By Luigi Salvatore

“Luigi, that was the last one.”

Guido said as he went through the list with the names of the men who were on duty the day the farm was set on fire. I decided to follow the advice of my future father-in-law and as hard as it was to consider the idea, we had come to the conclusion that we would start looking for answers at home, after all, some pieces were not fitting right in everything that was happening.

“Well, at least of those who appeared.” He said again almost in a whisper.

“Of those who appeared?” I answered coldly.

“Apart from those who died in the attack, we noticed the absence of two more security guards, brother.”

Matteo said cautiously as he exchanged glances with Guido. I hated it when the men around me seemed to fear saying things to me, so they decided it was a great idea to tell me the shredded details.

“Dead?”

“Alive!” Matteo answered bluntly.

“Really, Matteo? And why the hell am I only knowing about it now?”

“Well, we... you were just too tired.”

“We thought it might be better to rest, Luigi.” Guido interfered. “Since the death of your parents, you do not do this. Maybe that’s the explanation why so much is happening and you can’t handle it. Your mind is overloaded, Luigi.”

I knew that was true, but I hated that people made decisions about my life when it was up to me. However, what bothered me most was feeling the weight of Guido’s words. Was my own family holding me accountable for everything that was happening? Maybe so, since I as the new boss had a responsibility to make things work.

For a moment, letting anger take over me, I found myself holding Guido by the collar of the black leather jacket that covered his body. Her suddenly frightened look wasn’t enough to bring me back to my senses, not when a world collapsed on my ceiling.

“Are you blaming me for the misfortunes that have happened, Guido?”

“That’s not what I meant. Just that with a clear mind you could think better about it.”

Although I spoke calmly, I realized he was nervous.

“Luigi...” Before Tony even approached, I had already removed my dagger from the waistband.

“Do not dare to interfere.” I turned my gaze to Guido. “Do you want to know what I think? Well... If your fucking amateurism hadn’t been so strangely hot lately, we wouldn’t be going through this shit. Tell me Guido, you as my trusted man, my advisor, my friend... Where were you when you entered the farm? And you Matteo? Aren’t you and Paolo in charge of the security team? Well, why don’t you explain to me what the hell is going on with your team?”

Giovanna arrived accompanied by my other brother.

“Oops, we arrived at show time.” My cousin said sarcastically, but she was clearly tense, as Guido and I dueled in a cold, silent gaze.

“Luigi, release him.” Paolo risked asking patiently. “He is your best friend. Your trusted man, and certainly you do not want to hurt him.”

Still pondering what to do and confused by my sudden reaction against the one I trusted most, I did what Paolo asked... I pushed Guido who fell under the leather armchair and kept my dagger.

“What’s going on here?” Giovanna ran her eyes around the place hoping one of us would answer.

“It is happening that by the mistakes you make the weight falls only on my back, but this party will end.” I punched the table leaving them scared. “Now I am in charge, the orders are mine, I told them and you obey. As much as I love them with all my being, I will not tolerate any more mistakes here. Just as I will not allow you to make decisions for me.”

“That means what exactly?” Paolo wanted to know.

“We are going to have changes. Uncle Dario is traveling to take care of the vineyard’s finances and for now, it will be up to him only that. Tony and Paolo, from now on you will be responsible only for the goods. If any of them are intercepted, I swear I will make them pay without remembering that they are my brothers.” My brothers exchanged frightened looks, after all I had never been so rude to both. “Guido...” The same looked at me calmly. I liked it in him, he did not let himself be shaken easily. “His team is infected. We can not continue to trust these men. Let’s reformulate it!”

“They’re my best men, Luigi. Besides, how am I supposed to command a new troop if we don’t have a place to get them? Since your father broke the alliances, our terms have become limited.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know where to get them, and you’re coming with me.”

“Where?”

He smiles at the memory of Antonella, who with only one meeting, had already made it clear that she was a sneaky pest. You’d give me a job when you were my wife. For now I had fun with all her rebelliousness, and if my plan went as expected, in a few minutes I would see her again, and of course, I would not miss the chance to annoy her a little more.

