★LUCIANO★

“She has no choice but to do what I ask of her.” I paused, aiming steadily at the bull's eye target. Instinctively, I released the arrow and it went flying until it landed in the bull's eye. Then I continued. “She belongs to me now.”

Romano cleared his throat and hand me another arrow. “And If I may ask – why are you so interested in Janie?”

Narrowing my gaze to his, I dropped the bow on the table and hardened my jaw as I faced him squarely. “And why do you ask?”

“Well......because the girl is so young and pretty, but this world we live in.” He gestured at me and him. “.... ain't for her.”

Rummaging through my muzzled hair, I inhaled deeply and exhaled afterward. “That's where you are wrong, Romano. The life I want to create for Janie is quite befitting for her. And very soon, I will begin to unfold them one by one.”

Romano gave me a playful jab on my arm. “I hope you are not falling for the pretty girl?” He said amidst a series of teasing chuckles.

“No, she looks like my late sister when she was younger.” I retorted dismissively.

“No, she looks like my late sister when she was younger.” Romano mimicked my tone and I tossed him a death stare.

“That's not funny, man.”

“Are you sure?” Romano inquired with an arched brow. “Because you and I know – Janie and your sister have little similarities. Apart from the looks though.”

“Quit it, Romano!” I warned begrudgingly before picking up my bow again. “Fine, I might be attracted to her but not love. Mafias don't fall in love, remember?”

Romano handed me an arrow from the quiver on the table behind him and I took it. “I thought as much. Because I know the mighty Luciano cannot fall for one tiny woman. But if you later change your mind and develop affection towards her, I'd advise you shouldn't do so too much.”

Wiping off the bead of sweat from my brows with my forearm, I responded to him; “Oh really? And why is that?”

Romano's pupils dilated. His lips parted open and he stared at me as though I had grown a horn. “Are you really asking me that, Luciano?” He snorted in disbelief. “Because she would become your weakness in our little game of chess. And the mafia world is quite dangerous, you of all people know that.” He enunciated further, while I was busy grasping some plausible meaning to his statement.

In truth, Romano was right. Falling for any woman in this mafia business would make me become a weakling. I would want to protect her at all costs, then I might become an easy target— a vulnerable prey to my predators. Thereby jeopardizing the lives of the henchmen working for me and everything I had spent a couple of years in my life, working so hard for. And that would never be me!

My thoughts wandered back to my master, Nicolo. He was the one that rescued me from dying ten years ago. Back then, I was meant to run after they set our house ablaze, but instead, I went in search of my sister. So when I got to her room, it was gutted in the fire already, and there was no sight of Luciana. Furthermore, I began to navigate my way through the smoke and darkness, some debris and asbestos fell on me, but I kept on pushing. The moment I had managed to haul myself out of the house, I passed out.

Alas, I woke up in the hospital several days later and discovered that Nicolo saved me. He was my uncle, my master and he made me find purpose in life. But Uncle Nicolo's death happened because he fell for a beautiful blonde woman from Florence. Alas, she ratted him out to the enemy and stole a lot from him.

Since then, I have vowed not to develop any feelings for women. Rather, I'd used them as my plaything or objects to satisfy my sexual desires before tossing them away like a pile of trash.

“Luciano?” Romano tapped me softly on my shoulder, jolting my attention back to reality.

“Yes?”

His brows furrowed in worry. “You seem lost, what were you thinking about?”

“Nothing. And about what you said— I won't fall for her. Perhaps, she might just be my plaything, but no real love attached.” I affirmed in a serious tone to show him that I meant every single word.

“Are you sure about that, Luciano?” Romano gave me a knowing look. “Your words say something but your face says otherwise.” he pointed out.

“Of course, I'm serious.” I shot another arrow at the target and then pressed my lips together into a grim line to give me a serious look.

“Then what about the gift you gave her, man? The phone and laptop you bought for her.” He explained. “She could use it to her advantage to escape.”

If only he knew...

A small devilish smirk crept to the corners of my lips and darkened my expression, prompting Romano's brows to crease deeper in confusion.

“You ought to have known me by now, Romano.” I placed the bow on the table and picked up the pistol, surveying it. “Alas, I am disappointed in you because I thought you knew me too well.” I sneered.

“No one can know you too well, Luciano. You are always like a different person. We have been together for seven years now and sometimes, I can't tell what you're thinking.” He divulged.

“Oh really?” I aimed the gun at him and made a whoosh sound with my mouth. However, Romano seemed unfazed. Maybe because he trusted me too much and he knew I couldn't shoot him. Or because there weren't any bullets in the gun.

“For real. Sometimes, I have to study you closely before I finally grab a hint of what could be going on in that mind of yours.” He added with a chuckle.

“Interesting. I never knew I am this elusive,” I pocketed the pistol and then picked up the revolver to check if there were still any bullets in it.

“Wait! Don't tell me it's what I'm thinking.” Romano inquired, arching a brow at me. Issuing him an affirmative nod, I managed to suppress a chuckle because his expression was hilarious.

“No way!” He gasped in shock. “No fucking way, Luciano!” His lips parted open in awe.

“Of course. It is.”

“You had the phone and laptop tapped?” He asked with his pupils dilating in shock and deep down, I was wondering if Romano thought I could just gift Janie, a phone and a laptop without getting it tapped. The girl knew too much. No, maybe not too much, but I didn't want her to slip out of my fingers yet. As far as I'm concerned, I wanted her around me for as long as I pleased.

“Seems you are not as smart as I thought,” I retorted sharply.

“Damn Luciano ain't you filled with surprises? Sometimes, I wonder if you don't have an extra brain in that head of yours. It's admirable.” He complimented me and I shrugged. “That's a compliment, man.”

But just as Romano was about to utter something else regarding Janie, I decided to dismiss the conversation and then I began to lay down the things I wanted him to do for me, while I'm away. “First of all, collect the payments for the merchandise from our clients. Anyone who doesn't pay on time, those items should be retrieved.”

“Noted, Boss.” Romano nodded in response.

“Make sure no one knows where you keep the keys to the warehouse, I don't want anyone snitching, and be wary of each of their actions.”

“Don't worry, boss. Everything would be set, trust me.”

I issued him one last look before strutting off, into the mansion, then I head straight to Janie's room. I pressed down on the doorknob as quietly as I could and there she was, laying on the bed with a beautiful smile on her face as she watched a movie on the laptop.

Leaning against the doorframe, jealousy welled up from the depth of my guts. I wished deep down that she was smiling at me, and not for a movie. A part of me wanted to be the reason why she smile and wanted to live.

Oblivious to my presence, she burst into a series of raucous laughter once more. And I was engrossed in this sight. If I wasn't a busy man, I could watch Janie all day long because I have never come across a woman as beguiling as she is. Alas, she doesn't seem to realize how attractive she is.

I didn't even know that I had been staring at her for a couple of minutes until she snapped her head in my direction and those beautiful smiles vanished into thin air, only to be soon replaced with a scowl.

Gathering my wits, I cleared my throat and straightened my posture before stating; “Pack a few of your things, you are coming with me to Italy.”