NIKOLA I stared at the computer screen. The text cursor blinked back at me, but I had no idea what I was doing. My head was too fucked up to focus. Today is the worst day of my life. Not when my supposed boyfriend landed my ass in prison, not even when my father asked them to keep me locked up for however long he wants, until they could set me free. Not even when father forced me to watch as his men took mother's life and made me lie to my brothers that it was an accident. Not when the damn monster I called father taught my brothers and I how to dissect human bodies for the first time. No, it had to be today. Today had to be the worst day of my life. I never really expected to run into my ex boyfriend today. No, I never really wanted to see him ever again. I had no one else to blame for my actions but myself. I never should have gone there because of Adrian Price. I hated that bastard too. Him and his damned father, so why did I have to go, thinking he was in danger?
CARLOS I braced myself for the inevitable. The moment I opened the door to the secret I had been holding back for months, I was prepared for what Nikola would do to me. The onslaught of music from the clubhouse downstairs wasn't supposed to be this audible, but my senses were heightened by fear, making me acutely aware of every sound, no matter how faint; the thumping bass, the muffled voices, the creaking of the old wooden floorboards. "It was your father I always snuck out to meet." The words left my parted lips and I wished I could take them back but it was already too late. "What the fuck did you just say?" Nikola growled, making me jump back in fright. He was already out of his seat before I could even blink my eyes and he had me pressed against the wall. His large hands wrapping around my neck, his thumbs pressing against my throat, cutting through my airway. I couldn't breathe properly and I could see my life flashing before my eyes in a slow motion. It hurt so muc
NIKOLA "What was it that you saw?" The words tumbled out of my mouth. Every muscle in my body tensed as I braced myself for the answer, my mind recoiling at the prospect of hearing something I would rather not know.I had a multitude of dirty secrets about me stacked up in my secret files. Some were so incriminating that I wondered which ones Michael had stumbled upon. I had never hidden who I truly was from him, but the thought of him seeing those videos made my stomach churn.I shouldn't have taken those videos in the first place, I thought I could use them against father. I was stupid, I would never be a match for him.I blinked as I turned to stare at Michael. He looked at me, his nervous eyes darting back and forth before he slowly dragged his mouth open. The tension in the air was thick."You... You were brutally killing a man, a cop. I... I wanted to hate you after what I saw. I wished I could hand over the USB drive to Qiang, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. You saved me
ADRIAN I stood frozen, as if the air had been knocked out of me, my eyes fixed on the unbelievable sight before me.I was so scared before coming here, thinking something bad must have happened to Carlos. I had to forced Giovanni to bring me here, threatening to break up with him if he didn't provide his brother, telling him Nikola had kidnapped my best friend.But the sight before me proved me wrong. It didn't seem like Carlos' life was being threatened by any chance.Carlos hiding behind Nikola wasn't exactly what I had expected to walk into. It seemed they were much closer than I thought. This newfound discovery made me wonder: did Carlos have a connection with the Marino brothers that he had kept hidden from me?"Is that him?" Giovanni asked, he genuinely seemed confused just like I was.Nikola didn't say anything, all he did was tightened his grip on Carlos, it was as if he was protecting him from his brother.But why?Why would he have to protect Carlos from us when we were her
ADRIAN “You’re mine. You are not allowed to break up with me,” Giovanni growled against my lips, kissing me viciously.Damn!He's still angry because of what I said.Giovanni grabbed my ass, lifting me up and threw me on the kitchen aisle. My legs voluntarily wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to me.His erection pressing roughly against mine, making me groaned out into his mouth."Gin, can you please just... Mmph!" I cried out when he tugged on my lower lip and bit it really hard.I could almost feel his teeth melting together and warm liquid pricked down my jaw.Fuck!Is that blood?I grabbed Giovanni's broad shoulders and tried pushing him off me. "Gin, I think I'm bleeding..."I didn't get to finish my words before Giovanni bit hard on my lower lip again. On the same spot, groaning like a wounded animal."Shut up." He grunted, nibbling and sucking on my lips. I could taste blood in my mouth, and something told me it was my blood."Please... Please slow down." I pleaded
ADRIAN I wrapped my arms around Giovanni's neck as he carried me to our bedroom. Different thoughts were running through my mind as he walked inside and closed the door behind us.I still found it difficult to believe that Carlos had once had a thing with one of the Marino brothers –worse, Nikola Marino.I wanted to call Giovanni a liar because, not in a million years, would I have thought Carlos would have had a history with the family. But the state we found Nikola and Carlos in earlier was just too intimate to suggest that what Giovanni had said couldn't be true.I thought I knew everything about Carlos because he was my friend, and he told me everything going on with me. But why did he hid the fact that he had once dated Nikola Marino from me? Could it be that he thought it didn't matter? Or could there be a secret about the whole dating thing that he was trying to protect, something he wasn't comfortable enough to share with me?Seriously? Is Carlos in trouble? Do I need to be
GIOVANNI I stepped toward my brother, meeting his gaze head-on. Marcelo groaned and tossed his hands up, bowing out of our silent battle."Giovanni, let the kid be." Nikola hissed, standing up from the floor. "And you, Marcelo," he said, and then turned to look at our brother who had his lips pressed together. "The next time you point your gun at me, I'll kill you.""Whatever, I'm just trying to save your ass from being kicked, okay?" Marcelo grumbled, throwing his gun on the couch before disappearing into my bar.One of these days, I'll have that bastard stock my bar."Are you okay?" Adrian asked, rushing over to me. I had almost forgotten he had was here with us.His face hardened when he saw my bruised cheek.God.I fucking hate myself for letting him see me like this."I told you to stay upstairs but chose not to listen. You are a brat, aren't you?" I smirked, tugging at his cheek."Hey, I was worried your brother is going to kill you." He rolled his eyes, pressing his thumb agai
GIOVANNI "I'm out!" Nikola said, sounding exasperated.Marcelo fumed yanking Nikola up by his collar and looked around before tossing him a deadly glare."The fuck you mean?" He barked, I could see his hands trembling from where I sat. "You wanna spare that fucker after he fucked you over?"Nikola stared at me for a few seconds, giving me a confused glare before he yanked Marcelo's hands off his shirt and sighed. "You don't know shit, Marc. Killing Dad shouldn't even be on your list.""You think if I have a way I wouldn't have killed that bastard long ago?" Marcelo said as he took a seat. Fuming in his seat like a thick cloud."Seriously, Niko?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest.I thought we were all on the same page, I can't believe he would bail out on the mission even before we finalised it.“Is that necessary?” Nikola asked through gritted teeth.Is breathing necessary? I blinked slowly at him before clenching my fists against Adrian's hips."You both know Benedetto is t
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
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