Elijah
I couldn't believe what was happening, my life was completely chaotic at this point in time and I honestly don't know what to do. I was tugging on my hair from not knowing the first place to look for my grandfather.
We arrived in Italy on time but it seemed they were one step ahead of us as they captured him before we got here. Based on how the house looked he didn't go down without a fight.
Why is it that whenever I'm with Alyssa something happens to back track my plans? If I didn't know better I'd say she was working with Mazzani. I know she's not but now that I'm frustrated I can't help but think what if?
After the long day we had, we retired at my uncle's house in Sicily.
~~~
The next morning I pulled out my phone to call the one person I know could make me feel better. It was exactly six am here and according to my calculations it would be twelve a.m in America.
"Hello," she answered groggily and I instantly knew she was asleep.
"Hey baby it's me, I'm sorry for waking you up."
"Oh no it's okay I was waiting for so long for you to call me. Is everything okay?"
"No, but tell me how you are first."
"I'm okay." She chuckled. "I never knew you were such an important factor in my life until I realized how much free time I have without you being here."
"What, you miss me?"
"Yes I really do," she admits with an exhale.
"I... I miss you too," I whispered not wanting my brothers to hear. "What'd you do today, or should I say yesterday?"
"Oh, I actually baked treats with your mother she invited me over."
I sat up straighter when I heard this, "Oh yeah?"
"Mhm, I really wish you were here to taste them, they were so good."
"I really wish I was there too, to taste not only the treats but those sweet lips of yours," I flirted smiling at my teasing.
"Boy you better stop," she laughed.
"So what's happening? When will you be home?" She questioned.
"I'm not sure yet. I have a lot of things going on right now, Vitale is missing."
"WHAT? Oh my gosh, so what are you guys going to do?"
"I can't tell you, the less you know the better," he cuts that idea off quickly.
"And why is that?"
"Because, if there is one set of people who have an exception from the wrath of the mafia, it's women. They know we don't tell the women anything that's why they remain untouched."
"Okay fine, but how are you feeling Elijah?
honestly."
"I feel dismantled, out of control like I don't know what the fuck I'm doing." I sighed.
"I'm sorry this happened I hope you figure it out."
"Me too. After this blows off, I was thinking maybe we could come here for summer in July and go to Mexico in August."
She gasped, "You wouldn't?"
"I would."
"You wouldn't."
"I would Alyssa whatever you want," I said chuckling softly.
"No way," she said in disbelief.
"Yeah, if things go according to plan then that's what we'll do. You'll get exposed to the culture and then you'll meet my Italian family members."
"Wonderful idea young man. Did you happen to know that Italy was my dream country to visit?"
"Yup, I found out from your friends," I answered.
There is a thoughtful silence that settles between us. I can sense something's on her mind.
"Talk to me," I said.
She sighed, "Sometimes I get scared about meeting your family, because you know... the race thing again."
"I really don't give a fuck what others think and you know this. I wouldn't be with you if I did, hell I wouldn't be the man I am today if I cared what others thought. Besides I'm going to take over soon they better not piss me off."
I mean this deeply. Family or not, if they hurt Alyssa, I'll kill them.
"Whatever you say."
"Half the time you take what I say for a joke."
She laughed in agreement.
"It's like you don't believe I'm a dangerous man," I stated while I cleaned my pistol on the bed.
"I do believe it's just, you act different around me. I guess it's just still hard to believe that the guy I'm so into is deadly. Even though I know the real you who sleeps with a gun under his pillow."
"How'd you know that?" I pause a bit surprised.
"I saw you pull it out one day."
My thoughts just went another way, "If someone walked in and heard that they'd be thinking something completely different."
"Oh my goodness they would," she said laughing until she calmed down.
"So... when are you going to let me pull it out for you again?" I asked calmly.
"Pull what out?" she asks feigning innocence.
I rolled my eyes.
"You know what I mean."
"Whenever you want."
"You're just acting brave as always over the phone we'll see when I get home."
"Uh huh," she replied.
"You don't believe me? Let me have you know that we haven't fucked in a while. I'm frustrated as hell, so when I make a promise like this, best believe that I will fulfill it," I whispered.
