Page 87 of Corrado

What did it matter after all this time?

“But can’t they just—” Corrado sighed harshly, telling his brother, “Fine, Marcus. Yes, they can throw a double birthday party for us, and you.”

Then, Corrado added, “I assume Les will come, why wouldn’t he? Tell Ma yeah for that.”

Alessio went back to pulling on his clothes, slightly annoyed. Not so much at the conversation happening behind him, but the topic. His family just expected Alessio would be around for something like Corrado’s birthday party his mother and father wanted to throw in a few weeks—although his birthday was sooner than that—because they had to know.

They had to know what he was to Corrado.

Why he was important.

That this thing was a fucking thing.

Why were they still playing this stupid game together?

He also knew that at least a handful—or a couple, anyway—of people, like Corrado’s twin, knew a lot more about Alessio and Corrado than anyone else did. Like the fact their poly lifestyle in the bedroom often had them sharing women, and otherwise.

But never men.

Those rules, again.

Although, Les was to blame for that.

It made him see fucking red to think of Corrado sleeping with another man, but it didn’t bother him at all to know during his last job, his lover hooked up with a woman at a club he frequented. And it wasn’t different for Alessio, either. He had the same benefits in this mess that Corrado did.

The only thing was no other men.

And they always told each other the truth.

Simple as that.

Alessio just didn’t understand why they were still here, deeper into this mess together than ever before, when it seemed like the only people who mattered around them already knew the truth. Even if no one was saying it out loud.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Corrado said, “and yeah, I’ll talk to you soon, Marcus.”

The call ended.

Alessio kept his back facing Corrado as he headed for the walk-in closet where their collection of everything stayed safe behind glass counters and shelves. There, he found a particular watch he wanted—encrusted with diamonds around the face, with a black background, and gold hands to tell time. He affixed it to his wrist, adding a couple of beaded bracelets around it that cost a fraction of what the watch did. A black cross made up of miniature, worn metal skulls attached to a leather cord dangled from his hand before he quickly slipped it over his head, letting it hang from his neck.

On jobs, he didn’t wear jewelry.

Nothing but black.

Nothing to distinguish him, or give him away. He’d just come back from a quick trip with the team over in Romania, but he doubted he would have another job for a while. Dare tried to space them out a bit, unless something came up that couldn’t be helped.

When not on assignment, Alessio wore whatever the fuck he wanted, his style a mixture of dark grunge, and excess. Like the watch. Corrado, on the other hand, looked like every other fucking Guzzi that Alessio had ever met. Dripping in wealth, and carefully put together. Not a hair out of place, and suits were preferred to jeans.

Although, Corrado did like his leather jacket.

It worked, though.

“You good?” Corrado asked, coming into the closet to stand just beyond the doorway.

Alessio shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know, I just got that feeling, Les.”

Right.