Mafia!RomanoxReader~ A Black Market Masquerade PT1

"I never thought a girl like you would come to rescue me..."

    Home is not where the heart is—it’s where you want it to be.

    You’d realized this after you left your broken household in Northern Europe for a different country. You’d left behind your no-good father, many depressing memories of your long-gone mother, along with a few close friends, but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle. After all, your father was a terrible role model—one you didn’t care to go into details about.

    So, you’d decided to attend college in Italy. You’d always been interested in the nation, and the college attendance was only second to your choice in moving here.

    Currently, you were living in your own apartment, working as a barista at a nearby coffee shop.

    “Alright _____, feel free to take your break.” Your boss said as she passed you by—sauntering over to the front of the shop.

    “Okay, thanks.” Graciously, you slipped into the backroom for employees.

    Once there, you rummaged around your locker for your laptop. Thankfully, your boss was kind enough to allow you to bring such devices, and there weren’t many other workers here. It was simply a hole-in-the-wall type of coffee shop, and yet it was cozy and popular.

    You turned on the portable computer and opened up Skype. Luckily, they were online.

    Immediately, they sent you a request for a video chat. They knew this was your time of break.

    You fixed your hair a bit and then clicked to accept.

    “_____!” Mathias shouted as soon as he saw you.

    Grinning, you responded, “Hey guys.”

    “How’s it going?!” He appeared on screen along with your four other friends from Northern Europe.

    “I’m fine, what about the rest of you?”

    Tino smiled sweetly, “Well, we miss you!”

    Lukas nodded in agreement, “It’s boring without you here. There’s no one to help me tame Mathias.”

    You chuckled, “I’m sure there is.”

    “Actually, there’s no one sane to hang out with,” Emil clarified with a pout. “At least, not since you left.”

    You happened to glance at Berwald—since he seemed quite sane—but he stayed quiet, listening intently.

    “Well I guess it’s nice to know I’m the most-missed person in the Nordic region,” You joked lightly.

    “You got that right!” Mathias shouted—his tone of voice a bit too serious.

    You chatted with them a while longer. The topics varied from your new college, house, and job, along with some of the new things your friends were trying out.

    “So yeah, I volunteer to dress up as Santa during the holiday season at The Santa Claus Village! Isn’t that neat?!”

    To everyone’s dismay, you talked the most with Tino— but he’d always been especially close.

    At one point you’d even been hopelessly interested in him, but he seemed oblivious (and for much too long), so you eventually dropped it.

    Mathias teased, “…South Italy eh? Don’t let the mafia get to ya, hahaha!” None of them could still believe you’d moved across the continent—even if Europe was somewhat of a small continent.

    “Hehe. Does the mafia really still exist? I’ve only seen the first Godfather movie.” You’d thought about it before you moved here. You wondered what kind of clothes they wore now—were people still trying to be in a ‘mafia’? Did they still wear zoot suits and fedoras? How funny.

    “She can protect herself just fine! Remember what I taught you, _____?” Tino winked playfully.

    You nodded, “Of course I remember! Don’t worry, I’ll use the skills when I need ‘em.”

    He grinned, “Good~”

    A little while later, your break was coming to an end. “Hey guys, I need to get back to work soon. See ya!”

    “Talk to you later.” Lukas and Emil said in unison.

    “Text me~” Mathias poked the screen with his finger towards you.

    “…Bye.” Berwald mumbled.

    Tino waved, “See you!”

    Soon afterwards, you got back to work and finished up your shift. It ended at around ten in the evening, since you started late. You had morning college classes which took up most of your day time.

    As you were walking home, the streets were pretty empty—save for a small group of young woman in fancy dresses who were scurrying down the sidewalk.

    Once they got nearby, you just had to compliment one of them. “I love your dress!”

    The one in which you’d directed it to turned slightly, revealing an elaborate mask on her face. It was silver, black, and white, with a large elegant feather over the side. “Thank you, bella!”

    It was in that short time that you noticed all four of them were wearing masks. They had on feather boas, shiny accessories, and traditional up-do’s. They looked about ready for a masquerade ball.

    As they hurried past, an extra mask fell from one of their purses. “Oh hey, wait—” You called out, but… they were already disappearing down an alley.

    Hm. I wonder what they’re doing? You thought to yourself as you picked up the mask.

