By Luigi Salvatore

“Brother, it's time. We have to go to church, the mass is about to begin.”

The thick voice of Paolo, one of my twin brothers, sounded in the office, but I remained on my back, staring at the huge picture painted with the images of my parents.

“How is our security?”

“All in place. Tony personally took care of security.”

“Where is Guido?” I asked, referring to my trusted man.

“In the room waiting for us. You know, he would never give up personally accompanying you to the church.”

Exactly seven days ago, my parents had suffered an attempt on their lives without even having the chance to fight for them. All it took was for my father to turn the key to start the car and then it exploded, right before my eyes with nothing that could be done. That day we had arranged to meet in the shed where I was responsible for executing a famiglia mission. As agreed, we met and did what had to be done, and then said goodbye with the usual brotherly hug. Not knowing that this would be our last embrace, my mother pressed me against her body and left a tender kiss on my forehead. The first to get into the car was her, then my father, and then it happened.

However, what was bitter to my soul was knowing that apparently the intended victim in that attack was me, the first-born son of Enzo Salvatore and Kira Goncharov Salvatore. We all had an internal rule of thumb to change cars frequently, as this would make any ambush of which we were victims more difficult. However, everyone knew that among the many cars parked in our garage, my passion was always the sports car that my mother gave to me soon after I went through the initiation process to become an effective member of the famiglia. But as fate would have it, when I went out to receive the goods that would arrive at the port, I ended up changing cars with Dad that day, and now here I was, precociously being forced to take possession of the place that had been waiting for me since the day I was born, but not only that, I also had the weight of guilt on my back as I felt the ashes of my parents running through my fingers.

“So what are we waiting for? Let's go! After mass we have some scoundrels hunting around.” I murmured coolly and with steady steps left the office previously occupied by my father.

While the car took me to the church where the seventh day mass was to be held in honor of my parents, I remembered everything I had learned from them. I also remembered the promise I made a few days ago when I mourned what was left of their charred bodies. No matter what, this story was just beginning. I would get revenge on the bastard who had taken them from us, whether he was male or female, I would make them beg to die.

I had two twin brothers, Eduardo and Paolo, who, by the way, like my father, could easily extract the most frightening confessions from the scariest men. The truth is that Eduardo and Paolo were the faithful copy of the feared Enzo Salvatore, not only in the methods of conducting his activities, but unlike me who was very similar to my mother, the twins were physically similar to our father.

Although my veins also had Russian blood from my mother, it was the Italian characteristics that stood out in my personality, and I was happy about this, considering that for some unknown reason, I never liked my Russian relatives, especially my aunt Kenya Goncharov, heir to the Russian command after her brother's death thirty-five years ago. Everyone in our midst attributed to her the characteristic of being of dubious character. In fact, without my knowing why, the truth is that even my own mother disowned the blood of the Russian family. That was a forbidden subject in our house. Mom never told us why, after being forced to marry my father, she never again had a relationship with her own family.

When we arrived at the chapel where the mass was to be celebrated in honor of my parents, Paolo went to meet Eduardo, who was standing next to our first cousin and our Uncle Dario, now the last living Salvatore of past generations. The older man's expression was indecipherable, but perhaps, like me, he too wished to drink the blood of the one responsible for our pain. For her part, my cousin had an unreadable expression on her face with thin, dark features. Anyone who looked at Giovanna would not say that the woman had been adopted by my uncle when she was only eight years old, after all, her features were truly familiar compared to mine, starting with her blue eyes, which were as similar to mine as they were to my mother's.

Unlike Paolo, I stayed by Guido's side, my right-hand man and best friend since the day we bumped into each other at one of the few parties I attended as a teenager. On that occasion, Guido saved me from an ambush set by the Irish who wanted at all costs to get at our goods routes. My father was grateful to the brave boy with mysterious expressions and blue eyes, and of course, realizing his abilities, as well as his needs, he soon offered him a job. Since then, Guido and I have become almost blood brothers, and it didn't take long for him to gain my trust.

