scotch nonchalantly standing next to mother who fiddled with her fingers nervously, pacing back and forth.

My blood continued to boil at the thought of such treachery that I received from my own family. I would have never thought that he'd ever do this to me or this family, but I was wrong. I should've known by the way he had been acting out lately.

          I had been waiting patiently for the past hour and a half with mother filling my head with nonsense about how to deal with this situation, but it went into one ear and escaped the other almost immediately. My mind shut out all the thoughts only allowing murderous plans and blood penetrate through with alcohol running through my veins, numbing my senses.

Resting my head against the headrest of the couch, I scrunch my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to calm myself down a bit, but the attempt to do so was to no avail, instead the wait angered me even more. The agony in my injured arm just added more gasoline to the fiery pit of rage that was slowly hitting the roof by the passing second.

"He's here," Vince pulled me out of my murderous plots and made me look at the door through which Wren walked in with few of my suited men behind him.

"Mother. Father." He acknowledged the two and turned his gaze towards me. "Brother, what's going on?"

"Leave," I glare past him at my unwanted men, making them walk out in an orderly fashion after an understanding nod from Vince who had kept his mouth surprisingly shut after the phone call. He knew I wasn't in the mood for his mindless, snarky comments and that I would definitely put a bullet through his brain without giving it a second thought.

When the door shut, Wren spoke up, "Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on? What did I do this time?" He looked at me in hopes of finding out the reason but I instead return his question with a soul-shaking glare while my fingers curled up tightly into fists almost drawing blood. Giving up, he turned his attention to mother, "Mom? At least you tell me."

"Don't act innocent, Wren." Federigo spat while he banged his scotch-filled glass down onto the bar behind him, spilling the poisonous liquid on the counter. "You know exactly what you did so don't feign innocence."

          "What the fuck are you even talking about?"

          "Watch your fucking tone with me, boy. I'm your father, not your friend." Federigo roared and stepped forward only to be stopped by Amelia who grabbed onto his arm, holding him back.

          "Well father, why don't you tell me what's going on then?"

          "Are you seriously asking me that, traditore (traitor)?"

          "Traditore?" Wren knit his brows together in confusion. "What did I do to receive that title?"

"You called a hit on your brother, that's what you did."

"Is this a joke?" Wren laughed nervously, looking around for someone to jump out of the corner saying 'April fools bitch', but when he realized this wasn't a joke, he looked at me in absolute horror as his eyes scanned my bandaged bicep.

With rage detonating out of control, I see a big red target in front of me, forcing me to charge at the man like a wild, untamed bull, grabbing him by his throat with my right hand and assailing him against the wall beside the closed door.

"Leo!" Mother rushed towards me instantly, tugging on my black t-shirt. "Let him go," she cried out. "Please!"

"Amelia, you stay out of it. I've got this." Federigo pulled the woman away from me.

          Wren's eyes were almost popping out of his sockets due to my grip while his face turned to a funny shade of purple. He choked and struggled, punching my arm but I didn't budge. All I saw was a traitor right now, not my brother.

"St... stop," he managed to mutter hoarsely.

Loosening my death grip on the man, I snatch the gun out from the waistband of my trousers and whip it to his head as he plummeted to the floor, coughing uncontrollably.

          "Leonardo, stop!" Federigo commanded as mother ran to Wren's side and gently patted his back.

          I was too engrossed in my anger to acknowledge his plea and continued to hold the gun in place.

          Wren looked up at me with tears in his eyes that I had never seen before. "I haven't done anything. Trust me, brother." His tears splattered on the floor next to him. I had never assaulted him prior to the last event where he misbehaved with Arie and it broke my heart to see him in such a vulnerable state right now but my catastrophic rage was more dominant, making my hands shake as he firmly held my gaze.

          "Leo, please son," mother pleaded as she looked at me with a pool of tears in her eyes as she continued to caress Wren's face. "He's your brother. Give him a chance to explain."

          "Your mother is right." Federigo placed his hand on my left shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "Let him explain his doings."

I whip my infuriated gaze into his direction, "you stay out of this, father" my voice comes out as a growl, making him remove his hand immediately.

"Be smart about this, boy," he gritted his teeth. "He's your fratello (brother)."

I ignored the man and concentrated on the one in front of me. Taking the gun off of safety, I put my finger on the trigger when the door swings open through which Mike bolted in.

"Leo, let him go," he yelled at me, but I couldn't pull myself away from doing so. Mike then yanked the gun out of my hand and pushed me back. "He's your fucking brother. No matter what he did, you don't kill family."

"I'll fucking kill you too!" I spat through my teeth, glaring at the intruder.

"You need to calm the fuck down. It's the alcohol talking, not you. So how about you hear him out. Okay?"

He was right. Maybe I was acting on impulse and rage in this very moment but you can't blame me. I absolutely despise rats and everyone in this room knows that so this fucker better have a good reason or he'll burn in my hell.

"Mike is right!" Amelia said as she walked over to me with tears still lurking in her eyes, making my heart hurt. "Please, son. Do it for me, if not for anyone else."