    Well, I am in Italy now, I guess this country has more original parties… you realized. Turning the mask around in your hands, you noticed it was unusually heavy, most of it was made of metal, and the jewels looked... a little too… real…

    Th-This is a real masquerade mask?! You gasped in utter shock. This thing must have cost a fortune. You couldn’t just stand here and admire it anymore—you had to give it back!

    And here you were, thinking it was from a party store. How silly. Those girls must have been filthy rich and… what the hell could they have been going to? There weren’t any mansions around here, or any places for ballrooms…

    These thoughts swirled around your mind as you ran down the sidewalk towards the alley you’d seen them walk into. Clutching the black-and-white flower pattered mask, you glanced down the narrow street and caught a glimpse of someone walking into a door near the middle. You’d also noticed a large feather near their head, and you couldn’t have mistaken it for anything else.

    But… should I go in there? you worried.

    Well… it’s probably for VIPs only, or simply guests to whatever it is. If there’s a security guard, I’ll just give him the mask and a description of the girl who lost it, and maybe he can give it back… yes, it seemed easy now. With a deep breath, you cautiously walked down the alley towards the rustic door.

    I just hope I don’t get in trouble… you thought in the back of your mind.

    Though, as soon as you got to the door, you were surprised to see no security guard around. In fact, the door was left slightly ajar.

    It was basically an invitation to come in. In a moment of pure curiosity, you held in a breath and opened it a bit more.

    Once you did, you slyly peeked inside.

    There was a long hallway. The dim white lights were flickering, and it was completely empty.

    What caught your attention the most was the 16^th century Italian Renaissance-themed music that was pouring in from beyond the walls. Masquerade balls were common in Italy back in the day, especially for upper-class and noblemen… you realized. And it makes sense that rich people would try to bring them back, even if just for fun.

    Ignoring the thought that this could be a ticketed event, or if there was a guest list, or even if this was the right entrance, you slipped inside. Something about the music was hypnotizing and bringing you closer to the main door.

    …After all, you were only trying to return a mask. Nothing bad or illegal.

    As you made it down the hallway and opened up the large double doors, you came across a sight that was not of this century.

    What came into view appeared to be from a storybook, or even a Hollywood movie. There’s no way this could be real. There’s no way this couldn’t be a set-up…

    “And here we have the original vase given to Italy by the French Prime Minister, up for bid starting at only two million euro!”

    Classy music played in the background of the auction, and many mask clad-people from the audience rose up bidding signs to purchase the illegal item.

    Th-That vase was stolen from a museum about two weeks ago?! You realized.

    “Do I hear three million? How about three point five million? Any more bids?”

    The auctioneer had a booming voice, and the stage was brightly-lit, expensive, and framed in an embellished red-and-gold curtain. The floorboards were made of a wood that seemed to shine, and there were several balconies that stuck out from the towering walls that showcased even more people in masks, watching the audience with satisfaction.

    No… don’t tell me… You didn’t want to think that you’d really stumbled into a place like this. D-Did I just walk into… a black market auction?!

    “Sold, to the man in the blue thunder mask!”

    …You needed to get out of here. Fast.

    “And that’s not even the most exciting item of the evening! Coming up, we’ll also have stolen Michelangelo paintings, museum sculptures, top-secret government information, historical artifacts, and even a hitman up for sale!”

    More people were getting up, making it harder for you to escape. They were blocking your only known exit, just as you heard the auctioneer start off with, “We’ll be kicking off the second item with the notorious Hitman Jones! This fully-armed American can assassinate any bastardo that gets in your way. His protection starts at one million euros, any bids?”

    The blonde hitman struck silly poses, clad in a white button-up shirt with black suspenders, clearly fine with getting his talents? sold for a fortune.

    As you scrambled for a different exit—trying not to shove any of the millionaires or disrupt their enormous masks—you could barely comprehend what was happening. You’d had no idea such organized illegal operations were taking place so close to where you worked.

    Just as the thoughts ran through your mind, you didn’t notice a large male suddenly block your way. “Oof!” You’d ran straight into a tuxedo-clad wall.

    “Who are you? Are you supposed to be here?” The Italian accent was thick and menacing, his eyes narrowed doubtfully through his mask.

