Secret Baby for the Mafia Prince (Savage Mafia Empire)

11. Luca

Chapter eleven

Luca

Three Years Later

“Ahhh, it’s been a while.” My eyes gleam with mischief as I make my way down the aisle.

“Welcome back, Boss,” one of my loyal operatives, who is also one of my spies, greets me. His voice is filled with great respect.

Sterling and Vito flank me, walking behind me. I continue speaking to no one in particular, my words hanging in the air like a challenge. “I’ve been stuck in Miami for three fucking years now; I hope I didn’t miss much.”

“Hey, Sterling, make sure nobody knows I’m in the city,” I say, my voice low and menacing.

Sterling raises an eyebrow, his expression cautious. “Would you prefer to stay in a hotel, sir? It might be... prudent, considering.”

With a smile and a voice filled with amusement, I say, “You think the whole city will be aware of my arrival if I go to the De Santi mansion, don’t you?”

Sterling nods, his voice measured. “Yes, sir. It’s likely.”

I tap his shoulder, my smile growing wider. “That’s a good idea, Sterling. Book me a suite at the Plaza. I’ll lay low for now and let the Mancinis think they’re safe.”

Vito speaks up, “What’s the plan, Boss? You’re not just here to catch up with old friends, are you?”

My head raises and I turn to him, not bothering to mask my sinister tone. “Oh, no, Vito. I’m here to settle scores. Gianna’s just the beginning.” A small chuckle escapes my mouth. “I plan to do a lot more than catch up...”

After we arrive at the hotel, Vito and Sterling go book a room while I hide my face with a baseball cap and a face mask. It’s too soon to ruin the surprise if someone sees me and marks me this early.

“Follow me, gentlemen,” the hotel worker says as she walks in front of us, leading us to the suite.

The Plaza’s luxurious suite envelops me in its large and beautiful embrace. I reach into my pocket and bring out a cigar and a lighter. The cigar’s flame dances in the dim light as I take a slow, deliberate drag.

My eyes drift across the Manhattan skyline, my eyes narrowing as I pinpoint a distant location. “That used to be my favorite spot to visit with Gianna,” I say, unable to shake off the feeling of nostalgia. A cold, mirthless chuckle escapes my lips as I gesture towards another spot. “Around there is my mother’s favorite spot.”

Sterling’s voice breaks the silence, his tone carrying a hint of excitement. “Boss, one of my men has intel on Giovanni’s whereabouts for the night. He’ll be at Club Europa; a big party’s going down.”

My eyes narrow, the cigar smoke curling around my face like a sinister halo. “Ah, Club Europa.”

I take one last drag, the ember burning bright red, before walking up to Sterling. I puff the smoke directly into his face, feeling the coldness root deeper in me. “Perhaps it’s time to pay my old friend a visit.”

Sterling’s expression remains impassive. “I’ll get the car ready.”

My eyes keep staring far away, into the distance, before I break the silence again. “I need a black Tuxedo and a black Rolls Royce for our little event this evening.” I pause. “Make sure Giovanni doesn’t leave.”

“Black tuxedo and a Rolls Royce, got it, Boss,” Vito responds.

Sterling nods, his eyes locked on mine. “One of my men has his eyes on him.”

“Good. I’d hate to have to decorate the streets with your head, mi amigo (my friend). You know how I hate... mistakes.” I tap his shoulder, my fingers drumming a slow rhythm, before walking past him towards the bathroom. “I need to... refresh myself. Vito, get everything ready. I want no surprises tonight.”

Immediately, I enter the bathroom and strip off my shirt, my muscles flexing in the mirror’s reflection. I feel and look like a different person.

My body is now a canvas of ink; tattoos snake up my arms, most of which I got in Miami. A serpent coils around my right bicep, its eyes gleaming with evil. On my left forearm, a skull grins with macabre humor.

On my chest is my personal favorite, a bold portrait of my father, Salvatore De Santi, staring back at me. His eyes seem to bore into my soul, demanding vengeance.

I touch the reflection in the mirror, my fingers tracing the lines of my father’s face. My voice drops to a low, ominous tone. “Vengeance is coming, Father... I promise you that.”

It didn’t take long, after I finished in the bathroom, for Vito to walk back in. He stands before me, holding a sleek black tuxedo and a small bag containing my accessories. “Your car is waiting outside, Boss.”

I take the tuxedo from him, beginning to dress right there in the suite. The fabric slides smoothly over my tattooed skin, the black cloth seeming to absorb the light around me.

Vito helps me tie my bowtie to complete the look.

The darkness outside seems to pulse with dark energy, and the lights of the city twinkle like stars in the night sky. I feel a sense of power coursing through my veins, my heart beating with an almost feral excitement. I’ve been waiting for this day for three fucking years.

