Nick's POV

The air around us all was thick as we watched Keeley storm up the stairs and down the hall, her heels thumping the ground with every step and not stopping till we heard the echoing sound of a slammed door.

Nobody spoke as we stared at the dim and empty staircase. It seemed like forever as we stood there, no one talking, and not even the sounds of our breaths could be heard.

I don't know why I said those things to her tonight. I don't. I just- seeing her there made me angry. She wasn't supposed to be there. She wasn't supposed to be drinking. I wasn't supposed to have to step in and stop her. I was supposed to have a night out with Julia, who, I have a feeling, made this harder for Keeley.

"Luca," I heard my father's voice speak into the silence. I turned around to face him in the entryway. "Go check on Keeley. The rest of you: in the living room." He turned to me and I'd never witnessed the anger in his eyes before. My father's neck was turning a dark shade of red as his hands fisted at his sides.

"Now," he seethed. Everyone immediately moved into the living room and gathered on the plush couches or stood off to the side.

I sat down on one of the sofas and the only other person to sit by me was Julia. I looked at all my brothers and the Morettis for the first time. They either stood across the room from me or by the windows, gazing out into the dark. The fire crackled and the TV was paused on whatever movie we had interrupted.

I could tell Julia felt awkward and out of place as she sat beside me, the only person to sit beside me in fact. Everyone else looked mad, and I couldn't understand why. They should be glad I stopped her from getting drunk or messing around with some guy.

My father did not speak as he paced back and forth across the wooden floors, and he kept his hands pushed far down into his pockets.

It was only a minute or two, when in reality it felt like a lifetime, till Luca showed up again. His pace was fast, and although I knew what Luca was capable of, I had never seen an inkling of anything vile in his body. But as of right now, a murderous look had washed upon his face as he stormed right towards me.

I didn't even register it as he pushed through the others and marched right in front of me, his hands shooting out and gripping the collar of my shirt. I was yanked from my spot on the couch and onto my feet, Luca's eyes boring into my own.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gut you like a pig and leave you here to die on this floor."

The words cut the tension in the room as everyone was suddenly increasingly aware of the knife he had pulled and held against my neck. I had a feeling the look he was giving me was the one he masked behind his normal composure. Luca's eyes slanted down as the blue was drowned out by the black of his pupils. His expression was all seriousness and second by second the blade pressed further into my neck.

I could see how the others stood by silently, not giving any inclination as to if they were actually going to step in. My father watched the blade press deeper into my neck, the pressure building but not enough yet to break the skin.

"Luca, that's enough," I heard his father speak quietly, but nonetheless, still incredibly pissed.

Luca made no move to remove the blade from my neck. If anything, it only caused him to yank me closer and trail the tip of the blade up my neck and under my chin.

"Arturo," Stefano snapped as he used what my guess would be Luca's middle name. This seemed to work as a bitter chuckle vibrated from his chest. He shoved me back onto the couch and twirled the knife in his hands, the look of irritation never leaving his face.

I rubbed my neck and I could see worry etched onto Julia's face, although I had a feeling what just happened should be the least of my worries. My father had yet to speak.

"Is she okay?" I heard Finn ask, the softness of his voice contrasting the hostility in the room.

"No, she's not. She locked herself in and I can't open the door." Luca's eyes never left mine as he spoke, his voice seeming thicker with his natural accent.

"Nicholas," my father began, speaking for the first time since he ushered us all into the room. "I'm going to give you one chance to tell me what happened. And if you think to even leave the smallest of things out, you might want to think of where that will get you."

His stare is cold, almost emotionless if it wasn't for the fire burning in the glaciers of his irises. I take an unsteady breath before telling them what happened, knowing that when I'm done, it won't sound as bad as she made it seem.

"I took Julia out to this club," I began. "We went for a couple of drinks and after an hour or so, I saw Keeley. She was dancing with her red-headed friend, neither one of them paying too much attention to anything around them. They were drawing attention from everybody with their clothes and how they were dancing. She left the dance floor and I went to find her.

