Repaying the Mafia’s Dept

Massimo

I stand, look each member of the Syndicate in the eyes, and raise the ceremonial blade.

All eyes are on me.

Apart from Pa, Riccardo, and his brother, these are men I’ve never seen before. All men of power with incredible wealth totaling twelve, including me.

They all sit around the long rectangular table in the boardroom and watch me. Me, the youngest, newest member getting ready to initiate myself and sign the blood oath to the creed.

They will not speak to me until I take the oath. And we have much to speak about.

As I slice the tip of my forefinger, I rivet my gaze to Riccardo’s. I glare at him long and hard, making sure the other members of the Syndicate can watch me and take note that I have a problem with him.

They’ll know the story. They’ll know the past. It doesn’t sit well with me that these are men who could have killed me and my family on Riccardo’s word, but this is the next phase of power.

Drops of blood drip onto the contract. One similar to the document we gave Riccardo.

This one stipulates that I share my resources, power, and life with the members. One body, one power, all to pursue wealth.

My blood on the contract is my signature. It’s a serious thing because to sign the creed means you sign your life away. The only way out is death, or like I’ve witnessed with my own father, disavowal.

That will not happen to me.

When I place the knife back on the table, Phillipe, the chairman, nods his approval. I saw the way he looked at me when I walked in. He and the two Bratva leaders exchanged glances. Curious glances. There’s a spark of endorsement in his eyes now, as he looks me over.

They all know I have Riccardo’s voting rights.

What they don’t know is what will happen now that I have them. This sort of thing is not something that’s ever happened before. Taking voting rights for a debt. Questions we won’t answer will be raised.

I sit. Pa gives me the final nod. I’m a member now, just like him.

This is where it will all begins. The next generation. When Pa leaves, I’ll be here with Tristan the same way the leaders are with their counterparts. Riccardo is here with Leo, his brother. They both look at me from across the table. Seething.

Powerless, useless, helpless…

I could almost laugh. I would almost laugh if not for the image of his daughter in my mind.

Powerless, useless, helpless. It describes her too.

I haven’t seen her in four days.

I’ve been busy with my men on the streets, looking for Vlad. I’m sure to shit the rats have whispered to him that I know he’s alive and I’m on the hunt for his ass, because there’s no trace of him. I’ll also admit that I’ve been avoiding Emelia. I thought it was better to, but not seeing her has grated on my nerves.

Phillipe gives me a nod and clears his throat. His tanned olive skin looks stretched when he smiles. Like he’s stayed in the sun too long. It makes his light blue eyes appear more intense.

“Wonderful,” he says. “It’s great to have a powerful man like you among our fold. You are just like your father.”

“I take that as the highest compliment.” It’s the truth. I do.

“You should,” he says.

Pa rebuilt himself, and they approached him, asking him to join, after he became a titan without them. I always wondered why he agreed, though, because they turned their backs on him after Riccardo’s treachery.

It took me awhile to realize it wasn’t as simple as turning their backs. They were being as objective as we want them to be now. My father became a loose link in the chain. The same as they will eventually come to see Riccardo.

When Emelia asked me what her father did to me, it was hard to think of an answer that would summarize everything. What happened was this: Riccardo set Pa up. Pa was in charge of the family business. Back then, it was investments. Same as Riccardo’s. In those days, the Syndicate was low level and started with our great-grandfathers. When Pa and Riccardo joined forces, he set up a pump-and-dump scheme, hired people to cash out and ruined Pa.

That was after Riccardo set up Balesteri Investments and stole all the clients Pa had obtained for years. That left Pa bankrupt. All his money and assets were seized to pay debts, and because some of the members of the Syndicate and their families were clients, it was easy to get him out. The whole plot was a carefully woven plan to destroy. We had to go through hell and back, but it’s better to have accomplished all that we have with our bare hands than to stand on the shoulders of giants. Doing so made us giants too.

“Now, on to business,” Phillipe says, clearing his throat.

“Fire away,” Pa says.

“Taking a leader’s voting rights is rendering him powerless in matters we need to agree on as a group. This is the first time such a thing has happened. We’d love for you to shed some light on the matter.”

Phillipe is no fool. I’m certain it’s as obvious to him as it is to Riccardo what we mean to do. We’re devils come out to play. Everyone has questions. We’ll decide how we answer.

Pa steeples his fingers and leans forward onto the table. “He owed a debt to me, and that is one of the ways I chose to be repaid. It’s as simple as that.”

“Let’s be real, shall we?” Phillipe states, shifting his gaze to Riccardo. “Losing voting rights better be worth it. I’m also aware that a majority of your assets now belong to Massimo in his ascension as boss of the D’Agostino family. All but Balesteri Investments, but if I’m not mistaken, your heir will receive that. News has spread abroad of her engagement to Massimo. Meaning that’s practically his too. It is not my place to question you on matters outside the syndicate, but if I’m pushed, I will. My question is, what now?”

I like this guy. He cuts straight to the shit. These men aren’t stupid. They’re gonna know that we must have one hell of a debt over Riccardo’s head to demand so much. I’m sure they’ll most likely guess too that Emelia fell part of the repayment plan. It’s not hard to figure out things like that in our world.

Riccardo tenses, as does his brother. Backed into the proverbial corner. Right where we want him.

“I’m aware the situation is shit, but allow me time, and I will sort it all out. I may not have the assets and wealth I previously owned, but I have my skills, and I’m working on it,” Riccardo replies.