I wipe away her escaping tears with my thumb, giving her a slight smile. My heart bled for this woman who I'm fortunate enough to call my mother. Seeing her cry because of me, literally ripped my beating heart out, dangling it in front of fierce animals to chew away at it. I would lay my heart in her palms if she ever asked me to. This is how much control she had over me.

"Fine!" I growl at Mike and drag myself back to the couch. Turning my attention back to the traitor, I say "You have five minutes to explain before I do something that even mother won't be able to stop me."

Only my mother had the power to talk me out of something, no one else, not even my own father whom everyone feared. I respected her more than anything and anyone in this world.

I slouch forward in my seat, placing my elbows on my knees and bringing my hands up to my face, interlocking my fingers. "Cazzo di parlare! (Fucking talk)"

Mike helped Wren up to his feet and said, "You better start making use of that mouth as usual or I won't be able to protect you from his wrath any longer."

"I haven't done anything," he began talking, "I don't even know where you got that idea from."

          "Less than two hours ago you called that phone," I point towards the cellphone that laid bare on my glass desk, "and asked if the job was done. It belongs to one of the stronzi (assholes) that attacked me."

          His eyes widened in disbelief as he wiped away his half dried tears. "Astor?"

"We know it's Astor but it doesn't explain why you were on the other end of the line."

"I went to his office to hangout as usual but then he handed me a burner phone and told me to call a number and to ask the person if the job was done."

          "What are you? His errand boy? Fucking monkey on a leash?" I spat.

          "I've done it multiple times before. I didn't know the hit was on you. He framed me into all of this. But I don't know why he would do that?"

          "He's trying to kill Arie for lodging a complaint against him for raping her," I let a frustrated sigh, "so I threatened him to call off the hit on her or I would ruin him and he agreed to it but then..."

          "Of course it's that fucking girl," Wren bellowed while Federigo scoffed, "it's always that fucking..."

          "Watch it!" I warned him. "I'll still unload a bullet in your head. I'm not quite down from there."

          "Look what she has driven you to do. You hit me because of her. You went against Astor, your own friend and family because of her. What else is she gonna make you do now?"

"He's right," Federigo intervened and stepped forward. "That girl is toxic. You need to rip her out of your life."

"I don't need you two to tell me what to do." I hissed at the two ignorant men while mother stood with a worried expression and Mike with a grin planted on his face. He was definitely enjoying the drama as usual.

"Astor is the one at fault here," mother decided to speak up too. "Leo is just trying to protect that girl from Astor and I'm still unable to wrap my head around his heinous act. He made a mistake by attacking this family and he will pay for it."

"But this would have never happened if he didn't confront Astor about it," Wren said and scooted onto the sofa next to me. Is he trying to die?

"I don't need you two to tell me what to do," I glare at Wren, making him scoot right off, "and I don't think I have ever made a wrong decision, have I?" I look between the four humans in the room and wait for them to say otherwise. "That's what I thought. I rule the fucking empire, not you. You handed me the reins so you don't tell me what to do now. I know what I'm doing so I don't need any of you to interfere in my ruling. Five years is how long I've been at it and it's going perfectly smooth. I have dealt with scumbags like him, so it's nothing new."

"The difference is that he's family and he also knows everything about us." Wren said.

"He was family, not anymore," I correct him and lift myself off the couch. "We know everything about him too."

He begins laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" I narrow my eyes at him.

"I'm just imagining Belle's reaction. She's either ripping your balls or Astor's balls out." He continued his maniacal laugh.

"No one says a word to her. I'll talk to her myself."

With that, I storm out of the office and begin making my way towards my room with Mike catching up to me. "How many men are outside her house?" I say before he could bombard me with some of his shitty wise talk.

"Currently twenty-five."

"Have another twenty-five men outside her house and ask them to rotate from time to time. She must not be left unguarded. Put some on her aunt and brother too. He'll probably go after her family as well."

"You got it. How's your arm?"

"It hurts but not as bad."

"You need to give the mighty alcohol a break. You act impulsively when you ingest it."

"You know I don't drink much. Only when I'm mad." I continue to walk up the stairs with my shoes thumping on each step.

"Exactly! You feed your anger with that."

"Oh shut up already. I've had enough for today." I strut into my room and plop on my mattress. "Close the door when you leave." Pulling the silky covers over me, I shut him and his talk out.

"You love her, don't you?" My heart skipped a beat when he said 'love'. I cared about her a lot, but love? No. That isn't possible. My heart is incapable of love after everything that has happened with Ve... Even saying her name hurts me.

          I pretend to snore in hopes of getting rid of Mike. I hear him let out a chuckle before he strolls away and shutting the door, leaving me to drown with my demons and perpetuating thoughts that I can never get rid of.

---------------------------------------------

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Did you guys feel bad for Wren or do you think he's a liar?

And I have some exciting news to share. We got a puppy. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ He's so gorgeous. He's a mix of German Shepard and Norwegian elkhound. Absolutely beautiful. Comment if you guys have dogs and what kind. I'd love to know. Much love ❤️
~Reet