I looked around and noticed that our men were all in place. Of course in disguise, but always on the lookout. We maintained our legal activities that served as an escape route to justify the origin of our fortune, as well as to mislead the local authorities. Therefore, for everyone who belonged to the business world, my parents' accident would have been a sad fatality. However, all the members of the famiglia knew that in fact my parents had been the victims of a cruel and cowardly ambush the likes of which the Italian Mafia had not seen for a long time. Why now? Why an attack on the heir? That's what everyone was asking themselves.

“He is so powerful.” I heard a girl sigh at the same moment I passed her as I entered the church.

“Powerful and beautiful! But don't get excited. He doesn't look at any woman.” Another one answered hopelessly.

“It seems that no woman is good enough to attract the attention of the mighty Luigi Salvatore.”

I rolled my eyes impatiently at this conversation. How was it possible that, while our family members were suffering an irreparable loss, they kept on with this banal talk about shallow women? I turned to the three of them, and from the embarrassed and frightened looks on each of their faces, I had no doubt that my countenance was not the friendliest.

“Not just looks, my dear. None of you are really good for me.” I muttered without any remorse for the humiliation I was putting them through. “Now listen carefully to what I'm about to say. If you are not here to respect the family's painful moment, I suggest that you leave, or I will personally send my security guards to see that you leave.”

I turned and walked slowly back towards my family, but still had to endure Guido's unfortunate little jokes.

“You are cruel to them, do you know that? What's wrong with them lusting after you?”

“You say that because you are a womanizing scoundrel.” I hissed. “Besides, you don't have to put up with certain kinds of inconvenience. Do I look like a shop-window mannequin wearing a fashionable outfit to be lusted after?”

Deep down, I knew that none of this was anything more than an interest in my money and all the comforts that the Salvatore surname could guarantee. Women only think about money and comfort.

“I wish I could get these mermaids into my net as easily as you can get them into yours, my friend. It's a waste to dismiss them.” I didn't have to say a word, I just looked at Guido, who raised his hand in redemption. “It's okay, I get it. I'm sorry! Let's sit down.”

By Luigi Salvatore

After that awkward moment, no other woman muttered anything about me in a way that I could hear, and Guido never spoke of it again. The truth was that everyone knew that marriage was something I ran away from like the devil from the cross. It wasn't always like this, after all, I did once truly love, but my heart was broken when Nina, one of the daughters of a member of the famiglia¸ left me on the night of our engagement. Everything was already completely settled for our wedding, we had our engagement party thrown for about 100 guests, everyone was drinking and rejoicing at the news of the marriage of the heir to the northern territory. That night when I showed her my engagement present, Nina was lost in my arms a few minutes before the engagement ring was offered to her, but when the time came to receive it, my fiancée who had said she needed to go to the bathroom, never returned, instead she sent a measly letter through one of the waiters at our party. As I opened the letter and read everything that had been written in Nina's perfect handwriting, I was only certain of one thing... I was a jilted fiancé with a ring on my hand and a heart in pieces.

It seemed that Nina had run away with one of the guests who was there only to take her away without my even suspecting the whole betrayal. Her father even wanted to go after her by promising to bring her back to me dragged by her hair so that she would honor our commitment, but I didn't allow it. As difficult and painful as it was, in that instant I no longer wanted her in my life, even though my heart screamed to the contrary. Since then, no one has ever heard of Nina's whereabouts, not even her family has heard from her. And me? well, I concluded that love is for fools and so I would never again give myself to any woman for more than one night of pleasure and satisfaction.

Hours later

“Have I told you how much I hate these nosy people here?” Giovanna said affected, as she approached us together with my brothers and uncle. “I would bet a kidney that most of them don't even feel for my aunt and uncle's death. They're actually a bunch of snakes trying to attract your attention, Luigi.”

My cousin, who was always a suspicious woman, didn't hide the dislike she felt for the members of the famiglia. Just like me, Giovanna was not the type of woman who was easy to deal with. To win her trust I had to face a war at the very least. I just couldn't understand why, even if she proved to be capable of giving her blood for a Salvatore, Guido had never won her over, considering that the two lived on a war footing.