“Well, as my worthy bride says, if we have lemons, we’ll make lemonade. For something this marriage has to serve me, so let’s go to my future father-in-law’s house for help.”

“So cute, he is already learning new things with the bride.” Paolo mocked, but my look soon made him stop. “Sorry!”

“And me?” Giovanna seemed anxious.

“You?” He laughs. “He will do what he knows best.”

“Kill?” Like me, Giovanna also smiled with mockery.

“Find the traitors and have fun, but bring them to me.”

“You can leave it to me.”

If there was one person I trusted with the search tasks, it was Giovanna. My cousin was smart, knew how to plan her ambushes well and never failed.

By Luigi Salvatore

Some time later

I particularly did not have the patience to deal with that kind of work. The choices for security were always damned by intense demonstrations of skills, in other words, all needed to demonstrate being able to fight body, as well as psychological.

After talking to my future father-in-law about the need to completely change the security of my team, and receiving his permission to choose the best men from his own team to come to serve me, I went personally with Guido and my future brother-in-law, the academy of the Santinelles.

I don’t know how long we’ve been there, but from the sweat that was running down the body of that gang of men fighting each other at the Santinelles' private academy, I could tell we’d been gone for hours. Unlike Dante and Guido who seemed excited about the choices, I felt bored.

I decided to leave a little out of the environment in search of fresh air, but when I arrived at the outdoor area I felt something collide with me without having the slightest effort to get me to the ground. The blow made my spine hurt like hell, which only got worse with the weight on my body.

“Don’t look where you’re going?” Antonella would remove the hot blonde strands from her face, while already demonstrating how angry she was.

“As far as I know, you’re the one who bumped into me.”

I noticed that her green eyes, showed surprise when she heard my voice.

“But what the hell are you doing in my house, you devil’s groom?”

“You know the bride is you, don’t you? Soon...”

“Are you calling me a devil?” She narrowed her eyes and I for a moment endeavored not to laugh at her temper.

“Me? But who said that was you.”

I only realized that until that moment the blonde was still over my body, when she got up snorting irritated.

“I hate you!”

“Believe me, the reciprocal is true. I personally never had the vocation to put up with spoiled and untamed patricinha.” I dusted my pants not caring about helping her up.

“This is simple to solve, baby. Give up the marriage and die. Believe me... You’ll be doing us both a favor.”

Antonella spit the words with contempt stamped on her voice, which in fact did not surprise me, since I knew she was hating the fact of marrying me.

She was gonna walk right past me, but I didn’t allow... I held firm the arms of the blonde without the slightest worry of being or not hurting her, but by the expression of hatred reflected in her face, I was sure she could feel everything at that time, less pain.

“If you hate the idea of this marriage so much, then why don’t you just give up?”

“LET ME FUCKING.” Antonella raved without worrying about answering my question.

“Rebel... I confess that it would be interesting our coexistence, if you were not such an annoying woman.” I provoked a little more his fury.

“Unlike you, who is just an idiot who does not arouse the slightest interest in me.”

I smiled at the debauchery of the other, because in spite of everything, I could have sworn that for a moment I saw Antonella with shivering arms when I pressed her body a little more against mine.

“Do you think it awakens something in me? Girl, you ain’t nothing but my life insurance, but you bet your ass when all this shit blows over, I’ll personally give you back to your father.”

“YOUR ASS FROM HELL, I AM NOT A DEFECTIVE COMMODITY TO BE RETURNED.”

At that point, Antonella was already punching my shoulders.

“I didn’t ask to marry you. It was your brother’s idea.”

“Then marry him, you bastard.”

“Why are you so angry, huh? Weren’t you the one who said you didn’t want this wedding?” I pressed Antonella’s arm even tighter, standing inches away from his face.

“And I really don’t want to! I will leave this marriage at the first opportunity I have, but it will happen when I want, baby. I’m not gonna let people think I got kicked.”

“But you want them to think you kicked me out?” Antonella’s will to choke.

