Chapter 47

**Lily**

I had completely forgotten that I was there to ask Matteo for a favor. Instead, he helped me get back into my clothes and carried me upstairs. Caringly, he laid me down on the bed, caressing my hair as he looked down on me.

“You are so beautiful and so receptive.”, he said. I looked into his eyes and saw the love that he was struggling to voice to me. “Please come and interrupt my meetings anytime, cara mia.”, he added.

“I didn’t mean to.”, I protested, but he stopped me immediately as I did by holding up his hand. More and more he was showing me who he was, and I liked it. I could see how he got to be the leader of a group of criminals.

“I said that it was okay, and I don’t want to hear more about it.”, he said. It didn’t sound rude at all. It was about him prioritizing me over everyone else. I was confident that I deserved that, but I was happy he was doing that. “Now, get some rest, or take a shower. Do as you wish. I will be back in an hour.”, he said, and Matteo got off the bed. He left me in the room, and I decided to do as he said and take a shower.

After my shower, I went down to find something to eat. Matteo found me there and joined me for some food as well.

“Is everything okay, Lily?”, he asked me, concerned about me. He cocked his head and studied me to read my face.

“Yes, why are you asking?”, I asked him. I stuffed another forkful of food into my mouth. I knew by now he didn’t do his own cooking, but whoever did was a genius in the kitchen.

“You were angry at me not too long ago, and just a few hours ago, you were sitting on my desk getting yourself off in front of me. I struggle to understand the mixed signals.”, Matteo asked me. His eyes were clear and honest. I looked down at my plate. Matteo hooked his finger under my chin and pushed it up to make me look into his.

“I was always going to forgive you. I don’t think I can be without you anymore.”, I admitted. “And then I got an enlightening call with Norah about how difficult it is to find someone that also matches with me regarding sex. So, I decided to test her theory.”, I added in a whisper.

“And?”, he asked with a smile on his face. I could see the twinkle in his eye.

“She was right.”, I told him. Matteo chuckled loudly, and my chin go.

“Thank you for coming back to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t.”, Matteo replied. His words meant a great deal to me.

“Can I ask you a favor?”, I asked him after a short silence. Matteo nodded and looked at me, indicating to continue what I wanted to ask.

“Can you help me find the truth behind what went on with my mom? I shared a bit with you earlier, but I need your help to find out more.”, I asked him softly.

“Of course! Ask Valeria anything you need to dig up, she is the best. If you want me to be there, I will.”, he answered giving me access to his resources for my hunt.

“Thank you.”, I said softly, and I planned to go see Valeria later today.

“So, I hear you are finally going to tell me everything so I can have a proper search?”, Valeria welcomed me by teasing me. I shook my head in defeat, knowing she was right.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”, I said. Valeria shrugged.

“Don’t worry about it. I understand. Let’s get started now!”, she cracked her fingers and held them above her keyboard, waiting for me to give her information. I opened my laptop and shared with her everything I had. Every name, every number, every document, and every photo I shared with Valeria in order to find out the truth about my mother.

Valeria’s fingers were moving over the keyboard like crazy, and together we came up with new angles and new theories. Some were too easy, others too far-fetched, but it didn’t get us much further than what I already knew.

“The accounts you say are linked to the Bruno famiglia? Who are they?”, I asked her. Valeria looked at me with wide eyes.

“You mean you don’t know?”, she asked with surprise in her voice. I shook my head.

“The Bruno famiglia is the archenemy of the Esposito cartel. Nero Bruno is the head of the family and the murderer of my parents-in-law. At a time where there wasn’t an outright war between the families, he still shot them. It took us a while to get everything ready, but the war is about to break lose completely.”, Valeria shared. It still sounded very foreign to me, like a movie.

“War? Why?”, I asked completely dumbfounded. I really didn’t understand what she meant. The only war I was familiar with was one with armies that were sponsored by countries.

“Well, it’s more of an underground fight, I guess.”, Valeria tried to explain, but by looking at my face I guess she understood that it wasn’t enough. She sighed and grabbed a blank paper.

“Look,”, she said and started drawing, “in mafia terms every famiglia controls a certain area. In that area they sell drugs, weapons, shark loans, etcetera. The bigger the area, the more money one can make, so there is always a struggle for more. Sometimes the famiglias fight to control more, and this is what is about to go down.”, Valeria explained. It made sense and sounded a lot like regular business in a way.

“You mentioned Nero? I’ve heard that name before. Who else is in that Bruno family?”, I asked. Valeria smiled at me like I was her best student.

“Nero is the head of the family, but he has no kids, and I don’t know if he ever had a wife. Mario is his brother. Again, the story around the wife is very vague, but he does have a son, Tommaso.”, she tells me.

“Wait! Tommaso? You mean the Tommaso that has been visiting Noah in the office?”, I asked her anxiously. Finally, pieces were clicking together in my head. It felt amazing to start to understand the bigger play going on.

“Yes, the one and only.”, Valeria nodded.

“And how did Noah fit in there?”, I asked her.

“Vico found that Noah was in debt with them, but also that Simon has been working with them for a long time. There are rumors on the streets about a long-lost family member, and we believe it might be Simon or Noah.”, she shared.

“Well, if it’s Noah then that family is gone.”, I muttered to myself, but Valeria heard me, and she looked up.

“What did you say?”, she asked, looking at me unrelentless. I sighed.

“Noah is dead. Tommaso shot him in the office.”, I said softly, looking at my hands that are clutching.

“How do you know?”, Valeria asked me, very interested in the topic.

“Because I was there when it happened.”, I added. Before I realized it, Valeria was on the phone to someone, telling him or her to come down as soon as possible. I didn’t know whether I had shared something new, or whether it was going to help someone. It was just ringing through my head that I wasn’t supposed to tell them about the money laundering. Not sure why, because it seems like they figured it out already.

Matteo rounded the corner and almost flew into the room. He must have raced from his office to where Valeria and I were sitting, but he wasn’t panting, and his cheeks weren’t flushed either. I never noticed before how fit this guy was.

“You just told Valeria that Tommaso shot Noah?”, Matteo looked at me unrelentingly. He was a man on a mission.

“Yes. Tommaso had dragged me into the office. Something was off, but I don’t remember what. And then he shot Noah.”, I told him softly. I didn’t expect to still be so affected when talking about it.

“Cara mia. Was this the day you called me to come and get you from the office?”, he asked in a kinder, more caring way. Pushing a strand of hair out of my face and tipping my chin up to look at him. I nodded. Matteo hugged me tightly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”, he whispered in my ear. I shrugged. I didn’t really know myself. It was before I knew everything about him, scared that he would think the worst of me.

“Why would I? I thought you were running a company, not a criminal organization. Maybe you were going to think that I was some louche girl getting myself mixed up in those type of businesses. I don’t know really.”, I answered him. If anything, he only hugged me tighter.

“You should have told me, cara mia. You shouldn’t have gone through that experience alone.”, he whispered. I leaned into his chest and enjoyed the feeling of his strong arms around me. Matteo pulled me onto his lap, and I curled up against him.

“Val, can you tell Vico? Let’s see what he can find on why they are keeping this a secret.”, Matteo ordered Valeria. She nodded and left us alone in her workplace.