“You can't let yourself be shaken now, Luigi.” Uncle Dario called my attention to him, completely ignoring the grumblings of his adopted daughter. “You can tell from miles away that you're vulnerable, but that can't happen. Who can assure you that we're not being watched by the murderer?” Despite his harsh manner, I knew I couldn't ignore my uncle's advice. “We don't know who did this, but if there is one thing I have learned from my brother, it is to understand the signs.”

“What does this mean, Dad?”

My cousin Giovanna asked her father. Her expression made it clear that she was already looking for an answer to her war plans. If there was one thing Giovanna was good at, it was manipulation.

“It means, my child. That the Salvatore family must be ready for a new war.”

“With a shadow? How can we fight against someone we don't know?” Edward couldn't hide the impatience and anger he felt.

“Remember what our father used to say, Eduardo. In a puzzle, all the pieces fit together, even if one of them is hidden. We have to start looking for the least likely place.”

When the subject was missions, Paolo put aside his mocking characteristic and always became the more restrained twin. Which I was grateful for, because Eduardo's impulsive side always put us on the alert to deal with possible problems.

“Mr. Salvatore...”

We all turned to face the owner of that hoarse and visibly tired voice.

“Guiseppe Santinelle!”

I greeted back the old man Santinelle who was standing next to his wife, Dante, his eldest son, and a blond woman as beautiful as she was visibly unpalatable.

“Despite our differences, I could not fail to honor his parents. Your father was a great man, gave me a lot of trouble, it is true, but still a great man.”

The older man's voice made me break eye contact with the woman next to Dante. I shook the man's hand even though I could see the tension in my brothers and Guido, as if they were ready to draw weapons at any moment. Despite the truce established by my father and Giuseppe, trust was something I don't know if it would ever be able to be shared between the Salvatore and Santinelle.

The command of the Italian Mafia a few years ago, after direct conflicts between the ancestors of our families, ended after many agreements until they finally reached a solution; dividing themselves into a single organization (la famiglia), but with commands in two territories, the north and the south, that is, the north being a territory belonging to my family, and the south belonging to the Santinelle family. This way the Italian Mafia would remain one of the most feared in the world, without there being a war between us.

“Thank you, Guiseppe. My father is gone, but I remain here to continue his legacy.” I looked him in the face without fear.

“I have no doubt of that.” The man tapped his son, who was taller than he was, on the shoulder. “This is what we raise our children for. As you know, this is my son Dante.” I greeted the younger man, who seemed cordial, yet attentive to my brothers. “And this is Antonella, my youngest daughter.”

Personally I had never seen the Santinelle daughter before, but from the woman's fame, I could have sworn she was there under obligation. However, breaking my own rule of never being nice to any woman, I took her hand and kissed it gently in a greeting like a true knight my father taught me to be. The woman in turn rolled her eyes, visibly bored.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Santinelle. Although these are the circumstances.”

The soft skin of the blonde's hand somehow made me shiver. Her perfume was like a real disturbance to my judgment, so I quickly tried to fasten myself to the woman who had the most luminous truthful eyes that ever crossed mine.

“I am sorry for your loss.” The husky, velvety voice was far from delicate. Then the woman looked at her mother. “Mamma, I'll wait for you in the car. Excuse me!”

The blonde left without even waiting for an answer, and when she passed me she seemed to make a point of bumping into my shoulder, making it clear that she didn't sympathize with me at all, which caused Giovanna and my idiot brothers to curl their lips in arrested laughter.

Ignoring the young Santinelle's unexpected defiance, I turned to the older one

“I appreciate your solidarity for coming.” I said putting it without letting any reaction show. “Now if you will allow me, I must leave you now. I have a hunt to do.”

I turned my back on the Santinelle family expecting to be followed by my own, but before I could take another step forward, Guiseppe's voice again made me stop, but this time I didn't face him.

“You no longer have any allies. Out of wounded pride and too much ego, although he was an active member of the famiglia, your father was wrong when he decided to conduct the family business alone. But you? You are young, intelligent. You know better than to underestimate an enemy, don't you? I advise you not to face your enemies alone, Luigi. You are the heir to your father's place in our organization. Whoever this insolent man is who dares to try against the life of an Italian, he is one step ahead of you, and you need help.”

