Chapter 1

Xavier

“Everything is ready, sir. Should I take care of it? Or do you--”

I shot my head up at the direction of my underboss, Enzo. “No, I want to have some fun with this one, Enzo. My face should be the last thing that he sees.”

Those words hurt me to say, but I have to exert my dominance. Being weak is not an option. No one crosses Xavier Castello and gets away with it. Honor and loyalty are two words we hold dear in Cosa Nostra.

I can tolerate just about anything, but betrayal is definitely not one of them. If I let go of everyone who crossed me because of sentiments, I would be a dead man.

I didn't get my title as don from being a weak little bitch.

“Let's go!” I ordered, getting up from my swivel chair and shutting the door to my study. Our convoy moved with speed and stopped right outside the estate of one of my father's most trusted men, Benicio Morales.

I walked into his room where he and his wife Beatrice, were sleeping soundly. How could the damn bastard sleep after stealing from Don Castello? His peace infuriated me.

Two of my men stood on either side of the bed. Four more are at the door frame, waiting for orders. The ones who aren't manning our cars are taking care of the house staff and flimsy guards situated on every side of the house.

The bastard had already tripled his security while planning an escape. All the muscles in my face constricted.

Taking the gun out of my holster, I shot his dear wife in the head to give her a quick death. I was very fond of her, so there was no need for suffering. I'm sure she had no idea what her husband was doing.

The sound jolted him awake. He turns to me with fear in his eyes, knowing what his fate will be. His eyes go back to his wife's lifeless body. Tears stream down his face. I'm sure he's already sorry for stabbing me in the back.

Before I can speak, my men take his wife's body away.

“Don Castello,” he said, fear lacing his voice. The murderous look in my eyes tells him that I'm not ready for a conversation.

“I can explain.” his words fail him as he tried to speak. I took a clean blade handed to me by Enzo and swing it around, showing off my knife skills.

The high-pitched screams from downstairs are like music to ears. No one, not a single soul, would be left alive. It wasn't because they were guilty of anything, their only mistake was working for a filthy thief.

In a moment, the whole house goes quiet. I exhale deeply before burying my knife in Benicio's palm. He screams like a little princess. When he has overcome the shock from what I had just done, I pulled the knife out.

His blood coated his whole palm and most part of my face, covering my eyes. I clean the blood off my eyes and lick the one on my lips, then move back to my prey.

He's crying like a child, but I can't seem to feel anything. Nothing at all. It makes me scared for myself.

To put an end to his suffering, I take a clean sweep across his neck, tearing one of his jugular veins. Within seconds, he stops moving.

I walk out of the room, Enzo following behind me. As I get downstairs, Mateo, one of my trusted men, approaches, walking me through an array of bodies neatly positioned in different parts of the house. He had painted the whole place red, all because of Benicio fucking Morales.

Not only did he steal from me, he had been selling information to Arturo Lopez!

I had already spent some time torturing some of the men that worked under Benicio. In no time, they had divulged all the information they gave to Arturo.

The idiot who put my mother in a wheelchair and murdered my sister in a game of Russian roulette. Sent me her head in a fucking parcel. That's why no one can make it out alive.

“Ready to report?” Enzo asked me as I examined the level of bloodshed. I nodded. ”I think we did good.“

Enzo handed me my phone. ”It's done!“ I say to my father, Joseph Castello. This vengeance was not just for me, but for him, too. The Morales family was just the start. I will not stop till the whole Lopez family is six feet under.

The Lopez's were trusted allies, but they got so power hungry. So much so that they bit the hand that fed them.

“Are you sure they're all dead? Every single one of them?” he asked for clarity's sake. To make it crystal clear, I sent a picture of Benicio's son's fucking lifeless body.

“Good!” His voice is firm. Before I can say anything, a shrill cry interrupts me. I clench my fists into balls. “Get your hands off him!” she demanded.

“Goodbye, father.” It's better to put an end to the call before he can notice whatever the background noise is.

“Did I say you could hang up?” His asked in a stern tone. The man never wants me to forget that he is my father, always exerting his damn authority all the time.

“I'm sorry.”

“I want you to come see me this weekend.”

“Oh, that's why you're being like this. Because you miss me.”

He coughed. ”Shut the fuck up!“ My remark earned a chuckle. ”Goodbye Lucky.” I bit on my lower lip. He called me fucking Lucky!

My attention went back to the distraction that interrupted my call. Enzo held her down while she struggled uncontrollably. He pulled the gun she clutched in her hand.

“Who the fuck is this?” I ask, examining the honey skinned brunette who tried to bite her way out of Enzo's grip.

“I don't know boss, she was hiding out in the wine cellar.”

My eyes fell on her. ”Who are you?“

She rolled her eyes. ”Fuck you!“ Her voice was shaky. I can see the fear no matter how hard she tries to hide it.

Enzo took his gun out of the holster and placed it very close to her head. Disrespecting the Don like that would earn anyone a bullet in the head, but I'll let it slide, just this once.

She shoots an elbow in Enzo's stomach, causing him to loosen his grip on her. She tries to run away but just ends up right in front of me. Her eyes trail my body and stay on my face. She's trembling. The fear she's exuding seems to get me excited, too excited.

I lower myself close enough to meet her eyes, ”I'll ask again, who the fuck are you?“

She takes her eyes off me. ”I don't owe you an explanation. Get out of my way!“

My patience had run thin by now. Instead of exchanging words with her, I grab her by the arm, bending it in a very uncomfortable way. She tries to squirm her way out. When it doesn't work, she sinks her teeth into my hand.

I pick her up from the ground and throw her over my shoulder. My hand hurts like hell. “Since you don't know who you are, you're coming with us!”

I throw her in the back of the car and slammed the door shut. Mateo slipped into the car. “What are we going to do with her?”

“I don't know yet. Tape her fucking mouth shut! And tie her hands if necessary.”

A smile spread across my face. She's the most fascinating thing I've seen in a while. The way she clutched that gun in her hands, she didn't look like an amateur. Maybe she can more than just bite with that mouth of hers.