La Principessa

Chapter 4

LEONARDO'S POV

This man was a fucking idiot.

You would think after betraying the leader's wife to the top mafia that you'd run for your life, somewhere isolated and someone where I'm not. Nope, not this stupid fucker. He stayed right where he was and instead had a party, celebrating as if he was invincible and hasn't just angered a leader known for his obsession with his wife and the harsh punishments he inflicts on those who dare cross her. 

I scoffed, my temper rising. The Italian mafia was known for its savagery and fear installed around the world, as well as for being respected for what we believe in, not hurting the innocent or participating in bullshit ring circles. We have many allies as well as enemies. It seems as though this man half my size, though older than me, was not very wise or simply fucked in the head from all the cheap drugs he sells and most likely spends his free time consuming.

I wanted to kill him - slowly and painfully. I want to relish in the pain I will inflict on him for hours on end before I let him take his last breath but I simply have no time. So this would have to be a quick but satisfying kill for me to add to the list of the thousands of idiots that dared to fuck with my family. I have an important meeting after this that involves all top mafias to join and discuss basic business controls and make sure no one oversteps boundaries, and I have to leave England as soon as possible for my wife before she murders me. Since no one, even me would want to anger Mrs. Romano.

Hands in my pockets, I stroll into the warehouse and head directly to the makeshift torture room my men set up for this special occasion. With my second eldest, Antonio, in hand, I walk into the cold cellar and smile at my men as they respectively nod their heads at us and lean against the walls. All of them grinning, excited to see their leader in his natural element.

I look around and smirk when I spot the traitor. The man who betrayed my wife, to which he also betrayed me, hanging down from the wall, unconscious. His battered body had cuts scattered all across his chest and blood streamed from his nose and mouth, meaning my men already played with him. I nod, impressed, they did him pretty well — not too much but just enough for me to finish him off.

Walking straight to the limp body dangling from metal ropes by his bound wrists, I see he had been stripped to his underwear. Antonio walked straight to the corner of the room where his computer and equipment were already laid out for him as he sat down and started typing away. He was a genius in hacking more so than fighting, and I would have made that boy my third in command had he not been a kid then and kindly stated he was nowhere near ready for such a commitment to help run a multi-billion dollar empire. After that conversation, I blushed and you could guess I felt pretty stupid for not realizing that sooner.

I met Tony when he was 13, roughly 7 years ago when he was in serious trouble with a small Russian gang and had stolen an important dose of their newest drug from them to sell so he could survive. So, I took him under my wing and rescued him from near death and he pledged to me, promising me his loyalty and work he discovered that he was more than good at.

Despite his young age and stupidity at times, I loved the kid like my own. Hell, he is my son, with him sharing my last name with me, my wife and children adoring him, he is a part of us. His own family sent him away to some druggies who did nothing but abuse him, so he ran. He ran until he crossed paths with me and has been by my side ever since. I, as a father to five sons, have a soft spot for the innocent kids who went through so much and remained kind, much like how my own children did.

I may be a fucked up man with even more fucked up morals but I would never lay hands on children or innocent people, that's where I draw the line for me and my men. I would rather give up my empire than ever do that to someone I love or someone who doesn't deserve it. Or my mother would've simply murdered me on the spot alongside my wife and many of my sister's in-law.