5.

Valentine

Fate

A cruel thing.

All my life, I never cursed or feared it. The thought of destiny never crossed my mind. My actions and deeds never bothered me, neither the guilt crawled my spine as poisonous spiders. But now, the tentacles of lies suffocate me. Its vice grip on my throat and body is affecting my thinking capability. Every time I look at Crystal, it chokes me reminding the tortures I dawned on her.

I adjusted my tie and turn towards the bed where Crystal was still sleeping. It's 2 in the morning, yet I have to go to work. In these past nine months, the business has fallen behind. The associates and partners that once didn't dare to stare in my eyes now think of me a weakling. The constant victories of Russians have made everybody lose belief in Italians. But very few know that the real boss has returned. And now, it's time for retribution.

Once ready, I went in the closet to retrieve a silver gun from a hidden locker behind my suites. Crystal will never look here. Putting the 7 words combination, I opened the metallic door and immediately pull out the gun, totally ignoring the leathery book that belongs to Crystal. I couldn't bring myself to destroy it. The satin thing carries her memories, all good and bad experiences. I came to know about it in our last days together before the accident. It was hidden under her mattress. No matter what, I can't risk her to see it anyhow because the things will take a nasty turn. Closing the small vault, I hid it perfectly behind the row of expensive suites. Exiting the closet, I walk towards her sleeping figure and kneeled beside her. Soft coppery tendrils were scattered all around her pillow. They were long and hard to tame. I will ask Valerie to call a stylist. Caressing her cheek, I pecked her lips.

'Out for a business meeting. Call me anytime if you need something and do you like your gift? It's your wedding ring.

Love you.

~V.'

Writing this small note, I placed it on my pillow with a white rose on top of it, which is her favourite. Then I slipped a 32-carat diamond ring worth 7 million in her ring finger slowly. This ring is passed from generation to generation to eldest daughter-in-law of the family. My mother wore it till her last breath, now it belongs to Crystal. In the past, I considered her worthy to wear it and gave it to her. It was the best decision of my life. I am trying to understand her. The more I read her, the more I curse myself for destroying the confidence in this beautiful woman.

She gets scared easily. She panicked in the morning just on my loud voice.

She may not remember the past, but its grip is still there.

Backing away, I step out of the door while buttoning up my coat. Victor, my most trusted man, and best friend since childhood was waiting at the end of the stairs with a stoic expression. His 6.2, black suit-clad frame matched mine. Dark hairs were secured in a small pony that reached his shoulder. His icy blue eyes stared at me as I descended the stairs. A deep cut from right eye till chin shined under the light with a pinkish hue on his pale skin. He nodded at me in greeting and I acknowledged with a pat on his back once we got close.

"The car is ready. I asked Harman to stay behind at home in case of any emergency." He said as we approached the double doors of the mansion. I nodded in agreement. Victor is the son of my late father's bodyguard. We are like brothers and grew up together. In my absence, he was the one who kept everything rooted. He also liked Crystal and opposed all my previous actions towards her. Somewhere, I know that he fancies my wife but will never cross limits, be knowing that it's his brother's woman. He has always been honest with me even if it can cost him his life. He is the only man that could dare to yell at me for my wrongdoings.

Nearly 20 men were standing outside with their spine straight. They all greeted me and slid into their cars. Victor held the door of the passenger seat for me and once I ducked in, he slides in the driver's seat. The entire drive was silent except for the soft music coming from the player. My eyes were scanning the surroundings all the time for any intruders. It's a habit that I got from father. In the beginning, I thought he was paranoid but with time, I learned that the business we deal with demands the exact things. You have no idea that when, where and how enemies will attack. In some twenty minutes we reached the base situated under a two-storey building occupied by my men only. It was an isolated area with no household within radius of 5 miles around. There are total eight such hide outs across Italy. I stepped out of the car and the guards standing outside went stiff. It's the first time in nine months I've visited this place.

"Boss." They all greeted with their head bowed in respect as I entered inside and took the stairs leading to the basement. The interior was empty, except with items necessary for daily requirements. Only 5 men were present in the living room cleaning the weapons and filling them with bullets. 2 men were standing outside the basement door with guns and knives resting on their holster. They bowed sensing my presence and one of them opened the door for me. My eyes instantly skipped to his hands that were bloody. Seems like he was practicing on our new guests.