“I don’t care about you, Luigi Salvatore. You’re kind of cute, but you’re just an unscrupulous mobster who thinks he’s the king of the universe.”

It wasn’t just Antonella’s cheekiness that annoyed me, but her wretched mania to leave me speechless. What the hell kind of woman was that?

I got a little closer to Antonella without looking away from her. For a moment I could have sworn that the cheeky woman gave way to a frightened little girl, probably because my eyes were frozen, but little did she know that inside my heart burned like fire. Antonella’s boldness was annoying, that’s true, but it also aroused things I didn’t know how to describe.

“So that’s what you think of me, Antonella?” With my thumb I caressed the face of rigid features. Antonella was scared, she did not wait for that reaction of mine. “I’m just a cute man?”

I whispered in his ear and it was impossible not to smell his hair invade my senses. I smiled when I realized that Antonella’s skin was goosebumps, the crest was no longer the same and I was certainly finding its weak point. Score one for me!

“But you know what?” I slid my lips gently down the curve of your jaw. “I don’t know if I believe you. Maybe you’re just really curious to find out who the real man is who will take you in his arms as his wife right after our marriage.” I touched my hand and my fingers began to slide gently down the arm of a paralyzed Antonella.

“You... you wouldn’t dare.” For the first time I saw Antonella’s voice fail. “We have a deal. You can’t touch me.”

“You don’t think so? I’m not cruel?” I whispered in your ear again. “Unscrupulous? I wouldn’t worry about anything, would I? You will be my wife and you must behave like one.”

“Dare and I swear I’ll shoot you in the forehead.”

Despite the threat, Antonella remained goosebumps, so I brought my lips closer to hers, but did not touch them.

“Although your body makes it clear to me that I would not find the slightest resistance if I claimed you, you can be sure that I will not touch you.” I saw the green eyes darken. “You awaken me nothing but fun.”

I moved away from Antonella with the intention of going back to the academy, but it was not possible, because without at least leaving me time to reason, she had already trapped me against the wall of the place. His leg climbed up the side of my thigh to reach my waist. Unexpected attitude, I confess.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Antonella’s hands held my wrists at the height of my head and her lips were not shy to reach my ear. Cazzo! Her breathing close to my neck was enough to make my body shiver.

“What’s the matter, Luigi? Feeling uncomfortable?” She whispered and I could swear that I felt the tip of Antonella’s tongue, in the lobe of my ear. “Tsc, Tsc... So tough, but now nothing looks like a sneaky wound.”

“You wretch...” I hissed, but my voice was cut off. Frustrated, better said.

“I am! Actually, I’m no good to Luigi, and believe me, you don’t want to play this game, because if you want, know that I can play as much as you can.”

I shuddered when Antonella left a kiss in the corner of my mouth and left without even looking back. Devil of a woman!

By Luigi Salvatore

Hours later

“Do you really trust this family?” Guido asked after we left the Santinelle mansion.

“Trust is a very strong word. My father taught me that it takes a long time to trust someone, Guido. Only right now I have no choice but to ally myself.”

“I know! Don’t think I’m questioning your decisions, Luigi. It’s just...”

“Just, what is it?”

“Well, they were always your family’s greatest enemies. If I may say, they have always wanted to rob you, so much so that although you have control of northern territory, they have managed to become more powerful than the Salvatore in the commercial milieu.”

“Everyone knows that this happened in the time of my grandfather, Guido. But under my father’s command, the rivalry between our families became just a story to be contacted.”

“You know that until today I have a curiosity about how it all began.”

“Which?”

“Why at the time your grandfather allied with the Russians? We know that Russia and Italy never really got along. From what you have always told me, your mother was not regarded by the members of the Italian organization as a woman of trust. So why?”

“Well, I can’t say much with property when it comes to the Russians, after all, as you know not even my mother kept in touch with the family after she married Dad, What was really never really clear was why she made the choice to cut all ties, but what I do know is that it was a difficult time in business. My Italian grandfather lost morale in the region after the Santinelles took part of what he had, and my mother’s father lost control of the Russian mafia. They had no credibility, no prestige, no trust... they only had each other. Things actually only changed when my father took over and revolutionized business.”

