[BL] The Mafia Boss Wants My Body-Chapter 24: I Like You, Adrian

Even in the middle of chaos, Matteo still found a way to claim the one thing he wanted most.

Adrian didn’t kiss back. He couldn’t. He just stood there, paralyzed, until Matteo finally pulled away and grabbed his hand again.

"Move!" Matteo snapped.

Chaos swallowed the room. Bullets tore through the air, slamming into walls and shattering glass. Tony and the bodyguards fired back, forcing a path open.

Matteo didn’t hesitate. He dragged Adrian with him, pushing through smoke and panic. Adrian stumbled behind him, barely keeping up, his heart pounding in his chest.

They ran.

Out of the hall. Through the corridor. Up into the night.

The car was already waiting.

Matteo shoved Adrian inside and climbed in right after. Doors slammed. The engine roared.

And just like that.

They were gone.

Throughout the ride back to the estate, Adrian sat in the corner of the seat, staring out the window. His thoughts kept circling back to the same thing.

He kissed me.

A man kissed me.

He frowned slightly, his fingers curling against his palm.

Why didn’t I push him away?

Why did I just stand there... and let it happen?

The questions wouldn’t stop.

And somehow, that confusion unsettled him more than the danger they had just escaped.

Once they reached the house, Matteo didn’t head for the bedroom. He told one of his bodyguards to take Adrian inside.

Then he went straight to the war room.

Tony, Harry, and the others were already gathered around the table, their faces grim as they broke down everything that had gone wrong that night.

"It was a setup," Tony said, slamming his hand on the table. "They knew we were coming for that folder."

They went back and forth, breaking down every detail of the ambush and who could have leaked their arrival. Matteo listened in silence, his expression cold and hard.

Then he spoke.

"Find out where they took the folder," he said. "I want a name by morning."

Matteo left the room, but he didn’t go to Adrian. Instead, he walked down the long hallway to Mark’s room.

Mark was already sitting up when the door opened. "You’re finally here. I heard the cars." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

His gaze lingered on Matteo, taking in the rise and fall of his chest, the tension still clinging to him.

"What happened?"

Matteo sat down, exhaling a long, uneven breath. He opened up to Mark the way he did with no one else, explaining the ambush and how they lost the folder... and that he took Adrian with him.

"Why?" Mark asked quietly. "Why did you take him there?"

"I had to keep him close," Matteo muttered.

"Why would you take him there in the first place?" Mark snapped, his eyes flashing with rare anger. "You walked into a dangerous situation and dragged him straight into the line of fire. You’re putting him at risk, Matteo. Why do you always choose violence?"

He shook his head, his voice tightening.

"I’ve told you before, you don’t need fear to be a boss. You have a company. You can run your business and still earn respect. Why does it always have to be this?"

"I’m doing this for you!" Matteo said, rising to his feet as he began to pace. "We still don’t know who was behind your kidnapping three years ago. Yes, Gabriel was involved, we know that, but he wasn’t the only one. There’s someone else behind it... and I’m going to find them."

Mark let out a short breath, shaking his head. "Of course there’s someone else, Matteo. You have a lot of enemies. You shot Gabriel’s sons, you made more enemies that day."

He looked at him seriously.

"There’s no escaping your past. All you’re doing is creating more enemies. So why would you take Adrian there? Have you even thought that he could become a target too?"

Matteo’s jaw tightened.

"I’m doing this for you, Mark."

"I don’t care," Mark said firmly. "If you truly want to keep him, you can’t keep putting his life in danger. You’re keeping things from him and then dragging him into situations like that. It’s wrong, Matteo. It was a wrong decision."

Mark looked at his brother, his expression pained. "I haven’t been able to go out for three years because I’m scared. I don’t know what will happen. People see me and think I’m you. Don’t you get it?"

"So you’re regretting that you’re my twin brother now?" he asked, his voice low and sharp.

"I’m not saying that," Mark replied. "I’m saying if you’re going to be with Adrian, you don’t put his life in danger. Taking him to that auction... that was a mistake."

Matteo looked away, his jaw clenched. "No, Mark. Just say it openly, you hate the fact that we’re twins."

