Reninder And Warning

Luca breaks into a private study, his foot steps urgent and hurried. Adrian who was waiting for his boss, raised his head at his arrival. being a quiet and aloof man, his dark eyes silently observe Luca with a frown.

he had been a shadow for Luca for years now and never once during that period of time had he ever witnessed him so disheveled and worn down. his pants had creases and his suit jacket was missing with his shirt tucked out of the pants. his hair were sticking all over the place, eyes red from lack of sleep. the man who stood in front of him was far from the arrogant man he served. instead, he appeared to be distressed and lost. as if he had lost his way of life,

Adrian cocked his head, his visage blank yet his eyes curious. he was someone who couldn't understand why a responsible man could be so infatuated with a woman so much so that he will lose his cool and appear weak in front of so many people ready to take him down. then his thoughts wandered and his black eyes narrowed dangerously. for years that woman had the interest of the boss but with time the matter was getting out of their hands. his boss was forgetting all reasoning and ignoring what should have been his top priority from the get go after all, in this world everything was replaceable. even the son of Salvatore Moretti was all but a chess piece to his father in his conquest of power and dominance and losing his focus could cost him his life.

he should protect him at all costs, after all, it was where his loyalties lied.

Luca slumped over the plush leather sofa, his muscles groaning with exhaustion. there was one thing he couldn't understand. In underworld, if an enemy missed their shot. they wouldn't just sit and wait for the news of their failure but would jump on to the next plan which usually involved shootout of another member or vandalizing of an important business for men like them to whom pride was the uttermost, wouldn't want to falter in front of their soldiers and therefore would never accept defeat.

but it was too quiet, way too quiet. which was unsettling.

his gut told him it was something personal.

something between the lines of a reminder and a warning.

or either they were dumb and amateur, who had no idea that they missed their shot before escaping.

but they targeted the wrong woman. his woman. and for that he was going to hunt the bastard down even if he had to chase them to the ends of the world and set a brutal example so that no one lays their eyes on Raina.

at the movement something more crucial awaited him. it seemed like he really have to whisk Raina somewhere far away because he could smell and internal danger other than the external one and it was something he was all to familiar with. he could never let his father or his men know that who actually got shot at. they would never know it was Raina he was out with. he didn't even want to imagine what would transpire if they caught hold of his most vulnerable weakness.

"what you going to do now?" Adrian asked.

"did you wipe out all the footage?"

"it's done and i have kept a copy as per your orders and send it away to be stored in your offshore locker."

"well done. being the cunning fox my father his, he would have already ordered his men to sniff around but with no evidence, he will have no choice but to back away."

"but he will find it suspicious for the footage to all but vanish into thin air. it wont be easy to cut his curiosity." Adrian pointed out.

"I have my own way to deal with him.." Luca chuckled deviously. he stood up and walked to his working table where he pulled open a drawer. his fingers curled around the cold metal and Adrian curled his fists.

cocking the gun, Luca twisted it around so that the silencer already attached to the muzzle dug into his shoulder and without hesitance pulled the trigger. his body jerked backward and he crumpled to his knee from the searing pain of the bullet digging into the flesh. his lips pulled into a pained smile as he clutched his wound which was soaking his shirt in warm crimson blood.

he will go to any lengths to protect Raina. the stupid woman was ignorant to how deeply he felt for her. he will destroy the whole world if need be.

....

an urgent meeting was called in following the attack the same day. a group of several men dressed in dark suits sat in the main hall of the Moretti mansion as they heatedly discussed, sometimes objecting and criticizing each other's speculations.

Salvatore Moretti's visage darkened with each passing second as he sat at the head of the table.

"Silence!" he boomed as he slammed a fist on the table, startling everyone except Luca who had already been observing the man like a hawk out to prey. he was always extra cautious around his father for he was the last person he trusted.

"If i hear one more gibberish, I will see through it that none of you walks out of this room alive." he threatened and the men grimaced. Luca could see behind their false obedience as clear as day. given the opportunity, they wouldn't wait to tear him into shreds.

glanced at his son who dared to bluntly stare back at him. he was aware how every men present at the table was now watching them with undisguised curiosity, he didn't know when this son of him became so audacious. he could already pick up the disobedience and change in his attitude since he returned from England. no matter how much he would love to teach his son a lesson, he was his only son and heir who will carry on his legacy one day.

"I want the heads of whoever fucking dared thought they could mess with the Morettis and shoot my son." Luca scoffed and i didn't go miss by the man who was seated left to him, all Salvatore cared was to mend his bruised pride.

the message was clear so the meeting was dismissed as soon as it was called, the men began to leave one after an other until it was only him and his son left other than their respective guards.

"you can drop the act father, everyone here knows who's better deserving for the seat and now that you are turning old and withering, it my responsibility as a filial son to free you of your duty and replace you, don't you think?" Luca feigned a harmless smile, his pearly whites peeking at his father.

Salvatore stared at his son for a second, taking in his words before his menacing laughter echoed through the room. it took him a while to calm down and something sinister twinkled in his eyes.

"I will my dear son. I will. but you will need to get married and bore me a grandchild before that so that I can die in peace knowing that even if my son turns out to be a disappointment, I will have someone to look up to." Salvatore snickered as he laid his condition. not that it mattered to him. even if he steps down, he could control his son until his grandchild was of age. then he can discard his son with nothing to lose. he thought.

Luca gritted his teeth yet his smile didn't falter. he knew what his scum of a father was playing at and hell will freeze over before he obliged to his demands. what Salvatore didn't know was that Luca was born from him and carried the blood of the sinful and wicked and he had his own game he wanted to play with his father.

"Alright. I will get married in three months. so you can kiss your position and privileges goodbye until then." Luca shrugged nonchalantly as if getting married was a piece of cake and left the room.

But Salvatore had other plans for him as the older man picked up the glass and took a sip of the wine. He glanced at Luca's back over the rim of the glass and smirked.