“Ah, my passerotto. I see it in your eyes. You’ve seen the gates of hell, yet still walk upon this earth.” Romeo swished a glass of red wine. He reclined on his fine sofa—unlike my usual trips to Romeo’s apartment, my Uncle wasn’t alone this time; there was a trio of strangers. A woman in a fine red dress who’d let me in when I reached a lobby. Then there were the two men built like brick houses with scrunched faces, scars, and broken noses, which spoke volumes, even if they didn’t say a word while lurking in the corners.

I paced uncomfortably in front of them. Never had this apartment held such an oppressive air, as if a creature lurked out of sight, waiting to pounce on me. Romeo’s bright eyes regarded me, his gold watch glittering at his wrist. I cleared my throat.

“I uh, yea. It’s been a rough week. But I got through it, and everyone’s back where they should be.”

“And the boy who harmed our family? You saw to him personally, if I understand correctly, yes?” Romeo took a small sip of his wine, and the woman in the red dress slid next to him.

As far as I was aware, Romeo didn’t have a girl, but I suppose my Uncle never really spoke about himself. Still, her eyes, she trained them on me the way a hawk might stare at a mouse, with a hunger in her face I didn’t understand.

“I didn’t slice his head off myself—but I was a big part of it.” I shifted uncomfortably. He knew, and we both knew the reason why.

“As it should be. It can be hard killing, but some must die. Those that cross our blood and would do us harm best serve the heavens by being buried in the ground.”

I’d avoided addressing it before, but… “Uncle—how do I put this? You’re with the Segreto family, aren’t you? What is it you do for them?”

He swirled the red wine, looking at his cup. “My dear passerotto, the way you say as if it’s vinegar on your tongue. They aren’t like that childish gang of yours, passerotto. They’re our famiglia, mine, yours, and your fathers. They are part of our blood, don’t you understand? We owe them loyalty by virtue of our life. Before, I would have seen my brother’s son admitted much sooner—but your mother, ah, she is a bit touchy with the topic, no?”

I blinked at him, feeling a pit in my stomach. “What are you saying?”

“It is past time you stop playing with the children, yes? You have much to learn. I can see now that leaving you out of your famiglia was a mistake; it is my fault that such trouble and danger came to your and your mother’s home. That shall no longer be the case.” Romeo straightened, unfolding his legs and leaning forward, gaunt face shadowed by the burning candles on his fine oak table.

“I—I can’t do that, my friends need me, besides, I… My Soul—“

Romeo frowned and gestured toward me. The woman at his side. She slid to her feet like a flowing river, crossing the room in a second. She set her red fingernails on my arm, and a double of her appeared at my other side, running a hand down my back; her palms took on a green glow, and I gasped.

It felt like someone was kicking around the Spirit Seed inside my chest; Even though it was hardly long and she retreated soon after, I couldn’t shake the sensation of someone peering at my insides. “Extensive damage to the Soul Roots. Torn apart. Like someone shoved a knife in and went wild.” She shook her head and sighed. “A two-month long treatment routine, along with the correct herbal restoratives, should bring him back to a stable state. Do you understand, caporegime?”

Romeo tilted his head. “Easy enough cost. It shall be a simple thing.”

I didn’t like the way he’d planned around me, as if it were a given. I appreciated the aspect of healing me and fronting the cost, but the way Romeo was acting… My eyes narrowed, “And my friends? They coming with me?”

“Ah, my dear passerotto. That is not to be, no. One is tied to the Himawari, and another is linked to Schäfer. We rarely accept those not connected to our family by blood, let alone those with such strong bonds to our enemies. That is simply the way of these things; I am sure you understand.”

I looked at him and the other finely dressed people in the room. All of their faces were emotionless. Who were they? Who was my Uncle to them? Why would I be an exception to their rules to let them go so far for me? Because of my father? Because of Romeo?

Even more concerning, what did he mean that two of them had relations with the Himawari Sect and Schäfer? We were all just goddamn street rats scrambling around.

“Naw, I don’t think so. This aint for me.” I began to back away towards the door. Romeo downed the rest of his glass and raised two fingers. The two bulky guys in the corners of the room shifted quickly—far faster than men their size should be capable of, and blocked the exit. I turned between them and Romeo, anxiety hammering my heart. Fuck, was this really happening? Was my own Uncle turning on me? Was he punishing me for getting Ma and Alex dredged through all that trouble?

I shifted on my heels as Romeo stood, slowly rolling back the sleeves on his fine silk dress shirt. The woman in the red dress poured herself a glass of wine as Romeo advanced. He wore a lopsided grin.

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A second after I moved, Rome sprang forward with a fist rocketing towards my cheek. It was a transparent move, but the sheer fucking speed behind it defied what I thought he’d been capable of. Even with all of our training, that burst of raw power caught me flat-footed. I did my best to turn my cheek with the hit—transforming it from a one-hit knockout into a graze that tore into my face. His ring caught my skin and drew a gash as I danced away.

Romeo let me slip away and threw a few practice punches at the air; however more concerning, the amusement radiating off him. Each blow displaced air. I felt it. If any of those connected, I’d be done.

