LA CAMORRA / MAFIA ROMANCE

CHAPTER SIX

Maria Delvina
Milan, Italy

By the time we reached back to the house after dragging Sergio's drunk ass away from the docks, I was vibrating with a mix of anger and exhaustion. My brother had passed out in the backseat, oblivious to the fact that he had becoming dangerously close to sparking another war with the Herreras. Again.

I wanted to shake him awake and scream at him, but instead, I let Jay carry his limp body upstairs. I followed them up to Sergio's room, my chest tight with frustration. Once Jay deposited him on the bed, I waved him off, telling him to wait outside. I needed to deal with him on my own.

I sat on the edge of Sergio's bed, staring at his sleeping form—his tousled dark hair, the faint smirk that even unconscious, clung to his lips. My little brother. The one who was supposed to inherit the empire after my father. The one who was supposed to be standing beside me through all of this. Instead, I was cleaning up his messes, pulling him out of trouble, and keeping our family's name from crashing down on us.

I felt the anger rise in my throat like bile.

"Wake up," I muttered, giving his shoulder a hard shove. "Sergio, wake up."

He stirred, groaning, before his eyes fluttered open. He squinted at me, bleary and disoriented, and let out a weak chuckle.

"Hey, sis. You here to congratulate me on a job well done?"

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "What the hell were you thinking?"

He rolled over on bed, waving his hand dismissively. "Relax. It was nothing. Just letting know those Herrera bastards we are still watching."

"Nothing?!" My voice rose, and I stood abruptly, pacing across the room. "You almost started a war, Sergio. At their docks. Do you even understand what kind of disaster that could have been?"

He sat up, rubbing his face. "Oh, please. Diego's a big boy. He can take a few insults."

"It wasn't just insults," I snapped. "You were drunk and tampering with their shipments. Do you have any idea how much you've jepardized? Fathers legacy? The deal we're trying to secure? You could've destroyed everything."

For a brief moment, something flashed in Sergio's eyes. Guilt, maybe? Or recognition of just how badly he has messed up. But then, just as quickly, his usual defiance returned.

"So what," he muttered. "I'm the heir to this family, aren't I? I have every right to handle things my way."

I laughed bitterly. "Handle things? Sergio, you can't even handle yourself. You're not some fearless leader; you're a reckless idiot, and you're going to get us all killed."

Sergio's face hardened, but I wasn't done.

"You think father would have tolerated this? Been impressed? He put his faith in you, trusted you to lead one day, and look at what you're doing? You're not a leader—you're a liability."

For a second, neither of us spoke. Sergio's jaw tensed, I woke him up from his drunken state. Even if it was just for a moment. But quickly he pushed it away, falling back into his pillows with a deep smug.

"Why do you even care, Maria?" He slurred. "You're the one potentially marrying that physco, not me. Let him deal with it."

His words cut deeper than I expected. I didn't let him see it, though. Instead, I swallowed hard and stepped back, crossing my arms.