“The rest falls on you now, Sterling,” I say, my voice low and even. “Make sure everything is in place. I want tonight to be... memorable.”

Sterling nods, his eyes locked on mine, his face a mask of professionalism. “Everything is set, Boss. He hasn’t left yet.”

“I intend to imprint my name in blood all over these streets, and it better not be yours.”

We push through the crowded club, the thumping bass and shrieking laughter enveloping us. I nod to Sterling, my voice raised to be heard over the din. “Clear the path to Giovanni.”

Sterling nods, his eyes scanning the crowd, before he starts to push through, creating a path for me. I follow closely behind, my eyes fixed on the figure of Giovanni in the distance.

It hits me like a blast from the past, as my head gets flooded with memories of us. These memories are replaced too quickly by the image of my parents lying dead. It stirs up so much hatred and anger in me that time hasn’t healed yet.

As we approach, I slip on my dark shades, my face hidden behind the sleek black frames. A cold wave spreads across my face as my heart beats with anticipation.

“Giovanni.” I take the glass of wine from a tray held by a servant and take a gulp. “What a night.” My voice is low and even, carrying over the music. He turns to look at me.

Giovanni’s eyes flicker towards me. His face takes on a hint of surprise before it hardens. “Luca.” His voice is dripping with disdain; I wouldn’t expect less.

“Long time, no see.”

I remove my shades to stare into his eyes. They are still the same. A double-crossing bastard. Not much has changed with him. His hair is fuller and his beard is neatly trimmed. It pisses me off thinking how much they’ve lived when my parents didn’t get the chance to. I want him dead now, along with everyone he loves.

“You should be dead. What the fuck are you doing here?”

With a chuckle, I respond. “Revenge. Remember? Blood for blood.”

Giovanni’s eyes pop with hatred... and something I don’t care to decipher. “The only blood going to be spilled is yours for getting close to my sister.”

My laugh is cold and menacing. “You are weak… a pathetic joke. Someone will have to pay for the murder of my parents.”

“Don’t make me kill you.”

“Just like you killed my parents? Nah, I don’t think so.” I take the drink in front of me and gulp down its contents. It burns my throat.

“I’ve told you, Luca, we had nothing to do with their deaths.”

I let out a cold chuckle. “Your family’s marks were on their bodies, and you expect me to think it was just a coincidence?”

I move close to him and drop my voice, just enough for him to hear the venom they hold. “I’m going to make you pay and you’re going to regret ever crossing me.”

Giovanni snarls and punches me hard in the face. My anger sparks and I lunge at him. He reacts swiftly, landing a solid punch on my jaw. Again.

Fuck .

The club around us erupts into chaos as we clash.

I land two clean punches in his face and he falls to the ground. He smashes a glass on my arm and stabs me with a piece. Its impact on my knee makes me grunt. Before the brawl can escalate further, I draw my gun and squeeze the trigger. Did he really think I was here to just throw him a couple of punches?

The gunshot rings out, and Giovanni’s eyes widen in shock. His white shirt stains rapidly with blood. “I’ll meet you in hell, where you belong.”

He gasps. “Ah, fuck...!”

I walk closer to him with my gun still pointed in his face. “You should have kept your hands off my family, Giovanni,” I sneer. “I’ll keep my word, I promise you.”

“Fuck you, Luca. Fuck you!” He struggles to breathe as he shifts on the floor. His fingers are stained with his own blood as he covers the gunshot wound.

With a brutal turn, I force his hands away from his chest, exposing the wound to the air. He screams in agony as I press my hand into the bleeding gash, my fingers digging deep into his flesh.

The coppery taste of his blood dances on my tongue as I lick my fingers, a sadistic grin spreading across my face. I straighten up, my movements abrupt and violent, as if I’m reveling in Giovanni's suffering.

The club around us is deserted now; the music and laughter are now replaced by an eerie silence.

Sterling and Vito stand tall, their guns trained on Giovanni’s men.

“Kill them all.” I turn to look at my former best friend. “Leave Giovanni. Let him bleed out and die slowly, just like they did with my parents.” I pull out a dagger to draw a crest, my family’s mark, on Giovanni’s arm.

His eyes dim as he struggles to stay conscious. I lean in close, my face twisted with grief. “Taste the pain and fear that my family felt. I’ll make every one of you feel it.”

I press the dagger into his flesh, and his screams become music to my ears.

“Blood for blood. I won’t stop till I end the Mancinis.”

Immediately, I turn my back, the sound of bullets flying, the perfect melody to end the night. Vito and Sterling shoot sporadically at the Mancini men.

The Mancini family will pay, every last one of them, for the suffering they’ve inflicted upon mine.

This is merely the beginning, a taste of the carnage to come.