It may not have been noticeable but behind his signature impassive expression he had the harshest snarl on his lips and if he wasn't sure before, he was now—

Old people disgusted him.

Especially the one standing across from him.

"For God's sake, Don Nero, let him speak." Doña Lombardi spoke up, cutting the man off mid-sentence.

The speaker shot the elderly woman a threatening glare in an attempt to intimidate her but she merely rolled her eyes. Just like Tobias, she was used to it.

"Sit down, Lisandro. We are tired of your rambling." Another equally ancient person said, finally forcing the man to sit down.

They turned their attention to Tobias who had his arms folded across his chest as he watched the scene.

He stared back at them.

How could they call for a meeting to hear his report and then spend the past hour arguing?

"Have you no shame?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the single man he had a peculiar disdain for. "Your son caused all of this yet you consider it fair to lead the meeting."

Nero frowned at him, "You are not particularly known for thinking things through."

Tobias muffled a chuckle with his fist as he thought over all that had happened. He had forgotten that Nero was a devout worshiper of his father. He almost could not wait for him to join his master.

The man had his first son try to kill him and now, his second son was on the run for killing a former active member of the organization. Yet, he was the one known for not thinking things through.

"If your sons thought things through, one of them would still be alive and the other would not be in exile." He said calmly, watching as the man's face fell. Good.

"How dare you?" Nero seethed and Tobias rolled his eyes. No wonder Doña Lombardi could not take him seriously.

"No, how dare you?" He retorted, "Your heirs have stabbed the family in the back twice and yet you believe you are in the best position to pry into my matters."

"Your matters have caused the death of a member, Don Ferna."

"Yes, the death of the same member that was caused by his son." He watched as Luis's father, Don Obero frowned. They all wore the same questioning expressions.

He was about to have the longest day.

"We want you to tell us how that happened." The only person he could tolerate, Doña Lombardi said softly.

Tobias leaned into his seat with a loud exhale. He wondered what Eniola was doing at that moment. Something much better than this, that's for sure.

He had to leave her as soon as they had landed but thankfully, Jacinto, Alvaro's brother, was there to receive them and volunteered to show her around.

"If you would keep his mouth sealed while I talk then maybe I would." He negotiated, watching as everyone including Lisandro Nero nodded, albeit reluctantly.

He selected his words cautiously, careful to not over-share or raise more questions. He had a lot to keep to himself. Especially matters concerning Alvaro, Eniola, and Lucado. Fortunately, the council was mature enough to listen to him.

"Do you completely believe that the Sicilians are done with all this?" Doña Lombardi asked as he quickly drank a bottle of water.

He had talked for too long.

"Si."

The look on their faces showed that they wanted him to explain more and he hesitantly did.

"Varo is sending their brother back to them tomorrow. In an exchange for fifteen million. I would have done that myself if you did not call for me." Tobias replied.

"Alvaro Montez still works for you?" Nero asked, not bothering to mask his disgust.

"Yes, Don Nero, your dead son's ex-boyfriend still works with me." He grinned as the old man sucked in a breath.

If anything, Tobias enjoyed puddering the man.

"What about the policeman in your custody?" Nero asked, getting over his displeasure. "And do you think the one that escaped would not raise alarm?"

Tobias hated to admit that he had a point but if Amalie Foster was going to do anything, she would have done so already. But still, she was a threat.

"What would you do about her then?" Doña Hinata, Mateo's mother asked.

"Well, getting rid of her was already on my vision board. I'll consult Varo before I make any decisions concerning Sergei Rachovic as he has not made things difficult for me in any way."

"Did you not say he was spying on you and the other members?" Another asked and he shrugged.

If he were being honest, he had completely forgotten about the man.

"Are you completely sure you do not need our assistance?" Doña Lombardi urged and he easily waved her worries away.

He handled Eisenfaust with ease.

The breakaway Sicilian mafia was nothing he would sweat about.

"If I ever needed your aid in any way, I would have contacted you first-" He was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. "Excuse me."

Tobias ignored the disapproving looks on their faces as he stood up from the center seat and left the room. He could swear he heard his back pop into place.

"Hola, ¿quién es?" He asked calmly, leaning over the balcony.

He did not have more than five numbers on his personal phone but he was sure it was someone he knew. It could be Varo. He never cared enough to save his number.

"Fuck, even your Spanish sounds hot." Tobias smiled immediately after he heard the voice.

He may have been falling a little bit too hard.

"Fuego..." He called almost fondly, "Is there a problem?"

A part of him hoped there was. It would give him a solid excuse to leave the meeting. But then, they would know about her and ask even more questions.

There was no escaping them.

"Yes actually..." She paused for a while to speak to someone, "Would you prefer a light blue sweatshirt or a yellow one?"

He raised his brow like she could see him.

It was six in the evening. Did she really go shopping? But again, he could not blame her, he had paired her up with Jacinto who like his brother, enjoyed fashion.

She had to do some exploring on her own.

"Hey, babe? You busy?"

He looked back at the room with the door slightly ajar. They could wait.

"Not at the moment. I'd prefer the blue one." He said, listening to her hum. "Where are you?"

