Son of the Devil

Chapter Forty-One: The Middle

The first thing that Enzo consciously became aware of as he nestled next to Lucio was his incredible warmth. It drew Enzo's body closer instinctively, settling contentedly within the protective curve of Lucio's body. Well, he had felt his embrace many times during their lovemaking, and yet he had never been able to come close to bringing together all the unbelievable characteristics of its realism. And despite the heat radiating between their bodies, enveloping their cool skins, Lucio refrained from taking him that night. Instead, they fell asleep together. Fully clothed, with their bodies entwined in each other's embrace.

In fact, Lucio had still been pondering about it since this morning.

"I fell asleep," he admitted, realizing bemusedly that he could simply lay beside someone without engaging in any sexual activity.

Giovanni heard his brother loud and clear amidst the chaos in the warehouse as they prepared for another delivery. He turned to Lucio, "Good for you," he remarked.

"You don't get it," Lucio persisted. "I didn't touch him."

"Who?"

"What do you mean who? It's my Lorenzo. Nothing happened last night. We just...fell asleep."

When Gio finally grasped the meaning behind Lucio's statement, he couldn't help but stir, "In bed?"

Out of annoyance, Lucio's hand flew to the back of his brother's head. "Fucker, in bed, of course! Where else?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" Gio whined, rubbing the spot on his head where his brother had hit him. "Congratulations, you now have a wife. A certified one that wouldn't run away from you."

Usually, this kind of mocking would only serve to aggravate Lucio's bad mood. But he didn't feel that way. His heart felt light as if he found some clarity. It was extraordinary. "That never happened to me before...I even dreamed. I never had dreams..."

Giovanni pursed his lips. "What did you dream about?"

A long pause. "Mom," a rare smile crossed Lucio's lips. "At the jazz club, do you remember? Before Father bought it and transformed it into the Black Diamond Lounge."

The memory of their father taking them to the nightclub where their mother used to work, singing the very song that their grandmother would play on vinyl in the study room flashed before them. Children weren't typically allowed in such places, but there were times when their father would pull some strings, and influence the whole program, allowing the children to see their mother perform on stage, and be entranced by her siren's voice.

"Have you told Enzo about her?" Giovanni asked again.

Lucio recalled the events yesterday, and how he found Enzo peacefully snuggled in his arms. "A little. He enjoys hearing people's stories."

The revelation made Gio smile, shaking his head. "Yeah...just like mom. I kind of understand why Nonna is fond of him."

Lucio once again paused for a beat. "Yep. I kind of understand too, why..."

A sudden shift in his older brother's tone had left Gio bewildered, and he waited to see if he would open up. But when Lucio remained elusive, he halted asking a question. "You should tell him that, bro. Don't be like dad."

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

Luca, alongside his siblings, the twins Sofia and Matteo, as well as the youngest Gianna sat before the counter in the kitchen, watching their uncle bake them cupcakes. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, really; every so often, Enzo would drop by to bake them something sweet or fulfill any requests they had. However, today, Enzo seemed like a different person. He was singing, bouncing around, a little too...happy for their taste. The children exchanged uncomfortable and questioning glances. Enzo hadn't yelled, scolded, or shown any signs of anger since he arrived.