My Childhood Bully is a Mafia Boss-Chapter 133

Giovanni

I didn’t move a muscle as I saw Ellie creeping up behind the intruder.

Jesus, what the hell was this woman doing? I told her to stay in the panic room!

With every fiber of my being, I willed Ellie to stay hidden, to wait for the right moment. My muscles tensed, ready to react at a split second’s notice.

The masked man’s grip on the gun tightened, his stance aggressive and threatening. I couldn’t risk making a move without knowing Ellie was safe.

Ellie’s eyes met mine briefly, a silent exchange passing between us. I saw determination and trust in her gaze, a fierce loyalty that I had never experienced before. It fueled my resolve to protect her at all costs.

"You have nowhere to run, Giovanni," the intruder hissed.

"I am not trying to run. This is my house," I snarled at him.

The intruder laughed, a cold and sinister sound. "You may own this house, but you don’t own me. And right now, I am in control."

I clenched my jaw, fury coursing through me. How dare he come into my home and threaten my family? "Who are you?" I barked.

The masked man sneered, his eyes glittering with malice. "You don’t need to know who I am. What you need to know is that your time is up."

"Is that right?" I mocked. Up close, I could tell the man was young. "So you aren’t here on behalf of Slava?"

His sneer faltered for a moment at the mention of Slava’s name, his brown eyes flashed, confirming my suspicions. This was indeed connected to Slava.

"You killed him," the intruder spat, regaining his composure.

I bared my teeth in a predatory grin. "Yes. And disbanded his gang, so give it up, buttercup."

"I don’t care about his stupid gang! Never did," the intruder barked.

"Then why are you here? You clearly want revenge, no?" I asked, pointing at his gun.

"I want justice!" the intruder shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "Slava was my brother. You took him from me."

My eyes narrowed as I processed his words. So, this wasn’t just a random attack. It was personal. Slava had a brother, and now he was seeking revenge.

"Ah, I see. Slava’s death was an accident. The goal was never to kill him," I said.

"That doesn’t mean shit anymore. He is already dead," he said. The gun in his hand trembled slightly.

Hmm...Slava’s brother didn’t seem trained in this, I thought.

"You’re right," I said, my tone deliberately calm. "He’s dead, and nothing can change that. But what you’re doing now? This isn’t justice. It’s just more violence. If you shoot at me, things will just get worse. Do you not realize how powerful I am?"

The intruder’s face twisted with rage, but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He was young, and despite his anger, he was clearly out of his depth.

"Shut up!" he yelled, the gun shaking more noticeably now. "You don’t get to lecture me! You took everything from me!"

I glanced at Ellie, who was still hidden behind the corner, clutching a heavy vase. Our eyes met briefly, and I knew she was ready to make her move.

"Listen," I said, trying to keep the intruder’s focus on me. "Slava made his choices. He was involved in things that led to his death. You don’t have to follow the same path."

"You think you can talk your way out of this?" he spat, but his voice wavered. "You think you can just convince me to walk away?"

"No," I replied honestly. "But I know that if you pull that trigger, there’s no going back. How did you get past Sam and John?"

"I shot them both. I may not be a criminal like you and Slava but I know how to handle a weapon," he said.

Ah, so I was right about him.

That was the moment Ellie chose to act. She stepped out from her hiding place and swung the vase at his head with all her might.

The vase shattered against the intruder’s skull, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious. The gun clattered to the ground beside him. I quickly moved forward, kicking the gun away and checking to make sure he was out cold.

Ellie rushed to my side, her face pale but determined. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Si," I said, pulling her into a tight embrace. "That Vase cost a fortune, you know."

Ellie snorted. "You are welcome, Jerk."

"Grazie, my brave wife." I smirked.

Ellie gave me a shaky smile, her eyes filled with relief. "Thank god you are okay. Who is this man?"

I glanced at the unconscious intruder, his mask partially askew. "He’s Slava’s brother," I explained, my voice low. "He’s here for revenge."

Ellie’s eyes widened in shock and concern. "Nikolai!" she cried and bent over him.

I raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

"Yes! Oh god, I hope I didn’t hit him too hard," she said frantically, yanking his mask off.

