Caught In His World

Brighter Days And Pain

Dylan's POV

I watch Mateo tie up Thomas and Desmond below in the basement cellar of my place. I put Madelyn upstairs in the room to get some rest. My momma is with her and dad is at the base, keeping an eye on things with Leonardo.

With Desmond comes his father, Giovanni. Giovanni is worse than Desmond is. He manipulates and has made Desmond believe his life's purpose is bringing down our Mafia.

Before my father got the chance to finish Giovanni off, he escaped whilst my dad was focusing on my momma.

He's been laying low ever since but makes Desmond do all the dirty work in plain sight. Although, Desmond is rather stupid to even be a puppet in the first place.

"Well now, anyone has anything to say before we start the ultimate fun?" Antonio asks with a huge smile on his face. "Hmmm I'd like a room with Madelyn in it and maybe some ropes. You know, to spice things up" Thomas comments looking directly in my eyes.

I walk closer to him and draw back my hand, delivering a powerful punch to his cheek. He screams, a small crunch-like noise echos through the room and I smirk at him. "Maybe we should bring some ropes for you, tie you up from the ceiling upside down. You know, to spice things up" I mock him. He opens his mouth to speak but immediately closes it shut along with his eyes that's holding tears.

"Where's Giovanni?" I turn my attention to a uninterested Desmond. "why would I tell you?" He asks me raising a eyebrow. "Because maybe I won't kill you and instead I'll just kill him only. I don't know how many times we have to tell you this, you're his puppet Desmond and things don't have to be like this" I try to reason with Desmond once again.

"No! My father is ruined because of you! Because of your family! My only desire is destroying you all and stripping you of everything you have!" Desmond lashes out with tears running down his cheeks. I sigh and nod to the guys. They follow me out the cellar.

I sigh, rubbing my fingers through my hair in complete frustration. "I don't know what to do" I say looking at the guys. "why can't we just kill him?" Antonio asks with normality. "That's not who we are Antonio, the Romano mafia are not killers. We don't shed innocent blood." Antonio rolls his eyes, "he tried to kill us so many times man" he huffs out.

"He is still innocent. He's under the manipulation of Giovanni. He's just a puppet, this isn't his doing and you know it" Mateo speaks up with the wisdom he always seems to have when it's really needed.

Antonio lets out a defeated sigh. Knowing that Mateo isn't wrong. "Okay so then what do we do?" Lorenzo asks, lifting up his brows.

"We get proof" I hear Luca say. We all look to him suspiciously to see him give us a smirk that leaves goosebumps on our skin. Luca only smirks like that when he has something cunning in mind yet sometimes it gets really risky.

----1 Hour Later----

"Papà.." I sigh, he has asked me this like three times already. "Figlio, tell me you're sure this isn't too risky?" My father asks, his thick Italian accent bold and intimidating with the low tone he's using.

"Yes, papà we will sort it out. Trust me okay?" He hums in response and I turn around walking out of the front door. The boys get in and Luca drives. "alright, I'll phone now." I say and open up Desmond's phone and call Giovanni.

"My boy, I haven't heard from you" Giovanni's gruff voice comes from the little speaker of the phone. "He's been keeping me company. Call it a visit" I say, my mafia don persona in full swing. "Where's Desmond?" Giovanni asks angrily.

"No no no. I'm calling the shots Gio. Meet me at Rover's Cafè. Right now or I'll kill Desmond." Giovanni laughs, "that affects me why?" "Because you'll have no one to do your dirty work for you" I say amused. Silence. I know he's cornered. "Fine" is all he says and hangs up.

5 minutes later we arrive at the local Cafè. It's where most businessmen go to have casual meetings that aren't formal but not informal either. I know the owner, Rover Collins. He does some side drugs for me but overall, he's a really cool guy.

"Dylan, what's up?" Rover comes and personally greets me. I give him a brotherly hug and pat his back. "Unfortunately, right now it's nothing good. Giovanni is coming. Mafia related. Think you can close the place early so no one comes in after Giovanni does?" I want to take precautions, no innocent blood should be shed.

"Dylan... Listen I don't want probl-" I cut him off knowing what he's going to say. "no no, it's just in case. It's just to talk. But you can never trust Giovanni." I say. Rover nods understanding and goes back to tell his staff to take off work early.

Not even 15 minutes later and Giovanni walks in. Two guards behind him. He scans the place before he sets his gaze on me. His eyes hold fire, fury swirling and bubbling. He walks to the table I'm at. Taking his seat opposite from me and holds his hands by his big belly. He hasn't been aging very gracefully i see.

"Gio, nice to see you." I smile at him. He doesn't falter, ignoring any sort of formality he gets right to the point. "Where's Desmond boy?" His voice cold and abrupt. "With your old friend" i nonchalantly reply, sipping my coffee and maintaining a uninterested expression. "I swear, if your father even touc-" I hold up my index finger in the air, making him unable to complete his sentence. "We're not you. We won't hurt people for nothing. We don't harm the innocent" I strongly state.

Giovanni chuckles, "oh is that right? You think you know the full story don't you boy. You know nothing!" I mock him with a small laugh, "I know that you don't even care for Desmond and you're just using him". He doesn't even attempt to deny it. "And so? I always get what I want. Even if that means pretending to be all fatherly to that moron, I'll do it" he sits back in his seat. I inwardly do a victory dance.

"He's your son. How can you not want to love and protect him?" I ask genuinely interested. "He's a mistake. I just forgot to use a condom when I had his whore of a mother. He is a weak man." Giovanni responds truthfully.

"Leave the Romano mafia alone and I'll let him go." Negotiation isn't going to work obviously but I can't just go. He'll suspect something's up and that's exactly what I don't want.

"No, I'll never stop" I stand up and finish up the rest of my coffee. "then you know this means we won't have a choice but to fight back. This is going to get messy" I inform Giovanni. He straightens up, getting up from his chair as well and looks me dead in my eye. "messy for you. I won't stop, not until I'm dead" he grits at me.

"Well, it'll be your funeral." I calmly say and put my chair in, my gesture showing that I'm about to leave the cafè. I hear Giovanni's breathing start to get heavy and increase, "give him back to me! I showed up didn't I?" Giovanni quickly lets out.

"Ahh but you declined my terms of negotiation. I think your son is better of with us than with you to be honest" I respond with a smirk, his whole face turning pink-red and he immediately stomps his feet taking his leave with his bodyguards right behind.

I bring my index finger to my ear, pressing the earpiece more into my ear and I smirk at no one in particular. "Got it?" I ask Luca. "Sure did." I don't even need to see the boys to know they are all probably grinning as well.

"Fantastic, let's go and play the recording with Desmond. Hopefully this changes his mind about his father and he reconsiders whose side he's on" I say and let go of the earpiece. I take it out and put it in my pocket.

8 Minutes Later

After Giovanni left the cafè, I bidded goodbye to Rover and thanked him gratefully. Luca is now driving us all back home, I look out through the window of the car as we drive back, each second a little more closer than the last.

How can Giovanni not love Desmond? Or even care about him? Fathers are suppose to love and guide their sons, growing them up to be strong men ready for the challenges of life and to be able to cope with it.

Luca's plan was good. Meeting up with Giovanni so that we can record him and let Desmond know the truth. This could of gotten so messy and could have gone wrong quickly but somehow it worked. I have to admit, with me falling for Madelyn, now I care about death itself. It'll cut my time short with her and I wouldn't want to put her through anything traumatic ever again. Love is really strange.