    “I-I was just leaving—”

    “-You don’t look like you’d be on the guest list—especially not with those commoner clothes. Hey Chuy, help me get this idiota out of here.” He turned and called over to another bodyguard-like worker.

    “N-No! You don’t need to do this!” You didn’t get to say much else before you were enveloped in a circle of presumably more security guards.

    They were all clad in suits and masks, but they were towering in height with obviously strong enough muscles to literally throw anyone out the door.

    “Who are you?! What are you doing here?!” One of them demanded as he forcefully latched on to your wrist.

    “Let me go—”

    “Heh, you think we’re just gonna let you go? A silly girl thinks she can walk into one of our auctions and not get away with it?” A different one started dragging you away, “You’ve got another thing coming, idiota.”

    The realization hit you just as you noticed their gun holsters. The mafia was still very much active.

    What else could be putting up the black market auctions? This group must’ve had a millionaire mob boss, and that’s how they managed to keep this danger a secret.

    As they pulled you into a separate room in the hallway, you realized you were about to be held hostage and questioned by the Italian mafia. And… just as you’d been joking about them earlier with your friends too. What a coincidence.

    “P-Please, let me go! I’m sorry; if you let me go, I won’t say anything! It-It’ll be as if I was never here—”

    “-No, you’re just gonna call the police.”

    “I swear I won’t! I’ll—” Your voice was shaking, your heart throbbing painfully. There was no way out of this. You didn’t have any weapons on you—not even a pepper spray—so you couldn’t do anything. Those ‘skills’ Tino had taught you were useless at the moment.

    “Sit down and shut up. Don’t say a word unless we tell you to.” One of the mafia members directed, pointing down to a chair in the empty room. It appeared to be used only for this type of situation.

    Petrified, you sat down. But just as one of them pulled out a phone to call a superior, the door slammed open loudly.

    You held your breath—terrified of who was to come through that door. Would they shoot you on the spot? What if they thought you were some kind of spy?

    The person who came in was significantly shorter and smaller in general compared to the guards. He was dressed in similar attire—a black suit, red tie, a masquerade mask, and a gangster hat. He appeared to be out of breath, as if he’d just sprinted down the hallway to get here. “Oy bastards, ‘the fuck are you doing with my girl?”

    One of them nearly dropped a handgun, “…Lovi? What the hell are you talking about?”

    He gritted his teeth furiously and hissed, “That stupid girl right there? She’s with me. Now back off and go do your fucking job.”

    A loud chuckle was heard off to the side, “…I gotta say Lovino, you should try going for better-looking women.”

    “It’s none of your business,” He turned his glare to the other member, “So get out of my face.”

    After a few seconds, the group members either shrugged or mumbled profanities towards Lovino’s childishness and eventually shuffled out of the room.

    Once they were gone, you were snapped out of your trance. You’d been staring at the entire exchange, not moving in the slightest. “Um…” You looked down, unable to meet your savior’s gaze. “Th-Thank you for that. I’ll be leaving now.”

    He made a tch sound and grumbled, “You think you can make it out of here safely? Heh, you must be stupider than I thought.”

    Ignoring the insult, you turned and reached for the doorknob. “It’s just out this hallway and down the alley?”

    You couldn’t see his expression, but you could sense that his features had softened by his calmer tone of voice. “…Yeah, now get the hell out. I never want to see your face around here again, you hear me idiota?”

    Some days later, you were working at the coffee shop as if nothing portentous had ever happened to you.

    You still couldn’t believe the events of that night; it almost felt like a bad dream.

    It was almost sad that you hadn’t gotten a glimpse of your savior’s face. If he hadn’t been wearing that mask, you could’ve known who to thank.

    That is, if you ever saw him again.

    The coffee shop’s door chimed, signaling a new customer. “Welcome to Nina’s Coffee!” You chirped out of habit from behind the counter.

    The male grunted a reply, and plopped down at the bar counter (which didn’t mean this place sold alcohol). “Give me a mocha Frappuccino,”

    “Will that be all?”

    “Yeah.” He folded his arms over the counter and rested his head down.

    He hadn’t made eye contact with you throughout the order, but you were used to it. Some people had their bad days and came in for a cup of coffee to calm down. After you finished his drink, you placed it by his arm. “There you go, signore.”