Alberto, my favourite investigator was standing at the corner cleaning his bloody knife with a rag. His dirty blonde hairs were dishevelled, a sign he didn't sleep all night. He bowed at me and approached the three bound and blindfolded men. Their clothes were torn and dirty. I can tell that they must've put a great struggle when were dragged here. Victor moves forward and rips the blindfolds away making them gasp and blink their eyes adjusting to the light. Once their eyes found me, a cold silence settled in the room.

"Valentine?"

A man with ginger hairs blurted in disbelief. His green orbs shined under a small fluorescent bulb. I rolled my eyes pulling out a cigarette and placed it between my lips.

'By the way, you reek of cigarette. Stop smoking. The smell disgusts me. I don't like it.'

Crystal's words echoed in my ears and I closed my eyes before removing the lung-killer and tossed it at the corner of the room. I had to get rid of this addiction of mine.

"Austin Sharman. My old friend, how are you doing?" I asked sitting on a table in front of three bounded men. They stared at me wide-eyed. Suddenly, their appearance turned pale as if a snake is slithering over their bloody skin.

"You...You are back?" Austin muttered in shock and shook his head as if trying to wake himself from a nightmare. I scanned his appearance closely and cringed founding his four missing fingers from feet, three broken teeth, and swollen eyes. His nose was also broken, mixing the oozing blood with split lips. His white shirt was stained in scarlet as well. It was a sight to behold.

"In the flesh, Austin. I hope my men took good care of you. I heard that you stole a very important disk related to our business and supplied it to the Russians earning millions. Now whatever deals we had, they snatched it all following the information in the disk. Because of you, nine months ago, I made a mistake. I doubted an innocent who paid the consequences. Tell me, what should be done to you?" I spat coldly and he burst into sobs. This bastard used to work as a software engineer and hacker for me. My father appointed him in his last days. Nine months ago, the leech stole from our system and transferred it to the Russians. Then he disappeared for some time until two weeks ago Alberto located him in Fuji. The prick thought that he could hide from me all his life.

"Boss, please hear me once. They had my family. I had no other choice but to do as they asked in order to save my daughter and wife." He cried and my jaw clenched.

"Oh really! If that was the problem then why didn't you came to me? I would have brought them back no matter what, but you decided to betray me for a few dollars." I yelled watching him crying pathetically.

"Forgive me, please, boss."

"Victor, bring them in," I ordered and Victor left immediately to fetch two people for whom the prick went against us. His daughter and wife were thrown inside in the next moment. Both the women looked troubled and shaken. Their faces were covered with tears. Desperate and scared eyes scanned the room.

"Father!" The teenager screamed throwing herself on him and cried on his shoulder. His lips quivered and bloodshot eyes stared at her helplessly. His wife cried at the corner of the room before sinking on the floor on her knees. Her right hand clutched her chest hard as there was an ache. My jaw clenched and hands fisted watching the helplessness swarming in the eyes of these two faultless females.

"Please, boss. Please, let my family go. Kill me but leave them alone. I am the one who betrayed you, they are innocent..." He begged and Victor scoffed in disgust.

"Innocent? They are innocent! My wife was also innocent, Austin. Still, she faced punishment for a crime she never did. You, on the other hand, were out there all the time and watched her taking the assault on your behalf. How could you do that?" I yelled and punched him on the face twice. My entire frame was shaking in anger.

"They forced me to do so, boss. I tried to tell you but they raped my daughter and sent me a video of that. I was sworn for secrecy otherwise they would have sold her to someone." He whispered making me freeze. My eyes flew to the girl who was still sobbing clutching his knee.

"How old are you?" I asked calmly and it's the first time I noticed her face. She was pale and had bruises all around. Her wrists have cuts as if they have been bound for months. She looked at me scared and gulped.

"17." A small voice, barely above the hysteric cries of Austin's wife, reached my ears and I heaved a sigh. Bile rose my throat and it became hard to breath for a moment. Seventeen? Seventeen? My heart roared its rage. What the fuck is going on around my territory? The bitter laugh of my subconscious echoed nauseating me.

Why does that bother you, Valentine? Did you forget, that you are no better than those monsters who raped this kid? There was a time when you also used to search pleasure in screams of innocents.

I gagged rubbing my chest and eyes tingles with moisture. Backing away, I sat on the table and drank the water from poorly crafted steel jug.

"Victor, open his ropes," I said maintaining my composure and wiped the sweat from the forehead.