She took in a sharp breath of air and I smirked.
"I'll see you soon baby and get that pussy ready for when I come. I hope you know that was a pun," I said before I hung up.
~~~
I went to the gym soon after to work off the stress I was under.
I thought about my conversation with Alyssa this morning and smiled. I needed that distraction, now I could get back to work with my head set with new and improved ideas.
I got back to the house and took a shower. I put on my suit to go on the road with my brothers and father to the spot where our tech guy found a detection of Vitale.
"So here's the plan we're going to just barge in. We'll all go look for Vitale and my men will distract their men. I got men surrounding the house, so hopefully they haven't moved this time and hopefully Vitale isn't dead," Dad says.
"Alright, understood? let's go." he commands.
Our men had killed the men on the outside of the building guarding it before we barged into the house which was silent as hell. However we all spread out. It so happened that I was the one who found where they were.
I kicked in the door of the basement and started firing gunshots left and right with both of my guns. A shot grazed my arm and leg but I was so used to the pain that my body didn't react to it. The adrenaline coursed through my veins as I fired with a mission watching all the bodies drop like flies. Vitale was not dead yet but he looked like he was on the verge of death tied to a chair in nothing but his undershirt and boxers. His eyes were sunken and lined with bags as dark and heavy as cumulonimbus clouds, his skin the palest shade of white as the amber color liquid seeped from his nose onto his purple splotched face.
I saw red after taking in Vitale's appearance. Vincent and the rest came in soon after and I started untying Vitale from the chair as Dante helped me to lift him up.
Vincent is on the other side of the room capturing the only man I spared for questioning. I could see the anger seeping through his pores and I just knew he was fed up and was not going to give Giovanni anymore chances. Vincent was going to kill that man himself.
Vincent was always soft under style he gave people leeway's something I would never do. He waited until it got to a point of unbearable before he decided to fight fire with fire. Me however, I clip it from the wing, if you go against the pride you die, if you go against my family and I you die.
And that was what made me different from my father. I think that was what also made me a more capable leader than him. If I took over, I could lead this family to living up to the expectations of what we are known to be. The most dangerous crime family in New York.
We took Vitale back to his home in Sicily to be looked after by the doctor, this same doctor bandaged my wounds.
Turns out they moved him to that location so Giovanni could kill him himself. We got there just in time to get him but I somehow wanted to get Giovanni off guard and smile when I blew his marrow out through the back of his head.
We all went into the room and sat at all corners watching Vitale in pain because of that amateur piece of shit who Vincent should've gotten rid of a long time ago.
"I have something to tell you Vincent," Vitale muttered out croakily in his accent.
It made me upset to see him this weak and I knew he must've felt embarrassed. We all gathered nearer to see if they would be his last words.
"I saw Athena last week here in Italy, I bumped into her at a restaurant. We had a chat and she was telling me about why she left. She has a son Vincent, a son named Silvio. There was something significant about this boy when I met him.
He has the same features like you and he had that Rossini look. So I asked her about it and as soon as I did she started crying, she told me everything that day. Silvio, is your son Vincent she had him around the same time you had Santino so I told her I wouldn't tell you because it would mess up your marriage.
But now I've changed my mind, I realized today that people can die anytime. I could've died today and I wouldn't have been able to tell you that you had another son so I'm telling you now in case I do, even though it will make things hard for you and Isabella."
I sighed deeply before I kicked the table and it shattered just like our family soon would.
"You cheated on mom?" Franco asked. He looked at Vincent in disgust when he dropped his head to look at his shoes in shame. "I can't believe you pops," he continued.
"He's back in Greece with his mother so if you really want to find out if he is your son you can go and meet him."
I was beyond upset that Vincent would've cheated on Isabella like this and who knows he may have done it more times with other women who just didn't get pregnant.
I shook my head before leaving the room to go smoke a cigarette on the balcony.
"I'm sorry Elijah go pack up we're going to Greece," Vincent said patting my shoulder and I immediately stiffen trying to remember not to retaliate since he pointed a gun at me once and he'd do it again in a heartbeat.
After taking one last puff then crushing the cigarette under my shoe, I leave to pack my bags to meet my half brother in Greece.