Promised For Truce

Chapter 28

Drama was synonymous to fun and entertainment to Teodoro. He had a propensity to make impertinent comments, and Luciano was no stranger to it. The family man. That's what they called Luciano Gallucci – though only when he wasn't around to slap you for it. For a long time now, Luciano told his brother – and told him and told him – to not ever call him by that nickname again.

"I hoped to see a little more action from a fami-" Teodoro began but was quickly stifled by Luciano.

He got what was coming to him.

"You don't know when to stop, do you? You're a child with no manners," Luciano told his little brother before walking out of the freezing hallway and back into the living room.

The sight in front of Nina caused her anger from earlier to thin out. There wasn't enough room for both Nina and Luciano to be heated. She felt like one had to balance out the other.

"Follow me," Nina said to Teodoro after closing the front door and lead them to the kitchen's freezer.

She pressed an ice cube against his hurting cheek, her keen eyes unable to look away from his unusual silence. Normally, he would have already gotten a cheeky remark out by now. Nina regarded him as his blank face drowned in incomprehension.

"Why do you keep calling him that?" she asked as she lifted the small cube off his face.

"It's a fucking compliment," he grumbled.

"From my point of view, it looks like a pretty fucking unwanted compliment."

The harsh tone in which Nina spoke in had Teodoro stunned. It took a few seconds before he blinked again. He then mumbled, "Sweet Jesus." Teodoro snatched the melting cube out of Nina's hand and flicked it into the sink, all the while throwing her an ugly glare. "What do you even know? Goddamn nosy."

Nosy? That's rich coming from you.

"Nothing. I know absolutely nothing," she began, her voice wavering and her teeth were gritted. "But even then, I'm capable of telling that Luciano despises it when you call him that."

"What's going on?" Severino stepped into the kitchen.

How long has he been here? I didn't even hear him come back inside and Marietta is not with him either.

"Nothing special," Teodoro said to his older cousin. ''Where's the wife?"

"She went home," Severino answered as his eyes kept darting between Nina and Teodoro. The red mark on his cousin's face drawing his attention.

"Why? Does she not like us?" Teodoro laughed quietly to himself. "Ah, well, the feeling is mutual."

Severino glowered at Teodoro. "I'm not going to force her to stay somewhere she doesn't want to be."

"Look at you! Husband of the year. Your attempt in saving your marriage is by letting her go?"

Such abysmal lack of respect seemed to be the final drop for Severino. Gone was the deep frown, a slow smile taking its place. An image unfitting of him in Nina's opinion but it accomplished what it was supposed to do as even Teodoro went silent.

"You do know when to shut up. Who hit you?"

Teodoro looked away, not wanting to admit it was his own brother.

Severino continued, "Do you mind speaking for him, Nina?"

"I'm not sure if I saw who did it," she said, her gaze as aloof as Severino.

"It wasn't Nina. It was Luciano," Teodoro grumbled.

Severino nodded. That was all he needed to hear to be in the loop of things. He set his eyes on Nina and no longer wore the smile on his lips. "Can I have a word with you in private?"