Page 2 of From Dust To Don

“You fucking asshole,” Toni grunted, a long line of cusses in Italian following behind, but I was more preoccupied with getting back to the job at hand.

When I focused back on the Battaglia manor, Elena wasn’t there anymore. Neither was Don Battaglia or Don Bartolini.

“Fuck,” I hissed. “They left the room, and now I can’t find them because of you. Fucking moron.”

“The only thing you’ll be finding will be the bottom of the ditch we’re tossing you two into. Turn around, Moretti scum.” A voice boomed from behind us, the tip of a gun biting into the back of my skull.

I dared a glance towards Toni, who lay there immobile, that crazy look in his eyes sparking a smirk on my face. It was time to quench a little of this bloodlust of ours. We came to observe, but we couldn’t let a chance like this go by without acting on it.

It was always a good day to kill a Battaglia.

“Turn around.” The man shouted, my lips spreading into a full smile now. “The boss wants you alive, but he said nothing about unscathed. So hurry the fuck up before I lose my patience.”

“Nel sangue siamo nati.” In blood we are born. I said, my brother’s eyes glistening as if Christmas morning had come two days early. He knew exactly what I meant.

“Nel sangue moriremo.” In blood we die. Toni finished, and without another blink, he swiped his leg under the fucker’s feet. The Battaglia soldier came down with a thud, his head bouncing off the floor. Before he could understand what happened, I was on top of him, dragging a knife across his throat and making good on that goddamn oath.

He died in blood, indeed. His own puddling around his body and littering the ground with poison.

“The rose bush is gonna die now, you’re aware?” Toni teased, making me look back at the house.

I dove back into the bush, hastily scanning the premises with the binoculars before finally finding the two men by the entrance. A heavy exhale of relief escaped my lungs, seeing that they were alone as all the other times. Elena was back in the safety of her bedroom. Nothing had been settled tonight, and my racing heart soothed at the notion.

“They are not mere roses, you imbecile. They are Juliet roses, as rare as the neurons in your brain.” I admonished, knowing he was trying to find an excuse not to return to this spot.

“Aw, that’s cute. Juliet roses. Don’t tell me you’re Romeo now, prepared to die for your lady?”

“Die? No brother. I’m prepared to go to war for her. I’ll burn this fucking city down before I allow her father to give her away.”

I scanned the façade of the opulent manor, finally finding the window that brought me the most pleasure to watch, noticing that Elena had a pair of binoculars of her own, staring right at me.

Fuck. Can she see me?

A shiver ran down my spine, awakening something inside me as I stared at the most beautiful woman on the damn planet, not minding that her gaze was burning a hole right through my sanity. Right there and then, a decision was made, and all I needed was a plan.

“Are you insane?” Toni berated, knowing me too well to assume I was joking.

“For her? I’m anything she needs me to be.”

Chapter 2

Giancarlo

I was being followed. I’d sensed it three blocks away already, but every time I dared a disguised glance, my stalker hid in the shadows.

I had crossed over the red line – the railroad that divided our territory from the Battaglia’s – and still, the fucker didn’t fail to follow. I had to admit, he either had balls of steel or was just stupid enough to walk onto enemy turf without so much as a hint of hesitation.

After leaving the rose bush, I needed a drink, or twenty, so I was headed to one of our pubs. But now, given the circumstances, I took a different route leading to the back alley of the establishment.

Turning the corner into the dark, narrow street, I slammed my body against the brick wall, ready to surprise my most recent fan and pounce on him as soon as he bent that corner. My gun was snuggled in my palm while I held a knife in the other.

I quieted my breathing, calming my heart almost to a stop. I could hear a needle dropping in a fucking haystack, but still, I closed my eyes to focus on the sounds that mattered. Footsteps echoed closer, hurried as if the fucker was worried he’d lose me. I was as ready as ever to unmask the dumb fuck who dared to tail me into my domain.

Five feet.

Three.

One.

---