“You better hope so. We’ll give you eight weeks to sort yourself out, then we’ll meet again to discuss this further. However, that still leaves the matter of the tip in the balance of power.” Phillipe looks back at me. “Massimo, regardless as to what happens to Riccardo, you will hold the voting rights of him and your father. What do you plan to do with it?”

It’s my turn to talk. Everything I say now will be the guide for my future.

“I do not plan to rule over you.” They all look at me with enquiring eyes. “The Syndicate is about brotherhood and unity. The creed that protects us binds us together. When it is abused, the structure crumbles, so I won’t be using the extra vote unless the situation arises and I have to. If I have to, I’m sure we’ll discuss what will be fair and reasonable and for the benefit of the group.”

When Phillipe nods, I know he’s satisfied with the answer, but he’s not stupid. None of them are. They’ll know revenge made us want Riccardo powerless.

“Very well, then. Welcome to the Brotherhood, Massimo D’Agostino.”

I bow my head with reverence. Then they continue talking about business.

The meeting goes on for another hour before it closes. Throughout that whole time, I could feel Riccardo’s eyes on me. I wonder what he’s thinking about the most. What I’m doing to his precious daughter, or what I’m going to do to him.

When the meeting ends and Pa and I walk out to the car park, I expect Riccardo to come after us, so I’m not surprised when he does.

He calls my name. I turn to face him. Pa stops next to me and squares his shoulders.

“You better not be hurting my daughter,” he seethes.

All I do is stare at him.

“You animal. You dirty animal. The two of you,” he adds, looking from Pa to me.

“You aren’t that bright, are you? Coming to talk to us when we’ve barely left the building,” I answer.

“This is an outrage. A complete outrage. But this is what you wanted.” He looks at Pa. “An eye for an eye.”

“Fuck you, Riccardo,” Pa tells him. “I don’t know why you keep making the same mistakes. You don’t get it, do you. We have the upper hand. I can destroy you with one word.”

Riccardo balls his fists at his sides and looks at us, his face contorting with rage. “This is not over. You.” He points at me. “I remember how you looked at my girl at the ball. You had to tie me down to beat me. Knowing there’s no way in hell you’d get her otherwise. You fucking piece of shit. She will never want you. You can do whatever you want. She won’t want you. You will always be nothing.”

His words should roll off my back. They shouldn’t mean anything, but I want to beat the shit out of him.

“Nothing,” he repeats. And that’s it. I lose my shit and grab him by his neck.

Motherfucker. I don’t know who the fuck he thinks he’s talking to. I hold on tight to his throat and squeeze hard. We’re the same height, but I have more muscle. I’m built like a tank, while he’s an old man. He yelps, trying to wrench my hands free, but I keep hold of him.

“Get off me,” he shouts.

“Fucking dog. I am walking on thin ice, ready to snap and kill you fucking dead. Believe me, I’m ready to kill your ass dead. I just want to see you suffer, but my oh my, death might be better,” I snarl.

It’s Pa’s hand on my shoulder that snaps me out of the haze of anger.

“Let him go, son. He’s just rattled because he can’t do shit to us. His words are just that.”

The thing is, his words are just words indeed, but they got to me, and he knows that. That’s why he said them.

Lifting my head, I see Phillipe and the Bratva leaders ahead of us, watching. That curious look is still on their faces.

They want to know what really happened. They want to know how it is I’m marrying my enemy’s daughter, and why I have control of his power. They want to know how we got a man who was supposed to be untouchable backed into a corner.

They would rip Riccardo apart if they knew what he did.

Then they’d come for her too. Emelia. They will kill her without hesitation just for sharing the same blood, uncaring what she is to me.

I think of the other night when I went to her room. When I thought of what Vlad did to Alyssa, I thought of protecting her. That same force compels me to do the same now. The Syndicate wouldn’t be different from Vlad. Minus the creepy, unsavory fascination he has with women, they’d be brutal about the way they killed her. We’d get more than just her head in a box.

My temper is drawing attention to us, and to her too. I can’t allow my hatred for this man to get to me.

I release Riccardo on that thought and step back. He notices Phillipe and the Bratva leaders watching and at least has the good sense to tamp dawn his rage.

“Don’t fucking talk to me unless you have business with me,” I hiss. “See you soon, Dad,” I add with menace in my tone and a crude chuckle. Motherfucker. He hates me calling him Dad to no end.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Pa and I leave him standing there, stewing in his rage.

That fucker. I wish I didn’t have to see him. Ever. There’s the fundraiser and then the wedding. Other than the Syndicate meetings, that will be it. I don’t want anything to do with him, and I don’t want him near Emelia either.

“Hey,” Pa says, touching my elbow as we stop by my car. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“He got to you. I can tell.”

“It’s alright, Pa. He always gets to me.”

“How are things at the house with Emelia?”

Shit. Everything is shit. “Showing her who’s boss,” I reply because it’s the right thing to say. I can’t tell him otherwise.

“Good. Those people deserve what they get. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I nod and watch him go.

I gotta get this girl out of my head. That’s what. I can’t give anyone ideas that she might be a weakness to me, let alone someone like Riccardo.

I have to keep my head screwed on and follow the plan. Marry her and take her fortune. It should be as simple as that.

She’s just pussy. The spoils of war. A woman to warm my bed and serve a purpose in the grand scheme of things.

That’s what I have to tell myself about her, no matter how taken I am with her.