Jealousy bubbled inside me. Why was Ellie so worried about this jerk? "Hmph...he deserves it for attacking us."

Ellie shot me a glare. "He is just a kid."

I moved closer to the unconscious intruder, really looking at him this time. Without the mask, I could see he was indeed young.

"He might be young, but he’s dangerous, Ellie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the jealousy gnawing at me. "He shot Sam and John."

Ellie sighed, her expression worried. "He is only fourteen."

Fourteen? I hadn’t expected that. I looked back at Nikolai’s face, now devoid of the mask, and saw the youth that had been masked by anger and desperation. He was tall for his age and bigger too. My jealousy faded, replaced by a sense of pity and a deeper anger toward Slava for dragging his young brother into this mess.

"Fourteen or not, he still tried to kill us," I said, my voice softer but firm. "He needs to be held accountable."

Ellie nodded, her eyes still on Nikolai. "I know, but he’s still a child who needs help."

I sighed, knowing she was right.

Just then, Sam walked in. His eyes were wide. "Sorry, boss. He knocked me unconscious," he said, pointing at Nikolai."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You are alive. He said he shot you."

Sam shook his head, wincing as he touched a bruise on his temple. "He shot at the chandelier above, and it knocked me out."

Relief washed over me, but I was still on edge. "And John?"

"Still knocked out," Sam replied. "But breathing."

"He didn’t even kill anyone," Ellie chimed in.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Alright, alright. I won’t hurt the brat. Sam, grab him and take him to the guest room. Be sure to call the others and watch him carefully. Call me when he wakes up."

Sam nodded and moved to lift Nikolai, carefully draping the unconscious boy over his shoulder. "Got it, boss," he said, heading toward the guest room.

Ellie and I watched as Sam carried Nikolai away, the tension in the room slowly dissipating. I turned to Ellie, my expression softening. "You did well, amore. You were brave."

Ellie sighed, looking down at her hands. "I just... I don’t like seeing kids get hurt, even if they made a bad choice. Don’t be too hard on him."

I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I won’t."

She nodded. "I want to talk to him when he wakes up."

I raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright. Maybe seeing you will help him see things differently."

Ellie smiled faintly. "I hope so."

We stood there for a moment, the silence between us filled with unspoken understanding. I leaned down and kissed her.

Her eyes widened after we broke the kiss as if she remembered something. "Oh! Nonna and the kids are still stuck in the panic room!"

I grinned. "You better go get them out."

Ellie nodded, her expression shifting from worry to determination. "I’ll be right back," she said, hurrying towards the panic room.

I watched her go, feeling a mix of pride and relief. Despite the chaos, she had kept her composure and acted bravely. My little wifey was no weakling.

A few minutes later, Ellie returned with Nonna and the kids. Nonna looked shaken but otherwise unharmed, and Lucas were clinging to her, wide-eyed but safe. Behind them, Mary held Elora.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked.

Nonna nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. "We’re fine, grazie a Dio. One of these days, you need to quit this life, Gio..."

I shook my head. I didn’t know how I ever would. Being a Capo was all I knew. "Go get some rest, Nonna. I have some business to take care of."

"If you are going to talk to Nikolai, I am coming with you," Ellie said. She looked at Mary. "Please take the kids back to their room and watch them until I am back."

Marry nodded.

As they left, I turned to Ellie. "Alright, let’s go."

We made our way to the guest room where Nikolai was being held. Sam was standing guard outside the door, looking alert.

"He’s still out," Sam reported. "But he should wake up soon."

"Good," I said, glancing at Ellie. "We’ll be in there with him. Make sure no one disturbs us."

Sam nodded, stepping aside to let us enter.

Inside the guest room, Nikolai was lying on the bed, his breathing steady but shallow. I watched as Ellie approached him, her face full of concern.

"He looks so young," she murmured. "How did you think he was a threat?"

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Ah...he lookes bigger for his age."

Ellie gently brushed a strand of hair from Nikolai’s face. "Still, he’s just a boy. This shouldn’t be his life."

Before I could respond, Nikolai began to stir. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked around in confusion. When his gaze landed on Ellie, he tried to sit up but groaned in pain.

"Stay still," Ellie said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him down.

Nikolai’s eyes widened. "Ellie? What are you doing here?"