Brave In Violence ( A Mafia Romance Book Three)

Chapter Twenty-Five

               You want a fight; I'll bring a war.

~Pintreast~

                                          Ele

The young lawyer whose name Bruno hadn't cared to ask was still shrieking on the floor, holding his hand tightly, tears brimming from his eyes. No one paid attention to him, I could have helped, but I felt that Bruno wouldn't have appreciated it. I kept throwing surreptitious looks at him, wondering and frightened that he might die on the floor if he bled too much.

Never in my life did I ever imagine I would be in such a room. I felt out of place. They spoke a language I understood, but I couldn't comprehend what exactly they were talking about.

Dev whirled two chairs in the room, I thought they were for Bruno and Jesús, and I was already panicking at having to be in full view when Bruno sat down, but one was mine. I sat in the same position I had stood, behind B, his body concealing mine completely.

"You must be curious why I bought your company shares when it is making a loss, " Bruno began, slipping a cigarette between his lips, taking a moment to light it before lifting his head to the table again. I followed him every gesture, his every word; my only regret was that I couldn't see his face, read his expressions, know when he was about to commit a crime, like kill someone.

He blew out smoke, the familiar smell of tobacco hitting me like an unexpected visitor yet one I'm always glad to see.

"You grew up well, Luciano," Silvio's broke Bruno's speech; I moved my head to peer at him; his elbows were planted on the table, his chin comfortably placed under his laced fingers.

"Im not Luciano, " Bruno contradicted, sounding authoritatively dangerous.

"Aaah, you changed your name, " Silvio mocked, a smirk on his lips. He was baiting Bruno, "Yes, I did, the same night I walked out, " Bruno confirmed, tapping the table with his fingers. I wasn't sure what Silvio expected to hear, but that wasn't it. He looked wounded, but that was ridiculous; why would he be hurt because Bruno changed his name? He already knew that. "You see, when I walked out of your gate that night, I knew I wouldn't be back. To tell you the truth, I didn't think I would live very long. But weeks turned to months, those turned to years, and I'm now thirty-five." he laughed humourlessly, his right hand holding the arm of his chair.

Silence descended, and awkwardness among the other men; some started smoking, others looked at Silvio in what appeared to be pity, or maybe it was consolation, I wasn't sure.

" I need to speak to Silvio and Freddie if you could all excuse us, " Bruno announced, moving his eyes around to the other men.

The sound of chairs screeching filled the room; all of them got up as fast as they could; it was as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Jesús sprinted to the injured guy, hauling him up by his other hand; he yelped in pain, his face covered in pain, tears falling down his face. I felt sorry for him; this wasn't a room for someone who had the normal threshold for pain.

"You need a new lawyer, " Bruno told Silvio with his eyes fixed on the guy he'd shot; he showed no remorse, no regret either, " This is not a place for you, " the guy glowered at Bruno through his tears, " it is not, " he shook his head to emphasis "the next time you'll get one through your skull, " he said like it wasn't a big deal, like putting a bullet through someone's head was almost equivalent to killing a buzzing mosquito.

While the board members were exiting the room, Freddie's men were entering. I recognized all of them; Massimo was the last to enter, his eyes taking in Bruno and the other guys, and then his eyes finally fell on me. They remained on me for more than a heartbeat, looking at me as if I was a piece of meat; that look made me feel dirty, disgusted, and embarrassed.