A boot full of surprise

Salvatore’s POV

The entire setting of the fundraiser repulsed me. From the lightning in the hall down to the people around that wore fake smiles to fit in with the population at the fundraiser. I didn’t want to come here and as usual, my second in command, Eduardo forced me to attend. I wanted to spend some time with my son today but he insisted I come down here and try to bid on at least one of the items being auctioned for the fundraiser.

Most of the people here were dangerous drug lords and mafia dons, such as myself. But we put up a front, and the society saw us as good people. These kinds of events are made every year to renew the way people saw us in the society, which I disliked. I liked being seen as the most evil mafia don in the society and showing it off because that is who I was, not the nice rich guy that wore suits and donated money to charities.

I wasn’t ashamed to show my face as the person behind the most dangerous mob in Sicily. 

“I am going to leave,” I told Eduardo, right before I heaved a sigh of exasperation.

I couldn’t keep up with the cameras that were flashing in every direction in the hall. It made me claustrophobic, and also really fancy the idea of burying my head in the endless documents in my office.

“Come on,” he drawled. “It hasn’t even started yet!”

I shrugged. I had a lot of work to do, and a son to catch up with. He hasn’t seen me for the past three weeks. He had been patient this month, and I couldn’t help but feel bad about how he was growing out of missing me. My absence didn’t disturb him as much. A selfish part of me wanted him to still yearn for me every day even though I couldn’t satisfy the kind of relationship he wanted for us to have between us. 

“There is a lot of paperwork I need to go through,” I said. “Also, may the Lord help me, the music in here is going to give me hives.”

Everything about this year’s fundraiser just didn’t make sense. I had a feeling it was because I didn’t want to be here, and there were far more interesting things I would do back home than watch these pretentious bastards chatting away with each other. I didn’t have anyone on my table, which wasn’t shocking. Everyone here was either terrified of me, or just chose to stir out of my way because they knew what I was capable of.

“You are whining like a child, Salvatore.”

A sharp glare in his direction made Eduardo raise his hands in surrender. If it was any other person in his place, I would have snapped his neck and started to think of where to dispose of the body. But, Eduardo has been my friend for so long that he has become my brother. He was the only person in this world I could mildly tolerate, apart from my son, of course.

“We should be on our way now.” I stood up to my feet, then adjusted my suit. I took a quick glance at the drink on my table and looked away. I knew better than to trust a beverage or food in a public event like this.

“Okay.” He said in a bored tone before he got up too.

We walked out of the hall with him trudging behind me silently. I looked straight ahead, but I could feel the eyes that were staring me down. I could feel the fear in their bones, and the attraction in the eyes of the females. If I had lesser things to do, I would be taking one of them back home with me, but women haven’t been on the top of my priority list these days.

When we got to the parking lot, I met a guard looking around the cars with a gun in his hands as he searched carefully in between the cars. I wondered who he was searching for, or if he was planted here to assassinate me. I couldn’t take any chances, so I slipped a hand to the back of my pants and clenched the gun I had tucked safely there.

“What are you doing down here?” Eduardo barked at him.

The young, almost inexperienced-looking guard turned his gaze to us. When he realized who he was standing before him, I could see the flicker of fear that passed in his features which he managed to conceal quite impressively. 

“Nothing.” He replied before he stalked away.

I watched him retreating back until he left the parking lot before I got into my car. I didn’t waste time before I ignited the engine to life, and then I drove off. It was almost Enzo’s bedtime so if I was lucky, I would reach there in time.

“I really wished you stayed back. You know, you could use this opportunity to form allies, Salvatore. I know you own the city and all, but there are people that need to be in your good books.” Eduardo voiced out.

I let out a humorless laugh, “I do not need allies. They need me, and you know me. My number one rule is not trusting anyone, especially those people.” I replied with disdain laced in my tone.

If I decided to let anyone of them in, I could as well just kill myself because they were surely going to backstab me. I preferred to shield myself from them with fear.

Eduardo sighed dejectedly. This wasn’t the first time we were having this conversation. He knew, as usual, that I was going to turn it down. When we got home, I looked down at the clock and sighed in relief. Enzo shouldn’t be asleep by this time. I got out of my car, and Eduardo did also.

I was about to head into the house when his voice stopped me, “You forgot about the documents. I had put them earlier in the boot.” He called out to me. I turned to him and nodded before I headed to the car boot.

I had collected some reports about some rival gang sightings on the border of my city from one of my security agents that were at the party. He wanted me to go through them before he decided if he was to take action or not.

When I got close enough, I pressed the button on my car key that was for opening it up. It beeped, then it opened up completely. I stifled a gasp of shock when I saw the body of a woman curled up in the back of my car. I turned my neck sharply to Eduardo who was staring at her with an equal amount of shock, and his lips slacked down also.

When I looked back at her, another wave of shock washed through my figure when she opened her eyes. There, curled up weirdly in the boot of my car was the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on.