For a moment no one moved. Doubts shrieked in their minds as if I am chanting some holy prayer to please a demon. Victor didn't budge from his spot and kept staring at the back of my head, unsure.

"Victor." I spat through my teeth and this was enough for him to stumble towards Austin and free him from the satin chair. "Listen, Austin, there was a reason my father chose you among two hundred candidates for his work. He must have seen some qualities in you. I don't want to lose someone so old and good. It will be a great loss. Take a week off and rest. After that, I want you to start working once again. In that period, you have to corrupt that disk anyhow, is that clear?" I asked and the bloody man just stared at me. Heck, even I would have done the same because it's not my style. This was the first time I have thought of sparing someone. The poor man's jaw dropped and tears shamelessly streamed down his cheek. "I don't like to repeat myself," I muttered looking at other way feeling embarrassed from all the eyes glaring at me.

"Boss." He yelled like a dying man and fell into my feet. "I am sorry, boss. I will shoot myself before acting like that next time. I will never betray you. I swear on my family, I will retrieve what is ours, just give me two days. I will improve my mistakes. Thank you, boss. Thank you so much." He cried holding my legs while I just sat there stunned. This wasn't the first time when someone did that. In the past, people begged in front of me numerous times for freedom or life in fear. Yet here was Austin, thanking me and crying for sparing him. "I will be always loyal and earn your trust again." He vowed in my feet and backed away hugging his daughter and wife.

"We will see, Austin, we will see. Know that, there is no next time. Admit your daughter in our hospital for treatment and then give her a better education. Now leave." I said playing with my gun and it was enough for him to disappear from our sight holding fear in his chest. Once the family was out, I stared at two bounded men, who registered entire exchange in shock.

"Now who are they?" I asked in boredom suppressing the temptation of lighting a cigarette and take a huge drag. Man, this will not be easy. I am fucking addicted to this lung buster.

"African dealers. They were dealing with Russians for drugs worth millions." Victor mumbled and I narrowed my gaze at two men.

"What is the exact figure?" I asked standing up and approached them.

"30.28 million, boss," Victor replied making me smirk.

"When will this exchange happen?" I asked pulling the hairs of the dark-skinned man in his early 50's, who winced and sweated bullets.

"Day after tomorrow, at midnight. Don Volkov agreed to transport the entire material across the borders." The man sutured nervously as I sliced his cheek using a knife. The tip of the knife went close to his juggler. I smiled bitterly backing away and looked at the two men.

"Who is the boss among these two, Victor?"

"The one who gave you information." He replied casually and I hummed. Within no time, I stabbed him in the juggler multiple times until the guy's lifeless eyes stared back at me in shock. My entire shirt was drenched in blood from the front and so was my face.

"Congratulations. You are the new in-charge. Unfortunately, there could be only one boss in this underworld, and that monster is me.  It's time for everyone to start recognizing this. I hope this information slid past your thick skull well." I said to the other guy in his early 30's who was in the process of pissing his pants. He didn't even blink and stared open-mouthed. He could only nod staring in a haze as two bodyguards came inside and took away the dead body of his chief. "You will go back and tell your gang about this incident. From today, the African gangs will breathe under my boot, alright. When you will go for drugs, my men will accompany you. Take the drugs and cross the borders. I don't need them. I just want to see Volkov going mad after losing 30 million. You will handover that amount to us. Consider it as a payment for your life and all those back at your home enjoying peace." I said patting his cheek and nodded at Alberto to take care of the rest. "Take 30 men and confirm the deal." Ordering, I turned towards the exit with Victor following behind.

"This will definitely light a fire under Volkov's ass. He will go crazy." Victor said as we climbed the stairs to reach the ground floor.

"I hope so. Also, keep an eye on Austin. We can't trust him completely. Shoot him with his family if anything seems suspicious." I said and he nodded. "And Victor, its time when I change certain rules. One of them is, shut down that human trafficking business. We are mafia, not pet store. In fact, close those as well that doesn't come under our radar in Italy. I don't want innocent children to suffer for our benefit."

Saying that I snatched the keys from his hand and settled in the driver's seat thinking of visiting the next base. He ducked his head low in the window to look at me.

"Boss. I haven't said this before but right now your father must be proud of you. Finally, you are truly walking on his steps."  His shocked figure waved at me as the first ray of Sun glided across the green lands. A smile broke on my face as I pressed the accelerator hard.

Gods,

Crystal! What are you doing to me? I am changing my ways.