Emilia: Finding My Forever

10|Work of Art

Santo's POV

"Who did it?" I shouted as I started choking him to death. "Tell me!"

When I realized he was not budging, I let go and walked over to my tools.

"You should've told me everything when you had it easy," I said as I gave that thief one last chance to make it out alive.

"You're so young," he spat. "How did you get like this? I told you I don't know anything!"

I smiled as I found the sharpest knife in my kit before turning to him. "Do you like art?"

He shook his head as his eyes widened. "What are you going to do?"

I walked slowly towards him.

"You've been working here long enough, you should know how much I love drawing."

"What kind of style should I draw?" I asked as I slashed the knife across his face which caused him to scream in agony as he started to bleed.

My smile dropped as I held the knife across his neck. "Or should I just slit your throat instead? You know the latter is my favorite."

"It was Benedict!" he shouted. "I swear he was going to return it all!"

I smiled before lowering my knife and turning to the guard. "Find him."

"Yes, sir," he said before rushing out.

"Please, please, please don't kill us, capo," he begged as tears fell out of his eyes.

I pointed the knife at him. "Shut up before I finish the job."

He immediately closed his mouth to stifle his cries.

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. I rolled my eyes when I saw that it was my father.

"What?" I answered making sure my tone was filled with hatred.

"Come over, we need to talk," he said before hanging up.

He didn't even give me a chance to refuse.

"Boss?" Benedict asked as he walked in. His eyes widened when he laid eyes on his friend. "Is-is everything okay?"

"By any chance did you steal any of my money while delivering?" I calmly asked.

He glared at his friend for a second before vigorously shaking his head. "No boss, of course not. That's a lie!"

I nodded my head before picking up my gun and shooting him in the head.

I already knew he did it. I know everything that goes around here.

I turned around and pointed my gun to the man who was now pale to tease him.

"If you try to pull anything like this, it'll be you next," I said as I walked out and motioned to the guard to let him go.

As soon as I walked out of the warehouse, Dante ran up to me with a smile.

"Can I help you?" I asked as I looked over the paperwork in my hands.

"You did good, Santo," he said and I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "She's a good one."

I looked back at the papers when I realized who he was talking about. "I don't want to discuss her."

He stopped me. "What man does not want to talk about his wife?"

I took his hand off of me before moving forward. "She's annoying, fresh, and a spoiled princess."

He laughed. "You're acting as if you were forced to marry her."

I turned to him. "Maybe I was," I finally admitted and his smile dropped.

Dante was the only person I trusted. We had been friends since we were in kindergarten.

"She's good for you," he said and I tried not to strangle him to death. I don't know how I didn't kill this guy over the years. "She might be what you are missing."

Dante is a good right-hand man. He is loyal and gets his work done. However, he can be unrealistic at times; he's a dreamer. He married for love.

For me on the other hand, there is no such thing as love and the perfect wife.

The world is a dark place so people just use those terms so they don't feel shitty all the time.

"I am not missing anything," I said and he gave me that stupid look he always gives me.

It was a look mixed with pity and sadness. I hated it.

"She is better than those women you sleep around with. None of them are good enough to be your wife," he said and I snapped.

"And what?" I shouted. "She is? She couldn't even kill one of the guards."

He sighed. "Give her a chance."

I ignored him and opened my car door.

"The girl's young and innocent. Don't destroy her," he said and I lost my cool again.

"By doing what?" I glared at him and waited for him to say it.

"You know who you are," he said. "You hurt people for no reason. Don't do it to her."

I smiled. "So my right-hand man is judging me too, now?"

He gave me his pity look again. "I'm not judging, I'm just reminding you who you are."

"Thanks, I won't forget," I said before getting into my car and speeding off.

He is just like everyone else who thinks I'm off the rails. He sometimes walks on eggshells around me. I pretend not to notice but it's kind of hard to pretend not to when everyone is acting like I'm some terrible person.

I stepped on the gas harder as I made my way to my father's house.

When I arrived, I knocked on the door before she opened the door.

She smiled. "My son, I didn't know you were coming."

I ignored her words and walked past her. "Where is he?"

She closed the door. "He is in his office but Santo-"

I started walking as soon as she mentioned the word office.

I am not on good terms with either of my parents. They've hurt me in the past, so much that I cannot recover.

"I'm here," I announced as I opened the door.

He sat behind his desk drinking a bottle of beer. "Sit."

I remained standing. "I won't be staying long. What is it?"

"How is the business?" he asked.

"Good," I answered as quickly as I could so I could get out of here.

"Bring her over for dinner tonight," he said. "I would like to meet her."

"You should've come to the wedding then if you wanted to meet her so badly," I replied bitterly and he watched me with anger.

"Are you taking care of her well?" he asked.

"What?" I asked back. "Is she a child or dog that I need to take care of?"

"Santo Valentino!" he shouted and my jaw clenched. "You must take care of her!"

"Why?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because her father is providing more people for me to kill?"

He slammed his hands on his table before walking up to me to give me a hard slap across my face. 

I held my face as I struggled not to kill him.

"Bring her for dinner, tonight," he repeated before walking back to his seat. "I would like to meet my daughter-in-law."

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