10. Luxtyn

10

LUXTYN

I listen intently as Angelo tells me about his relationship with my mother, the reason he abandoned us, and his speculations on her disappearance. He's still speaking, but the only thing shouting through my mind as my brain processes this information is, What the fuck ?

Angelo stops speaking and stares at me like a deer in headlights. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I just say that out loud?" I say deadpan. Enzo chuckles under his breath from my side.

"Luxtyn, I realize this is a lot to take in."

"Oh, do you now?" I snap at Angelo. "Well, as long as you're understanding, that's all that really matters, right?"

"Luxtyn—" Angelo attempts again.

I hold my finger in the air. "So, let me get this straight. You led my mom on, knowing you'd have to get married to someone else?—"

"It just happened."

"I'm not done speaking. You've done enough talking, and I kept my mouth shut. Now it's my turn to speak and your turn to listen. Are you capable of that?" I pause, waiting for his answer, which he gives with a defeated sigh and a slight nod.

"Maybe we should take a seat," Matteo chimes in from behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see he's gesturing to the sitting area by the fireplace.

Enzo leads the way and takes a seat on the ivory sofa while I take a seat in the armchair. Angelo sits across from me in the loveseat while Matteo shares the sofa with his brother. A matching ivory ottoman in the middle of the space separates us all.

"So, you had one of your friends scare my mom into leaving New York City. Then after all these years she comes back here for work, and now she's missing because of you?"

"Maybe I haven't done the best job at explaining this," Angelo states.

No shit, Sherlock.

"Your mom wasn't here for work. She was here to meet with a realtor about selling her condo. The one I bought for her all those years ago. I believe Mauricio found out that I met up with her and informed Giuseppe."

I eye Matteo who nods to Angelo as if this is all starting to make sense to him.

"I'm clearly missing something here," I say. "I don't know who these people are you're talking about, but I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would care if you met up with your ex."

Enzo frowns as if to silently tell me I'm not going to like what I'm about to hear next, while Matteo stares at me with a blank expression before speaking. "Your father is the don of an Italian crime syndicate. Giuseppe Silvestri runs another Italian crime syndicate. The two of them formed an alliance when your father married Giuseppe's sister. Your mother is a problem for him because without the marriage of his sister and your father, they wouldn't have access to your father's port. A port Giuseppe uses to traffic drugs, weapons, pretty much anything you can think of. A port that make him a lot of fucking money."

My mouth falls open as Matteo continues. "Your father rekindling a relationship with your mother threatens their alliance, which threatens their income, and that is not something they can allow to happen."

My brain is reeling, and my breathing picks up as I begin to spiral, trying to wrap my mind around all of this information.

Italian crime syndicate.

Trafficking.

Don?

I take a few deep breaths and shake myself out of it, trying to focus so I can get some answers, knowing my mom's life depends on how I handle this. "Italian crime syndicate. What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Matteo. . ." Angelo warns.

"Remember whose house you're in, Mancini." The threat is low, but it comes across loud and clear, which sends a shudder through me as Angelo concedes.

Turning back toward me, Matteo answers my question as if I asked him something simple and not life changing at all. "Mafia. Your father is a Mafia boss."

Sighing, Angelo waits for my reaction, which I'm sure isn't one he'd expect as I bring my gaze back to him and break out into a fit of laughter.

Keeled over, I try to rein it in, but this is just too damn ridiculous. I wrap my arms around my stomach as my abs contract repeatedly from the motion. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I laugh, waving my hands in front of me. "This is just absolutely ridiculous. Did my mom set you guys up to this?"

Shaking my head, I continue to laugh. "Okay, I get it. This is some big elaborate joke on me. C'mon, where is she? I can't believe she got you guys to do this. I wouldn't have stabbed someone had I known this was all a joke."

Angelo tilts his head, studying me. "You stabbed someone?"

Ignoring him, I bring my attention back to Matteo. "Did you tell her I stabbed you? She's going to die when she hears that."

Matteo watches me in bewilderment as I continue to cackle. Once I've finally gotten control, he questions me. "Are you done now?"

Rolling my eyes, I say, "Yes, but seriously. Where's my mom? Is she watching through some hidden camera?"

Standing up, I walk over to the bookshelf next to the fireplace and inspect the books to see if I can find a blinking red light hidden somewhere. This is the only explanation for this scenario because I refuse to believe this bullshit is real.

"She stabbed you?" Angelo says from behind me. He doesn't sound upset, though. He sounds. . . proud? "She really is my daughter, huh, Matteo?"

When I whip around, Angelo's wearing a beaming smile. "Wipe that smirk off your face. The only reason I know how to sink a knife into someone is because my mom taught me how to defend myself. Not because of you."

"She stabbed me in the back while I was walking away from her," Matteo mumbles while Enzo covers his mouth with his fist, stifling a laugh.

"Besides, you're not my dad." I cross my arms over my chest. "Now, tell me where she is. This isn't funny anymore."

"Luxtyn, I assure you this is not a joke," Angelo says as he stands. He holds his hand up to me like I'm an animal ready to attack and he's doing his best to keep me at bay. I roll my eyes at the theatrics .

"You really want me to believe you're a Mafia boss?"

"It's not a matter of wanting you to believe me. It's the truth, and the sooner you come to terms with it, the better." Angelo's voice comes across with an air of superiority, and I don't like it.

My eyes narrow and I crinkle my brows as I drop my arms to my side, clenching my fists. "Where do you get off bossing me around like that?"

His dark eyes soften and he's back to holding his hands up in defense. "I understand this is a lot, but your mother's life is in danger. The sooner you come to terms with who you are and what's going on here, the faster we can work at finding her."

"Fine. You're in the Mafia . And what about you?" My eyes flicker to Matteo's, and I'm immediately annoyed at how relaxed he looks. "You are too? What, you work for Angelo or something?"

He releases an amused scoff. "The fuck I do."

That was expected. The way Angelo recoiled when Matteo reminded him of whose house he's in already answered that question for me. I just wanted to hit a nerve. "Then what's your role in all of this?"

Something flashes through Matteo's eyes, but before he can answer, Enzo speaks. "Maybe we should hold off on bombarding her with more information. She looks like she's on the verge of overloading. You're going to end up causing her to pass out from overstimulation."

That doesn't deter him as he stands from the couch and stalks over until he's directly in front of me, enveloping my senses in woody, earthy tones that contain a hint of spice. I would be intoxicated by it if I wasn't in this ridiculous situation. "Your father and I made a business deal," he says low, almost like a growl. "I get control of his port as long as I hold up my end of the bargain."

"Matteo, I really think this should wait."

Matteo holds his hand up to his brother, silencing him, while his eyes remain glued on mine. I want to look away, but it's as if those dark-brown irises have captured me, locking me in place, making it impossible to look away. I want to ask him what his end of the bargain is, but I can't seem to formulate the words.

"Go ahead. Ask me what my part of the deal is," he urges, reading my mind.

"W-what is it?" My voice comes out barely above a whisper.

Matteo smiles something fierce. Something wicked. Putting his perfectly straight white teeth on display. I'd swoon over it if I knew no better. Whatever his part of the deal is, I'm not going to like it.

"You and I, Little Lux. We're getting married."