Chapter 3
Davide
On the ride home after the incident in the Level, I found out the driver had called papà when we went inside the party.
Papà told Luca and Matteo’s fathers of our deceit, and together they came to get us.
They didn’t think they were going to walk into a full-on brawl when they entered the house.
Although he voiced his disappointment of me lying to him, he only mentioned my killing of Steffan by saying, “A Don must do what is necessary to protect himself and those he loves.”
Luca and Matteo never spoke of that night.
Like me, they were grounded for lying to their parents.
Piero called the next day to check up on me.
He said I was the talk of the Level. People were calling me a lunatic and saying I was wrong for killing Steffan just because of Francesca.
What they failed to realize is that Steffan did not die because of Francesca; he died because he tried to kill a future Don.
They could say whatever they wanted, but I bet you couldn’t pay their fat lip asses to say that shit to my face.
And speaking of Francesca, she sent a message through Piero saying she didn’t want to see me anymore.
I guess I scared her with my actions, but at this point, I didn’t care, because the way she was giggling all up in Steffan’s face let me know she wasn’t for me anyway.
I wanted loyalty and a girl that could understand who I was and what I was to become. Francesca was not her.
I spent my time in lockdown, as I called it, in stride.
When I called Dominique and told her what happened, she damn near busted my eardrum from laughing so loud into the phone.
I couldn’t help but join in with her because, in a crazy kind of way, the shit was funny.
Before I ended the call with her, I told her to tell Momma Calista I said hello, and I loved her, then I told her I loved her bratty ass too.
I worked out and trained with papa when he had free time.
I missed going to the Level, but I didn’t gripe about it.
I didn’t want papa to forbid me from going there.
Luca, Matteo, and I kept in contact over the phone.
Mother gave me a lashing, which I took without saying a word.
She couldn’t believe I would be dishonest with them just to sneak off to see some girl.
I was relieved papa didn’t tell her what really happened that night.
When I was finally let off punishment, I was able to hang out with my friends and eventually go back to the Level.
I saw Francesca when I finally reemerged.
She wanted to act as if nothing had changed between us.
Not sure why she had a change of heart, but I wasn’t feeling her like I did weeks ago.
She pouted and professed how much she loved me, but it went in one ear and out the other.
I left her standing on the sidewalk as I joined Piero and the boys.
He told me he heard once her father found out she stopped talking to me, he began pressuring her to rekindle things between us.
He figured his family could use me as a way to get out of the Level.
Finding that out, I wanted to go to her house and beat the shit out of her father for even thinking he could use me as a fucking stepping-stone.
Now I really looked at her differently because she was willing to go along with it.
Because of that situation, I never really trusted women again.
They were only good for one thing, and that was for me to relieve my sexual tension.
Shit went somewhat back to normal after that, until one day Papà returned from his trip to New Orleans.
To my dismay, as part of my punishment, I was not allowed to go.
I was in the kitchen eating lunch when he called out for me and my mother.
Excited about seeing him for the first time in almost two weeks, I hopped out my chair and ran to the foyer only to come to a complete stop.
There standing in the foyer was Papà with Dominique by his side. My mouth dropped. My little sister was actually here.
“Alessandro, come hai potuto (Alessandro, how could you)?!” Mother shrieks.
“I can’t believe you brought her here! I won’t have it, Alessandro!
I won’t. It is one thing to know your husband has been keeping a mistress all these years, but then you bring your child by this woman to my house!
No, I won’t have it! She needs to leave! ”
Papà’s jaws click as he walks to the stairs. “Whether you like it or not, Aurora, Dominique is my child, and I will not turn my back on her! My blood flows through her veins, just like Davide’s! She is my child!”
Mother gapes at him as tears roll down her cheeks. She lets out a cry, before dashing back up the stairs.
Papà lets out a deep sigh before going back to Dominique and whispering in her ear.
