Lost Lombardi

Chapter 40

Dino noticed that Pietro looked worried and uneasy. "Papa, are you okay?" he asked, feeling concerned. Dino had bruises on his face, and Pietro had taken him to see a doctor, even though Dino begged him not to.

Pietro wouldn't be satisfied until the doctor confirmed that Dino was fine. Dino felt embarrassed, thinking Pietro was treating him like a child.

"No, I'm not. We can't find those idiots. I'm not sure where they vanished," Pietro said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Sorry, Papa. I had to be careful," Dino replied, feeling upset because Pietro was upset. He thought he might be the reason for all of Pietro's troubles. He was pretty sure Pietro didn't have these problems before he came into his life. Dino worried that Pietro might have even lost his girlfriend because of him. The fear that Pietro might start to hate him for bringing trouble into his life weighed heavily on Dino's heart. "I'm sorry I brought you all these troubles," Dino said sadly.

"It's not your fault, Dino," Pietro replied in a calm voice. "Come and sit beside me." Dino moved to sit next to Pietro, who seemed refreshed after a good shower. Dino knew he probably smelled like medicine.

"I don't want you to hate me because I'm giving you so much trouble," Dino confessed. Anxious thoughts filled his mind, and he felt a heavy weight in his heart at the thought that Pietro might be fed up with him.

"I don't hate you, buddy. It's not your fault. I already told you that," Pietro said, putting his arm around Dino's shoulders and pulling him closer. "I had to send Luca everywhere you go. It's my fault."

"No, Papa. It's not your fault," Dino insisted, hugging Pietro tightly. He was doing everything he could to make sure Pietro didn't hate him. He didn't want to live a loveless life ever again. "I don't want to be an orphan again."

"Dino, what the hell are you talking about? No one is going to make you an orphan," Pietro said, surprised. He couldn't understand the fear swirling in Dino's mind and wondered why he was acting like this all of a sudden.

"I don't want you to hate me because I'm giving you so much trouble," Dino repeated.

"I already told you, Dino. You are not giving me trouble, and it's not your fault. I'm not going to make you an orphan. Where the hell are those thoughts coming from?" Pietro asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"I don't know," Dino admitted, realizing Pietro was trying to reassure him.

"You are my only child. Do you really think I'll hate you?" Pietro asked seriously.

"Some people hate their children," Dino replied quietly.

"I'm not some people," Pietro insisted, looking at him with a firm gaze.

—---

Luca was not happy about what happened to Dino today. He lay on his bed, staring at a photograph—the only one he had with his wife and son. His wife had insisted on taking it, forcing him to join in a moment he would have otherwise ignored. Thanks to her, he had at least one family photo.

He remembered how busy he had been with work and friends back in those days. He committed many crimes without considering the safety of his family. He was reckless, spending most of his time drinking and partying. One night, while out with friends until midnight, he received a phone call that shattered his world: someone reported hearing gunshots at his home.

When he arrived, he found his wife and son lying lifeless on the floor. They had been killed as revenge against him. That day marked the beginning of Luca's descent into despair.

The police sought him for several crimes, but he had always managed to hide from them—until now. This time, he didn't hide; he turned himself in and spent six years in jail. If his son had been alive, he would have been around Dino's age. That resemblance made it even harder for Luca to be Dino's guard. Every time he looked at Dino, memories of his wife and son resurfaced, haunting him.

Regret gnawed at him. He realized he had precious few memories of them because he had taken them for granted. He didn't know his wife's favorite color or his son's favorite food. He couldn't recall the last time he hugged his son once he stopped being a baby, nor could he remember their voices. His phone was filled with videos and photos of friends, but none of his family.

Old memories filled Luca with pain, and Dino made it worse sometimes. He had heard stories that Pietro was once a brat, a black sheep in his family, but he changed drastically after finding Dino. Luca realized that Pietro had transformed into a different man once he found Dino, just as he himself had become a shell of who he once was after his son died.

In the following week, Pietro instructed Luca to follow Dino everywhere he went. Luca complied with the command, but he noticed something strange: Dino kept running into Rosi more often than seemed coincidental when he went out.

Dino sometimes met Rosi in various shops. He noticed her at the juice shop several times, and occasionally she was hanging around outside his school. She would say she was just passing by and decided to stop and chat. Rosi mentioned that she had moved to the area and enjoyed spending time outside. Because of this, Dino didn't find anything unusual about her frequent appearances.

While Dino kept texting May, they hadn't officially labeled their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend yet. He planned to surprise her by attending their concert without telling her. Meanwhile, Kacper still struggled to gather the courage to ask Natisha for her number. Whenever he saw her, he blanked and forgot everything he had rehearsed in his mind.

"Man, how the hell are you going to find a woman like that?" Dino teased.

"Maybe I'll just stay single. I can't do this. It's too stressful," Kacper sighed.

"Come on, can you ask her number for me?" he added, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Girls like guys with confidence. They don't want cowards. I don't think she'll like a guy who doesn't even have the backbone to ask her number himself," Dino replied firmly. Kacper's face paled at the thought.

Dino knew he had to come up with a plan to help Kacper muster the courage to ask for Natisha's number. He racked his brain for ideas. Maybe he could create a situation where Kacper would feel pressured but supported enough to approach her.

"Alright, how about this?" Dino said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. "We can all hang out together, and I'll make sure you're alone with her at some point. Then you can just ask her."

"Are you sure that will work?" Kacper asked skeptically, but a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes.

"It's worth a shot," Dino replied, feeling confident that his plan could give Kacper the push he needed. "Trust me, I've got your back."