The Brothers' Mission[Sequel](18+)

Chapter Thirty Two

Damon

Dominic and I quickly start looking around for Miranda. With his leg holding him back, I go ahead without him through a side door and on instinct, snatch the person that appears in front of me by the throat.

I sling them around and shove them up against the rain soaked bricks of the funeral home. One moment, I'm ready to kill, thinking someone has gotten my baby sister, and the next moment, I'm wheezing and stepping back.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Miranda yells at me, hands on her hips, glaring at me through narrowed eyes.

I cough a couple times and move back toward the door to get out of the downpour. Why wouldn't it rain while a wake is happening? "We thought you ran off and I wasn't thinking. I didn't expect anyone to just pop into my face when I opened the door," I tell her, taking a quick look at her throat. I run my fingers over her neck where I squeezed, but she slaps my hand away.

She pushes me through the door and slams it behind her. "I'm fine. You didn't squeeze that hard. And I'm not stupid enough to just run off, even though I know you all expect me to act out all half cocked," she says, her tone almost bored. "I just needed some fresh air. There's only so much old lady perfume I can stand before my head wants to explode," she finishes. I look at her for a minute then laugh. She isn't wrong. It's pungent and strong in there. She joins my laughter and we start to head back as we quiet down.

I turn to face her before we join the crowd once more. Dominic comes limping up, fury on his face and half out of breath. I hold my hand up to him. "Please just let one of us know next time you need some fresh air? We would love to join you, ya know," I grin at her, "if Aunt Gianna hugs me one more time, I'll need to roll around out there in the rain just to get her eau de old woman off me." I watch her shake her head as she walks back to her seat by Maria. Once she's seated, I motion for Dominic to follow me to a secluded corner.

"Where was she?" he asks as he takes a seat. He winces and rubs at his wounded leg. He should take it more easy.

"Standing outside," I start. I don't fully believe it was for fresh air. She's sneaky. She's a fool if she thinks we don't know that about her. All the times she successfully snuck out- we allowed it and she was trailed. But she's still sneaky, so I do give her props on her efforts. "She said the perfume was getting to her, but I don't believe that was her only reason. She wanted time alone to think."

"Yeah, she's thinking she's going to throw us off by acting calm and grieving properly. We know her better than that. She's thinking if we aren't seeing her act out, then we don't need to focus on her," Dominic asserts as he stares in our sister's direction. He's absolutely correct.

I cough again and clear my throat. Dom arches a brow in question. "Man, I didn't expect her right outside the door and I snatched her by the throat at slammed her into the wall. She socked me in my throat hard as hell," I rub at my flesh. "She punches like a man."

Dominic snickered and shook his head. "So how long until Uncle DeMarco shows up with the others?"

Ah, yes. The uncles. The greedy fucks that married into our family. "He said he will be down with Samuel and Victor next week. They have IT teams working on locating all of Kwan's properties as well as Vlad's. As if we haven't already started that, but the more help, the better."

Dominic groans. "I can't fucking stand any of them. We have to keep an eye on them. The first sign that they are going to try and overthrow us for father's territory, we kill them."

I nod. "Absolutely."

We sit in silence for a while longer until the time comes to wrap the wake up. The both of us walk over to our mom and sisters and stay near them. Even with guards around, we can't take any chances.

We stand in a line at the head of our father's casket and shake hands and give more hugs as people bid farewells and tell us that they will see us in the morning for the funeral services. I wanted it all done in one go, but the priest wasn't available for the drawn out service our mother wants until morning time.

Uncle DeMarco grips my hand, "We will be down next week sometime to discuss business, don't forget," he glances at our mother momentarily then back at me, "is your mom holding up okay? Would you feel better if Gianna came to stay with you guys for a while?"

Oh, don't act like you care. And don't think you can send Aunt Gianna in to be a spy. The woman is a gossip, but business isn't what she gossips about. One would think someone would know their own wife a little bit better than that. "She's grieving, but she has all of us. Cecilia and Charlie are also around. No need to uproot Aunt Gianna. Thank you though."

Uncle DeMarco nods stiffly at me then pats Dominic on the shoulder roughly, earning a glare at the back of his head. "If that mother fucker touches me again, I'll cut his fingers off in pieces with his own cigar cutter."

As if on cue to Dom's grumbling, Uncle DeMarco pulls out a cigar and his cutter, clips the end and shoves it in his mouth. He steps outside to light it but gets blasted by the rain. Muffled curses are heard while Dominic and I both snicker. We hate that man.

"You guys driving back or getting a hotel for the night?" Luca asks as he bounces a sleeping Madi lightly. I gaze at her little cherub face and I'm willing to bet that Amaris looked similar to her at her age. Just that thought shoots pain through my chest.

I fucking miss her.

"Getting a room. My leg is already barking over being cramped up on the drive here. No way can I deal with it again tonight then twice more tomorrow," Dominic says.

"Right on, lead the way. Shelley and I will follow and get a room next to you."

We all load up and head to the nearest Hilton. We don't need anything extravagant but we don't want a roach motel either. Our ma and sisters are with us. No seedy business is being conducted. We can do basic comfort without going all out. If anyone is looking to attack, they will go for the best of the best first.

At least this way we can get some time to be tipped off by our guys that will be on lookout all over the city.

We get checked in with our mom and sisters in a room adjacent to ours and Luca and Shelley across the hall. I can hear Madi crying for a moment before she must go back to sleep. Poor kid. Long day for her as well.

"I am starving. I'm going to order some room service then go the fuck to bed. You good with a burger and fries?"

I nod absently at Dominic as I watch out the window. The rain is continuing in a steady downpour and where that typically soothes me, I just can't shake the feeling that something is off.

Nothing went haywire today. But I'm not sure why I am so unsettled feeling suddenly.

Is it our uncles? Miranda? Our failure to retrieve Amaris? Or maybe it is my grief finally hitting me.

Only time will tell.