The guards went stiff, their frigid orbs darting to the ground on seeing Raphael stride towards the doors of his father’s office.
He ignored their rigid state as they acknowledged his and Dante’s presence with a slight dip of their heads. Dante let out a deep exhale and snatched out his gun from its hoister.
“Why are you bringing out your gun cazzo-cock?” Raphael asked in a low tone with his face turned to peak a glance at Dante.
Dante shrugged his shoulders. “Incase one of them pees in their pants. I don’t know why they look so pale whenever they see you”
Raphael had a smirk forming by the corners of his lips.
They should always look pale on seeing him. He loved the fear and spine chilling dread that ignited in the hearts of people whenever they thought of him.
Raphael roughly pushed open the door and elegantly walked inside with Dante to their father’s surprise.
The air inside was frosty as expected, welcoming them in.
Raphael’s eyes explored the office as if searching for something. The walls were painted coffee brown with in depth white lines forming a pattern.
The walls next to the huge closed windows that had wisteria coloured curtains draping down had white tiles decorating over them in a design.
Two seater couch and a syrup brown coffee table were placed in the middle of the office.
Various antique bookshelves were placed at the far end of the office adding to its formal look with artificial plant pots adorning the office.
Dark brown eyes browsed both men sharp profiles, a glass placed on the bridge of his nose as he studied the features of the men who had barged into his office unannounced.
At once he cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from their gaze, shifting into the various files placed on the mahogany office table in front of him.
“Glad to see my children came to visit me” Micheal said with a false chuckle.
Raphael hissed and pulled out one of the black chairs, sitting on it with Dante following suite.
“Drop your gun son. I’m your father not a criminal”Micheal reminded Dante who placed his gun atop his desk.
“Mr Micheal”Raphael began in a dark tone. His father hiked him a brow and snapped his gaze to face the nonchalant stare of Raphael.
“Drop the formalities. What do you want? I don’t have all day” Micheal muttered carelessly, taking in swift glances at Raphael and Dante.
“Look father we have an issue”Dante breathed.
“Well fucking spill it out!”
“Do you know Mario is dead?”Raphael curiously asked, leaning forward and placing his hands on his father’s desk.
His father stared in amazement and was open mouthed at Raphael’s revelation.
“I have no idea. How? when? Where?”His father immedately asked.
“Yesterday night. There was a shoot out at caravella casino. He was found dead”Raphael explained.
He perused his father’s shock state.
“Why did Mario quit his job?”Raphael added in a flash.
His father was at a loss for words, his eyes fixed on Raphael.
“Well I don’t know. He just quit”
“And you let him go just like that without asking him why?”Dante persisted.
“Ofcourse. He has been working with me for years. I felt he wanted a break from you know the hustles and torrents of life. So I let him go”
“Such a silly mistake”Raphael spat.
“Raphael!”His father yelled in a fit of rage, banging his fists on his desk.
“What!? It was a stupid silly mistake. This is a mafia not a church. Emotions aren’t allowed to rule. Rules and formalities are the norms. You just allowed a guard go without ascertaining the reason for his sudden resignation. You didn’t even inform me”Raphael retorted back with matching rage.
Dante held back his chuckle watching both his father and step brother yell words at each other.
Raphael gave him an uncanny stare.
“If you weren’t my father, I would have believed you had a hand in this”Raphael whispered, trying to control his anger.
“Raphael are you insane?”His father bellowed, nostrils flaring.
“How could you just let go off a guard like that? Your own personal guard for that matter. Did he send you a letter of any sort!? You know quitting is not an option. What the fuck!”Raphael raged, his fist balling and Adams apple bubbling as he spoke.
Dante let out a sly chuckle.”Well guess we are at our road block huh?”
Raphael exhaled and inhaled multiple times to calm himself down, exchanging glares with his father.
“Look Raphael. He had worked with me for years. No trace of suspicion so I let him go. I had no idea of his death. I’m as shocked as you are. Why are you suspecting him by the ways? Was he the only one killed huh?”
“He wasn’t the only one killed”Dante instantly replied, cutting Raphael off before he could even speak.
His eyes narrowed to Raphael angry features and back to their father.
“He wasn’t the only one killed but he had more gun wounds than any”
His father was stunned and bewildered. “What? Are you serious?”
Raphael nodded.”Yes we are father”his voice acrimonious.
“We were hoping to get some information from you but we’ve got nothing!”Raphael gruffed.
