A Bond by Marriage

Chapter 13

Dino’s POV-

We were getting close to home. After a stressful meeting with the capos, I was looking forward to discussing matters at home. Some action had to be taken against Pavel Volkov but I didn’t think adding fuel to the fire would be in our best interest. After today’s meet though, it was clear either choice would earn me disappointment. There were capos who wanted war and the ones who didn’t. It was pride against rationality and f*****g infuriating.

“How are you liking your married life?” Uncle Corrado said, breaking my chain of thoughts.

“As exciting as when you rescue a frightened puppy, walk on eggshells around it and contemplate doing anything around it at least a million times over to avoid all the whimpering and crying,” Vito said from the back of the car.

“She hides something.” I supply.

“She is skittish.” He nodded in agreement. Of course, he had noticed. Fortunately, we didn’t have to indulge in this topic anymore because I was already veering the car through the gates to the Accomazzi house. Moreover, there were more urgent matters to discuss. We’d have to wait till after dinner though.

We made our way inside and I was looking forward to knowing how Gia spent her day today. God knows if Marco had heeded my warning and tried to get along with her. We turned around the corner with Vito discussing business with uncle when I saw Gia rush towards us.

“Dino, Marco is missing.” Instantly, my ears perked.

“f**k!” Vito cursed behind me, and I was already striding towards her.

“How long has it been?”

“Ten minutes. I checked the whole house. We were together in his gaming room and I had come to the kitchen but he was gone by the time I went back,” she said worried about him where I was going livid.

“I will bring him back.” Vito said.

“No. I’ll go.” And just like that, we were getting back outside.

“Could he be in some trouble?” Gia asked following us. I got in the car and slammed the door. “Vito, could Marco be in trouble?” She asked when I didn’t answer.

“Hanging out with his friends who offer him drugs? Oh, he is definitely in trouble.” I swerved the car around and drove us back into the midst of the city.

We reached the neighbourhood obscured in darkness except the one lamp that lit in beside a broken bench on the road. There was nary a day when fights didn’t break here, among the residents or with the owners they owed rents. This is where the rats of the city lived who would sell their own kid for drugs but were too f*****g proud to beg for a one-time meal.

This is where Marco decided to network.

Combing through the neighbourhood didn’t take much time but Marco was nowhere. Vito had even dragged out his friends but they weren’t lucid enough to even recognize us.

“He doesn’t know his way around much yet. We should find him around the area.” Uncle said and he was right. We found him sitting on top of his car parked beside a nearby park. He visibly stiffened when he saw the headlights and I stopped the car at a distance, the headlights blaring at him. He scrambled off the bonnet, making haste to get inside. I didn’t drive closer, I didn’t reveal our identity. I wanted him to feel scared at the possibility of being in the danger I had been warning about. He needed to understand the real fear.

I heard him revving the engine but before he could drive away, I blocked his way. “I bet he can’t even see the front from where he is sitting,” Vito muttered before stepping out with uncle. At the height of a thirteen year old, Marco couldn’t see s**t. He had to crane his neck.

I stepped out of the car and saw the exact moment fear registered in his eyes before Vito dragged him out. Vito all but shoved the huffing Marco inside. At least he was safe. I breathed a long breath of relief before getting behind the wheels again and driving back home with Uncle following us in the car Marco had used.

The door to my car slammed. Marco was pushing my patience with each passing second and I knew he was aware. I had hardly controlled myself during our ride back home and so had Vito. That little hesitation in his steps, as if waiting for me to barge out and reprimand him right after he slammed the door, showed he was aware of his petulant actions. It was an indication that he still knew his limits. The day he stopped bothering about the consequences of his deeds would be the day I’d be doomed with this boy.

Stepping out, I grabbed him by his arm and all but dragged him inside. I could feel his glare on me, but he knew better than to talk. “What the f**k were you doing there?” Vito asked, crouching at his level.

“If you cared, you would have come to find me sooner.” Marco said, jutting out his chin.

Vito glared at him, which he met head-on before pulling him into a hug. Marco suddenly seemed so much more at ease than he was in the car.

“You tricked me,” Gia said, stepping close but not close enough. Her fingers twined together in concern before she took another step forward. “Don’t do that ever again.” It was a plea. Uncle Corrado stood at one side, observing Marco but never approaching him.

“What were you doing there?” Vito asked him, but looked at me.

“I would’ve been with my friends but I couldn’t go to them. Not after he threatened to shoot them.” He said glaring at me.

“Aren’t you smart? Because I would have shot them,” I said. “Or I might just shoot them anyway since you clearly didn’t take my warning seriously.”

“I didn’t go to meet them! I was just strolling around!” He yelled.

“KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN.” That did the job. “If you want to stroll around, we have gardens on this ground—”

“It isn’t enough for me—”

“It has to be enough for you if you want to live in this house.”

“Oh, go ahead, kick me out! I was happy anyway before you dragged me into this f*****g torture—” I moved quickly but Gia moved quicker than me. Pulling Marco to her chest, she turned her back to me, putting herself between us, playing Marco’s shield. As much as it shocked me, I’d probably thank her for doing that later. God knows, this boy was getting on my nerves. I heard her whispering in his ears and my eyes narrowed as his hands wrapped around her waist.

I went around her to reach him, but surprisingly, she turned too. Great. “Step aside, Gia.”

“He is scared, Dino,” she said without even looking at me.

“Gia, let him go.”

“I can’t.” The woman couldn’t fight for herself and she’d do it for him.

“Marco.” It was a command he understood and stepped out of her embrace to face me but she kept her hands around shoulders nonetheless. “I do not want you outside of these walls. I do not care if this is a prison for you, torture for you or hell.” The words burned my mouth. I saw myself in him. In those rebelling eyes. “And you watch your tongue with me,” I said, snapping out of it. Whatever it was.

“Yes,” his voice came out clear and bold. I wasn’t surprised.

“I’ll take him to his room,” Gia said softly before they both left.

“You still want kids?” Vito sighed.

“You need to discipline that boy. And not like how you do,” Uncle said. I knew I had to get close to him. Make him listen to me because he wanted to and not because he had been made to. “I’ll leave now.”

“Wait, no dinner? You said you would stay for dinner.”

“I was and by now we would have been done. It's time for me to leave,” I didn’t bother insisting. I knew it was fruitless. He had his own life.

“Two minutes and I’ll get the food packed for you.” Vito ran to the kitchen after that.

“She has grown bolder here.” He couldn’t be more wrong.

“Perhaps because Marco is a child. She was with him the whole day, they could’ve bonded. She fears me. She doesn’t trust me.”

“She doesn’t fear you as much as you think. She put herself in your way, and didn’t leave Marco when you asked her to. Her fear isn’t as strong as you or even she thinks.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“Perhaps you can indulge her more. Talk about your future together, about the kids—” he scowled, “about… whatever it is couples do.” I couldn’t help but be amused. “Do that.”

“I don’t think she’d be comfortable just yet.”

“Is that what you really think? Opening up about your own past might help you get your answers, Dino. After all, she has a similar one.”

“I’ll pass.” That was the last thing I wanted to talk about.

“Is this about Alicia?”

“It’s not that. I did marry her, didn’t I?” I snapped before composing myself. “No, it is not about her and I don’t want you talking about it either.”

“I got your dinner packed—” Vito halted, sensing the tension. Uncle Corrado quietly grabbed the package from his hands and walked out the door, Vito following him.