“Well, then I have to surprise him, don't I? A game is not won before the final move, Mr. Giuseppe.”

“Certainly! But I'm afraid we are all worried about the fate of our business. Now that the mourning is over, we would like you to accept the invitation to join us tonight at a meeting. The whole board will be present, and not only do we need to understand a few things, but we also need to make your entry as Enzo's heir effective.”

I knew that the family council would not let many more days go by than that. No matter what, it was time for me to effectively become Enzo's heir. Those were the rules, and I had to follow them.

“All right! You can count on my presence.” I finally said coolly.

I left without looking back, and as much as I hated to accept it, old Guiseppe was right... I was on my own fighting against the dark, but it didn't matter, whoever was behind this, I would find out and I would take his head off with the best of my blades. That would be it, or my name wasn't Luigi Salvatore.

By Luigi Salvatore

"It was written... Lines of past and present, one day would cross. Just as in the past they silenced my blood, I will personally volunteer to not let a single Salvatore live to tell the tale, but first we will play."

I looked at the paper that, on the day of my parents' funeral, had been sent in a black envelope accompanied by a wreath of red flowers. The note was too embarrassing for my mind to comprehend its meaning.

“Are you ready?” My uncle asked for the thousandth time before we got out of the car.

“I said I am.” I answer coolly.

“Luigi, you are not exactly the easiest person to deal with. Our fear is that at any moment you will pull out your gun and point it at the forehead of one of these wretches.” Guido could not hide his concern for my impulsiveness. “There will be three of us against about ten of them.”

“Now, don't be lazy and let's get on with it. I've been in front of them before, and if you must know, they didn't impress me. They are nothing but old men playing at running the Wild West, when in fact they send their sons to do all the heavy lifting. Besides, what can they do against me?”

Hours later

“This family has been causing us problems for years.” One of the old men spoke with authority. “It is clear that this boy is not ready to continue the family business. For him to take the position of northern capo is an insult to our organization.”

“He is the heir.” rebutted Giuseppe.

“But he's not ready. He is in a personal conflict that could lead to death.” rebutted the other, leaving me bored.

I knew that the anger that man felt for me was burning in his soul, but I didn't care about that, for me he was just a father with a bruised ego for having seen his daughter dismissed by me years ago. Yes, I remembered well the day I said no to his proposal when he offered me the hand of one of his daughters in marriage.

Among those present, only the Santinelle and Fredo, Nina's father, were in fact known to me. The others I knew were bankers, businessmen and politicians who hid from society who they really were and what they did in the dead of night.

“The Salvatore problems haven't reached us yet. We have rules, and he is a legitimate heir to take his father's place among us. I see no reason why we can't stick to our rules.” It was the youngest Santinelle's turn to give his opinion.

“If it's about rules, then we have a problem.” The remark of one of the counselors caught my attention, making me curious to hear it. “He is past the age of marriage, and one of our rules says that the capo must guarantee the organization an heir to take his place. How can a man assume such a position without at least being committed to a family?”

For the first time in front of them I shuddered. Mentioning marriage was the least I expected them to do, but I knew that it was a legitimate rule, after all that was the reason my father had accepted the arranged marriage to my mother. It was part of an agreement with the Russian mafia, and of course, by marrying he could take over the business without meeting any resistance since by then my grandfather was dying of an incurable disease.

Trying to gain time to think and escape the problem, I let out a debauched laugh, which drew all eyes in my direction. Everyone seemed indignant at my posture.

“What's so funny, young man?” questioned the same woman who had mentioned the wedding.

“Do you think the Salvatores need you for anything?” I don't know if you remember, but those who owe us something are many of the ladies and gentlemen here present. I know every favor my father did for you. Favors that until today have not been repaid.

I saw some of them exchanging apprehensive glances.