    He lifted his head back up, “Thank—” His eyes suddenly widened, revealing to you a pair of radiant green irises. “It-It’s you…!”

    You tilted your head in confusion. “What?”

    “I… I mean…” He glanced down, obviously flustered. Why? You had no idea. “You’re… well… I—” He wasn’t sure how to say he knew you.

    His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was fiddling with his red neck tie. His white button-up shirt had its sleeves rolled up, and you noticed a black suit jacket was draped over the counter.

    He was around the same height and build as him. No way… could he be…?

    “I-I think I should go.” He grabbed the suit jacket and stood up to leave, but not before you stopped him.

    “Wait!”

    He immediately paused as if he knew you would do this. “What is it, idiota?” He grumbled whilst keeping his back to you.

    His rude words didn’t faze you. With a smile, you replied, “…I caught ya, didn’t I?”

    After a moment, he sighed loudly. “Fine, whatever. You got me. Now what did you have to say?” He seemed to be in a hurry to leave still.

    You looked down, feeling a bit self-conscious all of a sudden. “I just wanted to say thanks.”

    “Don’t mention it.” His tone was clipped, indifferent.

    Curiosity began to overwhelm you. “So… why do they hold those auctions…?”

    He began to slip his suit jacket back on. “It’s not of your business, and you don’t want it to be your business,” He finished buttoning it and reached for his coffee cup. “…And don’t try to befriend me, dammit.” With that, he stormed out of the shop.

    …He’d forgotten to pay for his Frappuccino.

    This guy clearly had problems. Although his exterior was cold, you could easily see that he was a kind person.

    He’d saved you when he didn’t need to, hadn’t he? Sure, he was rude about it afterwards, but he’d still looked out for you—a total stranger to him. He risked getting in trouble himself just to keep you safe.

    Now he was telling you to stay away. There had to be a reason.

    “It’s none of your business, and you don’t want it to be your business.” He’d warned. You could understand—after all, being a part of black market auctions was very dangerous and illegal. Anyone there could go to jail for years if caught by police.

    With a sigh, you tried to get this man out of your head.

    You wondered why you were still thinking about him.

    Oh wait—it was because he had, in many ways, saved your life. No one could just forget about something like that.

    If only he hadn’t tried to distance himself from you…

    A week later, you were walking home from work. You’d had the late shift again, so it was dark outside and many citizens were asleep.

    You kicked a stone as you walked down to your close-by apartment. Besides that little run-in with the black market, everything was going well for you. College classes were somehow easier than before, your grades were good, and your boss was thinking about giving you a raise.

    As you were staring down at the cement, you didn’t notice someone walking in the opposite direction of you. They apparently didn’t see you either, and they accidentally brushed shoulders with you. “Oh no—” The contact had loosened the strap on your bag and caused it to slip down, thus dropping to the ground and causing its contents to scatter around the sidewalk.

    Oh, great. Your laptop had been in there too. I have to stop bringing that… you thought as you bent down to pick up your other fallen items. Luckily, the laptop’s screen was still fully intact.

    “Oh shit, I’m so sorry. Here, lemme help you.” The stranger got down on his knees to help you gather your stuff.

    “You don’t have to, but thanks so mu—” You’d looked up at that moment, and so did he.

    You instantly came face-to-face with that mafia member who’d rescued you. “H-Hey…” You sputtered, “It’s you again-!”

    His jaw literally dropped, but it wasn’t long before he closed it and angrily shouted, “…WHY ARE YOU WALKING ALONE AT NIGHT?! I SWEAR, YOU ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE DAMMIT!”

    Offended, you retorted back, “I’m not always looking for trouble!”

    “Yes you are! Uh, hello?! A young idiota ragazza walks around at night? This is like the classic movie scene when a girl gets raped, chigi!”

    You were struck speechless. He was scolding you in rage, but it was for a good reason.

    He might seem mean, but in all honestly, he was only looking out for you. Again.

    You’d thought about what he said long before you started walking to and from work. Although, you hadn’t given it much thought since you lived very close to the coffee shop. It was only a five minute walk, and of course, college students needed to save money on gas.

    Without knowing why, you began to laugh.

    “Eh? Why the hell are you laughing, you jerk?”

    “I just… I think it’s funny.”

    “You think it’s funny that you’re stupid and asking to get abducted?”

