Chapter 17
-Niccolo Di Luca-
"That fucker landed a blow in my mouth and fucking split my lip! Look! It's fucking swollen!" I exclaimed, showing and pointing Enzo my busted lip.
"You broke that boy's arm and nose, Niccolo!" Enzo yelled, looking so mad right now.
If it weren't for that nosy PE teacher who doesn't know how to fucking mind his own business, that fucking Paolo would've gotten more than a fucking broken arm and nose. It's a shame we're not allowed to bring a gun inside the school, or I would've seriously blown Paolo's brains out for touching me.
"You're seriously taking that fucker's side over your own brother, Enzo?" I hissed, angrily glaring up at my brother.
Why couldn't he just take my side, even just this once?
I thought family always came first for him. Apparently, that doesn't seem to fucking apply when it comes to me. What can I really expect from Lorenzo Di Luca?
"I'm not taking sides. You broke that boy's arm and nose! You're in the wrong here, brother."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes and sneer at his words. Unbelievable.
"Since when do you fucking care who's in the wrong or not?"
"Non usare quel tono con me, Nicco." (Don't use that tone on me, Nicco) He said in warning.
"Fine, I broke his arm and nose, and so what? You're going to pay for his hospital bill and medicines anyway; I don't see why he needs to file a complaint. Piccolo stronzo fortunato." (Lucky little fucker) I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.
I mean, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. People in my high school just love to pick stupid fights with me, so of course I need to defend myself and win. I wouldn't want to dishonour our family name and lose in a fight over some pathetic little fuckers. They usually end up worse than what I did with Paolo, but Enzo would always fix everything for me. He always does it without another word, except grounding me for the rest of the month. So I really don't see what's so different today with Paolo.
"That boy has every right to file a complaint against you! He told me exactly what you did."
I only rolled my eyes and snorted.
"You insulted his little sister, called her names, and pushed her! Of course that boy would want to defend his little sister from you! What the fuck are you thinking, bullying a younger girl like that?"
Enzo was now completely seething in anger, making me want to cower away just by looking at his dark glare at me. It's never wise to make the Italian Mafia Don get angry like this; I'm just lucky that I'm his brother, or I know I would've been six feet under by now, but my stubbornness is quite impeccable.
Now I understand why this incident with Paolo and his ugly sister is different.
"What would you do if someone did that to your little sister?" He asked.
I'd kill them with my bare hands.
But I didn't tell him that, and instead, I yelled,
"That girl is a Di Luca; she should know how to fucking defend herself without relying on others! And honestly, I don't give a flying fuck about her! That girl may be my sister by blood, but I don't see her nor do I accept her as family; she's nothing to me!" I was clenching my balled fists.
I don't know who I am more fucking pissed off now. Paolo, Enzo, Isabella, or just myself.
I instantly regretted the lying vomit words that came out of my mouth. My eyes widened in fright when, all of a sudden, Enzo harshly grabbed hold of my left arm before I could react and pull away. I struggled, but his grip on my arm only tightened.
"Fanculo, Enzo! Che cazzo stai facendo?" (Fuck, Enzo! What the fuck are you doing?) I cried out as his tight and harsh grip on my arm started to hurt.
I was obviously powerless against my older brother.
I let out a cry and scream when he suddenly twisted my arm at an awkward angle and only stopped when we both heard a snap. FANCULO. My own brother fucking broke my arm!
Enzo let go of my now broken arm. I cried, but before I fell on my ass, he held the back of my shirt and supported me by my right shoulder.
"Now you know exactly what that boy feels." Enzo began to say.
"I am only going to say this once, Nicco. No one is allowed to hurt that sweet little girl, not even you or Alessandro; I won't tolerate it. Do you understand me?" He hissed in a warning tone to me.
I was still pathetically crying. But I don't think I'm crying because of my broken arm now.
What does that girl have that I don't?
Why couldn't I make him care and love me like how he cares and loves her?
I tried my best to be good at my academics, but I just don't have the same brain as Gio. I tried my best to be good at football, but he doesn't even know that I play. I tried my best to be good at the mafia, but I'm just not as skilled as Sandro, and he doesn't even trust me because he wouldn't even fucking let me in. No matter how many good things I did, he just never noticed or just plainly didn't give a flying fuck, and I thought that he was just busy being the Don of the Mafia or the CEO of our company. So I turned to trouble, and trouble became what I do best, because it seems like it's the only thing that makes him notice me; it's the only thing that makes him have a conversation with me; it's the only thing that makes him give a damn about me. So I just always get myself into any kind of trouble as much as possible for him to notice me.
I just want my big brother to notice me and care about me, that's all. Is that too much to ask?
But since that girl has been home, I realised that it's not because he's busy with the mafia or the company; he just doesn't really give a damn about me at all.
I'm done.
"Ho finito, Enzo." (I'm done, Enzo). I let out a heavy sigh while still sniffling, trying my best to blink back my tears, but it was almost impossible; my tears were like waterfalls.
"Che cosa?" (What?) He asked in confusion.
"I'm just done. Continue to punish me as you see fit; I don't care anymore."
I'm done trying to make him to notice me.
***
-Lorenzo Di Luca-
"I thought that finally having that big, genius brain of yours we'd finally get a lead on Papa. But we're still nowhere closer than we were sixteen years ago. Fottutamente inutile." (Fucking useless) I hear Alessandro irritably hissing while looking at Giovanni as he lay upside down on the sofa.
