There are four things Tiano Orleonne must abide by.
One, seatbelts must be worn in all circumstances.
Two, three tablespoons of coffee and three tablespoons of sugar for every twelve ounces of milk.
Three, turtles must be fed four to five times a week.
And four, consistency in everything.
His family has always been known for returning favors. He pays what he owes, in double, or triple.
They never forgive and they never forget.
Of course, they are not that ruthless. In the time of his great grandparents, they were known for stories of love, loyalty and brotherhood. It was in the time when the underworld was cloaked through hushed meetings, hunted by the authorities, until its fall decades back.
However, the world needed balance and fun, and so darkness had to rise.
Famiglia Orleonne was one of those dark phoenixes, not to reclaim the throne it once held in the underworld, nor feed on the fear and respect of those below, but to protect themselves. No matter how they hid in the comfort of loyal men and women, being dubbed as the toothless beast wasn't as assuring.
His great grandfather, Adam Oreleonne, took the reins, emerging from his quiet marriage, rebuilding the clan with offspring of their protectors and then passed the ring to his daughter, Tiano's grandmother, and now to him.
"Ah, I should bring flowers next time," he muttered, blowing smoke, as he leaned on his chair, eyes on the ceiling of his office. The breeze from his window brushed on his face, and the starless sky comforted him.
"I'm telling grandma," a voice said. "You're smoking again."
Tiano glanced at a younger man, who despite the threatening voice, was grinning, hands on his chin eyeing the chessboard. He then moved a piece.
"And Tulips would be nice," the other added, moving another piece to counter his previous attack. "Checkmate."
Although people find it strange why Justin plays chess by and against himself, Tiano let his younger brother be. After all, "Thy enemy is oneself," Justin once said. "Always oneself."
Or it must be because the people around him were not worthy to play against the younger Orleonne. Except for their grandmother, whom the younger never won a game, and whom Tiano snatched a few wins.
"Pink tulips, it is," the young boss stated, twisting his swivel chair from the window with the city skyline, to the silent crowd in his office. With woven fingers, elbows on the table, he leaned forward and eyed a man on his knees. "What do you think?"
The said man could not answer, he was gagged after all. Despite the swollen face covered in blood, fear etched on him, watching the current ruler of the Orleonnes. Still, the man nodded, agreeing to whatever he was asked.
There was regret too. He shouldn't have been a rat. He should have stayed loyal as he vowed to the Orleonne Family, never leak information to the Genovese, and derail the counterfeit shipments. If this kneeling man had known contentment, Tiano and Justin would have been back in the countryside for their grandmother's birthday.
But then, out of all the rulers among the Orleonnes, Tiano is the greediest. Some argued that it was his great grandfather Adam Orleonne, but one cannot compare the tales of the dead to those still living, no matter how feared the said legend is.
Tiano was never the type to delay business over sentimentality. Naturally, his younger brother Justin, who couldn't stand teatime with the old lady despite his love for their grandmother, stayed with him.
"Boss, what now?" It was from a man squatting by the corner, his lab coat stained with old traces of blood and his face with impatience. The other two men, brothers, had bright expressions as they waited for the command.
Tiano would've asked why David who could only be found in two places—their underground hospital, to stitch his dying men and the lab-morgue to unstitch the men he couldn't save, and worse to do the-devil-knows-what to their enemies—was in his penthouse office..
Tiano's trusted circle won't be named Hyenas if they are normal. David, the man in a dirty lab coat and tousled hair in his office isn't that out of place. Tiano glanced at the future corpse on the floor and found his answer. The doctor's favorite subjects are traitors, alive or not. "Do whatever you want with him."
David grinned, giggling even, combed his messy hair to the back, and licked his lips. "To the morgue then." He exited the office in his skipping steps, like a slim giant with a spring on his feet. One of the remaining two guards removed his headphones and finally slipped an expression of pity. "Sorry bud, you'd be a lab rat for now. Get it? Funny, yeah?"
The smaller blonde one on the right finally melted into a face of disgust. "Doc would tear you apart, but can you like, not cry on my jacket? I'm going on a date."
"Mikhael would think otherwise. Leave him alone, Dan." the one with headphones said, to which Dan rolled his eyes and hissed, "Shut up, Aki."
"Only if you stop threatening the poor manager for a date. Mikhael has a casino to run."
"I'm a gentleman and I never forced myself on him.. Also respect me, I'm older than you."
"With the way you act? No way, Daniderio. No way."
"Fuck you, Akileon!"
Tiano clicked his tongue, only then the brothers let go of each other's collar. The younger, Aki, then grabbed the traitor on the floor and dragged him out. It would have been easier if he could call the other men outside to carry the lab rat, but only the Hyenas were allowed in Tiano's penthouse.
The nameless traitor grunted, a failed attempt to beg for his life. Resigning to his fate, he let Aki drag him with limp feet, a few trails of blood after him. Dan followed, wrinkling his nose at the smell of blood and then covering it with his perfumed handkerchief. "Later, boss." He nodded to Tiano before he closed the door—only to be pushed aside by a newcomer. "What the h—"
"—Big bro!" came a muffled scream.
A disheveled boy of seventeen slammed himself on Tiano's desk, rattling the kinetic balls decor on the surface into motion. His caramel eyes were bright with elation. Words, hindered by the contents of his cheek and a glazed portion of a donut peeking from his mouth muffled his announcement.
"How many times do I have to tell you," Tiano said, massaging his temple, as the young newcomer repeated the same gagged scream as his hands waved and smacked on the table.
"Damn it, Tommie." Justin rose from his seat and shoved the bottled water into the other's hand. "Swallow your freaking dessert." Tommie accepted, chugged the whole bottle and let Justin wipe the crumbs at the side of his mouth.
"We found her!"
Tommie is the youngest of the group and the only one brave enough to address the boss as "Big bro" even in the lack of blood relation. Despite that, his timid personality would cause a stammer in front of others, even his idol, Tiano Orleonne. Yet there he was, leaning unto the table, staring into his eyes, with a gleeful, "We found her, big bro!"
It was a great summer in the city, but the temperature of the room seemed to drop. Tiano Orleonne clenched his laced fingers, into almost a fisted prayer. He took one deep breath, and then stopped the swinging of the decorative pendulum.
Memories, visions and voices swirled in his head.
Six years.
At last.
Cherie Ledalia.
The little sinner is now found.
Justin and the subordinates by the door exchanged glances. Turmoil is returning to Famiglia Orleonne and Tiano would not stop until he could retrieve what once fled from him.
Even after all these years.
Of course, because he's an Orleonne.
He never forgives and he never forgets.
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