    “No! You just… always seem to…” You couldn’t continue. You didn’t need to.

    He sighed, and eventually let a small smile cross his lips. At the sight of his smile, you felt among the stars with happiness. “Cheh, what am I gonna do with you.” He flicked your forehead, and you both stood up from the ground.

    “You can let me get to know you.” The words were up your heart and through your mouth before you could stop them.

    His eyes instantly widened, and you found it cute how his dark brown bangs moved out of his face as he nearly jumped in surprise. “Girl, are you asking me out?”

    Embarrassed, you immediately stammered, “N-No! I just thought we could be friends, since you saved me and everything…”

    Now composed, he stuck his hands in his pockets and narrowed his eyes at you. With a frown, he stated coldly, “Listen, er…?”

    “______.”

    “Listen, _____. You don’t want to get to know me; it’ll only hurt you. Trust me… it’s best if you stay away.”

    “But…” You felt as if your heart had just been wounded. Ever since that night, you wished you could learn more about him and pay back the debt of saving your life.

    “I’m no good for you. Didn’t you see where I was? Don’t you know what I am?”

    “Yeah, I know, but—” He wasn’t like them. He wasn’t doing what they were for the same reasons. There had to be something else, there just had to be-

    “Quit interrupting me,” He pointed a finger at you and just as the moonlight hit his olive-toned skin, he proclaimed, “I’m just another part of the mafia. Girls like you should know better.”

    “No, you’re not.”

    He lowered his finger, “Eh?”

    “I said, no, you’re not.” You looked him in the eye, your expression grave and serious. “I know you’re not just another one of them. You’re different; you’re a caring person. There’s something else forcing you to stay there—it’s something you can’t tell me. Now if you don’t want me in your life, just say it and I’ll never speak to you again.”

    He fell quiet, and only your heartbeat filled your hearing.

    After about a minute, he slowly stepped closer and leaned in to the side of your face. You eep’d in surprise—obviously not expecting any close contact.

    “…See you at the coffee shop at four.” He mumbled huskily against your ear.

    With that, he pulled away and sauntered off into the darkness.

    You’d gotten just what you wanted.

    Some time had passed, and you saw Lovino nearly every day. He came by the coffee shop to hang out during your breaks, and eventually, you began seeing him after hours.

    He was… mysterious. No matter how much you tried to get to know him, you always found out something later that completely twisted your view of him and opened windows that you’d never seen in him before. A dozen bizarrely different adjectives could still never come close to describing him.

    You liked it this way. It felt like talking with him was an adventure with many different paths based solely on how you worded statements and questions. He was a puzzle you were determined to solve.

    Although he didn’t like to admit it, he seemed to enjoy your curiosity about him. Many times, he’d seemed surprised that you even bothered to get to know him—the fact that you were even trying. All his life, people wanted nothing to do with him, he said. Everyone paid attention to his brother, including their grandfather, as Lovino had painfully described. He’d even admitted he couldn’t see your interest in him. “Why me…” He would sometimes mumble, “Seriously, why the hell did you pick me out of everyone else…?”

    It was now three weeks since you started dating him.

    He’d seemed hesitant to let you grow close to him. Even throughout the weeks before getting together, he would try to push you away. You held strong throughout the occasional rants and string of curses thrown at you. He’s hiding his feelings, you’d tell yourself—and you were always correct. He just worries for my safety.

    He’d try to get you to hate him, but it never worked.

    You understood his reasons. He was a part of the mafia—being his girlfriend made you a target. He thought that if you broke up with him, you’d be better off.

    His attempts continued to fail until he gave up entirely. He accepted his feelings for you and allowed the intensely emotional relationship to begin.

    You’d liked him since the beginning. At first, you’d thought it was only appreciation for what he’d done for you, but it was much more than that. You had subconsciously fallen hard for him the night he kicked you out of the black market auction.

    You hadn’t been aware that your blooming relationship with him would be the start of a dangerous love story.

    “I-I’m gonna go now-!” He stuttered hurriedly as he slipped on his hat, threw open your front door, and nearly jumped out.

    “Lovino!” You ran down your hallway from where he’d just bolted from.

     “S-See you later, bella!” He slammed your door and left before you could protest again.

    You couldn’t believe what he’d just explained to you. It didn’t make sense; was he on drugs?

