Page 9 of His Mafia Sweetheart

Tommy cocks his head, his eyes narrowing. "Bullshit," he says, his voice low and intent. "This is about flower boy, isn't it? The pretty little civilian you're playing house with."

I stiffen, my fingers clenching around the empty glass. "Watch your fucking mouth," I snarl, a hot flush of anger crawling up the back of my neck. "Eli's not...it's not like that."

Tommy's eyebrows shoot up, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. "Oh, it's Eli now, is it? Not Bloom, or the florist, or that annoying fucking twink you got saddled with? Interesting."

I glare at him, my jaw clenching so hard I can feel my teeth creak. "Drop it, Tommy. I'm not in the mood for your fucking games."

He holds up his hands in mock surrender, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Hey, no games here, brother. Just calling it like I see it. And from where I'm standing, it looks like you've got it bad for a certain golden-haired ray of sunshine."

I squeeze my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. Fuck. Is it that obvious? Am I wearing my stupid, hopeless crush on my sleeve for anyone to see?

"It doesn't matter," I grind out, my voice rough and raw. "Even if I did...feel something for him, which I don't, it wouldn't change anything. He's a job, a means to an end. Getting tangled up with him would be a fucking disaster."

Tommy's quiet for a long moment, his gaze heavy on the side of my face. When he speaks again, his voice is uncharacteristically serious, almost gentle. "Nico. Look at me."

I drag my eyes open, meeting his gaze reluctantly. There's no trace of mockery or amusement in his expression now, just a fierce, almost tender understanding.

"I know you think you're too far gone for something like this," he says quietly, his hand coming up to grip my shoulder. "That you're too broken, too tainted by the life we lead to deserve a shot at happiness. But that's bullshit, and you know it. You're not our father, Nico. You're not doomed to follow in his footsteps, to let this world swallow you whole."

I flinch, my throat tightening with a sudden swell of emotion. "Tommy..."

"No, shut up and listen to me for once, you stubborn bastard. You've been carrying the weight of this family on your shoulders since we were kids, and it's fucking breaking you. I see it every day, the way it eats at you, the way it hollows you out little by little. And I won't stand by and watch it happen anymore. Not when there's a chance for something better, something real."

I swallow hard, my eyes stinging with the threat of tears. Fucking hell. Leave it to Tommy to cut right to the heart of me, to lay me bare with a few well-placed words.

"It's not that simple," I rasp, my voice cracking like rusted metal. "Even if I wanted to pursue this thing with Eli, even if I thought for a second it could work...the risks are too high. If my enemies found out, if they tried to use him against me..."

"Then you fucking annihilate them," Tommy says fiercely, his eyes blazing with conviction. "You protect what's yours, no matter the cost. That's what you've always done for me, for the family. Why should it be any different for the man you love?"

The word hangs between us, stark and unavoidable. Love. Is that what this is? This clawing, desperate hunger, this ache in my chest that feels like it might split me in two? I don't know. I've never...I've never felt anything like this before. Never let myself want something, someone, with such reckless abandon.

But looking into my brother's eyes, seeing the unwavering faith and support shining back at me...I feel something loosen in my chest. A tightly-wound knot of fear and self-loathing, unraveling thread by thread.

"Okay," I rasp, the word tearing out of me like a bullet from a wound. "Okay, Tommy. I'll...I'll try. For him, for a chance at something real...I'll try."

Tommy's grin is blinding, his hand tightening on my shoulder. "Damn right you will. And I'll be right there with you, brother. Every step of the way."

Something warm and fierce blooms in my chest, a rush of gratitude and affection for this reckless, loyal idiot I'm lucky enough to call my blood. I pull him into a rough hug, thumping his back hard enough to rattle his teeth.

"Thank you," I mutter gruffly into his shoulder, my voice choked with emotion. "For always knowing what I need to hear, even when I'm too chickenshit to admit it."

Tommy laughs, squeezing me back just as hard. "That's what brothers are for, asshole. Now go get your man before I do it for you."

I pull back, swiping at my eyes with the back of my hand. "Fuck off," I grumble, but there's no heat in it. "As if he'd give you the time of day, you scrawny little punk."

Tommy just grins, smug as a cat in cream. "Never underestimate the Caruso charm, brother. It's a powerful thing."

I flip him off, but I can't quite suppress the answering grin tugging at my lips. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel something like hope fluttering in my chest. A tentative, fragile thing, but real and precious all the same.

Bolstered by Tommy's support and my own reckless determination, I throw myself into planning the perfect first date. I want to do this right, to show Eli that I'm serious about exploring this thing between us. That he's more than just a job, more than just a convenient warm body to lose myself in.

I settle on a secluded botanical garden on the outskirts of the city, a lush oasis of flowers and greenery hidden behind high stone walls. It's the kind of place Eli would love, a riot of color and beauty amidst the grit and grime of the urban jungle.

When I pitch the idea to him, his eyes light up like fucking Christmas trees, his smile so bright it's almost blinding. "Really?" he breathes, his hands fluttering excitedly. "You want to take me to a garden? On a...a date?"

I shrug, feigning a nonchalance I don't feel. "If you want to call it that, sure. I just thought...I know how much you love flowers, and I wanted to do something nice for you. To show you that I...that I appreciate you. Beyond just the job, I mean."

Eli's smile softens, his eyes going warm and liquid. "Nico," he murmurs, stepping closer to me. His hand comes up to rest on my chest, right over the hammering of my heart. "You don't have to do anything special to show me that. Just being here, just...being you, is enough."

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