Chapter Three | Dear Fratello

"ECCELENTE, MAVERICK" Amelio muttered, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he took a sip of whiskey from the wine chalice in his other hand. He set the phone back on its mount before leaning over the banister on the terrace.

[translation: Excellent, Maverick]

The terrace of the penthouse He resided in had become his favorite part of the meager apartment. It granted him the privilege of watching the busy streets of New York from above. From his perspective, he felt like a god watching over the affairs of men as people bustled about unaware of being watched or scrutinized. They all seemed comparable to ants from where he stood, like how he saw them even when He passed them by on the streets.

Amelio De Santigo was a man who admonished the act of equality especially when it came to class. People were born on different tiers and he only respected or acknowledged those who'd been born on the same level or higher than him. Everyone below was equivalent to servants who he could have his way with or easily control and manipulate.

He gorged down the rest of his drink before making his way back inside.

The large penthouse was as magnificent as the best hotel in New York could have made it to be. The Four Seasons Hotel had admittedly satisfied Amelio's standards of resident. The size of the master's bedroom had caught his attention first, its capability to contain all the guests he'd invited was superb.

He watched all the girls sprawled across his king-size bed with contempt now. They all had honey blonde hair or wigs on, their black lingerie all identical as well as their heels. He reached for one, running his hands through the blonde curls, just like he always did to hers.

It'd been more than a year since He'd even set his eyes on Emilia. All these excruciating months had been spent with these dolls who attempted to replicate her appearance as much as they could. Their efforts had proven worthwhile at the preliminary months she'd been gone but had dwindled as time went by.

He'd truly believed that She'd finally get over what had happened and return to him but she never did. She didn't even call him; He couldn't reach her or trace her afterward either.

When His most trusted capo, Maverick, had informed him about a promising lead on her whereabouts, He'd given him the order immediately to move over to New York City to retrieve her. That had been three months ago but his investigation had yielded great results and He'd been able to recover his sister with no harm done to her.

Now the women before him appeared tainted in his eyes, all copycats that fooled themselves thinking they could ever imitate Emilia's beautiful features with their gimmicks. They'd served their purpose and the ideal woman for him was now on her way to him.

"It'd be best if you all leave," He said, placing his wineglass on the side table. They all blinked as if confused by what He'd said which slightly annoyed the young mafioso, "Do I need to repeat myself?" He questioned, watching as they scampered quickly, gathering their things and exiting the room.

He reached for the intercom on the wall, "See to it that the women leave as quickly as possible, then come clean my room and prepare the Jacuzzi for me and my guest" He said, relaying his message to the maids and the soldiers that were stationed around the apartment.

*

Emilia felt a pair of sturdy arms around her back and just below her bosom. She stirred uncomfortably for a while as his steady movements began, slowly rousing her from her lethargic slumber. Her eyelids fluttered lightly; her vision blurred momentarily before focusing on the face of a strange man.

His facial expression was stoic, his hazy green eyes fixated ahead of the path he walked and occasionally on the woman who was now awoken in his arms. He came across to her as a hardened criminal or well-trained capo. He seemed rather calm and moved at a steady pace as he walked into the elevator of what appeared to be an exclusive and highly rated hotel.

Emilia shut her eyes briefly as she worked through her jumbled-up memories, a throbbing ache working its way around her head, making it harder to recollect her thoughts.

The elevator lurched to a stop quicker than she'd anticipated. She remembered then that the man had mentioned something about working on her father's orders, her heartbeat picking up its pace at that revelation.

If her father was present, then that meant that-

Emilia's eyes widened as she stared at the man who stood at the entrance of an apartment-like penthouse, jolting the drowsy woman abruptly awake. Speaking of the devil, the man smirked at his sister's unsurprising reaction to his presence. It was obvious to him that she was still upset with him even after all the time that'd passed since the incident but It was unlike her to keep a grudge especially against him.

"Emilia" he whispers, strutting to where Maverick had now placed her down, easing her into his embrace.

She leaned into him for support as her knees buckled slightly from whatever her assailant had given her earlier. Amelio wrapped his hands around her, tightly pulling her closer to him.

"I've missed you so much" he admitted, resting his head softly at the crook of her neck. Unwarranted tears streamed down his cheeks, startling the woman in his arms.

