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“I made you some breakfast,” Frankie announces, setting the tray on the desk near the door. He's mentioned more than once that caring for me is his way of seeking forgiveness. However, Frankie isn't the antagonist in this tale; Carlo Beneventi is, and he will face the consequences of his greed-driven actions.
“Thank you,” I reply, my mouth watering at the delightful aroma of crispy bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and homemade biscuits. I pull out a chair, sit down, and begin to eat eagerly while Frankie takes a seat by the dresser. The conversation I've been needing to have with him has been brewing since the day he brought me here. He diligently nursed me back to health, ensuring I took my prescribed antibiotics and moving my limbs to maintain circulation. We take evening walks to rebuild my strength, yet we've never discussed why he's done all this for me. Before I return home and make plans to avenge my family, I need to understand his motives. He's been employed by Beneventi for quite some time, so his willingness to help me is questionable.
“Frankie, I believe it's time for me to return home and confront Beneventi,” I mention between bites of food. He meets my gaze, uncertainty evident on his face.
“Are you certain you're ready to go back?” he asks, a valid concern considering the nightmares that still plague me every night. During my first week here, Frankie would burst into my room to wake me from the haunting dreams that tormented me whenever I closed my eyes. Eventually, I asked him to let me face them alone, to confront the harsh reality that this was my new life and nothing could undo the past. Now, I face these nightmares head-on, using them to fuel my need for vengeance. I've found purpose in my survival, and my family's deaths will not be in vain.
“Yes, I'm sure,” I respond. “Carlo must answer for what he did to my family. But before I return, I need to ask: why did you help me escape?” At first, I don’t think he will answer, but then he takes a deep breath and what he says touches my heart.
“You know I've been with Carlo for many years. This life is tough, and you need thick skin to handle tasks like disposing of bodies. But for the first time, I approached a scene and felt sick to my stomach, ashamed of what I've become,” he admitted, bowing his head, and exhaling heavily as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I remain silent, urging him to continue and letting him know that he can trust me.
“Seeing what they did to your family shattered me. In all my years of working with Beneventi, I never had to deal with children before. It was easy to avoid the faces of grown men and just focus on completing the job. But this situation was very different.”
I asked him how it was different, curious about what had changed for him that day. He explained, “For one, I've only heard positive things about your father. In our circles, rumors spread quickly. Carlo was losing control, consumed by a thirst for power. His intense hatred for Paolo was clear, and it was only a matter of time before it led to something destructive.”
I knew about Carlo's jealousy towards my father's success, but I never thought it would lead him to such extreme actions. What did he hope to gain by destroying my family? Did the other families in our organization support this horrifying act? Tears well up as I imagine returning to a home that was once filled with happiness, love, and laughter, now empty and desolate. Despite my father’s disapproval of my relationship with Nico, he had been a loving husband and father.
“The desperation in your eyes shook me to the core,” he continues. “In that moment, I decided I’m through with Carlo. He is a heartless man, and I cannot continue working for someone who could murder children without a second thought,” he expressed, visibly distressed by the events of that day. He then revealed, “I overheard discussions where Carlo opposed your potential leadership in the Northwest territory and how he would never accept it,” he divulged, further igniting my curiosity. Frankie went on to disclose the concerns raised by some of the families regarding Carlo's connections to a drug cartel in Colombia, while our organization strictly dealt with untraceable shipments from Russia. This risky association could potentially spell disaster for the entire Chicago mafia.
The revelations about Beneventi don't entirely surprise me, but they have sparked new thoughts in my mind. If Frankie possesses additional information on Carlo's misdeeds, I could leverage it to garner support from the other families. If they resist my plans, complications may arise, leading to more adversaries than I can manage. My ultimate goal is to take down the Beneventi family, and for that to happen, I require the cooperation of the other families. My original plan will need some minor changes, but first, I need Frankie to place an important call for me.
12
Liliana
Beneath the cloak of night, Frankie drove me back to my compound. Greta's disbelief was understandable when he phoned her to convey the news of my survival from the massacre. The sound of her voice brought a sense of peace that has eluded me for a long while, and a genuine smile graced my face, one that reached my eyes at last. A surge of joy filled my chest, anticipating the upcoming reunion with her. It had taken us three weeks to set this plan in motion, and now, the initial phase was completed - it was time for me to return.
The memories of my family's demise weigh heavily on me, a burden that feels never-ending, dragging me down. I long to be set free from this overwhelming grief. The haunting images of them lying lifeless, drenched in blood, torment my soul. The only path to release this oppressive weight is through the blood of those responsible for their deaths. As I gaze at the night sky, I seek comfort from the heavens, letting me know that all will be well. Yet, it never comes. Instead, all I sense is a surge of pure, unfiltered rage, urging me to bring vengeance upon those who destroyed my family, to set the world ablaze in their honor.
For this plan to work, Carlo needed to remain convinced that his strategy was unfolding flawlessly. This unfortunately required Frankie to resume his cleaning duties for him. When Beneventi questioned his whereabouts, he explained that he needed time to process the events following the Rinaldis' tragedy. How getting rid of the bodies of children fucked with his head and he needed to decompress. Carlo, displeased with this reasoning, ordered his son Salvatore to eliminate him. However, with mounting pressure on the Beneventis, Tomas persuaded Carlo that such action was ill-advised so soon after the incident involving my family. In a display of unwavering loyalty, Frankie declined any payments for the next six months as a token of his allegiance.