“Check the security camera’s then”
“We can’t father. The attackers turned off everything before opening fire”Dante replied.
Michael sighed and rubbed his temples. “I’m sorry for everything”
“Save it”Raphael huffed not batting an eyelid.
He stood up in a flash and walked out of the office, Dante following behind him
“We are at a road block ” Dante said the moment they had entered into Raphael’s car.
Raphael looked at him. “We need those surveillance footages”
“Are you deaf Raphael? They turned off the camera before they began their shooting spree”Dante replied in vexation.
“Camera’s were turned off before the attack. Yes I know that. I fucking know that. We have no footage of the attack but there are definitely footages of the casino in the early hours, hours before the attack took place. We can watch it and see if we can find anything”
“It could be Ivan you know?”Dante assumed.
Raphael shook his head. “It could be Ivan, it could be another person. We don’t know yet. But I’m sure that bloody motherfucker would be happy knowing this”
Dante gave a sniggering grin.”fuck it. I’m tired”
Raphael ignited the engine of his sleeping cars, gearing it to life.
His thoughts ran wild as he tried to connect the ever parallel dots.
Why did Mario get more gun wounds than the rest?
Who planned this attack?
Why did Mario quit his job just a day to his death?
How many more villains would he have to face.
He knew the answer to that last question. A lot. He worked in the mafia. Enemies, gun brawl and criminal gangs were the norms.
“I’ll find you The Ghost. I promise I’ll. And I’ll slaughter you like a pig”
* * * * * * *
Leila walked through the huge oak doors of Raphael’s mansion. It was evening. The sky was splashed in a canvas of blue, orange and pink colours, throwing its mesmerising beauty over the mansion.
After her discussion with Nicole earlier in the morning, she had left immedately to attend to important duties. Now she was back to complete the only thing that had been on her mimd–getting the spare flash drive.
She fervently wished Nicole didn’t hide it in any place difficult to find.
Workers were littered all over the house as usual but no sign of Nicole, Aurora or Sofia.
Leila elegantly walked towards the huge staircases that divided the living room and her eyes searched around for Nicole.
“Come there”she ordered a maid who was about passing by her side.
The maid nervously walked towards her with mortified steps.
“Yes”she replied meekly.
“Chi e a casa?- who is home?”
The maid gulped. “Nessuno- no one”
“Dove si trova Nicole?- where is Nicole?” Leila queried further.
“Nicole e Aurora andato al supermercato- Nicole and Aurora went to the supermarket” the maid responded.
“Puoi andare- you can go” came Leila’s frosty reply at the terrified maid.
She quickly scampered away and an uncanny smile curved on Leila’s lip.
This was her golden opportunity.
She traded softly in her paths heading upstairs.
She composed herself so as not to attract suspicion from anyone though who could ever suspect her?
No one. Exactly.
She made her way towards Raphael’s and Nicole’s room.
Her eyes glanced at every corner, making sure nobody was coming her way.
Once the coast was clear she smiled to herself.
Twisting the knob slightly, the door welcomed in and she stepped inside.
This room. Raphael never fucked her in here. The memories of how she would ask Raphael to take her into his room filled her mind.
He always objected to it. Her gaze trailed to the bed. No doubt she knew by now Raphael must have gotten intimate with Nicole on this bed. They must have done it countless number of times.
Her fist clenched and she could feel her blood boiling with the thought of it.
“Calm down Leila. Very soon he will be yours”she reminded herself in a bit to stop her rising tension.
At once she began to work, searching every part of the room but making sure she kept back everything the way she met it.
She had to make sure the room looked the way Nicole left it.
“Fuck!”Leila groaned out. Time was running out and Nicole could step in any minute.
She turned to leave the room but something sharp caught her eye.
Right there blending with the black coloured side wardrobe of the bed, laid the flash drive at the far end.
How couldn’t she recognise it?
Probably because it had camouflaged with the wardrobe making it almost invisible.
She need not to be told. She quickly scurried towards it and grabbed it.
Her eyes studied it hungrily and she chuckled.
She had gotten what she came for.
“But what if Nicole figures out its missing?”Leila asked no one in particular.
A cackle rumbled from her lungs. “Well that’s the plan”
Her mind visualised the many scary scenarios that this missing flash drive would cause for Nicole and she felt satisfied.
“I’ll deal with you Nicole. I swear. You will either leave this house or you will die living in this house. You haven’t seen the worst side of Raphael yet but I will make sure he melts it out on you. That is my promise to you Mrs Raphael Justice”