RECKONING

CHAPTER FIVE

Antonio stared at Luciana. "How did you manage to get a phone?" he demanded.

Luciana swallowed hard, trying to think of a convincing explanation. "I...I found it," she stammered.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Found it?" he repeated, his tone incredulous as he folded his arm. "Where?"

Luciana hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Antonio's eyes seemed to bore into her soul, as if he could see right through her lies.

"Tell me," Antonio growled, as he clenched his fist tightly.

Just as he was about to extract the truth from Luciana, the hostess voice echoed from the intercom.

"Attention. We are experiencing some turbulence. Please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. Thank you."

“I’ll let this pass for the sake of my Sanity.” He gnashed his teeth and walked back to his seat.

Luciana stood leg frozen on a spot, her pulse pounding in her throat. All these still felt like a dream to her.

One minute she was in a gala in Columbia, another minute, she was going to Italy against her wish. She heaved a deep sigh as tears rolled down her cheeks.

This wasn’t the life she planned for herself. she thought of her mother, who had been bedridden in the hospital for 3 years. Her father, whose whereabouts’ is still unknown to her. Her job, her friends, her dog, her whole life was in Columbia.

And now some ruthless beast was just going to take it away.

She washed her face and looked at the mirror, sniffing as she tried to smoothen her hair with her palms.

She wasn’t going to show fear or weakness to those monsters and traitor. As she walked back to her seat, her eyes drifted to Antonio and Sophia, where a palpable tension had begun to simmer.

A sly smile spread across her lips as a plan began to take shape in her mind.

* * * * * * * * *

As the plane touched down on the sun-kissed runway, Luciana felt a mix of emotions; anxiety, fear, and a hint of curiosity.

She had never been to Italy before, and the thought of being trapped in a foreign country with the Morano family was daunting.

Antonio stood up, his eyes focusing on Luciana as he gestured for her to follow him.

Viktor fell into step beside her, his hand resting on the small of her back, guiding her towards the exit.

As they stepped off the jet, Luciana was immediately struck by the warm Italian sun on her skin.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant hum of vespa engines.

A sleek black SUV waited for them on the tarmac, flanked by two heavily armed guards. Antonio opened the door, motioning for Luciana to get in.

"Where are we going?" Luciana asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Villa Serenita." Antonio replied. "You'll be our guest for the foreseeable future."

“where is Villa Serenita?” Luciana’s face asked a million question.

“you’ll see.”

Luciana's heart sank as she realized the true extent of her captivity.

She glanced around, searching for any opportunity to escape again, but the guard’s watchful eyes and Viktor's firm grip on her arm made it clear that resistance was futile.

At least, for now.

As they entered the villa, Luciana was led to a lavish dining room where a group of suited men waited.

Antonio's eyes ran across the room, his face like a tired teen who just returned from football practice.

Donatello took a seat.

"Gentlemen, let's get down to business. The De santis family is making moves to expand their territory. We need to discuss our response."

One of the suited men spoke up.

"We've received reports that they are trying to infiltrate our operations in Naples."

Antonio's eyes widened in disbelief. He exchanged a skeptical glance with Viktor.

"How did they know about the operation?"

The suited man shifted uncomfortably, loosening his tie.

"Well...I...actually..."

Santos, another suited man, intervened, his voice nervous. "What we meant was—"

Antonio's hand drifted to his gun belt, fingers wrapping around the butt of his pistol. His eyes locked onto Santos, flames bursting out of them.

"Was what?" he growled.

Donatello stood up. "Antonio, what's going on here?"

Before any could say a word, Antonio pulled out his gun and shot a figure emerging from behind Viktor. The sound of gunfire echoed through the room.

Viktor instinctively drew his own gun, his eyes scanning the room for more threats. The suited men returned fire, and the room erupted into chaos.

In the midst of the gunfire, Antonio grabbed Luciana, pulling her close as he shielded her from the crossfire. Viktor pushed Sophia away, protecting her from an intruder sneaking up behind her.

As the fight intensified, Santos made a break for the door.

Antonio tackled him to the ground, the butt of his gun cracking against Santos's skull.

"Now tell me," Antonio breathed hard, his gun pressed against Santos's temple. "How did the De Santis know about our operation?"

Santos spat blood, and wiped his mouth with the back of his palm. "Fuck you!"

Antonio shot Santos in both legs.

Santos screamed, his body contorting in agony. Antonio leaned in, and spoke with a deep sigh.

"I'll ask you one last time.” Antonio said as he reloaded his gun. “How did the De Santis know about our operation?"

Santos erupted into laughter, his blood-stained teeth glinting. "They're coming for you."

Antonio cocked his gun. "See you in hell." He shot Santos in his head.

Donatello stumbled towards Antonio, clutching his injured leg.

"What...what just happened?" he stammered.

Antonio holstered his gun, his eyes blazing with anger.

"We were betrayed, Father. And you, as usual, were too weak to act."

Donatello's face reddened. "How dare you—"

Antonio cut him off, his voice like a whisper yet echoing throughout the room.

"How did they know about the Nepal deal? We kept it quiet, but somehow the De Santis family found out."

Viktor intervened. "Don, we need to leave. The De Santis family will retaliate if they don't hear from their men."

Donatello's expression hardened. "I've never backed down from a fight. If they want war, we'll give it to them."

As Donatello walked away, Antonio turned to Luciana, who cowered in fear, her dress stained with blood and her hair disheveled.

He took a step closer, a part of him wanting to embrace her. Just then, Sophia flung herself at Antonio, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Oh, babe, I was so scared," she cooed, her voice covered in insincerity.

Antonio fixed his eyes on Luciana before he wrapped his arms around Sophia. He looked at Viktor.

"take Luciana to her room and get her changed. She's had a traumatic evening."