ENZO
I reached the location Monty tagged me with. With wide eyes, I looked at the containers that were ready to be loaded on the ship. So far, I couldn't hear anything. I could say the children were either drugged or unconscious to scream or cry to save themselves. Later on, those kidnapped children were to be sold for child labor. It was cruel. And in my empire that I had built after my father, I made sure no child would have to go through that kind of cruelty.
My father was part of it. And his only heir was kidnapped and sold off for child labor. If it wasn't for Mr Rossi, who bought me to save me, I would be working as a slave in some big mansion. I took over my father's empire later and rebuilt it under my own laws just so my heir would never have to go through that kind of cruelty. Still, this life was dangerous.
I got out of the car and went straight toward the owner of the ship who was rushing the crew to take the ship into the oceans already. “Stop this ship right now. Are the containers inspected by my men?” I asked the owner of the ship. The cargo could only leave from the port that was under my control. Even the government had no power to challenge my authority over that port. I could digest anything but nothing that involved cruelty toward children in any way.
“Mister De Luca, you shouldn't have come all the way here. Your men have inspected the cargo. There's nothing wrong here.” The owner of the ship replied to my question confidently. However, his forehead was covered with sweat already, in the weather that was turning chilly. It was fall season already.
I grabbed him by his collar and shook his body. “Then you'll have no problem at all if my men check it all again on my orders.” Men I took with me were already all over the cargo, checking every single one of the containers. So far, all of them were quiet.
They weren't stupid to leave scared children completely conscious. But for me to be able to unlock them all, I needed at least one child to make at least some noise. At that point, I was praying for just one child to make some kind of noise to let us know that they were inside.
On the other side, I was pressuring the bastard owner to speak the truth. If he would spill, then I could check the containers on my own. “Tell me, what's inside all those containers? There's no way you are smuggling just some stolen goods out of Italy to auction them internationally.” I asked the owner again, while my men were still checking every single container.
“I don't know what you are talking about. It's just some big items I earned in exchange for the money people owed me.” Of course , he tried to be smart but he was sweating like a pig already.
“Don't try to lie to me. You are already sweating. The weather isn't hot enough to make you sweat this much.” I asked him again, trying to break him. He was a pig. Threats were enough to break him. I didn't even have to offer him more money to break him.
“What, I can't sweat anymore? Where did that law come from? I am sweating because it's a big cargo and I need it to get past international borders before the patrolling starts.” To my surprise, he was holding up despite his nervousness and the sweats.
I turned to look at my men and they all shook their heads in disappointment. They found nothing. I growled and signalled them to pull away. “If I learned, you played me, your head will be on the plate, in front of Armani. Mark my words.” I threatened him.
Out of anger, one of my men kicked one of the containers hard. Although it couldn't do any harm to the containers, it was still not allowed. “Ben! Stop it.” Just as we were about to leave, we heard someone knocking from the inside of the container. The same container that Ben kicked out of anger.
Smirking at his victory, he was the first one to shoot at the locks of the container and pulled the child out. “You were saying!” I growled at the owner of the ship. I grabbed him by his neck and dragged him to my car while my men searched the whole ship.
I drove straight to Armani's heights where he was waiting for the news. Monty was already at the port to finish things up. I needed to meet that damn bastard myself for trying to ruin one law in my empire that I could never forgive.
They tried to stop me. But I placed my gun on the owner's head. Who was actually the father of Armani's mistress. I knew they wouldn't try anything until I was using the fat pig as my shield. I kicked open his office door and threw the fat bastard in Armani's feet.
He stood up from his chair as he saw me but he didn't try to bend down to pick up his father in law. He knew well enough not to take his eyes off of my gaze, that was fixed on his forehead, alongside the aim of my gun. “I must say, you are far more gutsy than your old man. He would never have imagined walking into my den all alone. And with just one gun in hand.” Amadeo Armani, the bastard who had no soul whatsoever.
He killed innocent people for the sake of his empire. Still, he hadn't been able to surprise the empire I built from scratch, as compared to his, that was built by Armanis before him. I didn't take my eyes off of him, but kicked the stomach of the old pig who was still lying in my feet.
“I gave you a warning not to mess up with the laws I have made. You were free to work your way. But smuggling children was off the list. I have told you before. I can compromise in any situation but not this. Then why did you have to try this fucking stunt?” I asked, anger echoing in each word that I spoke to him.
The bastard was still unbothered. He even smirked at me when I was done. “It's not my fault that you are still dealing with your childhood traumas. Whatever happened in the past, you can't change it. But believe me, these kinds of deals can get us 80% more revenue monthly than whatever we are getting yearly right now with all the stuff we are smuggling.” Of course, the bastard was trying to lure me in as well.
“Of course, you will say such a thing. Because your father adopted you after buying your from one of the dealers. Let's not forget the fact that you weren't the only one who was bought to become Armani's heir, like it's been for generations. But you were the only one who survived.” I reminded him that he was a bastard child, not a true Armani by blood.
Once he heard about his past, he lost it. I could literally see steam blowing from his ears. “How the fuck you dare talk about my past and the Armani's ways of finding their heirs?” He pulled his own gun out while gritting his teeth in anger.
“Wow! I must have hit a nerve for you to be so stupid to draw your weapon on me when you know well that right now, you are in my city. And on one snap of my finger, I can actually get you killed. I don't even have to pull the trigger myself.” I gave him a reality check. Something he was ignoring.
As soon as he heard about his place in my city, he lowered his gun. I lowered my gun as well but before I could put it away, I shot the old pig's knee. Holding his knee, he cried in pain. Well, he was oinking in pain. “What the fuck?” Armani howled at me as he finally signalled his men to tend to the old man who literally served his girl to Armani on a silver platter so he could live a luxurious life.
From a skinny bagger who wandered on the beaches, now that fat as owned ships that smuggled stolen items from all around the world to Italy. “That’s what happens to the people who lie to my face. Next time if I asked you a question, you better not lie. Or next time, the bullet will go through your fucking fat throat.” Howling back at the fat old man, I turned around. I put my gun away and waved my hand at Armani.
I walked out of his office. I watched as his men were holding their guns in their hands. But not one of them had the guts to even try and pull the trigger, or even aim their guns at me. I was fucking angry for them to try and ruining the one day I was planning to spend with my wife.
The only reason why I couldn't kick Valentina out was Suzie. It was never Suzie's fault that her mother opened her legs for someone else. I hopped into my car and drove off. I was happy because I had saved so many children that day. And I still had time to go back to Ariana. Just then, I heard a loud noise, a loud bang and my ears started ringing. Along with this unbearable pain in my chest. My car smashed against a pole. That's all I remembered before everything went dark.