All that guy likes doing is killing and fucking.
"I'm a genius, yes, but I'm not a fucking magical wizard! It's hard to find someone who doesn't want to be found, especially after all the years that passed by. And this is Luciano Di Luca we're trying to find, not just some random hobo. Fottuto idiota." (Fucking idiot) Gio gritted his teeth, trying his best to ignore Sandro, who has been up his ass since he got home, and continue his work on his computers.
The two of them have been at it with each other for the past hour, but I was just in no mood to scold my two fully grown brothers. So I let them be.
I never imagined that I'd see this day, with Gio working alongside us, our principessa finally found after thirteen years, and the five of us finally together.
But it still felt like something wasn't quite right.
"Papa, call him Papa." Ale lowly growled at our brother.
The respect Ale still has for that man is just unbelievable. But the two of them have always been close; when Ale and I were kids, it just so happened that I was the firstborn son.
"I'll call him whatever I want. That man doesn't deserve to be called by that." Gio stopped what he was doing and slammed both his fists against his table, looking at Ale daringly.
"BASTA." (ENOUGH) I yelled at the both of them.
I've had enough with the two of them. What happened with Nicco earlier was already enough; I don't fucking need the two of them to kill each other over our pathetic excuse of a father.
The two of them looked at me with a hint of fear in their eyes as they quickly detected my anger and stress. They both sighed in defeat and stopped.
"Gio, you've been staring at your computers the whole afternoon; go out and take a rest." I calmly told him. He was about to argue, so I quickly added, "I hear Isabella's been missing your company."
This quickly made him follow me, not even hesitating to take his leave. He slammed the doors behind him, leaving me and Ale.
"Well, I'll just call my lovers to come by to keep me entertained then. Call me if there's someone you need me to kill, brother." Ale exclaimed as he got up, but before he could take a step.
"We have a little girl living with us, idiota! And frankly, I don't want you fucking hosting one of your disgusting orgies inside our home! I will not have a repeat of what happened three years ago when Nicco accidentally saw you and your lovers!" I yelled at him.
I can't believe this brother of mine sometimes. He has two heads, but he always prefers to think with his head below. Fourteen-year-old Nicco was really traumatised by what he saw that day.
"Fine, I'll have them in my apartment instead. Guastafeste." (spoilsport) Ale rolls his eyes, annoyed, before quickly taking his leave as well.
"Mio Dio." (Oh, my God) I whispered as I buried my face in the palm of my hands.
I'm so fucking stressed out. Who fucking knew my supposed fun day with my principessa would end like this?
Out of all my wayward brothers, I don't know who's worse. All three of them are just so different from one another that threatening and intimidating them was the only strategy I knew how to use to keep them in line and discipline them. It's not the best strategy, but it works for my brothers, and it's the only thing I knew. I mean, what can anyone expect from me? I was only sixteen when I had to step up to the job of raising and taking care of them. I was only a kid raising younger kids.
But out of the three, Nicco has been the most difficult one for me, but I think it's because he's the youngest and he's the one I needed to look after the most. I have practically raised Nicco since the day Mamma died when he was only one. I became his parent at only sixteen years old. But I guess, along the way of raising him, I just fucking messed up with that kid.
What happened earlier was still fresh in my mind. I felt guilty for hurting my baby brother, but he fucking had to learn not to talk like that when it came to our little sister. She doesn't deserve it; she's already been hurt so much almost her entire life, and she doesn't deserve one of her brothers hating on her too.
Giovanni and Niccolo were only kids when our mother died and our father and sister disappeared, so I would let the both of them be with their attitudes and let their shenanigans slip. I was more tolerant of both of them, especially Nicco and all of his troubles in school. But I'm not going to do it anymore this time. I'm done saving his ass and cleaning up his mess. That boy needs to face the consequences of his actions. I've spoiled him for way too long, and it stops now. He needs to learn.
Alessandro is an entirely different story, though. He is the one who I wouldn't hesitate to shoot in his arms or legs if he so much as tried to say the wrong word.
All my fucking life, my life only ever revolved around my family and our businesses, until they became my world. I began to ask myself questions and reflect. When was the last time I spent time by myself without worrying or thinking about the family, the mafia, or the company?
For fuck's sake, I'm already in my early thirties; I should be finding myself a woman who I would love, settle with, and take as my wife. Just like what everyone would always tell me.
But I just didn't really have it in me to do that, at least not yet. Not until I made sure my younger siblings were all finally happy, secure, and well taken care of. The four of them will always be my number one priority.
Still fucking stressed and upset, I got up and exited my home office to go to the one person whom I know can make all of my negative emotions disappear. Her hug is quite magical like that.
I softly knocked on her white door three times before it opened to reveal Gio, who instantly looked annoyed as I disturbed whatever it was they were doing. But I paid my brooding brother no mind and walked past him to get inside the pink and gold-themed bedroom of my principessa.
"Hey, principessa?" I wearily smiled as soon as I spotted her. She was adorably playing with her stuffed toys that were all sitting around her white round table with teacups, indicating that they had been having a tea party.
Il mia dolce piccolo bambina (my sweet little baby)
"Enzo! Enzo!" Isabella happily exclaims as she quickly stands up and runs towards me with her favourite stuffed penguin in hand.
"Can I ask for a hug?" I sheepishly asked her, and in return, she gave me a bright smile and said no other words as she quickly wrapped her arms around my waist.
This is exactly what I needed.
***