"Pepe, can you help me tell her to look for a bigger size? Oh- I'm at this mall. I don't know the name." She said with light laughter. "It has this long ass name... When would you be coming back?"

Tobias was happy simply because she was in a good mood.

"Soon enough. The council is being slightly difficult." He confessed tiredly.

His plans to sleep during their flight were left in the US immediately he was alone with her. Some things are more important.

He just could not get enough of her.

"Tobias?" Her voice dragged him back to the present as he tugged at his hair in frustration. His pants were suddenly a size too small. He had to get a hold of himself.

"I am here." He replied, silently cursing his sudden pervertedness. All she was doing was speaking to him over the phone and yet he was already so hard.

"I'll get both colors. I think they would suit you." She decided for him, "Take it easy, okay? See you soon."

He almost facepalmed himself when the call ended. Hopefully, she would not think he was being strange or distant again. It was the exact opposite.

Tobias managed to calm himself before returning to the hellfire that had been disguised as a meeting,

"Where was I?"

~~~

"Would there be anything else, Varo?" Tobias asked as he finally entered his home.

It was past midnight and after the meeting, there were other factors that had delayed him. Including the painfully long drive from the estate.

He was sure he would have fallen asleep if he had no driver or well, sailor.

"Eh, not really. I'll be dropping off Giovanni tomorrow evening so that's about it." The lawyer replied while Tobias took off his boots. Thankfully, it was not yet cold enough to wear more than a simple sweater and a pair of jeans.

"Of course. Make sure to give me a call before then?" There was a chance that he would still be in Spain by then. The least he could do was attempt to keep in touch.

"I'll keep you updated, Gato."

"Tobias."

His eyes fell on Jacinto who lazily held an unlit cigarette as he leaned against the wall. He was on a call as well.

Unlike his brother, his shoulder-length hair was in cornrows as he watched Tobias. He was almost a splitting image of Alvaro save for his slightly shorter height and broader shoulders.

He nodded at Jacinto before returning his attention to Varo, "Oh, Varo?"

"Si?"

"How's Cricket?" He asked, not failing to hear the lawyer kiss his teeth.

"Alive." Varo answered dully. "Vittore is taking care of it... I guess."

"Thank you and one more thing-" He suddenly remembered, "Can I have the ring I gave to you when I return?"

He looked at the large one on his ring finger. Now that he was in Spain, he could not be seen without it. No matter how heavy it was for him.

"Sure, but it's in Cuba. Would you answer if I asked why?"

Tobias stared at Jacinto who had already strolled away from him, still on the phone call.

"Honestly, I am not sure..." He said with a sigh.

What was he doing? Was he going to give a family heirloom to Eniola simply because she asked?

Yes.

"You want to propose already? I never thought I'd hear you say that." Varo laughed as his ears turned warm.

Who said anything about proposing?

"Shut up, Alvaro." He said quietly, "Just get me the ring."

"You're fucking whipped, Gato."

He immediately hung up only to be met by the younger version of his teaser wearing an amusing smile.

Before he could speak, Jacinto interrupted him. "Don't worry, I won't ask."

Thank you.

He decided to change the topic as Jacinto toyed with his cigarette, it was obvious he longed to light it up. Tobias would not hesitate to shove the burning part down his throat if he did so.

"How is she?" He asked and Jacinto rubbed his chin.

"She said she wanted to do a bit of work that Mateo sent to her but with how heavy her eyes were, I'm pretty sure she's knocked out by now." He said easily as Tobias took a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"And how was your day with her?" Although he would ask her about it, he chose to ask Jacinto first in case she planned to hide anything from him.

The question seemed to rile Jacinto up.

"Exhausting." He started, "Does she have to visit everywhere in a day?"

Tobias chuckled at his expression.

She could do whatever she wanted.

"She has never been to Spain. I apologize for the inconvenience." He said politely, teasing Jacinto would be of no use to him.

"Eh, it was fun I guess. She's pretty cool." He waved it off with a small smile. "But next time, give me a heads up so I can clear up my schedule. I have to be in Valencia by tomorrow."

Tobias was glad the family accepted her.

"Varo already told you about Esmeralda?" He asked, and Jacinto nodded.

"I still don't know why I'll be supplying to different members of the same family but sure, if you think it's a good idea..." He trailed off. "I learned she would not be paying?"

"Si. Just send me an invoice. I'll take care of it." He watched as Jacinto yawned and nodded. "You can go home now, Pepe. Thank you for watching her today."

Jacinto waved as he walked past him. They had never had the best relationship but he was closer than most.

Varo had a spot that was simply irreplaceable and the younger brother, though Tobias's peer, had to settle below him.

"Goodnight, Gato."

~~~

Tobias easily recognised the song playing before he got to the secondary living room.

'To the heart and mind... Ignorance is kind...'

He drummed his fingers on the doorframe for a moment, a small smile stretching his lips as he took in the scene before him.

In the warmly lit room, what seemed to be family photographs were scattered across the floor. One of the few albums he had was stacked close to an open computer.

He peeked at the dim screen where a tab filled with spreadsheets was open. The email application was also minimized at the bottom of the screen.