    You opened the door in time to see him retreating at full speed in fear of your anger and confusion. He was still running, his back to you, as you shrieked after him, “…WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE A PERSONIFIED COUNTRY?!”

    Another two weeks passed, and you reluctantly came to accept his strange proclamation.

    It didn’t help that he was acting weird all this week; he’d seemed even more out of it and secretive than usual.

    You were working at the coffee shop when he barged in, threw his hat down on the counter, and said as if he’d rehearsed about six times: “I have to go guard another auction.”

    You momentarily stopped cleaning a glass to ask, “Um, what?”

    “Today. I haven’t done it since we started going out, but I got called in to help out right now.”

    “And when did you hear of this?”

    “A week ago. The auction’s been scheduled for today.”

    You groaned and set down the glass. Just one look at his face and you knew he had no way out of this. You didn’t want him getting hurt, and that’s what got you to blurt out, “Can I come with you?”

    He tossed you an Are-You-Insane? look. “Are you fucking crazy?”

    “No—”

    “Absolutely not.”

    “But I don’t want to find out that someone did something to you and not be by your side when—”

    “-That’s the dumbest idea I ever heard.”

    You should be used to this by now, but you weren’t. You didn’t like the idea of him going out and being involved in a gang of trouble that was sure to be found out and jailed soon with those conspicuous black market auctions.

    He seemed to constantly be living in fear. In your time with him, he never took a moment to relax, or feel at ease—except for when you two were in bed together at night. Otherwise, he was always worried about someone abducting you or threatening you or blackmailing him with you.

    You just had to know. “But what is it you’re so afraid of? They won’t hurt you, right?”

    “It’s not just that,” He grumbled.

    You wouldn’t give in. “Lovino, I’m coming with you. It’s my break soon anyway.” You gave him a winning smile, and he sighed.

    “…You’re so stubborn.”

    You took that as a yes, and hung up your apron.

    After all, no one should approach you if you’re with Lovino, right?

    Before walking in the door, Lovino handed you a masquerade mask. “Here, put this on. These are actually good at concealing identity.”

    The black market was selling social security cards as you stepped into the auction house.

    “Follow me,” He forcefully gripped your wrist as he led you through the crowds into a different hallway and into a backroom.

    As usual, everyone here was either a part of the mafia or a millionaire buying stolen goods at the auction. In other words, everyone here was dressed in ballroom gowns or tuxedos. Lovely. And you’d just thought they were in a masquerade last time.

    “What are we doing in here?”

    “You’re gonna stay in here while I handle business.”

    “But… I want to stay with you! Don’t just leave me in here.” You were concerned as usual; you always got an uneasy feeling whenever he was around this place. If he couldn’t return to this room, you wanted to be with him no matter the consequences.

    “You’re not coming any farther, stupid.”

    “…Lovi, is there someone threatening you?”

    He gave you a bewildered expression, “W-What? Of course not! If you think I’m scared, that’s not it!”

    You weren’t convinced. “Who’s the leader around here, anyway?”

    He seemed to visually calm down. “Hm? You mean the mafia boss?” He chin-pointed to a nearby door in which you’d just barely noticed, “He’s in there; wanna meet him?”

    You inhaled sharply, “Th-The mafia boss?! In there? I-I don’t know…” You didn’t feel qualified to meet such a high-ranking (and possibly murderous) individual.

    Lovino arched an eyebrow, “What are you so scared of? He doesn’t bite.”

    And now… you were just confused. “He… doesn’t?”

    “Nope, unless you get in the way of his precious illegal auctions. He’s kind of an obnoxious flirt, and I hate him sometimes, but…” He glanced away and shrugged, “…he’s family. M-My little brother.”

    You were sure your jaw dropped. “L-LITTLE BROTHER?!”

    He began to walk towards the door. “I need him to meet you so he doesn’t flirt with you when I’m not around.” Despite your obvious hesitance, he kicked open the door and beckoned you inside.

    “Lovi wait—”

    “Hey asshole, see this chick right here? Yeah, she’s mine, so hands off.” Lovino directed towards the male sitting on a white leather couch.

    The mafia boss turned just as his brother spoke, and his gaze fell on you.

    You hadn’t known what to expect since the beginning, but as you took a glance at him, you could clarify that this appearance was the last you’d expect him to have.

