A/N
Before I begin this chapter of the story, I just wanted to say that this chapter is dedicated to @ilovejudebellingham9 and that is because I promised to give them an update on Saturday and I didn't. Very sorry for that! Anyways, peace out.
RYAN'S POV
Standing there was the whole family. Some looked shocked, this would be from the middle children as well as the younger ones. Some looked proud. Even Alessandro looked proud behind his cold eyes and hard expression.
The staring was getting uncomfortable. "So, um... how long were you standing there?" I am very nervous, but I refuse to let it show. I will just talk in a normal voice.
"Ryan, where did you and your brother learn to fight like that?" Alessandro questions.
I think back to when they were first asking questions. "As we have said before, we knew some people, had some friends." No way in hell is he getting more than that.
He raised an eyebrow at me, almost challengingly. "Would you care to elaborate?"
I know for a fact he isn't really asking; he is more demanding. But what he needs to learn with subjects surrounding me is that if there is a loophole, I will find it, and I will use it. "Nope!" I say with fake enthusiasm in my voice as I start to make my way out of the room. "I should be down in time for dinner, but I have to clean up and take a shower and whatever."
And with that, I left the room.
♤♡◇♧
During dinner, Xavier had brought up the fact that my accent is a bit more different from both of my brothers. I had simply explained that a week before our adopted father had adopted the boys, the orphanage split into gander groups. I was moved across the country. They couldn't find me for two years, until they did.
None of that was really true.
A week before Arlo had adopted my brothers, the French Mafia Don, Gabriel, had decided he wanted to kidnap me and a ton of other kids from different orphanages to 'train' them. That is where I learned the basis of fighting, like how to throw a good punch and how to spot weak points. I was with the French Mafia for two years until the German Mafia found me. The two mafias had always been enemies, so attacking a warehouse was a win-win. I had then met Arlo and he became my father. Because of him I was reunited with my twins, and I couldn't stop thanking him.
The training there was awful. I wouldn't even really call it training. I got good pain endurance from it, however, so I mean that works. At the time when they had first taken me, I had only turned nine. And I wasn't even the youngest kid there.
So, here I am looking at all my scars in the mirror. Most of which were on my arms and legs, which is why I wear pants and long sleeves more often than not. However, the ugliest scar I have runs through my eyebrow and into the side of my face, just barely missing my eye.
I shake my head and get into pajamas, then head to bed.
♤♡◇♧
The next morning, I wake up at about 5:00AM. I continue to toss and turn for a couple of hours, trying to lull my mind and body back to sleep.
It didn't work.
So, when I finally get up, I see that it is 8:30.
I head into my closet and grab a pair of sweats and a hoodie I think I have stolen from Rudy at some point. I quickly change and then start to head downstairs, where I can hear chatter coming from the dining room.
I walk in and I immediately want to go back to my room.
Xavier, Xander, Matteo, Rico, and Rudy are all missing shirts.
I make my way over to the coffee machine ignoring most of what everyone else is saying because I can't people until I have had my morning coffee. After a couple of sips and a deep breath, I turn back around to see most everyone is watching me.
I take my seat at the dining table as the talking seems to pick back up. I take occasional sips of my coffee as I stare at the wall while simultaneously listening into the eldest three brothers' conversation. They are speaking in Italian about their mafia.
It might just be a hunch, but I think they want to make and alliance with the German Mafia.
I mean, I am not opposed to it.
It would make some shit a lot easier, even if they didn't know who ran it.
I am broken out of my staring contest with the wall by a throat clearing and the table going quiet.
I take a sip of my coffee.
"Triplets, remember that you will be starting school on Monday. Today, you will be going shopping with the twins and Matteo to get school supplies as well as clothing." I sink into my chair and throw my head back in despair. And because this morning I am sat between Lorenzo and Matteo, my little temper tantrum did not go unnoticed.
"Ryan, what's wrong?" Matteo questions. This causes me to get the attention of all of my brothers. When my twins see what I did, Rico starts laughing hysterically and Rudy starts chuckling lowly. I sit up all the way as I flip them off and take another sip of coffee. Everyone else seems confused and amused by the situation.
Rico finally sobers up enough to answer the question, because I refuse to. "Ryan hates shopping with a passion."
His answer causes more laughter from different people now. Even Xander looks amused.
"What's so bad about shopping?" Xavier decides to ask.
I look at him in bewilderment. "What's not? When you go clothes shopping, you have to look through the racks to find your color and your size and once that is finally done, you have to try it on and if it doesn't fit the hunt is on again. Shopping for anything else is just looking at stuff. There is so much better stuff I could be spending my time on then going through shelves of packaged shit."
