Page 1 of Tormented Hearts

LUCA 1

The Tempo mansion sat like a fortress at the edge of Palermo, an imposing structure that loomed over the city like a silent ruler. The air around it was thick with tension, as if the very bricks and mortar carried the weight of the empire Luca Tempo had built. Inside, the atmosphere was even more intense—dark, dangerous, with the scent of power that could be felt in every room, every hallway, every breath.

At the center of it all sat Luca Tempo, the man who had taken control of the Mafia at the age of twenty-eight, when his father’s bloody reign had finally ended. To anyone who entered his world, Luca was nothing short of terrifying—a man whose mere presence could silence a room. His power was palpable, like a dark cloud that followed him everywhere, suffocating anyone who dared stand too close.

Luca leaned back in his leather chair, the light from the overhead chandelier casting shadows across his face. His dark brown hair was cut short and neat, but there was always a roughness to his appearance, as if he didn’t care much for perfection. His jawline was sharp, covered with a layer of stubble that only added to his rugged, untamed look. But it was his eyes—those piercing dark blue eyes—that truly unnerved people. They were cold, calculating, and dangerously unreadable. They could see straight through a person’s soul, picking apart every weakness, every fear.

Tattooed sleeves covered Luca’s muscular arms, symbols of the life he’d chosen, the battles he’d fought. His body was a testament to the violence he had endured, to the ruthlessness he had used to climb to the top of the mafia world. And yet, there was an almost regal calm to him, a sense of control that radiated authority. Luca didn’t need to speak to be heard; his presence alone was enough.

Beside him, his two closest friends and most trusted Capos stood like shadows—Miguel and Gabriel. Both men were cut from the same cloth as Luca, but where Luca’s power was quiet and deadly, Miguel and Gabriel were the storm and the calm that accompanied him.

Miguel stood a few steps to Luca’s right, his lean frame relaxed but alert, ready for anything. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with shaggy, jet-black hair that framed his handsome, mischievous face. His dark eyes always carried a spark of humor, even in the midst of chaos, and a wicked grin played on his lips more often than not. Miguel was the charming one, the quick-talker, always able to diffuse tension with a joke or a well-placed insult. But beneath the easygoing surface lay a fierce, dangerous man. When Miguel’s temper was triggered, he was a force of nature—fierce, brutal, and relentless in his fury.

On the other side stood Gabriel, a quiet pillar of strength. Gabriel was taller than Miguel and more imposing, his broad chest and thick arms giving him the appearance of a fighter who had seen and survived too much. His dark brown hair was kept short, his sharp jaw clean-shaven. Gabriel’s eyes were like storm clouds, calm and steady, but capable of unleashing hell if pushed too far. He was slowto anger, always thinking before he acted, but when he did snap, it was terrifying. Gabriel was the strategist, the one who could map out a plan before anyone else had even thought to react.

The three of them—Luca, Miguel, and Gabriel—had risen through the ranks of the Tempo family together, their bond forged in the fires of violence and survival. They weren’t just colleagues or soldiers fighting for the same cause—they were brothers in every sense of the word.

Luca’s office was quiet, the tension thick in the air as they awaited news from one of their nightclubs. Miguel leaned casually against the wall, tossing a coin between his fingers, his grin never quite leaving his face.

“C’mon, Luca, you’re going to give the poor bastard a heart attack with all this silence,” Miguel teased, his voice light and teasing. “Not everyone is used to your charming personality.”

Luca didn’t respond immediately. His fingers drummed rhythmically on the desk, his gaze focused on the screen in front of him. His silence carried weight, the kind that made everyone in the room nervous except for Miguel and Gabriel.

Gabriel, standing with his arms crossed, gave a slight smirk but didn’t say a word. He knew Luca’s methods—he knew that his best friend was always two steps ahead of everyone else, and when Luca chose to speak, it was because he had already figured out the next move.

“Some men need to be reminded where they stand,” Luca said finally, his voice low, a dark edge threading throughhis words. “And when they forget, it’s my job to make sure they remember.”

Miguel rolled his eyes playfully. “So much for a friendly reminder.”

Gabriel chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You’ve never been friendly a day in your life, Luca.”

Luca’s lips twitched in the closest thing to a smile he ever allowed himself. His friendship with Miguel and Gabriel was the only place where his guard ever came down, even if just slightly. But even with them, there was a line—one they never crossed.

The three of them had met when they were still teenagers, growing up on the rough streets of Palermo. Back then, the world was nothing but survival—day after day, they fought to keep food on the table, fought to protect what little they had from the gangs that ruled the streets.

Luca’s father had been the head of the Tempo family at the time, a cruel, violent man who ruled through fear and brutality. Luca hated him, hated the way his father treated people like pawns in a game. But it was in those years of watching his father that Luca learned how power truly worked—how it was wielded and how it could be taken.

Miguel had been the first to join Luca, a troublemaker who was always getting into fights but always had a smile on his face. They’d met during one of those street fights, Miguel swinging wildly at a gang of older boys who had tried to rob him. Luca had stepped in, and from that day on, they were inseparable.

Gabriel came soon after, the quiet one who watched from the shadows, calculating every move before making it. He had been living in an orphanage at the time, abandoned by his family, and Luca had taken him in, offering him a place in the growing empire he was already building.

Together, they had climbed through the ranks of the Tempo family, surviving the dangerous streets of Palermo until they had become the rulers of it. Now, all these years later, they were at the top of the food chain, untouchable, feared, and respected by all who knew their names.

The air in the office shifted when one of the lieutenants entered the room, a nervous energy radiating from him. He was a young man, new to the family, and it was clear that standing in front of Luca made him uneasy.

“Boss,” the lieutenant stammered, his voice trembling slightly. “There’s been... an issue at one of the clubs.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed, the weight of his gaze landing on the young man like a hammer. He didn’t say a word, waiting for the lieutenant to continue, but the silence made the man’s anxiety grow.

“We... we had one of our girls, a singer,” the lieutenant explained, his words rushed. “There was... some trouble with a customer. But the situation is under control now.”

Luca stood slowly, his imposing frame casting a long shadow over the room. Every movement he made was deliberate, slow, as if the entire world had to move at his pace. The lieutenant swallowed hard, his hands shaking as Luca approached him.

“Under control?” Luca’s voice was soft, but there was no mistaking the threat beneath it. “Do I look like a man who accepts ‘under control’ as an answer?”

The lieutenant’s face paled, and he quickly shook his head. “No, boss, I’m sorry. I’ll make sure it’s handled properly.”

Luca didn’t take his eyes off the young man, but a slow smile spread across Miguel’s face as he watched the lieutenant squirm under the weight of Luca’s presence.

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