"I followed her to the bar where I saw she already had a drink in her hands. She took a swig as she turned, and when she saw me, she stopped. I took the drink from her and pulled her off the stool. I could smell the whiskey on her and she refused to leave with me. I told her she shouldn't be out at a place like that, drinking, while she was dressed the way she was."

I quieted down after that having said all I needed to say, after all, it was the truth. All eyes in the room were trained on me. I shifted in my seat after nobody made any notion to speak or even move for that matter. It didn't seem like an understanding sort of silence, but rather it made the tension in the room heavier.

"That's all that happened?" my father asked, his posture stiff and face stuck in disapproval.

I nodded my head and he returned my gesture with a heavy sigh and the slight shake of his head.

"See, Nick, I don't believe you," he spoke humorlessly. "We all know Keeley can be temperamental, but it's never without cause. And what you just said to me? That is not enough to set her off and you know it too. So don't play stupid and tell me the rest of the fucking story."

I tried to keep my face calm and impassive, but I could feel my facade starting to slip as his voice rose. My father held my stare as we looked at each other, neither one of us going to move until the other does. Eventually, it was me as I sighed and rubbed my palms on my forehead.

"She asked me what I meant by shouldn't be out especially dressed like that. I told her-" I stumbled on my words, knowing for a damn fact that they were going to sound terrible before I could get a chance to explain myself to them all.

"I told her I didn't peg her as the whore type," I spoke quietly and hesitated before the next words came out of my mouth. "And then I told her that no one wanted to look at her back and the marks across it."

"You motherfuck-" but I didn't hear the rest because Luca had already grabbed me and threw me onto the floor, his body following right after. My body landed with a thud as the shouts of both of our families filled the room.

I did my best to fight Luca off, but the rage that had quickly plagued his body made his strength unmatched. I managed a solid punch to the right side of his jaw, but after that, I had no chance of beating him.

I winced in pain and held back a groan as his knuckles connected to my nose once and then twice. He went in for the third time, but by then, Giovanni and Stefano were pulling him off of me.

Strings of Italian curses left his mouth. He was talking too fast for me to fully understand what he was saying, but I understood that I am, to him, a dead motherfucker once he gets another chance to beat the living shit out of me.

I rolled onto my side and onto my knees, blood beginning to form a noticeable spot on the hardwood floors. No one made an attempt to help me onto my feet but Juila, and even then, she still seemed hesitant.

I swiped my hand across my nose, wincing at even the slightest of pressure applied to it. Luca had no doubt broken it, so when everyone was looking at Luca and trying to get him to calm down, I adjusted it back into place. The snap had my stomach turning on itself and Julia physically winced. In her attempt to help me regain my balance, her white dress had been splattered with my blood.

She hasn't spoken since we entered the house and I have no way of understanding what she's feeling. I have never introduced her to my father or anyone besides Giovanni and Finn for that matter. Yet here she is, caught in the middle of today's family episode, although this time, I'm at the center of it.

"Luca!" my own father finally snapped. The vile in his tone silenced the room as well as Luca's actions. His body straightened and his attention was solely on the Capo.

"We are all upset, and I understand this, but you all need to calm the fuck down so we can handle this with our heads instead of our fists. Do I make myself clear?"

Mumbles and whispers of agreeance were told by everybody, and when my father was pleased, his attention turned back to me.

"Why?"

It was a one-word question, but there could be a thousand answers to it. I was standing in front of the couch, but I might as well have been on a fucking stage for everyone to see as they all stared at me expecting a reply.

I took an uneasy breath in an attempt to gain back my composure, telling myself that once I explain her actions fully, they'll be more understanding.

