ADRIAN The taxi came to a stop in front of a modest house thirty minutes later. I let out a deep breath, double-checking the address Lizzy had sent me to confirm I was at the right location. I had envisioned Lizzy's home to be more like everyone of us, but this one seemed surprisingly shocking.This should be the biggest house in Nexus Point. It reminded me of Dad's house in Solaris, but then I shook my head gently.Not today. I'm not going to think about dad today.Walking over to the front door, I placed a light knock on the door. I knew I should have just called Lizzy, but my brain wasn't functioning well at the moment.After the third knock, the door opened from the inside and Lizzy's face came into view. A warm smile spread across her face the moment she saw me."Hi, Adrian." She said, waving awkwardly at me."Hi, Lizzy." I greeted back, waving at her. Didn't know exactly what to say or what do do."You're here early." She said, smiling, opening the door wide for me to enter."
GIOVANNI "That little shit." I chuckled, dropping the phone next to me on the couch after ending the call with Adrian.My erection pressing roughly against the zipper of my pants. I still couldn't believe he had actually dressed up just for me.Or maybe he hadn't gone through all that trouble just for me, but my flawed, egotistical self refused to accept that it was merely a coincidence."Fuck! I need to see Adrian. I can't stay another second without having him in my arms." I said, groaning out in pain as I tried sitting up on the couch but it was damn near impossible.I looked down at the ugly looking bandage on my stomach. So far, it was clean. No more bleeding through the white shirt. Thankfully, the damage the bullet had done on my stomach hadn’t been deep, but it still ached. I was on my third ibuprofen, and the pain was still there like it was part of me. Maybe it was all in my head, maybe it was all psychological throbbing instead of actual, physical pain.No one in the fami
ADRIAN In my head, I knew I was exactly where I didn't want to be. An hour earlier, I would have jumped at the chance to follow Giovanni wherever he led me, because that was how much I missed having him around. But now my heart was set on being somewhere else entirely. The only place I wanted to be right now was in the comfort of my apartment, with Carlos by my side. I felt a pang of guilt for not being there to support him through his withdrawal. He was counting on me, and I hated that I had abandoned him when he needed me most. This was the one time I was supposed to repay him for all he had done for me in the past, but instead, I had left him to face his struggles alone. I could tell Giovanni was furious seeing me like that, I would too if the situation was reversed. But if I'm being honest, I wouldn't change a thing even if I could turn back the clock. Given the chance to relive the past ten minutes, I would make the same choices all over again. I would still choose t
ADRIAN I was in my fucking head.The entire drive I felt agitation flowing through my body. Every flicker of Giovanni's gaze that came my way, every little smirk he pulled, felt like he was holding some inside joke that I was on the outside of. The sleek leather seat of his car was cool, and it was the only thing that prevented me from melting into a goddamn puddle.I wished I had the courage to talk to him because we had a lot to talk about. I wanted to know exactly what I was to him. He needed to define our relationship so I wouldn't mistake it for another.I needed to know why he got so angry when I said he wasn't even my boyfriend. Did he want me like I wanted him?Was he under the impression that he was my boyfriend, and did he wish it to be true, just like I did?Fuck!I am so confused!Taking a quick glance at Giovanni, I felt my breath catch in my throat when I saw the fire in his eyes. Fuck, it turned me on even more.The rush, the danger, and not to mention the hot as fuck
GIOVANNI I hate coming here. But what I hate most is driving Adrian here. Dad must not know about him, but what can I do when that bastard keeps finding every opportunity to run away? I could have dropped him off at my apartment first, but what if he had already left before I got back from Dad's?I tightened my grip on the briefcase's handle as I walked over to the elevator and pushed the button. It felt as if an invisible thread had been tied around my neck, cutting off my airflow as I entered the elevator and watched the doors close.Today, I'm going to meet my brother after he's been imprisoned for the past year and some months. He's going to be freed, and I wonder how he'll feel when he sees me. As for me, I'm kind of nervous, and I couldn't help but stretch my neck to help me stay focused.I had done something outrageous for Dad, just to get my brother out of prison, and I wondered if he would even keep his end of the bargain in the end. That old geezer was a damn sly bastard; h
GIOVANNI The car came to a stop, and I wasn't sure if I had parked properly. I pushed the door open, rounding the car, and I yanked the passenger door open. I glared at Adrian, who was still visibly shaking. He slowly moved his gaze up to stare at me. Lips parted slightly.Having Adrian here with me, but unable to wrap him in my arms and rock his body like I had wanted to was such a hard pill that I had to force down my throat.Without a word, I grabbed his hands and pressed his wrists together before pulling out a handcuffs from my pocket. Snapping it on his wrists.“What are you doing?” Adrian whispered, his eyes widening in terror as he stared up at him.Maybe he understood his situation now. The last time I had a handcuffs snapped on his wrists, it was to fuck him without having anything in my way. But the case was different now, and he knew it."Don't struggle against the cuffs if you don't want to get hurt." I warned. The words came out of my mouth, but I felt detached from my
