15. The life meant for her

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LUCIANO

“She has no choice but to do what I ask of her.” I paused, aiming steadily at the bull's eye target. Instinctively, I released the arrow and it went flying until it landed in the bull's eye. Then I  continued. “She belongs to me now.”

Romano cleared his throat and hand me another arrow. “And If I may ask – why are you so interested in Janie?”

Narrowing my gaze to his, I dropped the bow on the table and hardened my jaw as I faced him squarely. “And why do you ask?”

“Well......because the girl is so young and pretty, but this world we live in.” He gestured at me and him. “.... ain't for her.”

Rummaging through my muzzled hair, I  inhaled deeply and exhaled afterward. “That's where you are wrong, Romano. The life I want to create for Janie is quite befitting for her. And very soon, I will begin to unfold them one by one.”

Romano gave me a playful jab on my arm. “I hope you are not falling for the pretty girl?” He said amidst a series of teasing chuckles.

“No, she looks like my late sister when she was younger.” I retorted dismissively.

“No, she looks like my late sister when she was younger.” Romano mimicked my tone and I tossed him a death stare.

“That's not funny, man.”

“Are you sure?” Romano inquired with an arched brow. “Because you and I know – Janie and your sister have little similarities. Apart from the looks though.”

“Quit it, Romano!” I warned begrudgingly before picking up my bow again. “Fine, I might be attracted to her but not love. Mafias don't fall in love, remember?”

Romano handed me an arrow from the quiver on the table behind him and I took it. “I thought as much. Because I know the mighty Luciano cannot fall for one tiny woman. But if you later change your mind and develop affection towards her, I'd advise you shouldn't do so too much.”

Wiping off the bead of sweat from my brows with my forearm, I responded to him; “Oh really? And why is that?”

Romano's pupils dilated. His lips parted open and he stared at me as though I had grown a horn. “Are you really asking me that, Luciano?” He snorted in disbelief. “Because she would become your weakness in our little game of chess. And the mafia world is quite dangerous, you of all people know that.” He enunciated further, while I was busy grasping some plausible meaning to his statement.

In truth, Romano was right. Falling for any woman in this mafia business would make me become a weakling. I would want to protect her at all costs, then I might become an easy target— a vulnerable prey to my predators. Thereby jeopardizing the lives of the henchmen working for me and everything I had spent a couple of years in my life, working so hard for. And that would never be me!

My thoughts wandered back to my master, Nicolo. He was the one that rescued me from dying ten years ago. Back then, I was meant to run after they set our house ablaze, but instead, I went in search of my sister. So when I got to her room, it was gutted in the fire already, and there was no sight of Luciana. Furthermore, I began to navigate my way through the smoke and darkness, some debris and asbestos fell on me, but I kept on pushing. The moment I had managed to haul myself out of the house, I passed out.

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