It seemed like she was actually working.

He tilted his head at the woman sprawled over his sofa.

Half of her body was already leaning towards the floor. Her hand unconsciously grazed an unopened bottle of whiskey that sat by the sofa. Her face was completely concealed by her dark hair that was braidless again. How she had time for hair appointments and other selfcare fascinated him.

Softly, he pushed away the hair from her face and touched her cheek, "Eniola..."

Eniola only snuggled into the throw pillow as he chuckled. And she said he was the deep sleeper.

Tobias let her be for a while as he quietly collected the photos. He picked up a familiar one, feeling his fist curl around the laminated paper.

In the picture, he was merely a baby and his sister was a toddler. His mother had him to her chest and his father held Rebecca above his head.

He kept his eyes on his father, trying his best to ignore the unsettling feeling in his chest.

There was no one he had feared more than Farrell Fernandez. But that was until he realized his father was just like him.

Greedy. Cunning. Insane-

Human.

Just like every other man, the all-powerful Don Fernandez was human and humans could die.

It had taken him an embarrassingly long time to realize it and when he did, it seemed like the gates of heaven were opened to him. He would have been foolish to waste the opportunity.

Thanks to that revelation, he reconnected with his sister and had a right hand man he trusted with his whole life.

"That's your dad right?" Eniola asked, her voice hoarse from sleep. He immediately relaxed as her hand patted his chest from where she laid.

Somehow, he had ended up with his back against the sofa.

He nodded in response.

"Good thing your mum was good-looking." Tobias laughed at her jab.

But she was right.

Unlike his father's pale blonde hair and dark eyes, his mother was tall with a skin tone so olive you would know for sure she spent hours in the sun. She had the most beautiful hair he had ever seen and eyes so gray they looked like crystals.

Luckily, he and Rebecca had taken after her but he was stuck with almost chwhite skin.

He still knew he was far above average.

"I miss her." He said quietly, keeping the picture away from his line of sight.

As much as he longed to destroy the photograph, his mother had been painfully in love with the man. He would keep it. To respect her at least.

"Do you miss yours?" He asked, slowly intertwining his fingers with hers that rested on his shoulders.

Eniola sighed, "Not really. You can't miss someone that was never there."

It was the exact reason he felt no guilt for what he did to his father and at that very moment, he wished he had strangled the man instead.

Nothing would have felt better than watching disbelief, panic and shock flash across the man's eyes as his own son choked him with the very hands that he had taught him how to hold a gun with.

"Baby?" She called, gently pulling him away from the dark thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Tobias shook his head honestly.

He needed a distraction.

Eniola untangled their hands and slid down the couch. He watched as she reached for the bottle and cracked open the seal.

"I know you don't drink a lot of alcohol but you seem like you need some right now." She said with a comforting smile. "And well, you need to unwind after spending the whole day arguing with old people."

She knew he did not wish to talk about it and for the hundredth time, he appreciated it.

"How about we share a bottle and just enjoy the night..." She looked at the time on his wristwatch. "Eh... morning."

He laughed at her small mistake and reached for her hand.

Only Eniola would advise him to drink away his problems.

"I do not handle alcohol well."

She shrugged at his response, tipping the entire bottle into her mouth.

"Neither do I."

Her eyes had immediately teared up because of the burn and all he could do was smile.

"Your turn."

He stared at the bottle unsurely. It looked cheaper than what he would usually prefer but he still took it.

"Drink it! Drink it!! Drink it!!!" Eniola cheered as his lips touched the bottle.

It had an almost sweet smell. Perhaps it would not taste-

He choked mid-swallow as it suddenly burned his throat. It soon turned into a coughing session with Eniola patting his back reassuringly.

"Yeah, you weren't kidding." She said with a teasing smile. He on the other hand had only begun to breathe properly.

Usually things like this would embarrass him but at that moment, him choking on alcohol like a teenager was downright hilarious.

She took the bottle from him and raised a finger in front of him, "Come closer."

As he did so, she immediately took another swig and pressed her lips against his. Instinctively, he opened his mouth, letting the whiskey pour into his own mouth.

His eyes widened as she held him in place by the back of his neck, "Swallow."

Like he had any other choice.

Tobias forced the alcohol down his throat, wanting nothing more than to continue with the kiss and was extremely disappointed when she pulled away.

"Don't worry," She started with a wide smile as she jiggled the bottle in front of him. "There's more than enough to get us drunk."

He was already looking forward to emptying the whole bottle as she kissed him again.

~~~

Yes, the next chapter (47) is going to be a drunk one and it may/may not include a few drunken confessions and sex.

It's basically going to be fluffy and lovey dovey to make up for what is going to happen in the next chapters.

To prepare yourselves for the rest of the chapters after 47, please read the trigger warnings I listed in the beginning of the book.

Oh—

I forgot to mention that I have a tiktok page dedicated to this book. The username is @favvyyyy and I need ideas for content so pleaseeeeeeee let me know if you have anything in mind!

Have a wonderful night/day!🖤

P.S: This authors note was eleven months ago. I don't care what you bitches do.🤩