“Are you threatening us?” A man I recognized as the head of the city's public security spoke as if he had any autonomy to point at me. “You see, gentlemen? This boy thinks he is superior to the famiglia. It's not enough that he's causing us problems, he clearly doesn't respect our rules.”

“What amazes me the most, Mr. Alessandro? That you talk about respect. With the position you hold in this organization I suppose you shouldn't be pointed out as a scoundrel who mistreats his own wife.” I challenged the man without blinking.

“You are an insolent brat.” The man flattened the table.

“AND YOU'RE AN OLD MAN WHO THINKS HE CAN MAKE ME AFRAID.” I imitated his gesture and also spread the table so that I was completely facing him. “I AM A SALVATORE, I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU, OR RATHER, OF ANY OF YOU.”

“Well, you should be, my dear boy. Your father was as insolent as you are, and look what happened to him. He became barbecue for ants.”

Feeling the blood boiling in my veins, I drew my gun pointing directly at the man's forehead, who by the way did the same as me with the same agility. Irony of fate or not, exactly what my uncle and Guido had predicted happened, the three of us were under the crosshairs of at least eight heavily armed men.

However, in the middle of all that tension it was the initiative of one person that caught my attention...

“Put down your gun Alessandro, you wouldn't be crazy to hit one of mine.” Dante, who was now beside me, pointed his gun at the same man as me. With the attitude of the younger Santinelle, some of the other members didn't hesitate to lower their weapons, but Alessandro remained facing us. “I WON'T SEND YOU AGAIN, YOU BASTARD.” I heard the sound of Dante's gun going off. “Put the gun down or I'll blow your brains all over this room.”

I didn't understand what the crazy man was doing, but being a Santinelle, I knew it would get me into trouble in the future. Giuseppe had also risen from his chair at the head of the table, but unlike his son he didn't draw his gun, he was just studying everyone attentively.

“Don't be a fool, boy. Do you really want to buy this fight?” Alessandro asked Dante, but his eyes were locked on mine. “Why would I do that?”

“As I said... Luigi is one of mine.”

“What do you mean, Dante boy?” Fredo wanted to know what I was also curious about.

“Luigi will soon marry my sister Antonella. We were just letting this mourning period pass to expose the event to everyone.”

What the hell was that brat doing?

For a moment I looked away from Alessandro, not even caring if I would be shot. Fuck me! Now I wanted to kill Dante. What was that boy doing?

A buzz had settled in the room, and I saw when Giuseppe sat back in his chair looking puzzled by what his son had said.

“You have to be lying.” Alessandro's cold voice was again present, drawing all attention to himself. “We have never seen or heard of any such approach. Commendable of you, Dante, in fact, I don't know why you are doing this, but I must remind you that lying to members of the organization is considered an act of treason. And we all know what happens to traitors, don't we?”

I saw Dante practically silently begging me to confirm his story, which I certainly did not wish to do.

“He's not lying, you worm. Soon I'll be engaged to Antonella.”

I said with conviction without leaving myself time to think about the shit I was doing, but I couldn't let anything happen to that idiot because somehow he tried to defend me. This time it was my uncle and Guido who were surprised.

“And why didn't we know about this?” One of the counselors present couldn't hide her curiosity on the subject.

“Don't be insensitive, gentlemen. With everything that's been happening in the family, do you really think we'd have a head for celebration right now? Sit down and put away your weapons, there's no reason to get worked up here.”

“Since when, Capo Giuseppe?” The woman asked again. “The rivalry between you is...”

“It's no secret to anyone here that years ago, Enzo and I had established a truce between our families, after all, whether you like it or not, we are the most powerful in this place. Our parents' rivalry is in the past, we have no reason to live at war.”

“But you didn't tell me anything about it when I went to tell you about your daughter's hand to my boy.” Alessandro seemed to control his anger, but the truth is that he was truly offended.

“My sister didn't like your son, period. She is in love with Luigi and he is the one she is going to marry.”

So that was it. Dante used me to get his sister out of a marriage with that wretch's son. Damn him! Although I was enjoying the idea of seeing Alessandro humiliated in front of everyone. Thinking about it made me smile broadly as I stared into the eyes of the wretch.