21 ~ Rage

Francesco

“What did you say happened?” I slammed my fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room like a crack of thunder. 

My face twisted in rage, my eyes blazing with fury. The veins on my forehead pulsed like hot wires, my jaw clenched so tight it felt like it might shatter.

“The Fernandez family hijacked our goods. All the tankers are gone.” My consigliere — An advisor to the Don, often handling disputes and strategic decisions — explained the situation surrounding the circumstances we are in. 

“And our men?” I asked, my eyes nearly popping

out of their sockets. 

“All dead, Don.” He replied with his head down before he let out a sigh. 

“You are dismissed,” I said, then I waved my hands dismissively. 

Before I knew it, my ass was already pressed into the sofa behind me. Air closed in on me despite the fact that the air conditioner was powered. 

Everything is crashing down. Why? Marshall!

I will make the fool pay for his sins. He still hasn't learned, right? Well, he should remember that there is always a day that every sin will be judged. 

I should have outsmarted him. I should have tore him apart if not for the useless Brinda who pushed him down the cliff. She couldn't even complete a mission on her own. 

I approached her initially to help me clear up my dirty works, find my father's killers — which we haven't started yet, sideline my opponents, and other mafias, and use her hacking abilities for my personal gain but I've gained nothing. 

And it's all because of Marshall. All because of him. 

“Francesco,” Brinda called from behind. 

My face narrowed into slits as I turned around to face her. “From now on, call me ‘’Boss'’ or ‘’Don’. Understood?” 

She nodded but I saw some hesitation in her. “What is it?” I asked, my voice sharp as a blade. 

“Bullet might not survive,” she replied.

Earlier, my men picked up Bullet only to find out that she was still breathing. Later on, I called my personal doctor to check out her condition. 

“And how is that my bloody business? Was I the one that shot her? Why do you have the brain of a fish? Am I a miracle worker that will bring her to normal?” I thundered, my voice like a force of nature. The words felt like they were ripped from my soul, leaving me raw and exposed.

Brinda took a step back, her eyes wide with alarm. She looked like she had just seen a ghost, her face pale and frightened. “Don, she has been your loyal servant. Will you calm down and…” She started, but I cut her off.

“Calm down?” I repeated, my voice rising to a shout. “You think I can calm down after hearing this? Our tankers were hijacked.” I didn't even realize when I got to my feet while I paced back and forth, my eyes scanning the room like I was searching for something to destroy. 

My fists were clenched, my arms rigid with tension.

I felt like I was going to explode, like my anger was a living thing that was going to consume me whole. I could feel it burning in my chest, a fire that was spreading fast.

Marshall had hijacked goods worth millions of dollars and killed a lot of my men. Who wouldn't get angry? Only a fool won't get angry. 

“Seriously? Are those goods more precious than Bullet's life?” She questioned me, raising her voice. 

I closed the gap between us and I slapped her hard in the face. As a result, her eyes were clogged with tears and I cared less. “Vaffanculo dalla mia vista!” Get the fuck of my sight. 

Brinda held on to her cheek as she walked backward till she disappeared out of sight. 

My thought went directly back to Marshall's sins. My blood in rage owing to his spiteful previous action. 

“I will kill him,” I growled, my voice low and deadly. “I will kill Marshall and every last one of his men." The words felt like a vow, a promise that I was going to make good on. “This is war. And I'm going to win it.”

The room fell silent, the only sound was my heavy breathing. I felt like a wild animal — untamed and unpredictable. My anger was a force to be reckoned with, and I was going to unleash it on Marshall and his men.

The war that once started with our fathers needs to come to an end. It has to be now or never.

Finally, I shouted, my voice low and deadly. “Danger,” I screamed my consigliere's name, enough for him to hear me. “Get the men ready,” I ordered. “We are going to take back what's ours!” 

I hurried out of the room and took a leap of faith as we headed to Fernandez's hideout. Arriving there, Marshall was on his way out with his herds of men. 

The cars stopped and his men came out all armed and guarded. I got out of the car and my men followed with a straight face. 

“Call out your boss. We have some unfinished business…” I had hardly finished my words when the door of one of the cars at the back opened and Marshall slowly made his way out of the car, using his walking stick as a form of support. 

He walked to where I stood and looked me in the eye. “What brings you here?” 

“Death! And it is to kill you.” I raised my gun to his head. 

“Do it. You will still be at loss.” He provoked me further after he smiled despite the anger I was feeling. 

Suddenly, a female's voice rented the air. My breath hitched as I tried to remember who the voice belonged to.

The door of the car Marshall alighted from opened and a pair of red shoes were visible at first before a figure emerged from it. 

“Alice?” I gasped, after seeing the figure's face. 

“Are you shocked to see me, Francesco?” She asked as she made her way towards us. When she reached us, she locked her fingers with Marshall's as if they were some kind of couple. She spread a smile across her face. 

Alice was part of my father's most trusted allies. It was believed by everyone that she died at the last attack we had. How come she is with Marshall? 

“You had better not cause any issues for yourself. You know what I mean? We have silenced your men already and now… you came here with men that aren't up to twenty?” She mocked. “If I were you, I would just leave so I could at least keep my life. There will still be a day for a real battle between us. Wait till then.”

As I stood there, my gun still pointed at Marshall's head, I felt my rage boiling over. But then, I turned to Alice. Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I was transported back to the past. Memories of our time together and of her working with my father, flooded my mind.

But Marshall's smug expression snapped me back to reality. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Alice's words echoed in my mind: 'You know what I mean? We have silenced your men already...'

I glanced around, taking in the scene. My men, outnumbered and outgunned. Marshall's confident smirk. Alice's warning gaze. It hit me like a ton of bricks — I was walking into a trap.

My anger still simmered, but I knew I had to make a calculated decision. I lowered my gun, my eyes never leaving Marshall's face. “This isn't over,” I growled, before turning to my men. “We're leaving.”

A year ago, while Alice worked for my father, we have had one or two sex and I can say she's really good and fucking sexy to give a hard fuck. She was adopted at the age of five and started living with us. She is also very skilled, almost on the same level as Brinda. 

But how the hell did she meet Marshall? Is she part of those who conspired to kill my father? Did she fake her own death? Was she always a part of Fernandez's family while she pretended to work with father?