There was only one choice. I needed my Soul Seed to give me an edge, so I tried to call my Crows.

I made a major mistake. The attempt to Manifest my Soul felt like a knife digging into my guts. The sheer pain made me double over. I gasped for breath. Before I realized the extent of my folly, a pointed dress shoe arced into my vision and slammed into my nose. I flew through the air only to crash my back into the hardwood floor.

“Get up,” Romeo commanded as I struggled to regain my breath. Fuck. “Get up now.”

That same voice in the same tone I’d grown used to through the countless training sessions we’d had together. If it weren’t pure instinctual reactions to his commands drilled through me at this point, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to move past the pain. But the command purified my thoughts. One unsteady foot at a time, I stood again. Romeo nodded. “Fists, passerotto.”

I couldn’t resist him. In an act that was more obedient than I’d ever been in my life, I raised my fists. Romeo struck again. Showing that same ferocity and intensity that extended past any of what he’d shown before, the man took careful measures not to provide a second for me to think. I dodged on instinct but still took bare knuckles as he slipped my guard.

When he hit, it was with a measured power. Enough to shake me, yet not break, even in my weakened state. Though it hurt, the physical pain had nothing on the lingering ache from trying to Manifest my soul.

In short order, Romeo busted my face open. All the while, he wore a grin

After twenty minutes of taking the abuse, I fell onto the ground for the fifth time and was once again told to get to my feet. This time after I managed it, Romeo withdrew. His knuckles bled and tore, yet there wasn’t a single bead of sweat on his face.

“Do you understand? This world is unforgiving and cruel. Your friends may be there for you at the moment, but they are amici. Just friends. They are not your family: they will not bleed for you or throw themselves upon a sword for your sake. Should a knife be held to their tongue, they will not refuse to speak your name. That is what it means to be family. That is the difference between our famiglia and your friends.” Romeo gestured to the woman in the red dress, who refilled his glass, then she set it in his extended hand and bowed her head.

I stared at him the best I could, one of my eyes too swollen to see properly. Like the first time Romeo busted me open after my mistake at the gambling den, he’d decided to make a point with this impromptu sparring session. Punishment for not doing what he wanted. Or was it punishment for hurting our goddamn famiglia?

Was this what it meant to be family? An ember of hate for Romeo burned in me for the first time. The luxury he lived in, the casual way he took things as a given, and the dismissal of the things I valued as a child's pastime? Even the mirth that twinkled in his eyes as he regarded my bruised form.

“No, this aint for me,” I said stiffly. Romeo shook his head.

“Have it your way, This, too, is what it means to be family. It hurts me and all of us to see you make such foolish decisions, but of course, we shall be here for when you inevitably fall and hurt yourself. That is what famiglia is for. Make your mistakes, learn from them, and you may always call upon your Uncle when you have finally realized that you need us. We shall be there, waiting.” He smiled at me as if he’d not mercilessly smacked me around for twenty minutes.

He nodded to the two brick houses guarding the door, and they stepped aside. With aching steps, I made my way towards the exit, and I kept my eyes locked on my Uncle the entire time.

“When your friends betray you and shatter your heart. When the world sinks its fangs into you, your family shall always be here for you to return to. May the Divine keep their eyes upon you, my dear passerotto.” I couldn’t find the words to reply to that, so I opted not to, leaving through the door and dashing down the stairs.

I got on my bike then rode out into the night of New Valentine.

Romeo offered me what I’d lost—family. But they weren’t Ma and Alex. Romeo might have been there, but I didn’t really know things about my Uncle. He was in deep with the Segreto and claimed I belonged to them too. They weren’t there for me like Ma and Alex, and comparing them like that—pissed me off. Romeo might’ve been. But they weren’t.

Blood? When had they proved I could trust them? I hardly knew what they were. No, my friends, I’d chosen. They’d bled with me and had my best interest at heart.

Still, his words sat in my head, wondering what he meant by them being tied to the Himawari Sect—or Schäfer. Ridiculous. As I pulled back up to Seaside and Bruno’s fine apartment, the words came full force. I stared up at the massive apartment building, wondering for the hundredth time this day, how was Bruno affording this place?

I wouldn’t let paranoia eat at me. That wasn’t the right way to live; I’d spent so long alone on the street without people backing me. I’d believed the only people I could trust were Ma and Alex. Now that Romeo told me the same thing I’d been telling myself for years, the thought was as poisonous as a snake’s venom.

I didn’t want to live in this world if I couldn’t trust them. Even if they were going to betray me, I decided that was the price I’d pay.

Bruno and Eve crashed into the apartment later that night, bursting into my room and dragging me out to another club to get drunk. I’d refused to meet them, and Eve wasn’t about to allow me to get away with it. They remarked on my fucked up face, and I played it off, saying that Suzaki’d get to it in the morning.

Even with the pain, I found they’d picked the right treatment.

We spent the night getting toasted, dropping all of our worries together in favor of a single night of sloppy drinking and merrymaking. I forgot about Romeo, my family, and the fact my Soul was fucked three ways to hell and just enjoyed the moment. Everything else could wait. I’d sort it out with my friends.