INSEPARABLE | 18+

T W E N T Y - T W O

Present time.
Rome, Italy.

-

"Turn around." Dimitri barked, his words coming out in a rough voice, "Now." He demanded.

Antonio and Vladimir slowly turned around. It felt as if time had stopped. Each second felt like an hour. The minute they came face to face with them, Dimitri's gun lowered.

"Dimitri," Antonio spoke, his voice held no remorse, nothing, "Valerius." His lips curved in a smirk.

"We meet again." Vladimir mused, keeping his hands behind his back.

Valerius remained quiet. He looked at Antonio who only stared back at him. They did not need to speak. Valerius read it all from his eyes. There was no shadow of the man he knew. The man he had grown up with. The man who had been by his side since he was a child.

Instead, he was met with a new person. About whom he knew nothing. His face was familiar, yet his actions were not.

"Why?" It was all Valerius asked.

Antonio slumped his shoulders, "I thought it was clear enough."

"Why?" He repeated.

He had to keep his calm. If he wanted to finish this once and for all, Valerius needed his patience.

"Power." Vladimir said, moving closer to Antonio, "For both of us."

Dimitri gripped the gun tightly in his hand. It took all restraint in him to not shoot Vladimir. His betrayal did not hurt much, while Antonio's pierced his heart. He did not believe it. Even with all the evidence in front of him, he wanted it to be a dream. But the harsh reality hit him like a truck. Leaving him injured.

"You just had to ask, Antonio. " Valerius started, "But why — "

"Because of you!"

The shout stunned Dimitri and Vladimir, but Valerius remained calm, "Say it." He provoked him further.

"It has always been you," Antonio bellowed, "You did not even want this, at least not when Zio passed away. I could have had it. All of it. But," He chuckled humourlessly, "Nonno always had you as the first choice. I worked so hard, so hard, saved you countless times when you fucked up. But, what did I get? Nothing."

"You were my Underboss."

"Not even the Consigliere!" He argued in a loud voice, "You left me stuck on the legal side while your friend," He pointed his finger towards Dimitri, "had all the access to the warehouse. To the deals. To each and everything."

"I was your friend too," Dimitri murmured, his grip on the gun loosened.

"It is not what he thought," Vladimir placed his hand on Antonio's shoulder.

"Stay out of this," Dimitri warned him. Vladimir placed his hands up in response and took a small step back in sheer mocking attitude.

Antonio shook his head in disbelief, "I was always behind the shadows. Do you know how it feels to always be the second choice? Zio and Nonno only asked for me when you were not there, otherwise, I was invisible," He snapped his fingers, "Then add Dimitri to the picture, they did not even know I existed."

"You could have talked to us." Dimitri protested, "You could have talked to me. I would've willingly given you my position." His voice had grown quieter with each word said.

"But you betrayed us," Valerius said, his eyes blazing up. The muscle in his jaw ticked while his hands formed a fist.

Antonio nodded, straightening his back, "I did."

"What will you get out of this?" Dimitri asked Vladimir.

"Anything I want." Vladimir shrugged his shoulders.

"The license for human trafficking." Valerius spit out, "I did not allow it. But Antonio would have in exchange for your help."

"Disgusting," Dimitri grumbled, noticing the smile on Vladimir's face.

"I would have your position, he would have his freedom." They could sense the joy in Antonio's voice, "A win-win situation for both of us."

"What makes you think that I would have given you my title this easily?" Valerius asked them, arching his brow.

"You would have no other option but to do so, but in case you did not, we had another plan," Antonio smirked, looking at Vladimir who roared out a laugh.

"Your little girlfriend," Vladimir mentioned  Valentina.

Valerius felt his hands ball into fists as he sucked in a sharp breath, "Don't you dare."

"Such a beautiful thing." Antonio gushed, "I cannot even count how many times I have imagined her while I fucked other — "

Antonio stumbled back as Valerius punched him in the face. The hit was so sudden that he did not see it coming. Before he could recover, Valerius grabbed him by his collar, "Not a word about her!" He bellowed.

Dimitri had raised his gun and pointed it at Vladimir who had tried to retrieve his. He was slow to do so. Such an incompetent Don, Dimitri thought. He knew that Valentina's name would make Valerius lose control, and rightly so.

"What are you going to do about it?" Antonio mocked, flashing him a smile. He could feel the blood leaking from his nose.

"I am going to fucking kill you." Valerius growled, "You will pay for even saying her name." He slammed his head forward and hit him again in the nose.

Dimitri looked at them for a second but Vladimir took this opportunity to throw him off the hook. He raised his hand and punched Dimitri in the side, this caught him off guard, and he lowered the gun.

"Bastardo!" Dimitri cursed in Italian. He blocked another punch with his arm and ducked while raising his fist and gutting him in the throat.

(Bastard)

Valerius and Antonio stared at each other. Antonio clutched his nose in his hand, breathing heavily. Valerius threw his gun away, "Let's make it fair," He charged forward, "Once and for all."

Antonio raised his leg and swung it at Valerius who dodged the hit. His face was masked with rage, his fists flowing at furious speeds, but Valerius retreated from each of them. He grabbed his hand an inch away from his face, and kicked Antonio in the stomach, throwing him back with force. Valerius marched towards him as he regained his posture.

Valerius charged again and caught Antonio with two long swings at the head. Antonio closed his eyes - his skull roaring in pain. Valerius kicked him to the ground, both of his fists hitting his face with every ounce of power.

He was enraged. The pent-up frustration came pouring out.

Antonio pushed his leg and the two started to struggle. Antonio packed a mean punch, but his power was nothing in the face of Valerius.

Valerius grasped his neck with one hand and his arm with the other. He twisted him and landed Antonio on the ground. Valerius sat down hard, tightening his hold on him.

"You were not fit to be a Don," Valerius rasped out, strands of hair falling on his forehead, "and you never will be." He arched his arm more, earning a groan from him.

"Neither is this man," Dimitri called from across the room. Valerius looked at him - a smirk appearing on his lips when he noticed Vladimir lying unconscious on the floor. His shirt had been torn apart, and his face bloody.

Dimitri had done well.

They could hear the gunshots from outside. Antonio and Vladimir had not arrived without backup. Valerius did not pay much attention, he was confident that his people could take care of it, but a certain scream turned his blood cold.

-

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