Unknown Territory [Mafioso Book#3] (SAMPLE)

Prologue

The car drove smoothly over the paved road as two men sat in the front with Arcangelo and his son in the back. The Mafia boss opted to wear a dark blue suit with a black undershirt as he typed on his phone, acting so at ease and relaxed as if though he weren't meeting with his enemies and fellow allies for an annual Mafia meeting.

It was a tradition, that once the Mafia Boss's son turns 13, he attends his first annual meeting. It didn't matter if he attended the ones after that, but he had to attend the one following his 13th birthday to be introduced to the world of crime and corruption.

Ironic, how men with morals and priorities did things that were immoral.

As far as Salvatore knew, his late Uncle Onofrio and his father had attended their first meeting together. The current Boss had been ten at that time and scared witless because these were men with guns. It was scary, knowing that if you step out of line, instead of getting a beating or an admonishing, you'd get shot dead.

That was the fact that had Salvatore on edge all day.

The fact that if he steps out of line, he'll die.

However, according to his dad, they can't do that without declaring war on the Regnante Mafia. Which, so far, is the strongest and most influential Mafia to exist. But even that didn't reduce the younger Regnante's nervous fidgeted as the chauffeur in the front informed them that they were nearing their destination. 

"You have nothing to worry about." Arcangelo put away his phone into his jacket's inside pocket. "Hulk, Major, and a few other guys will be there. Vincent and I will be with you throughout the meeting, and more men will be stationed around the room. But, none of the men will be armed."

"What?" He couldn't help but shriek at the idea of sitting in the midst of dangerous Mafia bosses without being armed with a single weapon.

"None of the bosses will be armed. Everyone has to leave their weapons with a safe keeper before they settle down for the meeting." Salvatore breathed out a breath of relief knowing that. "That way, if any one of the bosses loses his temper, he can't reach for his gun."

"Since when has this rule been in play?" He couldn't help but ask as he watched the car approach an abandoned warehouse that had various cars parked outside with men standing around the premises.

"Since I took over," Arcangelo informed as he got out of the car, fixing his jacket and buttoning it up.

Shaking his inhaler, Salvatore took one quick hit before getting out, following after his father with Major's instructions ringing in his head. "Back straight, shoulders squared, chin up and don't let them know what you're thinking. Blank face. Watch your dad, and learn, kid. Learn. He is the best Mafia Boss of his time. You might wanna learn a few things from him."

Matching his father's posture, they approached Vincent standing outside the door. Greeting each other with their handshake, they exchanged a few words before he informed the boss that everyone was inside and that this 'Rico' character brought his son along with him since he turned 13 a few months ago. Arcangelo nodded and took a swig of the drink handed to him. 

"You'll be needing that." The second-in-command spoke as his superior chuckled darkly.

"I'll be needing something stronger in order to deal patiently with this group of people." He retorted and Vincent laughed at his comment. Taking one last swig, the second-in-command ruffled Salvatore's hair in good nature, chuckling when the younger boy grumbled about how long it took to settle them.

Exhaling deeply, Salvatore swallowed the nervousness growing before he entered the warehouse,  his ears were greeted with numerous voices chatting all at once. He watched his father walking over to a table that stood in the middle, going through with the same procedure as Vincent and he forewent. One of the men grabbed the younger Regnante too roughly for his liking.