GIOVANNI For the first time in fucking forever, I didin't have myself under control. And it wasn't my fault. Adrian had occupied most part of my mind and it was fucking with my head.It would be safe to say I had lost my sense of reasoning because when Adrian said he was going to tell me everything, the cowardice part of me wanted to yell at him to fucking shut his mouth and not say a word.I was scared of what the truth might be. I wasn't so sure if the truth is something I can take, and the way Adrian's body was trembling against mine didn't do as much to calm me down.I can feel the flames of hesitation and the warring conflict rolling off of him in waves, and I want to wrap him in my arms and tell him it's okay. But it wasn't.Adrian's chest muscles stiffened against my chest like whenever he was trying to fight, escape, or reject whatever lurks in his scornful head."I didn't sleep with anyone while you were away. I swear." He grumbled, hot breath fanning against my lips and I s
ADRIAN Giovanni sucked on my tongue hungrily like he had been starving for me, for years. His hands dropped to my neck, choking me with so much love and affection.I wanted more of this. I wanted more from him. So, I moved my shoulder between us, pushing him back a little.I stared at him, stars dancing in my vision as I stared at Giovanni. I still couldn't believe he was my boyfriend now. For the first time in my life, I got to call someone my boyfriend and I loved how good it made me feel.I wanted to go up to a high hill and yell it to the rest of the world that this man was mine, and mine alone."Gin..." The rest of my words died in my stomach when Giovanni pushed his long, rough finger against my lips, shutting me up."No." He grinned, shaking his head."What?" I asked, confused.Didn't he want me like I fucking want him now? But he might not feel the same way which was totally understandable. He wasn't the one who had a butt plug shoved up his ass after all.Giovanni slowly le
ADRIAN TWO YEARS LATER It's been two years since that night, and after the fire incident that splashed across the news the next day. A warehouse had been burned down during a raid, resulting from an FBI operation targeting one of the most dangerous gangs in New York City. The raid had killed most of the FBI agents and gang members. I still couldn't believe it was the same warehouse we had all been to that night. Would I have died if Kisra hadn't rescued us? Would Giovanni...? No, I didn't want to think about that possibility.My dad's body was found among the dead FBI agents, but they soon realized he wasn't completely dead and rushed him to the hospital. He's been in a coma ever since. My brother and I had been contemplating visiting him in the hospital but I still didn't feel like going to see him.Benedetto Marino's body, however, was never found. The family assumed he had been burned to ashes, which explained why the police couldn't find his body among the dead bodies at the wa
ADRIAN Kyra Israel. Kyra fucking Israel!I fucking knew that name rang a bell the other day I met her. She was one of my dad's special agents. I should have known she was the one; I should have fucking known she wasn't who she pretended to be.Giovanni was mad, furious even. He had been pacing back and forth in the living room, firing off a rapid barrage of curses in Italian. He had refused treatment, not wanting Kisra to come near him. "If she makes a single mistake and walks closer to me," he had snarled, "I'll rip her head off."He said he needed a moment to think, but it had been over an hour since we got home, and he still hadn't been treated. He was still bleeding badly, and I feared he was going to bleed out and die.I should go to him, I thought. I should tell him, while he was still mad, that Kisra might not be exactly who he thought he knew. But she was still the same person, even though she was wearing a different uniform. He still needed her help; he still needed to get
GIOVANNI A gunshot echoed through the air as Father shot Price Russell's hand, shattering the one holding the gun. Price collapsed to his knees, cursing loudly. He attempted to reach for his gun, but Father shot his knees before kicking the weapon out of his reach."I told you never to show your face to me ever again," Father growled, stalking closer as he fired his gun in anger. "I promised I would never let it slide if you laid your hands on any of my sons, but you just had to test me, didn't you?"Price Russell let out a muffled grunt when Father stopped in front of him, pressing his gun to Price's forehead."You sickening bastard!" Price spat."Yes, I am a sickening bastard!" Father retorted, his laughter devoid of humor.This was real? How could it be? Dad hated us, I knew that. But here he was, standing right in front of me. Getting all mad because Price Russell had shot me? But why? Why the hell was he confusing me?"Why are you here, Dad?" I grunted, trying to sit up but fall
I have a funeral service for my grandmother to attend today, so I won't be able to share the rest of the chapters. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the remaining four chapters tomorrow. Thank you. (•.•)✨ The story of the Marino brothers and their sweet boyfriends, along with the crazy parents, is practically coming to an end. I'm feeling a mix of excitement and sadness, and I'm curious to know if you are too.
