Page 13 of Dark Mafia Vows

“Why is he doing all this?” I finally speak.

Lorenzo hisses, anger blazing in his eyes. “Apparently, he’s behind one of our creditors. He released a slanderous statement claiming that the Bianchi Empire is unable to pay back their debts, and now other creditors who were previously dormant are demanding their money back. It’s...fuck! This is a nightmare.”

His voice cracks at the end, and I feel my heart clench at his pain.

I feel a fresh surge of anger and hatred towards Dario. What the hell does he want from us? Why won’t he just stop?

My blood boils in desperation to know exactly what happened between them. How did they go from being best friends to being sworn enemies? Why did Dario make it his mission to attack our family and everything we’ve built?

As I watch Lorenzo, weighed down by the thought of losing everything, determination ignites within me. I can’t let Dario destroy our Papa’s legacy. Lorenzo’s legacy.

My eyes dart to where his phone lays on the kitchen counter, right beside where Lorenzo stands. I step towards him and pull his into a hug.

“Hey. It’s going to be okay,” I whisper as I discreetly grab his phone from the table, my heart pounding in my chest.

When I lean back, the hand holding the phone is hidden behind me.

“Why don’t you go take a shower? I’ll order us some Chinese.”

With a tense nod, Lorenzo heads upstairs. I wait until he’s out of sight before I turn the phone over in my hands. His password is my birthday.

The soft glow of the screen illuminates my face as I scroll through his messages and contacts, searching for anything I could find on Dario. His number. His address.

I sift through sparse chats and Lorenzo’s work emails until I come across a file labeled with details about business associates and prominent businessmen in Manhattan.

I know Lorenzo well enough to understand that obtaining such information isn’t unusual for him. Our family business, while legitimate, often intersects with less savory elements to maintain its status and relevance.

My Papa used to say,‘Sometimes, you have to do bad things for the greater good.’I suspect it was more of a mantra to justify the questionable practices that contributed to his empire’s growth.

As I continue scrolling through the names, almost ready to give up because the list isn’t arranged alphabetically, I finally spot it. I found it.

Dario’s address stares back at me, making the wheels in my head spin faster. My heart races, not just with fear but with the thrill of what I’m about to do.

When Lorenzo leaves the next morning, I steal the keys to the Audi he hardly drives and climb out through the fire escape. Luckily, he didn’t assign any security detail to that side of the building. They’ll still think I’m inside all day.

It’s time I confronted Dario De Luca. I won’t let that asshole ruin my family.

6

DARIO

“The next shipment arrives later this month, boss.” Anton’s voice fills my car. “If we don’t want a repeat of what happened the last time...”

“It won’t happen again.” I grit my teeth, turning the steering wheel to the right and entering the quiet street that leads to my house. “I made sure of it.”

Our last shipment of blow had been intercepted by Customs and Border Protection. After our insider in the agency was arrested months ago, a long legal battle ensued. He was eventually released but was stripped of his position. Then the new commissioner in charge made the silly mistake of thinking he could mess with the cartel. Mess with me.

Law and order don’t exist here. Or as far as I’m concerned, we are in charge of what goes and what doesn’t. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the memo and tried to play hero, so I sent him a little gift in appreciation. It was no coincidence that before the case could hit the news, his residential home in Upper East Side was burned to the ground.

With him in it.

That served as both a punishment and a warning to the next appointed commissioner who dared to mess with us.

“Keep your eyes and ears open for any new developments,” I order as I pull into my driveway.

“Yes boss.”

The call ends with a beep before I turn off my phone. It’s a Friday evening, and even though I don’t normally take breaks from work due to the nature of what I do, I just need a little breather.

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