The devil himself

In the far corner of the grand Salvadori Auction House, a tall, handsome man stood with a glass of century-old red wine in hand, slowly stirring it and taking slow sips as his calculative dark eyes observed everything around him.

His presence was felt in people's bones and women occasionally glanced at him, honoring his enigmatic form, but no one plucked up the courage to ask him out, even if they craved to.

If being sexy was a sin, this man would be the devil himself.

And his name is Vincenzo Salvadori.

A tall, bald man scurried towards him and in a very hushed voice said. "We got him, Enzo."

Enzo gave a slow nod and finished the rest of the wine. "Good. Drag him to the back garden."

Desperate shouts and cries of a man echoed in the back garden as two men dragged him by his arms, the rest of his body scraping the stone pavement.

Enzo stared at the groveling rat squirming beneath him with an unreadable expression. "You think hiding in this petty auction will save you from me?"

The man shook violently as if he had been placed naked in the middle of a blizzard."P-please! spare me this once! I beg of you!"

"You supplied some worthless guns to my men, Alessandro."

"I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault! The Armandos! They threatened me! They said they would kill my wife and daughter if I didn't do as they said!" Alessandro wept on his knees.

Enzo's jaw ticked. His face, however, was void of any emotion. He flicked his fingers. "Carlo, play it"

Carlo, his loyal right-hand man, opened the laptop and played a video that send a sense of impending doom to Alessandro's stomach.

"I've replaced the guns that were supposed to be sent to Salvatore's men with the ones you've shipped. I hope you've brought me my sweet reward." Alessandro eagerly rubbed his palms, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Enzo's enemy, Antonio Armando, chuckled. One of his men slammed a heavy briefcase on the dusty table of the warehouse they were in. "Five million for your brave deed, Alessandro."

"You are indeed the most generous Don in New York City, Mr. Armando." Alessandro praised, inhaling the intoxicating scent of freshly printed cash, which was an insatiable drug to his greed.

"Your daughter or your wife. Choose." Enzo said, smiling so cruelly that it made Alessandro whimper like a beaten dog.

"P-please they d-didn't do anyone any harm! It was all my fault! All of it!" Alessandro slammed his forehead on the stone pavement and pleaded for his family's dear life.

"Let's make this more interesting, shall we?" Enzo reclined on the chair that was brought for him and pulled out an expensive cigarette from the cigarette box. Carlo immediately took his lighter and did the favor of lighting it up for Enzo.

He took a long, sedating drag, pondering over what punishment will befit the pig beneath him. "I heard you are one of the best shooters in New York City. Never missed a shot. Let's put your skills to the test."

Carlo took off his black tie and bound it around Alessandro's eyes, depriving him of vision. Next, Carlo handed him a gun.

"Shoot me in the head and your daughter and wife will live. If you miss, one of them dies." Enzo's words were like a clobber, sending his heart and brain reeling with chaos and confusion.

"P-please I-I c-can't do this!" Alessandro dropped the gun and tried to untie the blindfold, but Carlo bound his wrists together in a painful grip.

"Or we can put them in a box and arrange a funeral for them," Enzo suggested impassively. Alessandro stopped struggling and picked up the gun in his right hand, aimed it towards Enzo's forehead.

He had never shot in the dark before, but the least he could do was try. Beads of sweat pricked his skin, and slowly, he pulled the trigger.

"Aghhhhh!!" A painful cry resounded in the garden. The cries pierced the air like a cutting sword. Three mutilated fingers were on the floor, drenched in blood. Alessandro wheezed and cried. He couldn't even look at the state of his hand.

This was the very gun he had supplied to Enzo's men!

"Seems like you missed your shot, Alessandro." Enzo got up from his seat and pulled out another gun, and handed it to Alessandro's good hand. "Use this. It's a better one."

Alessandro laughed like a maniac. There is no escape. He pressed the barrel to his forehead.

BANG!

A whiff of smoke rose from the hole, and his lifeless body dropped to the floor. Enzo stared down at the corpse. "You had a chance."

He stepped over the body and ordered his men to get rid of it before striding towards the exit where his car was waiting for him.

He got in the backseat, and Carlo shut the door for him. A moment later, Enzo's phone buzzed inside his pocket and a small smile crept over his lips after reading the caller ID.

"Nonna, how are you?" He asked fondly.

"Enzo! I am dying to see you! When are you coming back?" Elena Salvatore breathlessly asked.

"Soon."

"Soon? When?!"

"Within a week."

She coughed and cleared her throat. "I might not live long enough to see my great-grandchildren. The least I want is to see you happily married to a lovely woman and guess what? I've found the perfect match for you!"

His brows drew into a frown. "Who?"

"Lilliana Russo!"

"Russo..."

"Lily is a lovely girl and so beautiful. I'm sure you will fall head over heels once you see her!"

"Did the Russos accept this proposal?" Russos weren't the type to end a lifelong grudge overnight.

"Well... I haven't talked to them yet, but I will soon enough! I just need your answer." Elena mumbled.

"My answer is NO. I am not getting married." He tried his best not to sound harsh, but alas, he did. Elena kept mumbling about how disrespectful he was, how stern he was, and how insensitive he is to talk like that to a poor old woman. "Well, at least meet her! You will like her! She is so docile and kind, just like your mother. That's why I choose her!" Elena ranted on.

Enzo sighed. "I'll think about it. Good night, nonna." He hung up the phone and tossed it on the seat.

"Carlo."

"Yes?"

"Find out everything about Lilliana Russo. I need the information within two days."

Carlo shot a glance in the rearview mirror with a look of disbelief. "Understood. I'll hire a private investigator right away."