He signaled for the capo and the maids currently in the living space of the room to leave by lifting his hand for a split second. They immediately did as they were instructed, shutting the door behind them, leaving the siblings some privacy to interact.

"How have you been" He asked, holding her at arm's length as his gaze ran over her whole body. He paused when he noticed the brown curls that the woman now donned as her main element of disguise.

He ran a hand over the curls, his face stoic and passive as he did so, intensifying her daunting anxiety. She knew how he felt about maintaining her 'perfect appearance' at all times because it pleased him. She was sure he wouldn't let the slight pass by without taking some action.

"Che cazzo è questo?" He questioned, all humor devoid from his words as he narrowed his eyes in slits, his hand still twirling a strand of the brown curls.

[translation: what the fuck is this?]

"I-I got tired of the blond hairdo and decided to try a different color" she replied, biting down on her bottom lip to stop its incessant quivering. She had never been able to stand tall under the scrutiny of her brother's piercing gaze. It seemed like He'd mastered the art of intimidation while she'd been away because Emilia was sure as hell intimidated by the man before her.

He leaned in, closing the minimal distance between them to whisper sultrily in her ear, "I don't like it mi amore, I want you to reverse whatever you've done or redye it in the shade I prefer, if not, I'll shave off every fucking strand of hair off your pretty little head. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal" She muttered, curling her fingers inwardly into fists as the sharp ache from her fingernails pierced against her skin, calming her wavering nerves.

Amelio was definitely the last person she'd expected her father to order to recover her. The Capo, she understood, Her maniac and possessive freak of a brother, not so much. Her father knew how perverse He got at times especially when it came to her, yet He'd blindly sent out the madman anyway.

Maybe it was a form of punishment or something, there was no other reason for this. Fariello must've been really pissed if he sent a mortal demon after her trail just to retrieve her. The ruthlessness of the man before her was beyond even her father's understanding. He was someone that even got the great Fariello De Santigo uneasy at times.

Now she had to remain by his side and tolerate his bullshit till they arrive in Milan, which was undeniably going to be the longest journey she'd ever ply on.

Amelio cupped her cheeks, running his thumbs over them as he pecked her forehead softly, an irritating habit that had always annoyed Emilia.

"Why don't I help you with it hm? I prepared a bath for us so we could do it before or after taking our bath together" the way he gave emphasis to the last word ran a shiver down her back.

"I'm good. I can take a bath on my own and I'm definitely not a stranger to the hair dying process" She retorted, moving to walk past him when he grabbed her arm, pulling her back in place.

"I apologize" He said, a grin spreading across his face as he dug his hands in his pockets, "It is my fault, it really is I tell you. You see, I think I made you misunderstand my previous statement. I asked you if you wanted my help, I asked out of courtesy mi amore, not because you had a fucking choice or say in it. So you either follow me to the bath willingly or I drag you in by that godforsaken hair you're donning now" he threatened, his smile widening as he gauged her reaction.

"What the fuck is really wrong with you" Emilia asked, tilting her head to the side slightly, "It's like you've finally gone mad. What on earth do you think Father would think if he heard that you attempted to rape or harm me in any way?"

"I never said I wanted to fuck you, its your dirty little mind that's already imagining what its really craving for" He teased, inching closer to her so that their faces were only inches apart, "But little Emmy, what do you think Father would think if he found out that you've been fucking an American police officer? No, that you're engaged to one, one that's been threatening to eradicate all our operation points here hm? Which do you think would piss him off the more? It'll just be a replay of history all over again, don't you think?"

Emilia took a step back from him, her eyes widening at the thought of the consequences her father's knowledge about James would bring.

She made a conscious effort to abstain from placing her hand over her tummy lest it draws unwanted attention on the possibility of a pregnancy.

She stared at Amelio's lopsided grin, narrowing her eyes as she reached her hand out to him.

"Just so you know, I fucking hate you" She spat as he took her hand in his, leading her to the stairwell that led to the master's chamber.

Amelio was silent to her statement, not bothering to look back as they ascended the steps, clenching his jaw in a bid to contain his anger.

*

Emilia recalled how she'd longed for her brother's special hair treatment as she liked to call it, then when she was relentlessly in love with him. Amelio, though an Underboss and a ruthless mafioso, was admittingly a skilled hairdresser in disguise. It was evident just from the way he styled his inky jet-black hair that was gently straightened and sleeked back.