When he finishes, he focuses on me. “Davide, I want you to show your little sister around the estate.” I stood there, still in shock from seeing Dominique and mother’s reaction to her.
I always thought mother had her suspicions because every time it was time for us to leave, she would become sad or mean.
She never questioned me about our trips, and when we returned, I would tell her about the things we did but leaving out Dominique or Momma Calista.
Damn, this was a fucked-up situation. I felt bad for both mother and Papà.
“Davide!” Papà calls getting my attention.
“Sì, papà (Yes, Papà),” I quickly reply, walking in their direction when he waves me over to them.
“Dominique, Davide ti mostrerà in giro, ok (Dominique, Davide is going to show you around, okay?)” Papà relays, before going up the stairs.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I give her a hug.
“Papà wanted me to come back with him and spend a few days with you guys, but now I not so sure that was a good idea. Your mother was pretty pissed. I’m sorry that me being here has affected her like that, maybe I should tell papà to send me back.”
Running my fingers through my hair, I take in a deep breath.
“It’s okay, Dominique. You have nothing to be sorry about, and you’re not going anywhere.
If Papà thought it was time for you to come here, then he’s right.
This is your home too.” I tell her, placing my hands on her shoulders.
“Come on, let me show you around the place.”
After I showed Dominique around the estate, Papà had the head housekeeper show her to her new room.
Papà smiled when I found him sitting in his favorite chair in the den, having a cocktail. “Thank you for showing your sister around, Davide. Dominique will only be here for a few days, and I only want her to spend time with the family.”
“Can I show here around the city?” I ask, wanting to Dominique to see all the cool places I’ve told her about.
“You may, but I want you to be extra careful to where you take her. Always keep an eye on her. Dominique has not been trained to protect herself, I don’t want anything to happen to her while she’s here. You two are my weaknesses, and our enemies will use that against me.”
That afternoon, I took Dominique into the city.
She loved every bit of Cefalù and when I introduced her to my friends, they were shocked at first that I had a younger sister but the welcomed her.
The more she came to visit, mother was starting to warm up to her, which relieved me and father.
Dominique was a sweet girl, but as little sisters would do, she would often get on my nerves.
She had Papà wrapped around her finger. All she had to do was give him her sad pouty face, and he would cave every time calling her his quello piccolo (little one).
When I was eighteen and Dominique had just turned sixteen, Papà and I went to New Orleans for him to conduct some business.
I thought I was going to be able to hang out with Dominique and my second family like always, but things got serious.
Papà informed me it was time to start getting trained by one of the best. He took us to an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere.
When we entered, everything in there was covered in dust, and it was hard to tell what was once operational there.
The only thing that was dust free was the large training mat that sat in the middle of the room.
Standing on the edge of it was a muscular, older Asian man with long hair, and a long mustache and beard to match.
“Davide, I’d like to introduce you to Rikisi. He has been training Dominique for almost a year.” Papà announces. The man bows his head, before glaring at the two of us.
I’m not even going to lie, this man scared me. His facial expression never changed, nor did he say a word. He looked evil, like he could rip you in two with his bare hands. Before Papà or I could stop her, Dominique politely walked over to him and held out her hand.
“Hello, Rikisi. I’m ready for my training.” She calmly says. Rikisi looks over at Papà, who nods his head. Rikisi grunts, before shaking her hand. The whole time I’m thinking to myself, way to go sis, suck up to the trainer so he won’t kill us.
Needless to say, ten minutes after Papà left us alone with this lunatic, he had me ready to pull my knife out and stab his ass.
I thought what Papà taught me was enough to make me have a man surrender to me, but what Rikisi taught me, I know for damn sure it had to be illegal.
I felt bad for Dominique because he seemed to be harder on her, and when I tried to intervene, he took that as a sign of disrespect and pushed her harder.
My poor little sister never gave up, as tears ran down her face.
It took everything inside of me not to beat Rikisi’s ass for making her cry.