Athena
I couldn’t believe what I had just discovered. My hands trembled as I read the text on my phone, confirming that another life had been taken in Luciano’s name.
I glanced through the glass. The arrogant man was still seated there. Unless he had made Luca do it, there was no way he had killed that man. It was chilling to think that someone was carrying out these killings while Luciano remained seemingly untouched in his office. The realization made my stomach rather queasy. I had seen Luciano kill people. But lately, the murders had skyrocketed beyond the numbers the mafia ordinarily dealt with.
It seemed to all make sense now that someone was trying to soil the mafia’s name. Not that their name wasn’t tainted anyways.
Blowing air into my cheeks, I paced back and forth in my small office, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on my shoulders. I needed to find the truth, to confirm whether Luciano indeed had no involvement in these murders or if he had somehow orchestrated them through someone else, like his loyal enforcer, Luca.
Taking a deep breath, I made up my mind. I peered through the glass to see him place a phone on his ear. That meant he was getting a call. Something told me it would have to be something about what I had just discovered. Gathering my resolve, I stepped out of my office, into his.
It was time to unravel this fucking mystery.
As I entered Luciano’s office, I noticed that he was engrossed in a phone call, his voice filled with fury. He was usually as calm as a deadly snake or as turbulent as the stormy sea. Fury? The man shook on his seat like he was going to cause a fucking tornado. Hell, he hadn’t even known I had stepped in. This allowed me to gather more information while maintaining the guise of innocently searching for a file on his shelf.
Carefully, I approached the bookshelf, pretending to scan the spines of the neatly arranged volumes. My heart raced with anticipation as I strained to eavesdrop on the conversation. My senses heightened.
Luciano’s voice boomed through the receiver, his words dripping with anger. “I don’t fucking care! Find him! Find him, Luca. Some little fucker sitting behind the scenes, pretending to be me?! I want his fucking head!”
I had no idea what Luca said in reply, but I suppose it was something like ‘Calm down’ because that only made Luciano even madder.
“Calming down won’t do shit! I brought you here for this. Someone is using my name to instill fear, which is fucking unacceptable,” he spat, his voice laced with a dangerous edge.
I struggled to maintain my composure as I absorbed the revelation. So, Luciano was just as unaware of these murders as I initially suspected. He was genuinely angered by the situation, which meant that someone was manipulating events behind the scenes, tarnishing his name for their sinister motives.
Fuck, if that wasn’t confusing. Just how many murders listed under the Mafia were actually caused by the mafia? What if… I shook my head, dismissing the thought instantly. Luciano caused my father’s death. If they weren’t, then all I lived for in the past five years was for nothing.
The weight of the truth settled upon me, and my mind raced with possibilities. Who could be behind these calculated acts of violence? And why did they want to frame Luciano, the man I had been tasked with investigating?
It was the Castello. It had to be. Wow, and here I had thought they were just a bunch of reckless men who had no idea who they were going up against. It would seem these men had done their homework on Luciano and knew just what would make him tick.
With a sinking feeling, I realized that my role in this intricate dance had become even more precarious. I needed to tread carefully. Or hell, I could be killed by Luciano or, even worse, the bastard pretending to be him.
As Luciano concluded the call, I swiftly moved away from the bookshelf, ensuring I appeared utterly engrossed in my search for the elusive file. I couldn’t let him suspect I had overheard his conversation with Luca.
Taking a deep breath, I approached Luciano’s desk composedly. “Luciano, I apologize for interrupting,” I said, keeping my voice steady. He grunted something unintelligible, glaring at the device in his hands, so I took that as my cue to continue. “I was looking for a particular document, but it seems to have eluded me. Is there anything else you need assistance with?”
Luciano glanced at me, his gaze sharp and piercing. For a minute, he looked like he was trying to search through my soul. “No, Raven, that will be all for now,” he replied, his tone tinged with a hint of distraction. “Continue your search, and let me know if there’s any progress.”
I nodded, masking the turmoil within me, and turned to leave his office. As I walked away, my mind raced with newfound knowledge and a heightened sense of purpose. The truth was closer than ever, and I was determined to uncover it, no matter the risks involved.
Well, as long as it wasn’t me who ended up with a fucking Mafia symbol on my chest.
***
Alone in my office, I peeked at Luciano to see he was on another call. Good, then I could make mine too. Stalking into the bathroom, I bolted the door behind me and whipped out my phone. I took a deep breath, the weight of the situation bearing down on me as I dialed the familiar number that connected me to Frederick. It was a risk, but I needed his expertise and guidance, or I might as well lose my fucking mind!
“Frederick,” I said, my voice filled with urgency and determination as he answered the call. “I need your help. I’ve stumbled upon something that doesn’t add up.”
There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line before Frederick responded, his tone betraying his curiosity. “Athena, what’s going on? Is it about Luciano?”
I hesitated for a brief second, gathering my thoughts before plunging into the heart of the matter. “Yes, it’s about Luciano. There’s a chance that he isn’t responsible for these killings,” I stated firmly.
“A chance?” Frederick muttered. I knew he was thinking about it too.
I nodded, realized he couldn’t see me, then continued. “There’s evidence that suggests someone else is using his name. The man who died a few hours ago was one of Luciano’s targets, true. But Luciano hadn’t wanted to kill him. That man was his way to investigate the Castello. Besides, Luciano hadn’t left the office since-”
“Athena, I understand your connection to Luciano,” Frederick’s disbelief echoed through the phone, his voice tinged with skepticism. I could tell that he didn’t understand shit. “But we’ve had our suspicions about Luciano for a while now. You know how cunning this bastard is. He could be plotting it all! Are you sure about this?”
I took a deep breath, trying to convey the weight of my conviction through the phone. “I’ve witnessed his rage and brutality, but this is different. Luciano has always been calculated and methodical, but these killings… don’t fit his pattern. He brands his victims before killing them.”
“And that proves what exactly?” Frederick grumbled.
“Come on, Freddy! I think that no matter how good this fake killer is, there’s no way he kills those people using the same method.”
Frederick hummed as if thinking about it. That was good enough for me.
Lowering my voice to almost a whisper, I continued. “I need you to perform autopsies on the recent victims and compare them to his usual method. Look for discrepancies, anything that might prove someone else is behind this.”
There was a brief silence as Frederick absorbed the information. “Alright, Thena,” he finally responded, his tone more serious. “I’ll assign a team to conduct the autopsies and analyze the evidence discreetly. But it would be best if you were careful. If Luciano discovers your investigation-”
“I know,” I interrupted, my voice unwavering. “I’ll proceed cautiously and ensure my cover remains intact. But I can’t let innocent lives be taken while the real culprit remains hidden.”
Frederick’s voice softened, a mixture of concern and pride. “You’ve always been headstrong, Athena. Just remember, family comes first. Be vigilant and stay safe.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. If I don’t stay vigilant, the next murder you see might be me.” I joked.
“Don’t say shit like that, you idiot!” Frederick snapped.
I chuckled at his words and nodded. “Thank you, Frederick. I’ll keep you updated on any progress.”
With those final words, we ended the call. I stared in the mirror, taking deep breaths. Things just got a lot more twisted and they were bound to get even bloodier.
Frederick was right. I had to be very careful.