GIOVANNI My fingers moved swiftly, snapping the binds that had held Marcelo's hands captive for so long. He was finally free. As the ropes fell away, Marcelo's eyes locked onto mine, a flicker of relief and gratitude dancing in their depths. But our moment of triumph was short-lived. The sound of a gun being cocked against my temple cut through the air, and my heart sank. I clenched my jaw, fighting to keep my emotions in check. Fear, anger, and adrenaline all swirled together in a toxic mix, threatening to overwhelm me. I forced myself to remain still, to appear unbothered, even as my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. "What's the meaning of this madness?" I asked, my voice icy and controlled, as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't afford to let my true feelings slip, not now, when every word and action counted. "Is this how you treat your business partners?" I demanded, turning to face Volkov, my eyes locking onto his cold, unyielding glare. The gun
GIOVANNI "Giovanni... Shit!" Marcelo grunted, his voice strained, as one of the Bratvas grabbed him, yanking him back down with brutal force. The damned bastard tossed Marcelo to the floor as if he weighed nothing, sending a jolt of anger through me."Fucking stay, brat!" Volkov sneered, his eyes glinting with malice as he met my gaze head-on. He pressed his leg onto Marcelo's shoulder, pinning him to the dirty floor. The sound of Marcelo's pained grunt made my blood boil.Fucking hell! Rage and desperation clawed at my chest. "Fucking let go of him this instant!" I growled, my finger clenched tightly around my gun. My heart pounded in my ears, my mind racing with fear.I fucking froze for a moment, my heart racing with fear. What if this transaction didn't go as planned? What if Volkov caught on before we could get out of here? We had our boys stationed outside, scouting the area, but the Bratvas outnumbered us. Their sheer numbers made my skin crawl, and for a moment, I doubte
MARCELO A blow landed on my face, sending my head jerking to the side. Blood dripped down my cheek and some of it caught in my lips, slipping into my mouth. I tasted the metallic tang of blood on my tongue, and it made my stomach churn.A vicious kick to the wooden seat I was tied to sent me crashing to the floor, my wrists bound together behind my back. The blindfold pressing my eyes shut, plunging me into an inky blackness. I couldn't see anything, not even a sliver of light.A groan tore from my lips as pain exploded through my body. "Hmmph..." I grunted, my voice strained. I tried to crawl forward, but a rough hand grasped my ankles, yanking me back. My bare chest scraped against the concrete floor, the friction igniting a fire of agony. It felt as if thousands of needles were scattered across the floor, each one piercing my skin like a sharp shard of razor.I writhed, desperate to escape the torment, but my restraints held firm. The darkness seemed to closing in around me, s
ADRIAN Tears streamed down my face as I sprinted out of the living room, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere. My mind reeled with the conversation I had just overheard. Dad couldn't be talking about me and my brother. He couldn't be implying that we weren't his biological sons. The thought sent a wave of pain and hurt crashing through me, and I desperately wished the last eighteen hours had never happened. I stumbled out into the hallway, panting and gasping for breath. I pressed my back against the wall, trying to calm my racing heart. Benedetto's voice echoed through the building, his words dripping with venom. "Get out, Price Russell! And don't ever show your face to me or my sons again, or I'll kill you!" My father's response was a hissed "Fuck you!" as he stormed out of the living room. He seemed furious, his face twisted in a scowl. He was so mad that he didn't notice me standing there. Benedetto called out from inside after a few minutes had passed, his vo
ADRIAN The words echoed in my mind like a mantra.This is not my father. The man in front of me, kneeling between Benedetto's legs, was an imposter. I felt a wave of confusion wash over me as I stared at him.My father's face was contorted in shock, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth as he remained frozen in a kneeling position. His eyes were wide with terror, and his skin had paled to a sickly shade.How could this man, this broken, submissive shell of a person, be my father? The man I knew, the man who had raised me, was a tyrant, a monster who had sought to break me and remake me in his own image.He had hated me for being gay, had sought to "fix" me, to mold me into a straight man. But this...this person in front of me was not that man. He was weak, submissive, and terrified.I felt a shiver run down my spine as I gazed at him, my mind reeling with questions. Who was this imposter? And what had happened to my real father?Words kept getting stuck, and it angered me eve