I am in front of the mirror and gaze at my split lower lip .I never expected to have my lip split by a knife .
As I walked into the dark room from upstairs , armed man were around Franco who sit on a chair behind the dark table .He called me to come closer and I saw the items on the table .
There was a picture of a skull, a knife-dagger, as Franco called it, and a gun. He rose and split my lip, and I bent over the picture; the blood splattered over it.
He said , "Welcome to the family. Loyalty is key, silence your shield. Hearts are tough, family first. Betrayal ain't tolerated. Bound by honor, you're in, part of the mafia crew now. Welcome home."
Reflecting on his words now brings a sense of peace, yet a subtle hint of disgust towards myself lingers. My father fell victim to them, and Marcus is still alive. Where is the death punishment he deserved?
Home… it felt distant to me, but Franco's words rekindled the long-lost familiar string of my heart. I once believed only Isa and Mattia could make it sing again. However, I sense that something, or more precisely someone, in the mafia has made me feel attached enough to the mob to experience the essence of a home.
Home is where you feel protected, and Damiano made me feel that plenty of times for me to sense it deep within me.
The entire crew makes it challenging for me to keep my feelings detached. They may be wild, but their loyalty is unwavering, bordering on the edge of craziness.
My eyes peer into the reflection of my face. I see how they lose all color and darken with revenge. Tonight, I will reveal a part of my rage, and no one can stop me. Not even the oath I just pledged.
Franco told me the rules coming along with it .
Silence is Gold: Speak only when necessary; loose lips sink ships.
Loyalty Above All: Family comes first, always.
One Betrayal, One Fate: Betray the family, face the consequences.
Honor the Code: Follow the rules, no exceptions.
No Questions, No Loose Ends: Do your job without unnecessary chatter.
Respect the Hierarchy: Know your place, show respect to those above.
Never Involve Family: Keep the personal separate from the business.
Protect the Territory: Defend our turf, no matter the cost.
Own Your Actions: Accept responsibility for your decisions.
Stay Unseen, Unheard: Blend in, don't draw unnecessary attention.
I think by my actions tonight, I will break at least four rules. And when I consider that only one broken rule can bring death, I believe it's worth dying for more than one. It feels like cheating destiny.
As for Rule 2, even if deemed broken by the mob family, I consider it respected. Nonetheless, I will also adhere to the 9th rule either way. Shouldn't I, at the very least, respect one of the rules?
Terzo is coming into the bath, and I glance at him. His lip is crested too, and I don't know what he feels about this. A few days ago, he found out that the killer of his parents was dead. But as a loyal friend, he still helps me in my revenge.
"You good to go?" He grins.
"Hell yeah." I shoot back with a smirk.
After offering Emilio a plausible excuse for our abrupt departure—deciding to celebrate alone as childhood friends—we hop on our motorcycles and head straight to the warehouse where I took down Stephan.
Terzo overheard from his informant that Salvatore's men are planning to steal from there. I thought it would be perfect to seize the opportunity and steal the drugs right then and there, no more waiting, and have Salvatore's men as backup.
After they assist me in eliminating the men not bribed, I'll take care of them too .I will eliminate everyone in that wear house in the end . Consider it a service made to our gang too .Not just for myself. They don't even know how many of our men are bribed.
Sounds good to me .
I won't let them rob 'MY FAMILY.' Funny. Well, I just despise someone taking what I plan to take first. The drugs—I've got my eyes on them, and no bullshit Salvatore will get his hands on them before me.
Though I wonder how Damiano will react tomorrow. I will enjoy basking in his dark aura, no kidding. His features and complexion look alluring despite the darkness of his anger.
What am I even saying …..Sigh . I should concentrate on the mission.
A few minutes pass, and my blood is boiling when I see three trucks leaving with a car trailing behind. I halt my motorcycle at a fair distance, and Terzo follows my lead.
We are observing the chaos unfolding in front of us, and I see three other trucks waiting to be driven, perhaps to follow the ones that left. If that's the case, then we have no time to lose.
The motherfuckers didn't keep their words.
Terzo looks at me, and I say, "I will go finish them. You take three men and put the clock bombs on them or whatever. Deal with it! Go with the drugs." I put my helmet back, and Terzo doesn't even have time to comment.
I enter the property, and with a drift, I grab my gun and shoot the three drivers attempting to get into the trucks. Marco runs inside and closes the door. I drive along the side of the warehouse and pull over when I reach the back. The still-open door makes me grin under my helmet.
With fast movements, I enter unseen and hide behind the boxes and shelves full of toilet paper. I glance at the big corridor crossing the middle of the building, and I see most of the men gathered there as Marco brings in the news of a woman with a black face.
Sigh. Is a fucking balaclava! Illiterates…
I glance at the top, and there is nowhere for me to climb and get a downward view on them so I could use my sniper pistol. Guess I will go full-on upfront. Let the massacre begin!
I step forward in the middle of the corridor and start shooting as I run to the other side of the building. In one hand, I have my 6mm handgun, and in the other, my sniper gun. It's hard to handle both, but it's worth it. Around ten men go down.
Great. From what I counted, there were around 40 in total. I hunt down five men with my sniper through the shelves. They fire back, but I have the time to get my head out of their range. I giggle when they turn off the lights in the warehouse. They think I would get scared?
