Lissy Romano

113| Toxic masculinity.

Lissy Romano

The next morning, I was startled awake by someone talking loudly. I rubbed my eyes, blinking away the sleep as I looked around. Jax, sleeping peacefully beside me, didn't even flinch at the noise. Lucky him.

Carefully, I climbed out of bed and padded out of my room, following the commotion to the living room. There, I saw him—Santino. Without hesitation, I ran toward him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist.

"You okay, baby?" he asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

I nodded, squeezing him tighter. "I missed you."

Only then did I notice Federico seated across from Dante and Davide, both of whom stood glaring at him with furious expressions. The tension in the room was suffocating.

"Dante!" I squealed, rushing to him next. He immediately swept me into his arms, lifting me off the ground.

He kissed my cheek and whispered, "I'm here, sweetheart. You don't have to worry anymore."

"Worry? I'm not worrying. I'm just happy you're here," I replied, smiling as I clung to him.

"Put her down," Davide interrupted, his voice irritated. "I want to hug my sister too."

I chuckled as Dante reluctantly placed me back on the ground. Before I could even fully turn, Davide had pulled me into his embrace, his large arms enveloping me in the warmth and safety I'd been craving.

"You okay, angel?" he asked, his hands gently cupping my face.

I nodded, leaning against him. "I'm alright."

Dante, always blunt, didn't waste time. "We're going back home."

"What? Why?" I asked, panic creeping into my voice.

"Because Federico is an idiot," Santino said, glaring at my godfather.

"No, Santino. He isn't!" I said, leaping to Federico's defense.

"And why didn't you tell us you've been living here with a boy, huh?" Davide growled, his jaw tightening.

Uh-oh. Paolo must've snitched.

"What's his name?" Dante asked, his sharp eyes fixed on me.

As if on cue, Blake stepped into view, standing beside Giovanni. "I'm Blake."

"Giovanni, you're here too?" I gasped, rushing to hug him.

"Had to see the shirtless boy my sister's living with," Gio said dryly.

I rolled my eyes. "Paolo... can't keep a secret."

"No, no. Please, let him spill," Dante said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Maybe you'd like to explain what happened yesterday?" Davide asked Federico.

"Oh, don't be silly," I said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. "Nothing happened." It was a lie, but they didn't need to know that.

"In the restaurant?" Dante pressed.

Federico chimed in, trying to save face. "Just a little misunderstanding. Business as usual."