TONY: Book 1 of The De Luca Brothers Series [COMPLETED]

34:

We stand up to leave, only to freeze when the grande doorway opens once again, only to reveal Leone. His lean, narrow and toned frame slips into the room, his presence is strangely commanding due to the amount of power he demands throughout the room.

Tony explicitly tenses and the grip on my hand increases. He slips an arm around my shoulder and pulls me flush to his wider frame, in a protective stance. What is with him and his dominance? Seriously, can't be comprehend that I'm not a baby and can actually stand up for myself? Sure Leone is this big bad gang leader, I'm sure he won't actually hurt me though, right?

"So I see you've not run off," Leone fills the tense silence. "That's a surprise."

"Leave him be Leone," growls Tony. "You've caused enough damage."

"So you've told him who Tristan is- well, was."

I pause and my breathing stills. Tony's grip slackens as he inhales a sharp, shaky breath. His face hardens and his jaw ticks as his fists clench until his knuckles are white.

"Was?" I whisper in question. "You mean h-he's..."

"Dead? Not breathing? Rotting away in some coffin," Leone scoffs. "Thank you Einstein for your conclusion, no man thicker could have figured it out."

"Don't talk to him like that. Fratello or not, you have no right to mistreat him like this," Tony spits.

Gufo leaps in between us and offers a fake grin, putting his arms up as if to prevent anything, "Okay! Calm your tits everyone, no need to go crazy in front of our guest. Toro's boyfriend."

"Toro, I recommend you tell your little plaything about Tristan. He deserves that much."

"Toro will tell Zachary when he deems—"

"Tell him now or else I will," growls Leone.

Tony's Adam's Apple bobs up and down in his throat as his skin pales slightly and an uneasy but opposing look remains on his features.

"Go on," Leone steps forward, pushing from the doorframe. "Say it. Say what you did to Tristan."

"I-I," he clears his throat and outright leaves my side, walking around the other side of the settee, running his fingers through his hair.

Gufo stops Leone's next step, slightly shaking his head, "Toro—"

"He killed himself," Tony abruptly says, looking me dead in the eye. His beautiful chocolatey irises glisten with unshed tears. "He killed himself because of me."

"What?" I whisper.

"Tristan was my ex—"

"And my best friend," Leone interrupts.

"Y-Yeah," Toro clears his throat. "He had a lot of mental issues that he didn't like to talk about. Talk to me about. He'd tell Leone, yet he didn't tell me he was suffering from depression, he hid it from me. Sure, he'd have his episodes but he'd play it off as a bad day."

I remain quiet, listening and trying not to judge.

"It began to be toxic- i-If he has opened up to me I wouldn't have broken up with him. I gave him so many opportunities Zachary, you have to believe me."

"So Toro broke up with him because things were getting too 'hard'," Leone continues, his voices laced with venom. "Broke his heart, evidently pushing him over the edge. He's the reason my best mate killed himself—"

"Woah, woah, woah," Gufo intervenes. "Tristan had a bunch of other shit in his life and Toro couldn't handle it. It's not his fault—"

"Bullshit."

"Okay," I finally speak up, the three boys look at me. "First of all, it is not your fault Toro. Tristan had a bunch of mental issues that you didn't know of. You Leone knew, but you didn't speak up or tell Toro, despite you seeing your brother get stressed due to the toxicity—"

"Don't you fucking blame me," he hisses.

"—you should have told him. Someone he cared for, loved, was in a relationship with: you did not tell."

"I had to respect his choice, he told me he would speak up," Leone croaks, his face betraying his true emotions that begin surfacing.

"But he didn't," I conclude. "He didn't speak up, ruined things with Toro since he was kept in the dark and therefore led to Tristan's death."

Silence.

"You could say it's your fault, Leone," I boldly state, despite knowing the consequences.

"How FUCKING dare you!" He exclaims, pulling out a pistol.

I just stare at him, "You had no problem blaming Toro, my boyfriend, the man I love. However you can't grow a pair of balls and own it?"

He freezes, his finger on the trigger. Toro leaps over the settee and shield me as Gufo raises his hands up in surrender, "Put the gun down."

"Leone, it's not your fault though," I speak behind my human shield. "It's not. You were  just respecting your best friend's wishes. The two of you made unwise decisions, admittedly, however they were coming from a good place."

"You blamed—"

"Get over it," I snap, coming from behind Toro. "Like I said, grow a pair of mother fucking balls and don't let words hurt you so much. You're worst than a three year old."

The pistol remains raised, steadily tracking my movement. Honestly, I feel like I can piss myself from fear, but it's important to clear the air. It's not their fault. It's not their fault.

"My mother killed herself recently," I stutter; his expression remains stoic. "I blamed myself. Hated myself for days for leaving her alone with my abusive stepdad. She got pregnant but didn't want the baby, yet she couldn't live with 'killing' her child."

He runs his tongue over his teeth, narrowing his gaze at me contemplating. It's surreal to think that he has my life at the palm of his hands at this moment in time, with the cold gun in his hand I begin to think that maybe this is a bad idea. Oh shit.

"Leone," Toro growls. "Put the gun down."

Leone doesn't respond and Gufo takes another step towards his older brother, keeping his hands raised, "Come on fratello, don't murder Toro's love."

He sighs, clicks his tongue, before bolstering it again with a simple shrug. He looks me up and down and purses his lips, "I somewhat like you. You have a voice of reason which is ideal for my fratello. Gufo's situation I can forgive, however there is one small problem that I have with you."

"Which is?" Toro presses, pulling me flush to his chest once more.

"You're not a member of our gang."