    “_____... this is the mafia boss. We call him by the codename… ‘Mr. Seborga’.”

    “Uh, hi.” You waved nervously.

    He had the lightest green eyes you’d ever seen. His skin was fair, even pale—much unlike Lovino’s own olive complexion. Also contrary to his older brother, Seborga’s hair wasn’t a dark brunette. It was sort of in between—a heavenly shade of golden brown. The curl on the side of his head was slightly bent and angular. As you looked closer, you saw he had a very youthful face; he appeared quite young compared to the rest of the mafia. He could easily be the youngest person here. “Hello there, bella~” He purred, winking at you despite what Lovino had told him.

    His clothes were quite stylish and elegant. Unlike the other members, his suit was all-white, with a salmon-colored undershirt and a scarlet neck tie. He could totally pass as a male model or even a fashion designer.

    “Yeah, we know what you’re thinking, _____.” Lovino crossed his arms, sneering over at his brother. “This little bastard may be young—a ‘high school dropout’, pretty much—but he runs the mafia and makes more money than anyone in Italy.”

    Seborga stood up and sauntered over to you. With a killer smile, he asked politely, “Now why don’t you take off that mask and let me see your pretty face?”

    You slipped it off and asked bluntly, “Why do they call you Mr. Seborga?”

    He didn’t skip a beat, “Because no one’s allowed to know my real name and, besides, I’m from Seborga.~”

    “Anyway,” Lovino grumbled, “I have to go check in. Seborga, if you do anything to her, I’ll make sure you never again get a taste of pasta in your damn life.” Turning back to you, he said before you could argue, “I’ll be right back—stay here and don’t let him touch you.”

    With that, he stepped out and slammed the door closed.

    As soon as you heard his footsteps disappear down the hallway, you faced Seborga and asked with a straight face, “Why is he forced to do this?”

    A ghost of a smile was on his lips—obviously he’d been about to flirt but thought better of it when you asked him such a serious question. “Well…”

    “Who controls him? Who makes him live in fear like this? There has to be someone—who is it?” You didn’t dare to break eye contact with him, “Is he being threatened by anyone?”

    He suddenly looked solemn—hands in his suit pockets as he stared down at the wooden floorboards and softly replied, “…You would think it’s me, right?”

    “Yeah, with your title, but…”

    “I know. It’s not me who he’s afraid of.”

    “…So can you tell me?”

    He looked back up at you and—to your surprise—he grinned. “Sure, only because you’re cute and obviously a keeper~”

    It was the day after you met Seborga.

    As promised, he had explained everything about Lovino and his role in the mafia.

    You couldn’t believe he was in that situation. And yet, you could. You’d known it all along.

    The mafia boss may not be the evil one here, but that’s what they wanted everyone to think.

    If the police ever found Seborga, he wouldn’t be sentenced to life in prison for murder. For him and everyone else, that was good. The real struggle would be to find the actual ring leader who was pulling the mafia strings and slaughtering both innocents and members alike.

    They simply called him Gotti. Like Seborga, no one knew his real name.

    Gotti was who jumped people into the mob. If someone didn’t follow his orders, he shot them on the spot. Even Seborga was terrified of him, even if he couldn’t be killed. In fact, Gotti had made him the so-called ‘mafia boss’ merely because Seborga couldn’t die. Like Romano, he too was a personification. It turned out to be of Seborga, of course.

    “But you can call me by my human name, ‘Romeo’, if you’d like~” He’d said before you left.

    You had taken a walk to clear your head. After all, walks always seemed to calm you down—especially with the scenic views of Italy.

    You hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what you’d found out last night. It was currently four in the afternoon, and the streets weren’t too lively, but you still couldn’t get Lovino out of your mind.

    As you were shuffling past an alley, you suddenly heard a cry of pain.

    You stopped walking and listened.

    Another muffled shout.

    You glanced around, but most of the streets were empty. It was then that you caught sight of a group of men dressed in dark suits about a quarter mile away.

    They were at the end of the long, narrow street. This block had many alleyways and places for hiding—it was no wonder the mafia was nearby.

    They were probably ganging up on someone. That couldn’t be good; this only meant trouble.

    Another screech of agony.

    The tone severely bothered you—and not in the way of irritation.

