DONATELLO: THE KINGPIN

Chapter 2

Honey's POV

He was finally gone. I let out a sigh of relief.
His voice had been so commanding, it sent a shiver down my spine.

The Café was bustling once again, and people went back to sipping their coffee and chatting with friends.
If he held such power over these people, then he must be a dangerous man. And I needed to stay far away from him and his world.

I picked up Zeus's leash. "Come on, boy."

He led me out of the Café and back into the busy streets of New York.
We walked faster this time. I didn't want to experience anything like that ever again.
Zeus was so close to getting hurt, and it terrified me. I felt anxious and jumpy, unable to relax.

I could have sworn someone was following me, but I shrugged it off.

As I approached my house, I was about to ring the doorbell when the door flew open.
Maisie pulled me inside.

She pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "Where have you been?! Do you know how worried I was? Did you get hurt? I shouldn't have let you out today. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything bad had happened to you. I should've gone to the park with you. You must have been scared. I'm so sorry. I'm such a bad friend. I feel like..."

"Easy, Maisie. Take a deep breath,'' I said, and she did. ''I'm perfectly okay. See?'' I carefully twirled around to show her that I was without a scratch. You don't need to worry about me. Moreover, Zeus was there to protect me."

"It was a freaking gunfight, dammit!" she was now pacing back and forth. "I'd decided to come pick you up from the park today, but when I heard the gunshots, I was only a few blocks away. I couldn't go any further. I felt so helpless, knowing you were still at the park and I couldn't do a damn thing about it," she stopped right in front of me and exhaled before speaking again. "From now on, you won't be leaving this house without me. That way, I can make sure you're always safe."

''That won't be necessary," I said. ''I won't be going out for a while, not after what happened today."

I could feel her smile. "That's much better. Let's take a break and relax for a bit."

''I'm famished,'' I said, collapsing on the leather couch.

''I made your favorite,'' Cattie said as I heard her footsteps receding.

''You're the best!'' I called out, grinning.

*****

Third Person's POV

''Why do you need this anyway?'' Dante asked, handing over the file to him.

Donatello gave him a cold stare. ''It's none of your damn business. You can leave now.'' He didn't want to talk to Dante right now.

"Come on man,"Dante's voice was getting on his nerves.

"Get the hell out of here, Dante!'' Donatello yelled, his voice rising. ''Or I swear to God, I'll fucking shoot you myself!''

Dante sighed, his shoulders slumping as he turned and walked out of the office.

''What a hothead!'' he muttered to himself as left.

Donatello slammed the file down on his desk, his face red with anger. He opened the file, as he went through it.

Name: Honeymoone Hemsworth.
Age: 25.
Height: 5'4".
Parents: Marissa and Jerome Hemsworth. (Both deceased. Died in a car crash when she was 9)

The names were familiar to Donatello, but he couldn't quite place them. Where had he heard them before?

Donatello froze as the realization hit him. Marissa and Jerome Hemsworth had ruled the American Mafia, and their deaths had been suspicious, to say the least. Their car had crashed, and it had been rumored that Donatello's father had been behind it. But Honey had survived the crash, although she'd lost her eyesight in the process.
If his father found out she was alive, he'd certainly try to kill her again.
He couldn't let that happen. He had to protect her at all costs. Even if it meant breaking a few rules, he would do it.

Love makes people do crazy things, and he was head over heels for her. She'd become his world, and he'd do anything to keep her safe.

*****

Dante stared at Donatello, his eyes hard. ''There's a rat in the Mafia. He's been feeding information about our shipment locations to the Irish Mob.''

"I noticed. That's why they ambushed our shipment last week.'' Donatello's voice was gruff and cold. He was furious.

''I'll deal with that later. Right now, we have to meet up with the Alejo's at the club. Get the Men ready. We're leaving in an hour.''

Dante nodded. "The wedding's pushing through, isn't it?'' he paused, unsure if he would get an answer.
He knew Donatello better than anyone. They'd grown up together.

Dante had been only eight years old when the Navarro family had picked him up off the streets of New York. He'd been a homeless, raggedy orphan with nowhere to rest his head at night. The Navarros had been kind enough to take him in and raise him as one of their own. But even then, he'd known that Donatello was different. Something about him was cold and calculating, even at such a young age. It was as if he'd been born to lead the Navarro family. To become the Capo. And he'd fulfilled that destiny. He was ruthless and cunning, but also fiercely loyal. He'd never let anyone or anything stand in his way.

Dante could tell that Donatello wasn't happy about the upcoming wedding. The idea of marrying Isabella, that spoiled little brat, made his skin crawl.

Donatello slumped in his chair, pushing himself forward to rest his arms on the desk. He rubbed his brow, clearly tired. ''As much as I hate to do this, it's for the betterment of the mafia," he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. ''It's an advantage for us. A union with the Alejo family will give us the upper hand. We'll have access to their territory and their resources. It's a win-win situation, as much as it pains me to say it.'' He sighed again, obviously not happy about the arrangement. But he knew it was the best course of action. He had to put the Mafia first, no matter what.

Donatello watched Dante walk out the door, his words echoing in his mind. ''It's your life. Don't let him get to you.''
He knew Dante was right, but it was easier said than done. The Mafia was his life. And it had been for as long as he could remember. He'd been born into it, and he'd been groomed for this position his entire life. He'd never known anything else. And he couldn't just walk away from it all. It wasn't that simple.

Donatello's gaze drifted to the clock on the wall. It was only 2:45. He let out a sigh. The day seemed to be dragging on. He just wanted it to be over with. But he knew he had a long night ahead of him. There was still so much to do. So many things to prepare for. So many details to attend to. It was exhausting, but he couldn't let it show. He had to be strong, for the sake of the Mafia. He had to be a leader.

His phone dinged, indicating he had a new message. He ran his fingers through his tousled black hair and picked up the phone, scrolling through the messages. There were dozens of them, mostly from his mother. He never really bothered to read them. He was always too busy.

Another message popped up. This one was from Dita, his younger sister. She was always persistent, always nagging him about something.

The message read: ''Hey! You're coming by today, aren't you? No flimsy excuses this time. I'm not buying it.''

Donatello chuckled and replied, ''I'll be there soon.''

He couldn't say no to Dita. She always got what she wanted, one way or another. Even though he wanted a break from work and all the stress, he had an opportunity to escape for the day. Besides the Mafia, he had a legitimate job. He owned a company that brought in clean money, too.

He dialed his driver's number. ''Get the car ready,'' he said. He hung up without waiting for a response.

Donatello stood up, stepping into his private elevator. As the doors closed, he felt a rush of relief. He was finally getting out of here, away from the pressures of his life. Even if it was just for a few hours, it would be worth it.
In no time, he was in the lobby and then out of the building.

''Sir,'' Marcello said, opening the car door for him. Donatello slid in, and the car started moving.

As soon as Marcello sat down in the driver's seat, Donatello said, ''SWM.''
Marcello turned on the ignition, revving the engine. ''You got it, sir," he said, pulling away from the parking garage.
The car glided down the street, and Donatello closed his eyes, letting the tension melt away.