During his trips back to the city, Frankie discovered that the other families were on high alert, anxious that their own families might suffer a similar fate as mine. Carlo conducted meetings, gradually persuading them to grant him control over the Northwest territory. His actions went unquestioned, fueling my anger to its boiling point. My father's contributions to the Chicago mafia were groundbreaking. Following the honorable practices of my grandfather during his leadership, my father successfully kept us off the FBI's radar and maintained covert operations with Russia. In contrast, Carlo's actions attracted undue attention and led to investigations whenever he defied my father's directives. He has created chaos, and when confronted, he resorts to issuing death threats. It was upon learning this that I decided to return earlier than planned.
The quiet street that stretches behind the compound is deserted. The barren trash bins signal the absence of life in this place. Every minute that passes forces me to lift myself out of the sorrow of losing my family. Arriving here proves to be more challenging than expected as I input the code to open the gate, hoping it remains unchanged. Frankie offers me a reassuring fist bump before driving off, and the familiar click as the gate unlocks provides me access. A sigh of relief escapes as I step through the gate and shut it behind me. Using the flashlight feature on the burner phone provided by Frankie, I trudge up the slight incline, each step weighing heavier than the last. Upon reaching the pool area, a wave of sadness washes over me as the motion lights illuminate the space. There are no apparent traces of my family's brutal demise, with the grass clearly replaced with new sod and the pool shimmering under the bright moon.
This spot marks the last time I saw my family together. Luca and Alexandria goofing around, taking selfies with silly expressions. The typical behavior of teenagers enjoying life and bonding with their loved ones. My grandfather leisurely puffing on a cigar, engaged in conversations with old friends he hadn't seen in years, my mother beaming as my grandmother admires my engagement ring. Everyone exuded happiness that day, commemorating my birthday. But Nico was missing. The unknown reason for his absence has plagued me during my recovery. Could it be mere coincidence that he had a meeting the same day my family met their tragic fate? When Frankie informed me that Nico was nowhere to be found, I couldn't decipher if it were due to guilt or anguish over my alleged demise. Presently, Frankie is the sole person I trust, and until proven otherwise, Nico will meet the same fate as his family.
I reach into my backpack, retrieving my utility knife and lifting the concealed panel in the cobblestone near the French doors. As I zero in on the correct wire for the alarm system, I cut it just in case the house alarm had been altered. The gate's security was left unchanged, but Frankie mentioned seeing a "For Sale" sign attached to the front gate during his recent drive by mission for me. The night he returned to the safe house to deliver this news is etched vividly in my memory. The moment he entered the kitchen, the expression on his face foreshadowed bad news.
“There's something you need to know,” Frankie asserts, settling across from me at the table. These are not the words one wants to hear after surviving an unimaginable ordeal. Setting my sandwich aside, I focus intently on him.
“Okay, go ahead,” I respond, a sense of dread creeping up within me.
After a pause, he inhales deeply and discloses, “When I passed by your compound tonight, I saw a ‘For Sale’ sign displayed on the front gate.”
The dinner I had prepared is forgotten as I process Frankie's revelation. I slump back in my chair, suppressing the tears threatening to spill. The bank is auctioning off my home, my sanctuary, and I am powerless to prevent it unless I resurface. With my maternal grandparents passing away in a tragic accident before my birth and my mother being an only child, the responsibility falls solely on me.
That evening, I made the decision to return home to the place where my father shaped me into Liliana Gabriele Rinaldi, a mafia queen and overseer of the Northwest domain in Chicago. The Beneventi family will regret the day they awakened the dormant side of me, kept concealed until a time like this.
I now find myself standing at the threshold, hesitating to step into this vacant space brimming with memories of my past life. An overwhelming wave of anxiety grips me, rendering me immobile and causing me to question if it were wise to return so soon. My hands linger on the door handles, motionless as I peer through the glass into the expansive dining room. The subdued lighting casts eerie shadows over the furniture swathed in white linen, unsettling me. While driven by a vengeful rage, a creeping sense of guilt for surviving infiltrates my thoughts, tempting me to vanish and be content with being alive.
Turning away from the doors, my gaze drifts out toward the yard, fixating on the precise spot where Alexandria drew her final breath. Her once vibrant eyes now vacant and lifeless, hauntingly staring back at me. The long, ebony locks that I will never tenderly comb before bedtime, and the cherished movie nights filled with rom-coms and buttery popcorn—all fading memories extinguished in a cruel act of avarice, along with the future moments I will never share with my baby brother who was so full of life.
My veins pulsate with a surge of anger as memories of my family flit through my mind at lightning speed, reinforcing my resolve. It is my survival that necessitates holding Carlo accountable for his actions. Tightening my grip on the handles, I push open the door and make my way to my father's office. Seated behind the massive desk, I pause to collect my thoughts, deliberating on whether to initiate the first phase of my plan that very night. Acting on impulse would be ill-advised and likely not the wisest course of action. One of the key principles my father instilled in me is to never let rage dictate your actions, as acting in fury often leads to critical mistakes. The boundary between anger and passion becomes blurred, hindering your effectiveness. Unless engaged in a process of extracting information through torture, swift and calculated strikes are the most efficient approach.
Sliding my hand beneath the desk, I search the underside until I locate the hidden button that triggers the wall to slide open to my left. Illuminating the space with the flip of a switch, I step into the concealed room, stocked with an array of weaponry known solely to me. While Antonio has faithfully served by my father's side for years, there has always been a lingering sense of mistrust. Despite not providing any reason to doubt him, Paolo Rinaldi understood that in the unforgiving realm of the mafia, even the closest of friends could readily turn into the gravest of foes for the right price. As I retrieve a compact 9mm pistol along with a silencer and extra ammunition, placing them on the table, I look over the display of guns to see what else I may need. My go-to weapon remains a hunting knife. However, having a firearm at hand is essential for situations demanding long-range precision. Given that Carlo's henchmen are trained killers, catching them off guard will be crucial. Crossing over to the opposite side of the table, I grab my Kevlar vest before exiting the room.