"I don’t hate you," Mark said, his voice softening. "But what’s the point of all this? My girlfriend is too scared to visit me. My friends won’t even come here because of you."

He held Matteo’s gaze.

"So tell me... what exactly is the benefit in that?"

Matteo remained silent as Mark continued.

"I’m not telling you to quit everything at once. I’m just saying that now you have someone you want to protect, it’s time to step back a little. Focus on the legal side of your business. You can still run things... just without so much blood on your hands."

He paused, then added,

"Unless you don’t plan to keep Adrian. But if you do, then you need to start becoming someone he can actually be with."

Mark leaned forward, his expression serious. "You might not see it yet, but what you feel for him... it’s more than just physical. You’re falling for him."

Matteo let out a slow breath. "I’ll think about it."

Mark watched him for a moment, then shifted the topic. "Fine. Let me ask you one thing, and be honest. Do you like him?"

Matteo leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.

"Alright... this might sound crazy," he said. "But I’ll tell you what happened today. Then you can decide for yourself."

Mark stayed quiet.

Matteo ran a hand through his hair, his voice lower now.

"In the middle of the gunfire... I looked at him."

A pause.

"My eyes went from his face... down to his lips."

He let out a small breath.

"And before I even realized what I was doing... I kissed him."

Silence.

Matteo looked away slightly.

"I didn’t think. I didn’t plan it."

Another pause.

"It just... happened."

Mark broke into a genuine laugh, shaking his head. Matteo looked away, his gaze settling on the wall, a rare hint of shyness crossing his face.

"Did he kiss you back?" Mark teased.

"No," Matteo admitted. "But he didn’t push me away, either."

Mark grinned, pointing a finger at his brother. "Teo is falling in love! The great Matteo Marcone is actually falling!"

Matteo stood up abruptly, a faint flush rising to his ears. "Stop it, Mark. It’s not love. I just..." He stammered, losing his usual cool.

"You just what?" Mark laughed.

Matteo didn’t answer. He walked toward the door, then paused with his hand on the handle.

He glanced back at Mark, his fingers brushing lightly over his lips, like he was remembering something. "You should laugh more," he said quietly. "It suits you."

A brief pause.

"Someone once said that to me."

Mark looked at him, confused, trying to read his expression.

Matteo met his eyes again, his voice softer this time.

"I’m always happy when you are happy, Mark."

Mark’s gaze sharpened slightly. "Who said that to you?"

Matteo didn’t answer.

He just gave a small nod. "Thank you, Mark."

"You’re welcome," Mark replied softly. Then he added, a hint of curiosity in his voice, "But who said that to you... Adrian, right?"

Matteo gave him a look. "You’re nosy."

Then he opened the door and walked out, heading back to his bedroom.

When he pushed the door open, he walked a few steps inside before his gaze landed on Adrian and he stopped.

Adrian was sitting on the sofa, a glass of wine in his hand, a half-empty bottle resting on the table beside him. He had already showered and changed, dressed in one of Matteo’s silk robes. The fabric hung loosely on him, slipping slightly off his shoulder.

Matteo’s eyes darkened. Adrian looked devastatingly sexy.

Matteo moved closer, his gaze fixed on Adrian’s bare skin. He sat beside him on the sofa, then leaned down and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to his shoulder.

"You’re late," Adrian murmured, his voice slightly thick from the wine.

Matteo pulled back just enough to look at him. "Why are you drinking?"

"I just wanted to," Adrian said, staring into his glass. "I don’t want to have nightmares. Whenever I see something that scares me, I end up jumping in my sleep. I thought this might help."

Matteo reached out, his thumb tracing the line of Adrian’s jaw. "I’m right beside you. You don’t have to be scared."

Matteo’s gaze dropped to Adrian’s lips, his voice dropping into a rough, low vibration. "You’re tempting. Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me? You’re making me incredibly horny."

Adrian let out a soft, breathy chuckle, looking up at him through his lashes. "Do I really attract you that much?"

Matteo didn’t hesitate. He leaned in, his face inches from Adrian’s, his expression more vulnerable than it had been all night.

"It’s more than just an attraction, Adrian. I have to be real with you."

Adrian went still, his eyes searching Matteo’s.

"I like you, Adrian," Matteo said...