"Language." Lorenzo murmurs from beside me when I'm finished.
I look at him incredulously. "I am not following that rule."
Alessandro releases a dad sigh before shooing us six upstairs. "Whatever. You are going shopping and you are going to buy stuff. Now go get dressed."
I roll my eyes but nonetheless, comply.
I decide to wear some ripped blue jeans with a black take top and a brownish flannel. For shoes I put on a pair of faded red high tops.
I go downstairs and notice I am the only one down here, so I just go to the couch and wait for my brothers to make their way down.
I wasn't waiting for long because all of the boys eventually tromped down the stairs, except for Rico because his hair 'needs to be styled perfectly'. I swear that boy goes through a bottle of hair gel a week.
We all hope into a dark tinted SUV, that I am more than positive is bullet proof, and start the twenty-minute drive to the mall.
♤♡◇♧
I.
Am.
Never.
Going.
Shopping.
With.
Matteo.
Again.
I wish I would have had a warning of what a fucking shopaholic he is.
If I looked at something for more than five seconds, it was in the shopping cart.
We aren't even halfway done and one of the extra SUVs Alessandro made us bring was filled with stuff.
Don't even get me started on the other brothers.
Xander was just moping around everywhere while 'discretely' glaring at all of the boys that even glances towards me.
Rico and Xavier were encouraging Matteo to buy literally everything.
And Rudy was glaring at anyone who looked my way.
One of the only motherfuckers that knows I'm bi and is cockblocking me.
"I'm hungry." Rico complains.
Motherfucker is always hungry-
"How does everyone feel about going to the food court next? We should probably get some food anyway."
As we were making all of the necessary turns to go to the food court, however, I realized there was someone following us that wasn't a guard.
I speak up as I see a sign to go to the bathroom. "Hey, I'm going to go to the bathroom, you guys go to the food court I will meet you there." I see my older brother about to protest before I quickly remind them that I can protect myself, as seen yesterday.
"Fine. But if you don't get to the food court in five minutes, I am going in there to find you." Xavier says. He doesn't sound as threatening as he thinks he might, if I am being honest.
"Okay."
I make my way to where I saw the bathrooms were and my brothers reluctantly make their way to where I suppose the food court is. I see that the man that was following us is now solely following me.
Interesting.
I walk into the girl's bathroom to find it empty, which is a good thing. I went on the other side of the wall that the door was on so that he couldn't see me when he walked in. However, I can't see him either.
I take my knife out of the left front pocket of my jeans and wait.
The door opens softly, and I hear heavy footsteps making their way into the bathroom. Logically speaking, I can't just attack the person who just entered because I don't know if it is actually the man that was following me or if it is actually a girl who just had to use the bathroom.
But when the person rounds the corner, it is the man. I immediately push him against the wall, taking him by surprise, and push my knife against his neck. Any and all movements of his halt immediately once he feels the bite of cold metal against his neck.
I look at him. "Make this quick I have place to be and if I'm not there in time we will both die." I pause. "Who do you work for?" When I don't get an answer, I pull the color of his jacket down and see the Russian Mafia tattoo.
Well now I am intrigued.
"Alright. As far as I know, the Italians and Russians have a pretty damn strong alliance, so why the fuck were you sent to spy on us, me specifically?" I question and dig the knife a bit deeper into his neck, breaking skin a little bit.
"T-the Russian Mafia heard that there was an Italian princess and were curious, so they sent me. Young Don wanted me to report your mannerisms to him and take a picture. I don't know anything else. Please let me go!"
I think for a second and then look at the time. "Alright here is what is going to happen. I will let you live, but only if you do something for me in return. I find out you did anything else, and I will kill you. You go tell your Young Don that I don't know anything about the mafia and seem relatively harmless. Tell him I am innocent to the Underground, yes?"
He nods his head quickly and rapidly.
"Okay. Count to two hundred the moment I step out of the door, then run along home."
I step out of the bathroom and start to make my way back to the food court.
UNKNOWN'S POV
"What information did you gather?" I ask the lower-class mafia member.
"She seemed relatively harmless, but she is not a girly girl, like you had originally thought. According to the underground world, she seemed completely oblivious." He hesitates and moment before he asks a question. "Would you like the photo I had taken of her, Young Don?"
I hum in agreement to what he said, and he fumbles around for a little while.
Finally, I am handed a photo of this mystery girl. I at first only take a glance at her until I do a double take.
She is absolutely fucking stunning.
"Leave." I tell the man in a stern voice.
This girl.
I have never felt this way about any girl, and I haven't even met her yet. I have only seen her.
I would work my ass off for this girl to even notice me.
Dammit.
I'm turning into some sort of lovesick puppy.