The Missing Princess (✔️)

22: Traitor

"And talk in English for Christ's sake!" Kirill exclaimed in my right.

"Start talking," I hissed at the traitor.

I can see that it's taking a lot for Neri to follow my order, but after a few minutes, he eventually started to speak.

"As I told Vasiliev, Don Luciano Di Luca is still alive and breathing."

Silence field the room for a little while, that you could almost hear a pin drop, while I stood there and processed the information in my head. That was soon cut off by my cousin's sudden, late, dramatic gasp. I rolled my eyes and glared at the traitor in front of me.

"And we're just supposed to take your word for it? You already betrayed me once," I hissed.

"I did no betraying because I wasn't really working for you in the first place, boy! I was your padre's man, not yours!" He angrily exclaimed that the veins on the side of his head were almost popping out.

"My cousin is your boss' son, you dumb fuck!" Kirill yelled, but I held out my hand and stopped him.

"Son or not, you are not him! You don't even look anything like him! You and your siblings are half Russian, and we would never fucking trust the Russians! I just don't understand what Don Stefano was thinking when he married off Luciano to that Russian woman."

I know my father could've easily declined the marriage if he wanted, but he really did fall in love with my mamma; both of them did. They were truly in love; there was no doubt about that. My old man just really hasn't been the same since she died. My mamma was his light, and when she died, I guess his world forever darkened, and he never gave a damn about anything anymore, including us, his own children.

"Your audacity and hubris really know no bounds, Neri. You keep on sticking your nose in our family business where it obviously doesn't belong, when you were only a poor, orphaned boy that my grandparents picked up from the streets. Know your place, stronzo!"

My hatred for this man only keeps growing by the second.

"You already admitted it yourself, your undying loyalty to that fucking brother-in-law of mine. You already betrayed my nephew before; who is to say you're not going to do it again, especially if what you're saying is true and that Luciano is really alive? Who is to say you're not leading us to a trap under Luciano's command?" Uncle asked in a calm and dangerous tone of voice.

"I already told you, Vasiliev, I want to be able to go back to my country without the fear of the mafia and the Di Luca brothers hunting me down. I only want indefinite protection!" Neri almost sounded like a mad man.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"And I already told you, I don't fucking believe you!"

"You already told us that you're Luciano Di Luca's loyal man; how can we fucking believe you?" Kirill scoffed in disbelief.

"Was! I was his loyal man! I don't work for him, not anymore, I swear to God! I have no desire to work for him or to do anything with the mafia anymore! I only want to live the rest of my remaining life at peace in my home country!" He got down on his knees and cried in desperation.

"We still have trouble believing a traitor like you," Kirill replied, rolling his eyes.

"Tell us everything you know, and I might just consider sparing you and your request," I said in finality and glared down at him. My eyes narrowed when tears suddenly leaked from his eyes, and he bowed his head down in embarrassment.

What in the world is happening?

"I was in love with him, okay?" He started to say.

I could hear Uncle sighing heavily and Kirill gasping dramatically once again, and I found myself exclaiming out loud.