He'd constantly opt to tend to her hair whenever he could, styling and treating it to his own satisfaction. It didn't seem weird to her then, she reveled in the quiet moments they shared whilst he did so, watching him intently through the reflection of her dressing mirror as he worked.

Now she sat in a bathtub, her back against his chest as he worked on her hair. They were both stark naked, an annoying bulge ebbing at the intersection of her butt as he moved.

Sooner than she expected, he was done with the process, donning a bonnet on her hair before relaxing behind her.

"All done mi amore" He whispered, pecking the crook of her neck before leaning back, "we can complete the process after our bath"

Emilia could swear that she could taste the sourness of bile from the back of her throat. She was sure that if the man behind her were to make any move, she wouldn't hesitate to hurl the contents of her tummy in the tub of water.

He ran a hand along her back, drawing circles with his fingers, causing the woman to jolt away from him.

"Stop" she snapped, turning to face her brother, whose face was visibly shrouded with lust as his eyes pried over her body. It was obvious to her that he was definitely not listening to a word she was saying anymore.

He held unto her arm, drawing her closer to him, their lips finding each other's as he placed his hand at the back of her head, deepening the unwelcomed kiss.

Emilia struggled against his hold as he slipped his other hand around her waist, firmly holding her in place.

"Why are you resisting me, mi amore? We've gone way past this stage, can't you see what you're doing to me?" he whispered as she finally broke away from his hold, settling at the opposing end of the tub at a safe distance.

"We went past this stage, in the past. There is no 'we' anymore Amelio, There is only you and I as separate individuals and siblings. The sooner you get that into your head, the better for you" she retorted, wiping her lips with the back of her hand dramatically as he narrowed his eyes in slits as she did so.

"There's an end to my patience, Emilia. Even for you. All you've done since you arrived-"

"Since I was kidnapped you mean" she interjected, earning a scowl from the young mafioso in front of her.

"Since you were brought back," he corrected, "All you've done is reject my advances and make angry remarks, all which I have generously overlooked, but Emilia, if you think I'll take any more of your revolting attitude tonight, then you're in for a frightful surprise" he warned, the thin lines around his eyes now visible as he spoke.

"Amelio," she muttered under her breathe as she warded off the tears that threatened to let loose, "How do expect me to react after everything that you did to me? Did you think that for some reason, I'd wake up the next day and forget it ever happened and move on? Even when I wanted to, I couldn't keep the nightmares and horrific images out of my head! so don't think you can threaten me cause I have seen the worst parts of you that one could only imagine, so I'm prepared to suffer as long as I do not yield to you"

Amelio looked taken aback as a fond memory that changed the course of their relationship flashed through his mind, Emilia's sobbing and screeching echoing in its backdrop. He took a deep breath as he looked back at her small frame across from him, a look of anger etched at her facial features as she watched him.

He could have easily apologized again like he did in the past severally to which she still never forgave but instead he thought of the only option in which he could deal a blow to the firm ground she stood as well as getting what exactly he wanted from her.

Blackmail.

It was his most twisted and dirty trump card he used when dealt with difficult and impossible situations like the one before him now. The only leverage he had now, was her American boyfriend. She seemed so attached to him that she feared for their father finding out about him. Just as she'd feared in the past.

"Emilia" He began, "being your brother and most caring sibling, I will present two options for you to choose from"

"What options are you talking about? I've told you already. I'm not giving into-"

"It's either we resume our concurrent sexual and intimate relationship, burying our previous grievances or, you retain your stance and I'll personally put a bullet between the eyes of your most beloved boyfriend" he interjects, smirking as she visibly falters at his presented bargain.

Emilia lets out a shaky breath as she weighs the options-she clearly doesn't possess-and tries to wrap her head around his perverse proposal. There was no other way she could see their relationship if she agreed to it as a consensual one. It was blatant violation of her body unwillingly but Amelio obviously didn't care about that at all, all he wanted was her. Whether she approved of it or not.

That's just how sick the bastard was and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Fine" she said, biting down painfully on her bottom lip as a smile etched its way at the corner of her brother's lips.

He held out his hand from where he sat, his smile widening as she put hers in his, pulling her closer to him.

"buona scelta" he mumbled as he leaned in for a kiss.

[translation: good choice]