Page 46 of Titan

Sixteen

Gilberto

I flexed my hand as I walked into Desecration via the back door. Zayn had given me the code for it a long time ago and kept me informed when it changed. I was trusted to come and go as I pleased. It felt strange being here during the daytime.

I’d stayed away over the weekend as I knew Theia had a big scene. Besides, Edric and I had a lot on our plate now we were looking into who was killing my cousins’ men and the missing shipments. Well, we’d been making a plan of how to approach it. Currently, we didn’t have any leads, so we didn’t have a great deal to go on other than the two men in our mortuary safe house and the documents Nino had given me. I’d set Edric to look into the shipments in the meantime while I decided what the next steps were.

Theia hadn’t used my number, not that I expected her to. I didn’t know why I gave it to her. The moment I found out Enzo had spoken to her, it made my protective instincts flare. I didn’t want him harassing her. It was why I’d crossed a line and sought her out as she left the club. I had to make sure she was okay.

Enzo hadn’t been pleased when I cornered him the next day at our father’s former house before he’d gone to work. I’d arrived first thing to make sure I caught him. He told me to go fuck myself after I’d demanded to know what he’d said to Theia. I made sure he wasn’t going to say a word to Zayn. Not that I thought my older brother didn’t know about my visits to his club, but that wasn’t the point.

I’d warned Enzo to stay away from Theia. He thought I was being a dick, but he was the one acting out and kicking up a fuss every time Zayn asked him what he wanted to do next. He had a secure job at Desecration, but my younger brother wasn’t exactly the most responsible out of the three of us. I half blamed myself for it since I’d been the one who’d taken care of him whenMamáwas put in a coma. He was only fifteen, and me, nineteen. It was a fucking recipe for disaster sincePapádemanded more of my time after Zayn left. I did my best with Enzo, but he wasn’t exactly easy to deal with when we’d been left motherless. Not only did I not know how to manage his pain, but I had no idea how to confront my own.

Zayn’s office door was open, so I walked straight inside, finding him sitting behind his desk with Arlo behind him and my aunt, Martina, sitting in front of them. I closed the door behind me. When Zayn told me we needed a family meeting, I had expected to find him and Enzo, not our aunt. She was my deceased Uncle Orsino’s wife. He’d been murdered a year ago, but we had no idea by whom. My father hadn’t done anything to find his killer. The two of them had been at odds for years. None of us knew why.

“Good, you’re here. We can start,” Zayn said after he glanced at me. “Someone attempted to abduct Sofia last night while Martina and the girls were coming home from dinner.”

I’d barely walked a few steps into the room, but his words made me pause.

Why would anyone try to abduct my cousin?

“Is Sofia okay?” Arlo asked with a frown.

“Yes, she’s fine,” Martina replied, but her voice shook on the words. “We were all rattled by it, but we’re no worse for wear.”

Zayn laced his fingers together on his desk.

“Things are a little unsettled in our world right now, so perhaps you’re being targeted because of it, but I can’t be sure.”

Martina inclined her head. It was a precarious time for all of us now Gennaro was dead.

“They need protection,” I said without preamble.

Zayn glanced at me. He knew I was right. Martina and the girls might not be a part of the mafia life, but they were Villettis. We couldn’t allow anyone to harm them.

“They do.” His gaze went back to our aunt. “Do you agree, Martina?”

“If it’s what you think we need,” she replied, looking at the three of us.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you or the girls. Until we can establish who is behind this, I want to know you’re safe. All of you.”

“Then I’ll accept whatever protection you give us.”

“The girls will have to agree to it as well.”

“They won’t have a choice.”

Martina smiled at Zayn. She had always been a practical woman, so I was hardly surprised she’d agreed. Not to mention she was protective of her daughters, Verona, Sofia, and Rina. There was no way in hell she’d let anything happen to them after her husband had been murdered.

“Good. Well, I’ll have to see who I can send…” He paused, turned his head, and gave Arlo a knowing look. “You can go.”

“Me?” Arlo asked, sending a slight glare Zayn’s way.

“Yes. You can manage the men for me as well.” Zayn turned back to our aunt. “Would you be okay with Arlo staying with you while we find out what’s going on, Martina?”

Zayn turned back to our aunt with a more measured expression on his face, unlike the smirk he’d thrown at his best friend. I was in no doubt it had everything to do with Rina. It’d been obvious to me for years she was completely enamoured with Arlo. I might not be good at relationships, nor could I tell when someone liked me, but I could certainly see it in other people. Rina was constantly watching him with this dreamy look on her face.

“Of course, we can make room somehow,” Martina replied. “I’m sure the girls will love having you there.”

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