WE DON'T KILL FAMILY
The silence in the room was loud. Isabella's face was corroded with a vile smirk. She knows Bianca never saw that coming. Bianca was standing still, her face pale. She couldn't even move a muscle. It seemed as though she had gone into a paralytic state.
Isabella held her shoulders and began speaking, 'You see why I want what is best for you?" She said bending her head to see Bianca's face completely. 'He left us, he abandoned you, and now I want to bring everything you should've had back to you. I intend to bring the world you deserve to your feet"
Bianca was still lost for words. She shrugged her shoulders to release herself from Isabella's grip. She went over to the velvet oversized armchair in the room and sat and folded her hands between her legs.
Isabella went to stand by her. 'You don't have to think much about it. I know it's a lot to process right now, so I think I should just leave you to it," she said as she began walking towards the door. 'I will be back later."
'Wait…!" Bianca called out to her. Isabella turned around to look at Bianca with curiosity in her eyes. 'Am I really Vittorio Morreti's daughter?" Bianca asked with genuine concern in her eyes. 'If this is true, then why did I have to grow up with Carlo?" Isabella's face was filled with a pitiful expression. 'Mio angelo, tesoro, so che la tua testa è piena di domande in questo momento,(My angel, treasure, I know you have many questions on your mind now) but I will allow you time to rest and think about it. I will explain everything to you later."
Isabella turned around and left the room, leaving Bianca alone with her racing mind.
********
Luca had sent a text across to his father as he waited, detailing the incident with Rafael and explained that he wanted to execute him respectfully.
Luca was deep in thought when his father entered the grand study. He didn't notice Antonio's presence at first until the old man dropped a dusty bottle of Sangue Vecchio onto the mahogany desk with a thud that echoed like a coffin lid.
The bottle was unmistakable: the black sun emblem, the faded label stained with what might've been wine… or something else. Luca's throat tightened. His old man didn't pour Sangue Vecchio on ordinary times, but well, this is no ordinary time.
Antonio didn't speak. He uncorked the bottle, the scent of caramel and gun smoke escaped into the air. He filled two glasses. 'Your brother," Antonio finally said, swirling the dark liquid. "You're sure?"
'I'm very sure. I have video evidence of his multiple meetings with that cagna, Isabella Morreti," Luca said with his arms outstretched on the table.
'Okay… what if they were discussing another thing" Antonio asked as he kept sipping on his glass of rum.
Luca was quiet, so Antonio continued. 'Luca… is there a misunderstanding between you both? Because I'm struggling to understand why Rafael would think of betraying blood." He took another sip from his, longer this time, letting the rum's peppery bite fill the silence of Luca.
'There was a slight misunderstanding, but it shouldn't be a reason to betray family you know that. I organized a hijack and I told him to stay away from that. I asked him to stay away because I need the men fully concentrated and I need the job to be clean and clear." Luca finally responded after what seemed like an eternity.
'Listen to me Luca," Antonio began again, 'I understand the necessity of harsh discipline in running the business and the family, I taught you that. Betrayal can't be tolerated I know that, but killing family is different from killing a soldier or an associate. ' he took another long sip from glass snd continued. 'la famiglia é tutto ealla fine della giornata, hai solo la famiglia al tuo angolo" (family is everything and at the end of the day, you only have family at your corner). Luca was so used to this phrase always coming from his father. In this case, he didn't think it was a good time to say it, because Rafael is family, and is supposed to be by his side, but he was the same person who had gone to sell him out.
'But father, it's this same family, that has betrayed me and put our life and the lives of others at risk, and for what?" Luca asked. He didn't realize his voice was getting louder.
'Non versiamo il sangue del nostro sangue. Questo è ciò che ci separa dagli animali." (don't spill our own blood. That's what separates us from animals). Or don't you know that if we begin killing each other, we will disorganize ourselves, and give the enemy a chance to come in, and exploit the chaos that will be among us." He paused, looked Luca directly in the eyes and said in a mean voice, 'Do not execute your brother. If you kill him today, who's next? Me? Your cousins?" He paused, then concluded, 'Luca we don't kill family."
Luca sat there still. He was unable to drink again, unable to speak, and unable to think clearly. He stood up from his seat and bent over the table leaning towards his father, 'I will take my leave now." He turned and stormed out of the study and out of the building.