Show no kindness

DANTE

She slapped me! She actually had the audacity to lay her hands on me. I was Dante, head of the Russo family.

My men were already pointing their guns at her waiting for my instructions. One word from me and they would shoot her.

I saw on her face that she had realized the folly of her actions. Why had she slapped me though? Was it because she found out that she was a pawn in my plan.

That shouldn't make her angry though, did she think we were suddenly best friends or that I had developed feelings for her.

I looked at her and cursed inwardly. I had no idea what to do, my men were looking at me expectantly waiting for my orders.

No one had ever laid their hands on me and lived to tell the story.

"Lock her up in the isolation room." I said at last.

Two of them stepped out and held her hands and took her away. She was too shocked to do anything.

I went back into the house only to be cornered by Maria. "Is there a reason, you are blocking my path?" I asked her.

"You put her in the isolation room?" she asked me.

"Yes I did."

"Why? That place is terrible. People have gone mad in there."

"She slapped me in front of my men, it was either I sent her to the isolation or to her early death." I replied.

"Come on, she had a reason to be angry, you practically used her as a pawn in your plan."

I stepped closer to Maria and she stepped back intimidated.

"I am her owner, I bought her for a lot of money. She has no rights in this house whatsoever." I said.

"You don't mean that."

"I do actually, I am her master not her friend. You more than anybody should know how other masters treat their pets."

"But you mustn't be like other masters, you can be a little kind." Maria told me.

I scoffed, "Being kind is what killed her father and brought about his family's downfall." I told her and walked away before she could say anything more to change my mind.

Later, I was in my room about to go to bed when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in" I said.

Geremia entered the room, locking the door behind him.

"The Conti family has been annihilated, their properties and money are now under our control." he reported.

"Good, I trust that no problems came up?" I asked him.

"There is just one problem."

"What is it?" I asked.

"He has a little son aged two. I spared him and brought him back awaiting your orders. Should he be killed too?" he asked.

I hated killing children, I saw them as innocents and tried as much as possible never to involve them in my battles or hurt them. All of my men knew this.

"Send him to Valerio, he is to grow up in the assassin guild. Tell everyone else I shot him myself." I told him.

"Is that necessary?" Geremia asked.

"Yes, the sooner people learn that I am not a kind-hearted person, the better."

Geremia sighed and sat beside me on the bed. "is this because of the girl, I learnt that she slapped you."

"No, it's not because of her." I denied.

Geremia ran his hands through my hair. "It's okay to be kind. It doesn't mean that you aren't a powerful mafia leader. Even the worst villains have their moments of kindness."

I pushed his hand away, "I am not kind."

"Fine, you aren't. How long do you intend to keep her in the isolation room? That place messes people up."

"Until she begs for forgiveness."

He sighed and stood up. "Whatever makes you happy, I guess. I will send the kid over to Valerio."

I nodded in response and he left the room.

I closed my eyes as a memory of the past drifted through my mind.

Twenty two years ago......

I hid my arms from my father as I stood before him.

He asked me about my studies and training and I answered him dutifully.

He dismissed me and I turned around to leave, still hiding my arms.

"Why are you hiding your arms?" he asked me.

"Nothing sir."

He pulled me to his side roughly and made me show him my arms.

He looked at the long scratches on my arm which looked angrily red.

"What happened to you?" he asked me angrily.

I shook my head and refused to answer him.

"Tell me right now Dante!" he yelled at me.

I flinched in fear, "my cat did it."

"Your cat, since when did you have a cat?" he asked.

I kept quiet and started to sob.

"Call his nanny." he ordered one of his men.

My nanny Rosalie came into the room. He showed her my arms.

"He said his cat did this, what I want to know is when and how he got a cat." he asked her.

Rosalie's face paled with fear.

"Answer me right now."

"He found a stray cat during one of our shopping trips and he loved it so much and begged to take it home so I allowed him to." she said.

"How long has he had this cat?"

"a week sir."

My father stood up, "So for a week, my son has had a cat in this house and I had no idea. What is the next secret going to be? Overthrowing me?"

She fell to her knees. "No, no sir. Please no. I would never think of doing such a thing. He just wanted the cat and I wanted to make him happy, I didn't mean to make you angry sir."

He dragged me to where she knelt and shoved my arms in her face.

"Do you see his arms?" he asked her. She nodded.

"What if it had been his face or his eyes?" he asked.

"I am so sorry sir." she begged.

"Where is the cat?" he asked.

"It's in his room."

He looked at one of his men who nodded and went upstairs to bring the cat.

A few moments later, he came back with the cat. It was a white scrawny thing with an attitude problem that I had loved with all my heart.

It was struggling in the hands of the man who carried it. Immediately it saw me, it jumped from his arms into my arms.

"So this is what hurt you." my father remarked.

He tilted my chin up to look at him.

"You are Dante Russo, my first son, heir to this family. You do not lay low and allow anything to trample on you. Understood?" he asked.

"Yes father" I replied.

"Now put that darned animal down" he ordered.

He picked up his gun and before I could realize what he wanted to do. He shot the cat.

I screamed, louder than I had ever screamed in my life.

My cat, Snow was dead. I was shivering in fear. He pulled me closer and forced my face up.

"This is what happens when you disobey me and keep secrets from me." he said.

He pulled the trigger again, this time the gun was pointed at Rosalie. I watched as my favorite person in the world died.

I had never known my mother, Rosalie had been the one taking care of me from an early age and now she was dead. Dead because of me.

"This is what happens son, if you aren't strong enough in this world. You die just like your cat and nanny."

I stood there frozen as Snow and Rosalie's bodies were taken away. And so I had learnt my first lesson in the mafia, do not allow others hurt you.

The present......

I opened my eyes, I had been too lenient recently. It was time to be strong.

I would never let anyone take me for granted ever again.

Camilla would stay in that isolation room till she became remorseful. And if she died, so be it.