Marked For Crime Royalty| Book One | ✓

47 - Bad News

Luciano nudged his head and they moved out the way for his men to walk through and they threw a duffel bag on the table.

"Cos'è questo?" (What is this?), Santino asked and Luciano made eye contact with Adriano. That's how he "spoke" to his men. No words were needed. Adriano stepped forward, unzipping the bag and stepped back, Luciano smirking, waiting for Santino to open it.

And with hesitance and caution, Santino looked inside and stepped back quickly.

"Well that is no way to greet your Don. You're very much dead Don, courtesy of me" Luciano chuckled and Santino's gun was out, pointing at him and Adriano's was out, pointing at Santino just as fast and then everyone else's gun was pointed at their enemies, following their leaders.

"Do you know the rules of this world we are currently living in?" Luciano questioned, looking at Santino. "No?" He chuckled, not a word being said. Luciano nodded, walking along the table.

" Allow me to educate you gentleman. Money, power is all great, good. But loyalty means a great significance in the position, business we are in. Especially-" He stopped and stared directly at Santino.

" When you come to me for my partnership. My connections and resources" Luciano ran his fingertips across the table then he slid his hands into his pocket, appearing back in his regular stance. "He broke that loyalty and he paid the price" He gestured to the bag.

"As for you Santino Moretti, you have a decision to make, you are the second man so this business is officially yours. You can follow Ricco to his death bag" He chuckled at his dark humor. "Or you can renew our terms and become the Don of Milan with the Don of Rome as your ally. You have to admit, it makes you look awfully good in front of your families. But answer quick, I am a busy man"

He nodded, turning his back on them.

-

Teresa stared into her body mirror, turning left to right, side to side, staring at her pregnant belly. Not showing. Only 6 weeks pregnant.

The morning sickness she could go without, but she did love how plump her breasts were beginning to get, though the ache, she wished she didn't have. Even more, she wished Luciano would soothe them, but she knew he couldn't. He wouldn't.

She sat down on her bed with a sad sigh.

Closing her eyes, the sound of the gun going off, made them pop open. The scene replayed and replayed in her head. How he shot Ricco in front of her. The splattered, red blood on the wall. How she heard the thud as he fell to the floor, the thick blood leaving his body. And Luciano. Completely unbothered by the sight. Unbothered by killing someone in front of her eyes. She could never unsee it.

Her stomach churned the more vivid the scene became through her eyes and she got up, running into the bathroom.

Putting her hand on the top, she felt her hair being pulled and she knew it was Laura. They were the only two there. She just didn't have the energy to fight her.

-

"Alright" Santino said after minutes, gathering Luciano's attention.

"I'll renew the terms if and only if you tell us where Mireia Sadino is" Luciano glanced at Adriano, who's grip tightened on the gun no doubt also troubled by the mention of Teresa.

"Excuse me?" Luciano questioned, the thought of Teresa being a requirement set him off. No one was supposed to know of her in Ricco's business but they didn't know who she was. They knew her only as Mireia, which gave him a small relief.

"Don't act as if you don't know. We know she was with him everywhere in Rome. My men drove them all around your city there is no way you didn't know of her. Yet Ricco is here dead, and she is nowhere to be found. Which only means you know where she is. And in honor of Ricco, you are to release her to her rightful family" Luciano's head tilted, not understanding how they even thought of this, though it worked in his favor, they had no idea he set her up with Ricco.