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Salvatore
I lost my only family, and in my quest for revenge I have somehow created my own new family with Lucia and Raul. Being here alone on the island with just with them has given me a new appreciation for what matters in life. Living away from other people and their opinions makes a difference, I see it in Lucia too. She is not the brat I watched, she is nothing like I thought she’d be in person. She asks for nothing, she isn’t obsessed with her makeup and looks, the natural glow of living life simply suits her.
Things changed between her and I on my birthday. It’s the first time I have celebrated one without my twin brother and she made that okay. Lucia went out of her way to show me she loves me. She said it too. Even if I can’t say I love her without guilt lining every word, I know that I do. My brother would be so angry I have fallen in love with my enemy. Yet I wonder if he might just be happy I have found what he had. Would he be able to forgive her family name and be glad I have someone to love? Felix was different to me. He didn’t hold grudges, he could let things go — I find it much harder. Forgiving those who wrong me is impossible, getting revenge is how I cope.
“Morning,” Lucia greets me from the open office door, she looks beautiful, and happy. Her long hair is loose over her shoulders, she is wearing a simple sundress and sandals. It’s short enough I can see her sexy legs tempting me with wicked thoughts.
“Do you want some coffee?” she asks, and I get up from my desk. The temptation is too much, I can’t ever just look at her anymore — I have her to touch her. I kiss her smiling face, and she stands on her toes to get more. I grab her ass and pull her against me so she can feel exactly what she does to me. No matter how much of her I have, it’s not enough — I am left wanting more every single time.
“I want you, and maybe some coffee.”
She giggles and shakes her head. “You just had me, before you got up to work,” she replies with a cheeky wink, “and Raul is up and about, so you’ll just have to hang on for more of that.” The little guy is quite the cock-blocker, but I love him. He’s all I have left of my family and that is a treasure. I won’t let anything happen to him, or her.
“Coffee will have to suffice then,” I kiss her cheek, “I’ll come to the kitchen with you. I could use a break.” The words aren’t all out my mouth when the satellite phone on my desk rings and I have to answer it. Lucia nods, she understands.
“I’ll bring your coffee, take your call.”
She’s a natural at caring for me, as if this is what she was always meant to do. Her intuition, and knowledge of the mafia life make things simple between us. I am not hiding, there’s no smoke and mirrors. She knows who I am, and it makes no difference in how she treats me.
I answer the phone, knowing it cannot be anything good — this is for big things only. The Russians have other means to contact me. This can only be Lorenzo or someone from home. “This is Salvatore,” I answer.
“Sal,” Lorenzo’s voice is harsh, but sounds tired. “Are you alright?” he asks me, and yet it feels like he really doesn’t care to know. “How is the baby?”
“We are fine, I have help here.” I tell a tiny white lie, I can’t let him know who my help is. That will not go down well. “What’s wrong?” Something must be or we wouldn’t be calling me.
“The Kings are meeting in St Luca in three days’ time, you need to be with us.” Be with us, so there is a split, like we predicted. He means I need to be on his side of what will obviously be an ugly war. As much as I want to hang up, say no and pull away from them all, I cannot, that would be signing my own funeral notice. “Things are tense, and I need you.” No one ever asks me if I want to help — it is an expectation. One I have grown tired of living up to.
“It’s a logistical issue right now, with the baby.” I try make an excuse, but he cuts me off.
“You just said you have help, Sal, I need you to show up.” That is not a request, it is a threat. I know better than to cross Lorenzo, if I want to live that is. “Things are safer now, no one is hiding anymore.” No one else has kidnapped a mafia princess and held her hostage in their bed on a hidden island though.
“My nephew’s safety comes first, and while no one knows where we are he is safe. I intend to live the hermit life for a long time Lorenzo. I will be in St Luca, but I am not risking losing the only family I have left.” I know some of them have gone back to living life as it was before my family was murdered, fighting their war on the streets, and killing over turf.
I am not going to lose what little I have left in their petty warfare — Zagaria hasn’t tried to find his daughter, and he won’t get her even if he does. I like my new life, and I intend to keep things as they are, it’s the only way I can keep Lucia. I have zero intention of giving her up.
“I understand that,” Lorenzo says to me, he ran away for fucking years. He cannot tell me what to do with my life, I keep my business clean and stay loyal. That’s all I owe him.
“Thank you.”
His tone, what is unsaid makes me uneasy.
“What am I walking into Lorenzo?” I ask him directly, surprises are not fun in our line of work.
“I’d be lying if I said I knew. Things are not peaceful. There are those who want me out — and others who think I am a fool for fighting to stay.”
He’s young, old men don’t like children telling them how to conduct their business, they never have. Traditions, and old ways die hard in the mafia, it has taken years to get them on board with technology alone.
“Do you want to fight?” There was a time he had no desire to be a part of his family or the business. I have to ask if I am being loyal to someone who will quit.
“I wouldn’t be making this call if I didn’t,” he says, “this is my legacy, I earned this place at the table when I was made to kill Contini for my father to get it. I am not walking away, I will kill every motherfucker in my path.” I don’t doubt that, he is a natural born assassin. He has no emotions when it comes to taking lives.
“Then I will see you there, but you might need help from outside The Kings Lorenzo, if you are going to hang onto the power and the money.” He is silent, because he knows I am right and as much as he hates the thought of it, no man is an island. “I have outside allies, ones that already hate Zagaria as much as I do.” I am treading a very fine line, I have kept my Russian connections to myself all the years. Not wanting my loyalty to be questioned.
“If I need help, I will ask for it.” He acknowledges my offer, and then speaks no more on the subject. “Travel safely.” He ends our call and I have a knot in the pit of my stomach at the thought of leaving Lucia. I don’t even want to tell her I have to go, but if I am going to make it in time I will need to leave tonight at the latest. Nothing is close to this place and traveling from here back to Sicily will take at least two days.
I sit quietly in the office for a while drinking the coffee she slipped onto my desk while I was busy. I look out the windows to where she is playing on the lawn with Raul, and I know he will be safe here with her. She loves him, and I know she will protect him if anything were to happen.
Leaving my work half-finished I go outside and join them. Raul is babbling lately. No real words, just cute gurgles and baby laughs that could light up even the darkest heart.
