★LUCIANO★

For the umpteenth time today, I heard a knock on my room door and Romano's voice followed. "I don't intend to leave this time, Luciano. You've been cooped up in your room since morning. This is going to make it the thirtieth time I'm knocking your fucking door today. And you locked yourself up refusing to answer." I heard him sigh before adding.

"Until when do you plan to do this, Luciano? I understand that Mrs. Andrea finding out last night must have hit you hard, but for how long does the mighty Luciano want to remain hidden in his room like a coward?"

With my back flat on the bed, I shoved my fingers into my hair, rummaging through and then I heaved a sigh alongside.

Romano just couldn't take a hint. Every time he came knocking, I've asked him to fuck off, so why the hell does he keep disturbing me?

"Go away, Romano!" I roared.

"No, I won't." He fired back. "I'm going to sit down by your door until you've decided to open it. If need be, I'll be sleeping on this cold, bare-tiled floor tonight. Watch me make myself miserable or talk to me, the choice is yours!"

I grunted again. To be honest, Romano could be a pain in the ass when he planned to. However, if he wasn't my best friend, my soul brother, and my confidant, it would have taken me nothing to walk up there, open the door, and put a bullet through his head.

For real, I despise nuisance!

"Talk to me, Luciano. Let me know what is going on in your mind, that kept you locked up. You missed so many things we've scheduled for today and I want to know why." He added again.

Realizing that Romano wasn't ready to give up as he asserted, I pulled myself to a sitting position with a loud, grumpy grunt and then glared at the door. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I rose to my feet and cussed beneath my breath before going ahead to open it.

The door creaked open to reveal a distressed Romano. His eyes narrowed at my face and before I could reprimand him for disturbing me, he covered the distance between us and wrapped his arms around my frame. And I froze.

I fucking froze.

Romano and I may be bros, but hugging has never been part of our thing. Damn! When did he grow this soft?

My eyes widened and I didn't know how to feel as he hugged me. So I asked instead. "What are you doing, man?"

"You look like you needed a little hug," he chided with a chuckle. His hands were still wrapped around me. "I decided to be the nice guy and initiate it."

"Ugh." My body trembled with irritation as I peeled him off me. "Don't do that ever again."

"Fuck, Luciano. Why do you have to make everything so awkward?" He said as he took two steps back.

While he strutted to my bed and plopped down on it, I closed the door behind me before turning to face him.

Romano scanned around the room, then brought his scrutinizing gaze to me. "So tell me....what made you so down since morning that you couldn't even wish your girl a happy birthday?"

"I already wished her last night when I saw her, remember?" I replied, readjusting the hem of my pants.

"Say what?" Romano's mouth dropped open in shock and I wondered what the whole drama was about. "So because of that, you think it's done? No Bro, how do you intend to win her heart that way? You see when trying to woo a woman, you have to pay attention to little details. Wishing her today would have been more effective than yesterday or tomorrow." He explained while I rolled my eyes at him and then plopped on the bed, beside him.

"Since when did you become a woman expert?" I inquired with an arched brow.

"Since when do you sit in your room, moping?" Romano threw back at me, issuing me an inquisitive stare.

Not wanting to answer his question, I heaved a sigh and then said something else instead. "Don't bother about Janie. My gifts would make up for any aspects I've wronged her."

"Your gifts?" Romano reiterated after me. "Cocky much. What kind of gift did you give her, Luciano?"

"You don't need to know," I said coldly.

"Let me guess, you carved out your heart and put it in a box alongside a note, telling her to stab it anytime she thinks of you and she feels that pure hatred towards you?" He teased and I smacked him playfully on the chest.

"C'mon, Roman."

The both of us chuckled. And it was at that moment I realized I just laughed for the first time today. After my laughter died down, I said to Romano.

"You will find out about Janie's gift soon enough. Maybe then, you'd admit that you aren't a woman expert where I am." I joked.

"Hmmm." Romano shrugged then chuckled again. "I guess I'd have to take notes from my teacher then." The amusement on his face vanished immediately as he added. "By the way, are you still mad about Mrs Andrea?"

Pausing to question my guts, it was then I realized that I wasn't exactly furious with the disdainful word Mrs Andrea hurled at my face, last night. Rather, it was something else.

I shook my head. "No, Romano. I just want to know who's the snitch. There is no way Mrs. Andrea must have found out about her son's death all by herself because I didn't leave any traces of Pablo lying around carelessly in the Mansion."

"True." He agreed to my words. "Well, while you spent the entire day, cooped up in your room, I spent the entire day, digging and I got to know how Mrs Andrea found out."

Immediately, my lips parted in disbelief. Curiosity piqued my interest as I demanded. "How?"

"I spent the entire morning interrogating everyone and they all denied coming in contact with Mrs. Andrea, except Norman."

"Fucking Norman!" I cursed beneath gritted teeth, already feeling a fit of rage build within me.

"Uhn uhn." Romano placed a hand on my shoulder. "Before you go about, seeking Norman's head, he explained what happened to me."

Clenching and unclenching my fist, I asked. "What?"

Romano dragged a long exaggerated sigh before starting. "Well..... Mrs Andrea knew Norman from way back. She is his aunt. They've been in this environment without coming across each other because she works inside the mansion and Norman works at the warehouse. But they met yesterday. It was like a little family reunion and she was excited. They talked for a while, and then Mrs. Andrea asked if he knew about the trip Pablo embarked on to Africa. Norman oblivious to the whole thing, asked what trip? That's when Mrs Andrea suspected something was up and she persuaded him to tell her. He refused because he knew the news of her son's death would break her. Remember, Norman was aware of his death, but he wasn't aware that we lied about it. Nevertheless, Mrs. Andrea decided to do some digging while we were away last night, and it was then she came across the black room." He explained everything to me thoroughly and I couldn't stop staring at him in utter shock.

The black room happened to be the place where I kept my victim's belongings. Sometimes, I send them to their family plus a huge sum of money.

That money was a consolation prize, irrespective of my victim's transgressions.

My heart tightened.

"I feel really bad about this." I eventually brought myself to say. "Not for Pablo though, but for his mother. How can I make it up to her, Romano?"

Romano issued me a quizzical look. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Of course, I am," I admitted truthfully.

"Alright then, I have some men following her around right now. Although she's been at the beach, staring at the ocean since morning. However, we can send Norman to her. He will get her somewhere nice to sleep, and try to get her a house and a befitting burial for her son. But you have to make sure you don't kill the other one left." He chided playfully and I smacked him.

Letting out a chortle, I concurred with the advice Romano had just given me. "Fine, let's do it."