“He was a cunning man, the great Enzo Salvatore. I never tire of thanking him for having known him. With him I learned how to attack my enemies.”

Hearing Guido speak of my father with great enthusiasm made me feel remorse for the way I treated him earlier. That man was one of the only people I trusted, he was also the man I adopted as a brother and I knew that all he wanted for me and my family was good.

“I’m sorry...” From the corner of my eye I saw Guido staring at me in amazement.

“I lived to see it. The mighty Luigi Salvatore apologizing... I think the engagement has already begun to do you good.” He joked.

“Do not make me feel sorry for having said these words.” He laughed. “This has nothing to do with the crazy woman I will have as a wife. Just... Damn, I shouldn’t have lost my mind with you.”

“Luigi, Luigi... always so impulsive, so exalted. You know that as a new capo, you can’t keep acting like this, don’t you? One day your thoughtless actions can give you serious problems and that’s what I really care about.”

“I will try to control it, but I promise you nothing.”

He laughed and shook his head in a disapproving sign, but from the years of friendship we had, he knew it was really hard to control my instincts.

“And Antonella?” Asked Guido.

“What about that devil?”

“I saw that you met. Incidentally, that I find warm, no? I bet you’re dying to see her enter the church and say yes.” I raised my eyebrow before the other one who laughed mockingly.

“Then he does not complain when he has my pistol pointed at his forehead.” He laughed, probably disregarding the idea that I would do that.

“You didn’t tell me if you thought she was pretty.”

“What does it matter, Guido?”

“I bet you think she’s pretty. Come on, tell me... do you think she’s pretty or not?”

“Guido...” Rosnei.

“Ah Luigi, what’s the big deal? That way I’ll think you’re in love.”

“You are provoking me.” I replied impatiently.

That subject indeed bothered me, after all Antonella clearly managed to make me lose control, and this was something new when in fact no woman could achieve such a feat.

“So that’s it, you’re actually charmed by the younger Santinelle. I knew!”

“But what the hell... It is Guido, she is beautiful, but she is also a devilish, who apparently has an unnecessary ability to get me serious. One date and it was enough to hate her.”

The fool laughed and made me not understand his behavior.

“I saw you two just now... She may not be the firstborn of the Santinelles, but you have to admit that the girl has strong personality and genius.”

“I confess that I am eager to watch the unfolding of this coexistence. It seems to be able to destroy any wall, my friend.”

“Yeah, she’s a very abused woman, that’s right. But it’s not like I’m going to surrender to her whims.”

I could have sworn I saw my friend get stuck so I wouldn’t laugh out loud.

“What was it?” I asked raising my eyebrow.

“You can even be a mafioso capo, without scruples and piety. But you’re still a man.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Antonella is a woman who easily makes any man crawl at her feet if she so wishes, my dear. I don’t give her six months to have her heart if she so desires.”

“What talk without place, Guido. Need I remind you that we are not marrying for love?”

“Love can happen over time, Luigi. I’m sorry about your marriage anyway.”

I looked at him feeling curious about that revelation.

“Sorry? Does it scare you that I’m getting married?”

“Of course I do. I don’t know what it’s going to be like from now on. I mean... how are the nights at the brothels going to be without you around? On second thought, there’ll be more girls left for me.”

I rolled my eyes with boredom. Of course Guido would think something like that. Aliá, not only him, but my brothers as well. After all, if there was one thing men like us didn’t want to lose so soon, it was single life. Even if we were married we could go to brothels and have nights showered with drinks and women? Of course! But it would not be honored, and in our family one of the rules that was most precious, was the respect that we took as a wife. Who dishonors the family, how can they honor an organization?

“Now, don’t be an idiot. Let’s get to work!” I answered by running away.

After we got home, I got out of the car completely ignoring Guido’s jokes regarding my marriage to Giuseppe’s daughter. However, inside I could only think that in a few days I would be married to the green-eyed blonde who entered my life like a hurricane.