Salvatore.

Four

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Giovanni sat; surrounded by dozens of men in smartly dressed suits. Each were having their own separate debates on what the family should do now that the Don was dead.

The chains that sat around their necks glistened in the light, their gold rings sparkled when they waved their arms around, and their loud voices bounced off the high walls.

The noise only grew in volume, the stocky men trying to talk over one another; giving Giovanni a headache. It had only been one day, one day and the leaders of all the other family's were already arguing over what would happen to the Salvatore Empire.

Giovanni hadn't even put his father in the ground yet.

The meeting room was in a buzz, every man had something to say; except Giovanni, who sat in his chair; at the end of the table, with a slightly angered expression on his face.

The topic of their discussions offended him, these men thinking he couldn't run his family, his mafia. He couldn't believe that they had the balls to say this in front of his face.

They assumed the Empire had gone to shit just because Valentino died. But the facts showed, in the two weeks his father had been gone on his trip the mafia had only grown stronger.

Giovanni didn't want these men over at his house, he didn't even want these men in his presence; they all acted like a bunch of untrained mutts. As soon as they had heard the news they were all on the next flight  and arrived early this morning, earlier then Giovanni would have hoped. But he was going to bury his father the next morning, and it was customary to have the head of every other family say their goodbyes; even if they weren't particularity fond of the ex Don.

"I say, I take Valentino's place! I'm a better fighter and leader than anyone else in this room. I would never let the Dýnami's get the upper hand kill my father." A young man named Mercutio yelled, standing up from his seat. His black hair was slicked back, leaving only a strand to lay on his forehead.

All the men stopped mid-conversation and turned their heads to look at Mercutio, staring at him as if he were mad. They couldn't believe he would just announce an accusation like that, that the Salvatore family let the former Don be assassinated.

Another man that was sitting next to him scoffed.

"You? Lead the Salvatore Mafia? Isn't your father a rat Mercutio? What are you still doing here?" He provoked, standing so they were eye to eye.

"I'm not my father, I was born for this. I -"

A gunshot echoed through the loud room, bringing an eerie silence with it. Mercutio now sat in his chair, with blood rushing from a fresh graze on his arm.

"Correction, I was born for this.

Let me remind you gentlemen; this is my house you visit, this is my empire you stand in. And I will not have you sit here and blatantly disrespect it. I am the Don now."

Giovanni declared, not raising his voice a decibel, the threat was clearly there.

Glancing down, Giovanni looked at Mercutio the way someone looked at the dirt on the bottom of their shoe.

"Leave now and don't return, or next time; I won't miss."

Mercutio stared at Giovanni with wide eyes; tightly applying pressure to his wound, he scurried out the door. Leaving the men behind him in silent laughter at the pathetic sight.

"You may all leave, I'll see you at breakfast." Giovanni announced, having had enough of everyone's bullshit for the morning.

Knowing better than to go against Giovanni, all the men dispersed; leaving only Giovanni's two closest friends.
And as the last guest walked out the door, Giovanni cursed under his breath and slouched into his chair.