Luciano
The next few days composed primarily of hanging out in the mansion, insulated from the outside world. The cops were watching and waiting for a slip up. With Luca gone, the next big target was me.
I had to lay low, maintain a low profile until the entire debacle blew over.
And it was fucking driving me crazy.
Raven noticed too, my restlessness seemed to bother her even more. I spent a few hours everyday in the indoors gym, beating the shit out of the only sand bag I had there until my muscles ached like hell.
And yet it wasn’t enough.
I had an empire that had barely survived a civil war. I needed to be out there, picking up the pieces, mending the damage, but I was on a self imposed house arrest, hiding from the fucking cops.
Like I said, it was fucking driving me crazy.
When Giuseppe called my private line, (Which shocked me, since he never did) to tell me he was coming over with Enzo for an important meeting. I was ecstatic, and for the first time in a while I showed it.
Finally, some fucking action.
* * *
They had come that afternoon, silent and solemn and after making sure they hadn’t been followed, I had them ushered into the building, leading them into my study and shutting the door behind me.
“Can I have some wine?” The old man said gruffly, sliding into his chair, “It’s been a long day.”
I smiled, pouring him a glass, “I bet, what brings you gentlemen here?”
He took a sip, closing his eyes as though to favor it before smacking his lips in satisfaction, “Damn, that’s good.” He looked at me, “Well, we have somethings to discuss with you.”
I leaned forward on the table, frowning, “I need to know the details. What has been happening? Where are the men on when it comes to Luca? How bad is it?”
The both exchanged glances, as though wary of my reaction. Giuseppe nodded at the kid who didn’t look like he wanted to be here at all, “Go on boy,” he said, “Fill him in, he won’t bite you, I promise.”
Enzo swallowed hard, turning to me,”Of-of course” he stuttered, shaking,”
Enzo: (Nervously) Boss, things have been rough lately. There was unrest among some of our own, questioning your leadership.
Giuseppe: (Nods in agreement) That’s right, Luciano. But we handled it swiftly. We made it clear that any rebellion within the ranks would not be tolerated.
Luciano: (Gravely) Rebellion? Do they not remember who leads this family? I’ve built this empire with blood, sweat, and loyalty.
Enzo: (Lowering his gaze) They forgot, Luciano. Some thought they could challenge your authority. But we made sure they understood the consequences.
I sat silently, staring at the ceiling. Goddamn Luca, causing problems even when he wasn’t here. It would be a while before I could stop worrying about him, like a bad stink him and the consequences of his actions seemed to persist, long after he was gone. “And what of the rebellion itself? And our rebels? How did it go? Has it been quelled now?”
Giuseppe nodded, his eyes twinkling with confidence as he stood up slowly, leaning heavily on his stick, “The unrest has come to an end child,” He said gravely, “As far as we can see at the very least, we made an example of those who dared to challenge you. Loyalty was reaffirmed.”
I raised my eyebrows, “Care to tell me how?”
He chuckled, a mischievous look wiping out his solemn countenance, “I have an eye for these things,” he said, “I am somewhat of a magician, and there is this rule about not revealing our secrets.”
I understood immediately, either he didn’t want to say exactly what happened while Enzo still hung around, or he was trying to protect me in case the law turned up. Plausible deniability.
“Of course Giuseppe,” I nodded, “I like that, I like that very much.”
“We’ve also tightened our security, infiltrating rival gangs and gathering vital information.” Enzo spoke up, as though eager to remind us he was still there, “We’ll nip any trouble in the bud before it can even sprout.”
I smirked, “Excellent work, Enzo. The family’s safety is paramount. We can’t afford any weakness or vulnerability.”
“Of course boss.” He looked delighted I had shown him approval.
“And no more fucking distractions.” I continued, “We can’t afford those now. Our empire must remain strong and united, especially now. No distractions, no weak links.”
Giuseppe tapped his chin lightly, leaning back on his seat, “Speaking of distractions, boss, we intercepted some crucial information. It seems there was a plan to bust Luca out of prison.
For some reason, I was calm. I knew the man, if it was a imminent, he would have led with that. “Luca? They dare go against my orders?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“And the bastards responsible?”
“They are well taken care of.”
I reached out to pat his shoulders,”Good job.” I looked around the room, “Any other thing I need to know?”
“Yes, yes boss.” Enzo said, raising his hand like he was a student, “There was an… incident.”
“Incident?” I looked at Giuseppe, “What is he talking about.”
“Apparently, some people from our friends over at the Castellano family have thought it wise to eh… take advantage of our precarious position and attempt to infiltrate us.”
His words hit me like a blow to the chest, stirring a mix of anger and urgency within me. “Spies from the Castellano mafia infiltrating our ranks?” I demanded, my voice seething with indignation.
Giuseppe nodded solemnly. “Yes, Luciano. We’ve uncovered a network of them. They saw an opportunity amidst the turmoil and planned to strike us when we were vulnerable.”
Fury surged through me, and my grip tightened on the edge of the table. “We cannot let them succeed. Our family’s safety is at stake.”
Enzo, who had been listening silently, broke in. “We’ve already started the purge, boss. Identified several of them and taken swift action.”
I gritted my teeth, my mind racing with thoughts of betrayal. “No mercy, Enzo. We make an example out of them. They must learn the consequences of crossing us.”
“Rest assured, Luciano,” Giuseppe’s eyes met mine, “We’re relentless in our pursuit. None of these spies will escape our grasp.”
I shook my head, “No. Not this time, I have had enough, I will do it myself.”
He stared at me, his face serious, his eyes unsmiling, but I stared back not backing down. I wasn’t going to let him talk me out of this one. “Child?” He asked slowly, his voice sounding grim and serious, “Are you sure?”
“What?” I snapped at him, “You don’t think I can?”
“Oh I know you can.” He said, “Just with the police on you, the civil war and everything else, maybe it’s okay to lay low for a while and let us handle it.”
“No Giuseppe, laying low is all I have been doing for the past few weeks. I am tired of that, I need some action, I need something to get me back in the game, and what better way to do it than to deal with some spineless spies who think they can exploit us huh?”
He was silent for a moment, his eyes not leaving my face before he nodded slowly, “Of course Luciano, we understand, boss. This one is for you and you alone, just say the word and we will be there.”
“Thank you.” I turned to Enzo, “You, will come with me. Are you good in a fight?”
For the first time since I met him, he actually looked confident, going as far as puffing his chest out.”Yes boss,”
I nodded, rising from my seat and slicking back my hair, tucking a stubborn strand away from my face. “Gentlemen, I trust in your capabilities. I will fight back to win my family back, inch by inch.” I looked at their faces, half hidden in the shadows, “I promise you that. It’s time to remind the world why we’re the most feared name in the underworld.”
Giuseppe raised his glass, “Here here,” he muttered taking a sip of the wine with Enzo copying him.
We exchange determined looks. No words were exchanged but the meanings were clear enough. We were reaffirming our loyalty to each other and the family. They were staking their positions with me, come whatever.
I wasn’t the one not to respect that, because I knew more than anybody else in that room, that loyalty, especially in this day and age, meant everything.
“And now,” I said, my voice going a few octaves lower, “About these damned Castellos… ”
Giuseppe smiled, his teeth, stained yellow from decades of tobacco abuse almost glistening even in the low light, “Now you are talking.” He sat up, “Do we give them just the appetizer or the main course?”
I felt adrenaline pump into my veins as I smiled. Finally, some fucking action, it had been so long.
“Let’s just leave them with an appetizer.” I snarled, “That should do for now.”