„It was them, those boys, they killed her."
"They're too smart, we have to flee."
"Stop it, those two wouldn't have done it!"
"We have to stay together now!!"
"Takumi!! Nii-chan where are you!?"
"There is one of them, hold him!"
"Out of my way!!"
Blood stained Isami's knife as the brunette cut through the flesh of one of the men's arm, trying to hold him in place. He looked around searching for the blonde head of his brother. Everything was in chaos after the body of Francesca Aldini, had been discovered. She had been murdered and now everyone was suspecting them. He knew better. Someone had infiltrated them but there was no way he alone could calm them down. They wouldn't believe him.
The Aldini family was different from other mafia families The torch of the don was passed down by family bonds since ages. Takumi would be the next in line, despite not being of pure Italian heritage. Isami had been trained to protect his brother but in this chaos he had been separated from him. He didn't want to hurt any of their men, but if it became necessary or if they even thought about hurting his brother, he would have to.
Finally, he found him standing in the doorway to their father's room. He wasn't moving even as someone tried to drag him away. Isami pushed the man away with an icy look and went to see what had his brother so shaken.
"Fratello come on we have to calm-," the brunette interrupted himself at the view before him.
The picture was similar to that of his grandmother before, but with other persons. Their father and their uncle lay there, eyes open wide, but lifeless. Blood oozed out of their wounds, deep gushes in their throats. Heads to the side staring right at them. Images like these weren't new to both of the brother's but this still left both of them in shock. Pictures started to flood Isami's mind, memories of someone else. His legs started to shake and he gripped onto his brother's arm. Takumi's arm moved, held onto Isami. He was shaking as well, his checks slightly red, bottom lip drawn into his mouth. Isami himself started to bite his lip as well. Both of them had to be strong now. They had to lead their men onward. They had to find whoever did this, as well. The younger one noticed that more and more men started to gather behind them, heard the chatter, noticed the futile attempts to pull them away from that scene. The chaos ebbed down, faded into nothingness.
"Enough!"
A voice thundered near him. Loud but still far away. He only noticed it after a moment. It wasn't his voice, Isami knew that. He doubted he could bring out a sound right now.
"If I hear one more word against my brother and me, I will end whoever said it right on the spot. Come on, try me."
Isami looked up to see Takumi having turned around from the scene. His checks still red, in his blue eyes a sadness only being compared to the one in his own eyes. His posture was stiff, shoulders drawn back, head held high. Isami was safe with him. Slowly the world started to make sense again and Isami blinked at the blonde. When had he sunken to his knees? When had Takumi turned around? He looked disgraceful, sunken to the ground, he must look week. The brunette tried to get up but his knees, his legs didn't want to carry his weight. Takumi held him, steadied him and again Isami noticed that his own legs were shaking as well. They steadied each other.
"It's ok…" Takumi looked at him now.
His eyes were softer, an expression reserved for him alone in this moment.
"Aldini-sama? … Aldini-sama!"
The brunette sighed before looking up at whoever wanted something from him, smiling like always. The man before him wasn't someone Isami was familiar with. He was tall, a broader build, his shoulders slightly tense under the black suit. His back was straight, his posture one that was supposed to show confidence, but his eyes, all over the place betrayed him. He was subtle, but not subtle enough. His smile didn't quiet reach his eyes, which looked at him, waiting…anticipating. His head was shaved with the exception of a few dreads in the middle. His hands were folded behind his back and Isami caught a glimpse of the muscles of his arms, under the tight-fitting suit, moving.
"Ah, you must be the new one, right? Please Isami is enough, if everyone here would go around calling me and Nii-chan 'Aldini-sama' it would become confusing after a while." Isami smiled wide at the man, standing up from his chair to hold out his hand in greeting.
His eyes widened, only for a second, going unnoticed by everyone who wouldn't look for it. One hand came forth, the other stayed in the back, muscles still tensing and relaxing.
"My apologies Isami-sama. I am Mimasaka Subaru," the man introduced himself, shaking Isami's hand.
A strong grip. The smile on his face grew a bit wider. Not yet, not quite yet. First he had to ask Takumi. He could be mistaken; it rarely happens but it does. Lead him on. Lure him into a safe space.
"I suppose my brother wants something from me? Or is it something else Mimasaka-san?" Isami asked.
He withdrew his hand, let it fall next to his body.
Mimasaka's hand slowly found its place behind his back again. "Yes, Aldini-sama wanted to see you. It is urgent, he said."
Isami nodded and picked up the recorder from the desk. It was probably what his brother wanted from him. His last interrogation had taken longer than anticipated and he hadn't nearly gotten enough information out of it. But there is only so long until a human body will give out under the pressure of pain. Maybe the one that had been caught hadn't even known as much as he had thought.
Isami guided the black-haired man to the door, let him out first before closing it behind him. There was no need for locking it, nothing valuable except the tape recorder in Isami's hand had been in there.
Mimasaka bid his farewell and left. His steps steady, even, but slow. Most would hurry, get back to their assigned work, he seemed more relaxed. Most were eager to get away from the interrogation rooms used by the younger Aldini don himself. The stench of blood in there prevailed for hours after. Isami liked to listen to the recording of the procedures there. It made the feeling of reliving it more intense. He could concentrate better there.
His last guest had been from the Nakiri family, an underling of Asami Nakiri. Probably too low in function to know anything of value, so had most thought. Isami had taken it upon himself to talk to him.
He stood in place, leaning against the door as he played slightly with the recorder in his hand. Not really much things of value there had been that his guest had revealed to him, but one thing in particular.
They had another guest…here in their headquarters. And it was his job to find him and keep him away from his brother…