    The voice made your knees tremble and your heart suddenly kick into a painful throb. Two, three, four times, your heart beat in a harsh, echoing manner that sent terror through your veins in response to your familiarity towards the voice.

    No. No.

    Please no… don’t let that be… you were suddenly shaking, your eyes stinging with tears. You subconsciously gritted your teeth, and made the mistake of waiting to hear another scream.

    “…Stop!”

    You broke into a run. You knew there wasn’t anything you could do, especially not at the moment, but you needed to make sure this wasn’t just a nightmare.

    You made it close to the gang-up before you could stop yourself. Once there, you hid behind the alley’s wall as you looked to see who was there, praying it wasn’t who you thought it was.

    For a few seconds, all you could see was a large group of suit-clad men with red ties and fedora hats. They were encircling a victim, taking turns as they severely beat him.

    He hissed in distress as he was punched in the face again.

    That’s… L-Lovino… you confirmed as you choked back a sob.

    “M-Mercy…” He pleaded, wincing at the pain it caused him to speak.

    “This ain’t enough, it’dn’t Gotti?”

    The tallest, most well-built and petrifying of the group chuckled lowly and responded, “Of course it ain’t.”

    …Gotti.

    Of course he was the one leading them.

    He stepped forward and snatched up Lovino by the suit collar, easily holding him up a few feet from the ground. “You told that girlfriend of yours what’s going on here, didn’t you? Silly Lovi, you know that’s against the rules, don’t you? Heh… don’t make me have to warn you again.” As if to emphasize his threat, he shook Lovino—to which he cried out in pain at his obvious injuries.

    Grinning wickedly in amusement, Gotti threw him back down to the cement and laughed. “Such a fucking little wimp.”

    Lovino remained face-down on the concrete, suffering quietly in agony. “B-Bastards…” His hoarse voice shook, but his teeth remained clenched in fury.

    “What was that?”

    “What did you just say to Gotti, eh Lovi?”

    “Say it again,” Gotti’s large hands were in fists, his lips taut as he glared down at Lovino.

    He was still too prideful to admit defeat. “I-I said you’re a bastard…” His raspy voice quivered more from the pain of his wounds rather than fear.

    You were paralyzed in horror as Gotti forced him back up—to which he staggered, completely unable to stand up for more than a few seconds—and punched him with brute force straight into his stomach.

    You gasped and squeezed your eyes shut, but no one had noticed your presence.

    “Watch that mouth of yours, Vargas. Or else you’re gonna have more of these chats with me every day.” With that, Gotti walked down the alley and into a rustic door. The rest of the group followed right after.

    As soon as they were gone, you couldn’t help it—ignoring the danger, you ran straight over to your fallen lover. “L-Lovino!” You immediately bent down and gently cradled his face into your lap. “Baby, I’m here. Are you okay?”

    He clearly couldn’t move. They must’ve fractured a few of his bones, and he obtained a black eye. He was bloodied and covered in bruises, his dark suit ripped and torn in several places. His hair was a mess and several cuts lined down his tanned skin. “_-_____...” He mumbled gravelly.

    “It’s me, I’m right here for you. What happened? W-What should I do?” Your heart was racing and you just wanted to see him okay again.

    “W-We can’t… be together…” He coughed violently, spewing a few drops of blood. He needed to see an ambulance. You were too worried for his well-being than to process what he was desperately trying to say.

    “Lovino, we need to get you to a hospital. Here, let me help you stand up—”

    He weakly tried to push your hands away. “Listen… This is dangerous. I’m scared that Gotti will hurt you too…”

    “Lovi, what are you saying?”

    “I’m…” He flinched, and a single tear made its way down his bruised cheek. He quickly tried to wipe it away and continued, “I’m breaking up with you.” Despite his battered state, he forced himself to stand up.

    “Hey, wait! You can’t walk; you need to see a doctor!”

    He was already trying to limp away. As you stood up and tried to follow him, he turned slightly and shot you an icy expression. “Leave me alone, idiota. Didn’t you hear me say things between us are over?”

    “But—”

    Wincing at the strain on his body, he cut in, “-You’re annoying. You’ve just been a burden to me and nothing else. Did you really think I could be into a girl like you?! If you really care about me, do me a favor and leave me the hell alone!”

    …Stunned by his words, you couldn’t bring yourself to follow him as he disappeared down the alley.