"You should have seen the way people were looking at her, and while that may not be a problem to you, it was to me. Because when they were looking at her, she was paying no mind to anyone around her. Anything could have happened, especially because she was drinking. Stefano mentioned a while back about Keeley's drinking and how it affected her. Why would I let that happen?" I reason with them, although Stefano looks like he might be coming after me next.

"Do not pull Stefano into this, Nicholas. Even if he hadn't said anything, I have a feeling that you would still have dragged Keeley out of there," I was scolded by my father.

"So I was just supposed to let her drink and let her guard slip? She could have been hurt or kidnapped or-" my father cut me off.

"That is not your job, Nick. Your job is to be a support to her, be a brother. Not a parent," he snapped at me.

When things were tense, my father and I normally agreed on things. If we didn't? If we didn't we would then sit down and talk things through. But as of this moment, the two of us were both beginning to lose our composure and had made our way to stand directly in front of each other.

"Well, if you're not going to parent her, then somebody should." My voice comes out surprisingly low and it catches both of us off guard. I had never talked to him like this, I've never had a reason to.

The new tension I had created in the room only thickened as a bitter chuckle passed his lips. I had never felt so insignificant in comparison to my father as I did at this moment. I suddenly felt small when in reality we were the same height. I felt as if he was looking into the eyes of an enemy rather than his own son.

"I don't parent her?" he asked rhetorically. I could see my brothers all step back in preparation for his explosion. "I don't parent her?" he asked again, this time expecting an answer.

I tried to steady my breath as I drew one in. I had a feeling things were about to come crashing down.

"No," I say quietly but still firm enough to let him know that that's how I truly felt. "A parent wouldn't let their teenage daughter go out on a Saturday night to a club where she would be dressing the way she does and drinking like there's no end in sight. A parent would keep tabs on their child and not leave them as exposed as she was."

He was quiet, his steel eyes cutting straight through me. For a moment I thought his silence meant he was actually understanding, but as soon as his hands left his pockets, I knew I had just said something I shouldn't have.

"Is that what you think happens, Nicholas? Is that really what you believe?" he hollered. "You can't step foot out of this house without me knowing about it. I know the life we live, I understand it. I fucking know this, I created it all! And I know for a fact my children will always be the target of our enemies so I have my men stationed everywhere. That club tonight? I had men stationed there even before Keeley got there. Don't think I don't know you take your girlfriend out every other weekend to that same club. 

"I was notified from the moment she pulled into that parking lot where she was. And you know what? I was happy she was finally out. This week has been nothing but shit for her. She just got her friends back, she was in a fucking car chase, and she's still adjusting to living here. I wanted her, for once in her damn life, to let loose and have fun with her friends. Do I like the fact that this involves drinking and being the center of attention? Not necessarily, but I'm not going to set restrictions on what she can and can't do with her friends anymore. 

"Sam and Donnie go out every weekend and do the same thing. Am I just supposed to punish her because she's the only girl? Am I supposed to punish her for wearing what she feels comfortable and good in? No, I'm not. Keeley could kick anybody's ass, and I trust her to make decisions that keep her safe. And if she doesn't, she has backup waiting. Because I always make sure my kids are protected. When Finn goes to the store? I know he can protect himself, but you bet your ass I have people there.

"When the twins go to a party? My men are there too. Callan goes into town to run some errands? You'd have to be fucking stupid to mess with somebody his size, but I still make sure his back is covered. Is that not enough parenting for you, Nick? Is it not enough that I make sure all my children are protected while doing things they enjoy? Is it not enough to let my teenage kids be teenagers? Get off your fucking high horse, Nicholas. I expect better from you."

I try to keep my face expressionless as he finishes yelling. His chest rises up and down with every heavy breath he takes in. I can see out of my peripheral vision the looks on my brothers' faces. If I was shocked to hear how he keeps tabs on all of us, I'm sure they were too.

I still don't agree that Keeley should be out. I understand where he's coming from, but I can't accept that, even if she does have backup waiting. She's a much easier target than anyone else and anything could happen to her.

