Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Past*

Liam let out a painful scream as Rico dragged him on the ground from the stairs to Sergio's living room.

And then pointed a gun at him which made him cry out more. Sergio looked at Dante to explain but the man smiled enjoying the show in front of him.

“What is the meaning of this? How dare you touch my son and point a gun at us….”

“If you want to live then shut up, that is Dante and his son Rico” Sergio shut Joe up while he looked around and gulped down in fear.

He has heard many rumors about them, their nickname, the devil and the devil's son, and it was one of the reasons he wanted to become a family with Sergio, to be over their protection.

This wasn't how he imagined their first time meeting to be.

“I have no idea what this is about, but I think I deserve an explanation” Sergio demanded.

“That bastard hurt what belongs to me, I don't think I need any explanation before I kill him”

“What?” Joe exclaimed and quickly went to join his son on the floor, holding him right. “He won't dare, he might be dumb but he isn't that stupid, all he did was go inside with his fiancee, if you can….”

Rico didn't let Joe finish his word before shooting Liam in the right leg, another groan as blood gushed out.

“Liam” Joe cries with terrors in his eyes, his body trembles as he holds his son's leg, and peeks at Sergio for help.

“If this is about Maria, then I believe you are mistaken. If she belongs to anyone that will be Liam”

Another gunshot was heard, with Rico shooting Liam in the other leg. Rico looked at Sergio with daring eyes, challenging him to repeat those words.

“Stop, we will do anything. If you want money, anything please don’t kill my son” Joe pleaded with his hands clamped together and tears dropped from his eyes.

“Do I look like I need money? You keep getting on my nerves, old man. Want to take your son's place instead?” Rico asked as he pointed the gun at Joe but Sergio stepped in front.

Using himself as a guide for Joe, Liam doesn’t have much influence on him, but Joe is so important in his business, and if Rico kills him, he will be the one to clean the mess.

Sergio looked at Dante one more time, but no response, he understood what this meant. He is enjoying himself and has put his son in charge of this, if his guess is right the reason they are here today is because of his daughter.

“If you are going to kill Joe then you have to get through me, and if you kill me it will cause conflict between the other capos, and most importantly Maria will never forgive you, isn't that why you are here, because of her? She has caught your eyes, hasn’t she?”

Silence took over, they all stared at Rico waiting for what his next line of action would be. He put his gun down but not without shooting Liam in the left arm.

“You have 3 minutes to get out of here, or else I will finish what I started, and if I ever see you or your son near Maria or the Vitalio family, I will conclude that you have stolen what is mine, and hunt you down” he threatened Joe who nodded obediently and walked his son out of the house.

“Now, that was quite a show. It was about I was watching a movie” Dante says as he crackled up, Sergio sighed and moved closer to him.

“Then shall we talk business”

“Don't get ahead of yourself Sergio, I'm not the one who came to talk to you, all I did was tag along, and trust me if I was the one. That man won't get out of here alive, and so will you”

“If you think for a second, I have no idea what your plans are, then you are a bigger fool than I thought” Dante speaks while Sergio clenched his fist, he tried to mask his fear with a hard face, and seeing the smirk on Dante’s face, he can tell he is doing a bad job.

He should realize that he knows and has ears everywhere, and just because they are in-laws, doesn't mean he can't kill him, he is a brute. Who killed his brother without blinking twice.

He enjoys killing so much and Sergio knows that more than anyone, they spent their teens together after all, and in those years he spent as his friend or working for him, he knows you can never underestimate Dante.

“Now” he stands up from his seat and pats Sergio on his shoulder. “I will leave you two to talk, I have a date with my beautiful wife, I hope you enjoy your talk” he smirked at Sergio before leaving the house with the two men he came with.

Now Sergio was left with Rico in the living room. “You can't have Maria, your father is already married to my sister”

Rico chuckled and went to sit where his father had just left, offering Sergio to sit opposite him.

He gritted his teeth but did as told. “How are you going to clean up the mess you created, I don't think Maria will be pleased to see blood in her home”

“Seriously, you play a boring game. Stop using your daughter to threaten me, I could take her forcefully if I want. I think my dad will be more pleased with that instead”

A tremor of unease washes over Sergio, and for now, in his life, he knows he isn't in control.

“What do you want?”

Rico grinned and Sergio could see the triumph in his eyes. “Maria, let her get engaged to me”

“That won't happen, the marriage between you both won't benefit me and I won't be involved in trade that I won't gain from even if it means risking my life”

Rico was expecting that, he knows how greedy and cunning Sergio is, even though he infuriated him for the way he sees Maria as just an objection to his wants, he can't kill him.

And he didn't come here with a plan.

“Is that so? I know what you are after Sergio, it isn't the power to do things without my father's intervention but to own what he has, in your wildest imagination you think you have achieved it by having your sister marry my father”

Sergio face hardened, there was no lie in Rico's words, just as much as he respected and feared Dante. He truly wants what he has, he wants to own the crime organization, it is greedy but not impossible.

He just has to shed a little blood before he gains what he wants. His plans are already in motive, the only things he needs are for his sister to get pregnant and to get Rico out of the way by killing him.

“Your face gave you away, you can't hide your intention of wanting to get rid of me and give my place to your future nephew” Rico added with irritation but hid it with a smirk.

Sergio groaned, he had thought Rico was just an arrogant brat who loved killing but never worked with his brain, that he was wrong. He is truly his father's son, which explains how he gets the loyalty and fear of his men at the age of nineteen.

“So? You don't have any proof, I'm sure you can't get rid of me because of my thoughts” he laughed and Rico joined him.

“Oh, I can. But I won't because your plan already failed, Aurora isn't going to birth to my father-child”

“And what you make think so?”

“Because if she does, my father will kill her myself,” he says but Sergio doesn't believe him, it is no news that Dante admires and cherishes his sister, they don't hide their display of affection even in public.

“You must be thinking that he won't, maybe. I mean he isn't the one who brought the idea but your sister, she promised to do it herself if he doesn't. My dad isn't the only one who is stupidly in love, your sister is too, and in my defense, she admires me and my sister too much for her good”

Sergio grunted angrily, there was no reason for Rico to lie. It was something Aurora could do after all.

“So, what is your plan?”

“The reason you want Maria to marry Liam I will give to you”

“I doubt your father will permit it” Sergio beamed not hiding his emotions.

“He will, and in return, I will have Maria as my wife. The future that you want so badly, I and Maria will give it to you”