Only His

3: Before the Darkness

A few hours earlier.

Lucca Massimo

I glanced impatiently at the clock on my office wall. It was half past two on a weekend night. Thirty more minutes before I head out of ' The Beast ' - one of our family owned clubs.

As the eldest son of 'The Massimo family', I was the one responsible for everything that goes around our streets. I noticed everything. Every single detail. From the weapon deals in the VIP rooms to drug deals on our street. Every single one of them.
I missed nothing. And no one messed with me.

I simply didn't get the respect in this world. I earned it. Every single one of it.

 I had worked hard to keep my enemies in leash. And even harder to keep them away from my family and our business. That's why I trusted no one, except my family.

There is a loud knock on my office door, and I immediately know who it is.

"Enter Francisco." I say while sitting up straight in my leather chair.

"Oh great you are still here." Francisco, my younger brother says while entering my office.

He is 2 years younger to me and the head of security. He is as tall as I am, that is six two but he is built as a bull. Like a tank. He is wearing his signature black Armani suit with an ear piece sticking out of his left ear.

"Yeah just getting ready to leave. What about you? Heading home or still got some work left?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about our new recruits. Nothing serious just wanted to update you on their background history and their strengths."

"Sure, let's talk about it at home. Let me text Ciro, so he can join us too."I say while turning off my computer.

Ciro is our younger brother and a computer genius. He hates coming to club and likes to keep it to himself. He has a home office, from where he controls all our digital security. He is our hidden card the one our enemies don't know about. They all think it's just two of us. 

I stand and adjust my deep maroon suit jacket and walk towards the door following Francisco. Both us exit using the back door. It was still dark outside and the streets were very calm and quite.  A total 180 to the situation inside the club during peak hours.

I unlocked my black maserati and just when I am about to open the door, a bullet hits me from behind on my right shoulder. The bullet goes through my shoulder and hit my car window. I instantly pull my gun out and turn around to kill the person who had the guts to attack me, the underboss. But I find noone there .... No one.

My phone starts ringing at the same time Francisco come running by side with his gun in his hand. I ignored the call, still looking around the parking lot. Francisco covers me with his body and starts looking around. He then speaks to someone over his earpiece and turns his head around to asks me if I was okay.

"Yeah, I am good. He just got my shoulder. Nothing serious."

He gives my shoulder a look and then quickly turn around to answer his ringing phone.

"Ciro " he says in a stern tone. "Yeah. He is good. Clean shot. I don't see anyone around, looks like a sniper shot. Tell me what you got."

"Yes, I thought so. Do you have a visual on the sniper? Which building?"Francesco then listen to Ciro while looking around at the tall building around us. They were all far and our security team was responsible to keep them secured. But apparently they have failed, at their job.

"Got it." Francisco says while promptly ending his call with Ciro. He then turns to me and takes my loaded gun from my hand and hide it in his suit jacket.

"The EMT will be here in 3 minutes. You got anything else on you?"

"No." 

I became the underboss of the Massimo family, at the age of 30. And I have more enemies than the devil himself. And everyone of them have attempted to kill me at some point or other. But this attack seemed highly inadequate. I mean the sniper shot me straight on the shoulder instead of my head, which was a better and clean shot - in my opinion.

I looked at Francisco and knew he was thing the same thing. That it wasn't just a simple warning, there was something else. A different agenda behind this attack. And that was the only reason he was still looking around.

Francisco hates making mistake, and I know he is blaming himself for this.

The EMT arrives in exactly 3 minutes. They do the initial wound care and then move me in the paramedic van to take me to hospital to do X-ray and other stuff. Francisco jumps in next to me.

And before they could closed the door, Francisco's phone rings and he answers it straight away.

"Yeah." Then he is quite for a minute before he speaks again "Keep an eye on him, I am on my way." He ends the call and whispers to me "Our men got the sniper. I will head out after taking you to the hospital and setting a security team there."

"No, go check what's happening. I have a feeling that it is more than a warning shot." I say and before I could finish my sentence he grunts out his response.

"No, Luca." he speaks firmly, leaving no space for argument "I am not only your right-hand but also your personal bodyguard. And after this I think I need to stick with you. Make sure there is no more attack."

"Francisco, go. Send in one of your men with me. You know very well that I need to know their next step. I feel like something is off. And I only trust you, so you have  to go and check it."I wisher back with authority.

"Lucca, your safety is my number one priority. I can't leave you unprotected."

"Francisco send two of your most faithful guard with me and ask the rest to keep an eye on the club. Alert our other clubs too. I feel like this all is some kind of distraction."

We stare at each other for a second, and he knows I am not backing down. I need him to go figure out what's happening and most importantly what was the purpose of this shot. If this was some kind of warning, they definitely suck at it. And if not, what is it.

He nods and then orders two of his security men to follow me and others to do a quick but detailed security check of the club and the surrounding.

I have a feeling this all is a distraction, but for what.
To destroy my club?? I have loyal soldiers there to protect it.
To kill me?? But they missed a clean shot??
Something was not adding up, and it was annoying me and I kept looking around for something to be off. And it was then I notice.