I don't say anything as silence settles around us, my eyes still on my father but his are tired and scanning the room. When he finally looks at me again, he pauses before letting out a sigh.

"You still don't agree. And you know what? I don't care if you do or not, but I do expect you to respect my decisions both as your boss and your dad."

"Where'd the bruises come from?"

My head snaps away from my father and to Sam who had just asked the question I had hoped nobody would have.

All attention turned to me and there was a recognizable shift in the room that I didn't know how to describe. Just moments ago the situation was based around words, but now it had turned into something physical. If my father had been angry before, I knew he was about to be livid.

"What are you talking about, Samuel?" my father asked, his face turning colder every second of this prolonged silence.

"When she came in," Sam began quietly. His eyes were scrunched together and I couldn't decipher the confusion from disbelief on his face. "Keeley didn't have a jacket on, and yeah she had bruises from earlier this week, but these looked new. There were five dark spots on her arm. Like... like you had grabbed her or something."

I swallowed before turning my attention in front of me where my father stood. He stilled all except for the right side of his jaw twitching. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I knew for a fact it was not going to go well for me.

I didn't know what to expect, but what I didn't expect was the hand that flew out connected with the left side of my face. I stumbled back, my hand automatically shooting up to rub away the stinging of my skin. I looked up in disbelief. Never once in my life has my father laid a hand on any of his kids, even if we did royally fuck up. 

I thought about everything that had happened tonight, all the way from picking Julia up until now. Is it possible I overreacted? Maybe, but I was just looking out for her. How could nobody else see that?

"This," my father stressed, "is not only a business, but a family. And tonight, you not only hurt somebody that works for me who betters this organization, but you hurt your own damn sister, Nicholas. Emotionally and physically. We all know damn well she's self-conscious about her back and the scars. We know she doesn't like the bruises she gets from fighting and nonetheless from being almost killed.

"Yet you made her feel shitty, and on top of that, you hurt her. I expect more from you both as a brother and as the future leader of my mafia. I don't think I've ever been so fucking disappointed in you like I am right now. Luca," he spoke changing direction.

"I don't care what you do but Keeley does not get to spend tonight alone trapped with her thoughts. She's going to tell you she wants to be alone, but I don't give a fuck. She needs somebody. Go."

We all watch as Luca leaves the room, his shoulder purposefully ramming into mine as he passes. The room had taken on a somber tone and the anger I had been feeling towards Keeley was slowly turning to guilt.

"I expect everyone at breakfast tomorrow where I will be discussing some changes that will be put into effect immediately. I would ask nobody to leave for the rest of the night. I think it would be best if everybody just go to bed."

With that he left, not even saying goodnight and rather just walking out of the room with a hand shoved in his pocket and the other rubbing his face. Nobody hesitated to follow his request, and as they all left, I couldn't manage to return the looks they were giving to me.

My nose throbbed from where Luca had hit it and my cheek burned with the anger from my father. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but to no avail, I felt a couple of tears beginning to form in my eyes.

"Fuck," I mumbled as I sat down and rested my head in my hands.

The couch shifted as Julia scooted closer, her gaze focused across the room and one of her legs crossed over the other. Neither one of us spoke, me because I had a feeling I'd cry and Julia because I think she was giving me a minute.

"You screwed up big time, Nick," she whispered. I turned my face to look at her, and it killed me to see the pained expression on her face. "She's your sister. How could you say and do those things to her?"

"I wanted to protect her," my voice broke. She was right, I royally fucked up. Even though I was protecting her, what did it cost? Hell, did she even need protecting?

"I've never met Keeley before tonight, but I can tell she's the strongest out of all of you. Do you actually care to see who she is rather than who you perceive her to be? Nick, I don't want to be rude, but it's hard to comprehend that you don't see how much pain you caused her tonight."

"What do you want me to do, Julia? Huh?" I