Pffff… They just made it easier for me to kill them. I close my eyes and breathe. When I open my eyes, I can see fairly well after getting my eyes accustomed to the moonlight's dim light shining over the left window.
I hear two people coming from different directions, trying to get to me.I leap onto the shelf, not making a sound. When they are under me, I shoot one of them with the gun, and as for the other one, I kick his gun away. He lunges at me, but I counter by kicking his face with my knee as I jump on him, falling with the man in a controlled descent.
Just in that moment, a shiver crosses my back as I feel a person or two from behind pointing their guns at me.
As the man and I fall, I shoot one of the men behind me and deftly dodge a bullet from the other one. Turning left, I shoot the other one too.
This is getting better and better.
I shoot the man under me, and I lift my sniper pistol from the ground. As I advance, I hunt down almost all of them, when I hear a person entering the warehouse. I take my dagger out and point it at the man who is currently in front of me; he didn't feel me sneaking up on him.
"You fucking bitch…" I stop his words by pushing my knife between his ribs.
"Fucking move." With a growl, I walk with him. I spot a person moving from the left, and I fire towards it. His voice cries out when I hit his eye, probably. He shoots back, but damn, he has no skill. Or maybe he doesn't see in the dark as well as I do.
I recharge my gun and move forward. I sense that the man who entered is going to be hard to deal with until he makes a metal falling sound. I fire towards him, and he advances, closing the distance.He shoots towards me, but he doesn't seem to want to kill me or the guy in front of me.
The man at my knife is already trembling.
He shoots first this time, and I don't understand him. Was he unskilled or just dumb? Why advance if you can't shoot? He will end up being killed by me. I shoot three more shots, and I know I have three more chances to get him.
Surprisingly, as I corner him, he leaps towards us. With the remaining shots, I try to hit his head, but as I waste two shots, I aim for his heart. He still moves and jumps with his knees from above on us. I fall under the big guy, and I can get a glimpse of his face better. The man, none other than the sly fox Damiano, chuckles at me.
I think the painkillers lost their effect as I feel the weight of both of these men on me. I stifle my cries, biting my lower lip. I think I feel blood lingering beneath my mask, but who cares. I feel grateful that Damiano lifts himself up and drags the man off me. I rise, and a wince escapes between my lips. I look at my dagger, and I see blood. I guess from the momentum, the knife penetrated the man who is on the ground now, wincing. I stare at Damiano, and he points the gun at the man. Supposedly his man. He fires, and blood is dripping on the side of his head onto the ground.
Why ?
Why wasn't he shooting me? I am the enemy here.
He puts his gun in his gear, and then takes a few steps closer to me. I grit my teeth, knowing that I have no bullets and, pointing the gun at him, I still say, "Don't come closer. I'll shoot," hoping he would stop.
Does he know I have no guns, or why is he so self-assured that I can't harm him? He observes me with his gaze and says, almost challenging, "Shoot."
At this point, I think he knows I have no bullets. Or maybe he isn't afraid since he has a bulletproof vest. I drop my gun, making it look like I decided to fight him in hand-to-hand combat. I don't want him to know I don't have bullets left. Maybe I can save some face.
"Useless as your empty gun," he says in a low tone as he looks at my fists, ready to punch him.
Damn! He knows.
Guess I will have to fight without a gun. And as the fight with Stefan brought me into this condition, still gritting my teeth from my still-healing ribs, you would deduce what will happen if I fight Damiano. Either way I do it .
I almost punch him when he steps forward, disregarding my warning. But my hand is yanked by his hand, and the knee I was prepared to crush his abdomen is directed by his hand past his waist. I bump into his body, and my hand grabs his neck, hoping that I won't fall from the pain.
His face is leaned on mine, and my back is arched. Thank god his hand is keeping my waist so I won't lose my balance. I don't like the fire inside his eyes. His gaze falls over my lips, and I escape a moan from the position he holds me.
I hear his "Damn," as his breath falls on my lips. It felt so hot and tempting. My heart rate quickens, and I breathe heavily, the pain making it worse. Damiano moves his head up, and my nose touches his chin when he kisses my forehead.
His gesture is as shocking as his words, though they go hand in hand."If someone else were in my place, you'd be dead by now." I don't know what to say to such words. Does he know it's me, or does he have a thing going on with a female assassin?
Damiano continues, after kissing my forehead a second time, "Leave, Bittercandy."
Bittercandy? I knew it! He has a damn affair with an assassin, and he confuses her with me. Damn, I hate being confused with someone else...especially by him. Why does it hurt so bad? My heart hurts.
Wait , since when I was affected by him ?I dont even know but I am all good .I think I am fine …I hope …And more precisely I should be since he has nothing to do with me .
I should be glad he didn't recognize me. I am truly lucky. It's worth the disappointment. And what a disappointment….forget I said that .
He lets me go and brushes my cheek, his thumb wiping the blood off my lip. I see him frown and lick his finger. Then a smirk covers his lips as I perceive the affection in his eyes towards the woman.
Damn, he is so sexy… and a bastard who doesn't even recognize his own mistress.
I leave, glancing at him for a moment, then run.
Running is making me wince, and I reach my motorcycle. I leave the warehouse and head to where Terzo went with the trucks. My heart is tight in a knot, and I can't feel breathing.
Cursed fox.