It's You Within Me

I-Red and Blue

LUCCA

"ARE WE READY?"

"Yes, they all have reached there. They are waiting for us." Matt replied as he unfolded his hands from his chest and walked toward me. I crushed the burning end of my cigar in the glass ashtray on my home office table as I spoke, "Good. Start the engine. I'll be right back."

I picked up my custom-made Italian suit jacket and started walking towards the door before I turned around and picked up the small frame that sat on the table. The woman in the picture that I was staring at had this fire in her grey eyes, the body posture calling all her adversaries to back down and the long, red hair falling through her forehead along with the natural blush on her cheeks showing her feminine side. My strength and my weakness were in the same person.

"You said you'll be right back. It's fifteen minutes already. You want your men to die waiting there?" I heard a familiar voice from behind me. "Oh, her! Just staring at her won't bring her back."

"And taking revenge won't either," I whispered the last words, unable to contain my voice from betraying my calm demeanour.

"Per l'amor del cazzo! Revenge won't bring her back but at least it'll soothe our pain."

(For the love of God!)

As he finished, I put the frame back to where it belonged before grabbing him by his throat.
"Our pain!? What do you know about pain? Where were you when they took her away from me? When they tormented her? When they cold-bloodedly murdered her!?"

"M-mi dispiace, sig-signore" He tried to utter his apology while his breath came short due to my hold. After a few seconds, I let go of his throat while still staring at him.

"Watch what you are saying next time, brother," I said as I dusted off his left shoulder.

Matt, aka Mattheo Caruso, was my companion since childhood. His father used to work for my father as a soldier. His mother died during childbirth, leaving him to be the only child. When he was five, his father left this earth after getting shot three times in the chest. Since then, my father, Alessandro Ricci took him under his roof. Being the Boss of the Ricci family, the ruling mafia gang of southern Italy, my father taught us how to be a part of the family.

La famiglia prima della tua famiglia. The Family before your family.

Even though my father favoured him more than I liked, I never felt any sort of enviousness or covetousness against him. He was like my brother, not by blood but by choice. He was always supportive and helpful, being two years older than me. Almost like an older brother. He learned how to fight before I could even walk on my own feet. He taught me something while learning something from me as well.

We fought like lions when it came to that, but in the end, we knew who would be the true king, me. My whole life was destined even before I was born. Being the first son of the boss, I was next in line to the throne of the family.

"We are here" Matt announced from the passenger seat. I jumped off the black Range Rover and got my guns ready. My men followed the same actions. The villa before us was old, almost like a haunted house. But it had this enchantment that could make anyone walk inside of it without even thinking. The gigantic gates stood enormous and frightening, with a lion face on top of each of them.

Inside the gates, you could see two massive beasts' statues with the same face as on the gates, on either side of the building. THE LIONS. I looked around the house, searching for their men. But there was not a single soul standing there. Something was off.

"Where are they?" I asked as I looked at him. A tiny wave of cold wind hit my face, warning me about the upcoming threat. "Run" I whispered as I didn't have enough air to take around me. Never had I ever been to a battle this risky.
"What?"