The Devil Of Dons

GABRIELE

The strippers danced like they owned the stage, their bodies glistening under the neon lights, but I barely paid them any attention. One of them tried to grind closer to me, but I leaned back, puffing out smoke from my cigar.

God, I loved being here. The music was d*mn loud, the air too thick, and the smell of whiskey and liquor, the smell of freedom.

This was my place, my club, my rules.

The perks of being part of the most powerful family in Italy were endless. Money, power, women—I could have any of it with a snap of my fingers.

Yet, none of it could erase the anger simmering in my chest, some motherfuckers still dared to goagainst me.

Marco, my capo, broke my thoughts as he walked into the VIP section. His face was tight, his jaw clenched. Something was up.

"Boss." Marco started, keeping his voice low, "Sergio and his boys are here. They’re asking for the VIP section."

I froze mid-drag, my cigar hovering near my lips. Slowly, I turned my head toward Marco, glaring. "Are you f*ck*ng kidding me? Sergio?"

Marco nodded.

I exhaled the smoke sharply, shaking my head in disbelief.

I felt insulted.

Sergio was a nobody. A two-bit thug who thought he could climb his way into my territory. Now, he was in my club, trying to take my spot?

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

"Tell Sergio to go f*ck himself, it's that easy." I said slowly, making sure Marco understood every single word.

"And while you’re at it, tell him if he and his broke-*ss crew aren’t out of here in five minutes, I’ll personally put them in the ground."

Marco gave a sharp nod and left the VIP section. I leaned back again, taking another drag from my cigar, trying to calm the anger rising in my chest.

But, of course, peace wasn’t in the cards tonight. Marco came back not five minutes later, his face even more tense.

"What now?" I snapped.

"Sergio refuses to leave." Marco said.

"He’s causing a scene outside."

"F*ck*ng hell." I muttered, standing up so fast my chair screeched against the floor. I tossed the cigar into an ashtray, rolling my shoulders. If Sergio wanted a fight, he was going to get one.

As I stepped out of the VIP section, I could hear the commotion before I even saw it. Sergio and his boys were outside the club, yelling, throwing insults like they thought they owned the place.

The second Sergio saw me, he smirked. That smug, f*ck*ng smirk that made my blood boil.

I didn’t bother with words. I pulled out my gun and aimed it straight at his head. "Who the f*ck do you think you are?" I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "Walking into my club, trying to push me out of my VIP?"

Sergio’s men immediately raised their guns in response, but my crew wasn’t far behind. Marco and the others pointed their weapons right back at them. The tension was thick, like the slightest movement would set everything off.

Sergio didn’t flinch. He stared at me, calm as ever, like he wasn’t staring down the barrel of my gun. "I’ve been coming to this club long before you started showing up," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "This spot was mine first."

I let out a bitter laugh. "That’s funny because I don’t remember giving a sh*t about what you think. This is my club now. You don’t like it? Too bad."

Sergio stepped closer, and for a moment, I thought he might actually try something stupid. "I’m not scared of you, Gabriele," he said, his tone sharp. "And next time you try to take my spot, I’ll make sure this club turns into a bloodbath."

My finger twitched on the trigger, the urge to put a bullet in his skull almost impossible to resist. But my father’s voice echoed in my head, reminding me of the rules. "No unnecessary killings," he always said. "Keep the peace when you can."

F*ck that.

I raised my gun higher, aiming it just above Sergio’s head, and fired a shot into the air. The loud crack of the gun silenced everything. Sergio didn’t even blink, but his men shifted nervously.

"You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that," I said, my voice low. "But don’t test me again. Get the f*ck out of my club before I change my mind."

Sergio stared at me for a moment longer, then smirked again. "We’ll see, Gabriele. We’ll see."

With that, he turned and walked away, his men following close behind.

I stood there for a few moments, my chest rising and falling as I tried to calm myself down. The adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, and the urge to chase after him and finish what I started was almost unbearable.

Marco stepped up beside me. "Boss, you okay?"

I didn’t answer. Instead, I shoved my gun back into its holster and turned on my heel, heading back into the VIP section.

Once I was back in my seat, I grabbed a glass of whiskey and downed it in one go. The burn did little to ease my frustration.

"Who the f*ck does he think he is?" I muttered under my breath. "Walking into my club, acting like he owns the place. If it weren’t for my father’s goddamn rules, I would’ve blown his brains out right there."

One of the strippers tried to come closer again, probably thinking I needed a distraction. I waved her off, not in the mood for her fake smiles and empty eyes.

The truth was, I hated all of it. The club, the rules, the constant power struggles. But most of all, I hated the fact that no matter how powerful I was, I’d always be in my father’s shadow.

Don Rafael. The name alone made me grind my teeth. Everything I did was to prove I was better than him, stronger than him. But no matter how hard I tried, it was never enough.

"One day," I muttered to myself, swirling the whiskey in my glass. "One day, I’ll show him. I’ll show all of them."

But tonight wasn’t that day. Tonight, I had to deal with idiots like Sergio, pretend I didn’t want to burn this whole city to the ground, and act like I gave a d*mn about anything other than my own anger.

I leaned back in my seat, lighting another cigar. The strippers danced on, the music blared, and the club buzzed with energy. But all I could think about was Sergio’s smirk and the sound of my gun firing into the air.

He’d crossed a line, and I wouldn’t forget it. Not now, not ever.

This was my city, my territory, and anyone who tried to take it from me would pay. Sergio had no idea what he’d just started.

EMILIA

I sat at my desk, the smoke from my cigarette curling into the air. The ashtray in front of me was full, but I didn’t care.

Stress did that to me, it made me chain-smoke like a madwoman. Not that it mattered. My whole life was already a goddamn mess anyway.

The phone on my desk buzzed. I grabbed it, hoping it was something useful. I wasn't in the mood for crap.

“Boss.” a familiar voice greeted me on the other end. It was Nico, one of my most loyal men. “We’ve got eyes on him.”

I straightened in my chair, my heart pounding. “Him? You’re sure?”

“It’s Gabriele.” Nico confirmed. “The son of Rafael Marino.”

The name was like venom on my tongue. Rafael Marino, the b*st*rd who ruined my life, who destroyed everything I cared about. And now his son was within my reach? Oh, the universe had finally thrown me a bone.

Finally!

“Where is he?” I asked, my voice cold and sha