Page 13 of The Bonventi Secret
A massive compound looms before us, stretching out like a fortress. High walls of smooth stone rise up, topped with coils of razor wire that glisten menacingly in the early morning sun. Security cameras swivel silently, their red lights blinking like evil eyes watching our approach.
This isn't just a house.
It's a prison.
My prison.
Armed guards stand at attention, their faces impassive as they watch our car approach. Their hands rest on holstered weapons, a subtle but clear threat.
"Enzo's home," Gabriel says in a low tone.
My mind wants to scream at him, to claw his eyes out for daring to bring me here now, but I'm too drained. The fight has left me, leaving nothing but a hollow ache in my chest. I'm tired, and I haven't slept properly.
The gates open slowly, like the jaws of some great beast preparing to devour me whole.
As we pass through, I recognize the sprawling mansion beyond. The heart of the Bonventi empire.
As we ride closer to the mansion, I feel something inside me harden, a resolve forming in the wake of my shattered world. They may force me into this marriage, but they can't force me to accept it.
ENZO - 4
"Idon't give a fuck about his connections," I say into the telephone, my grip tightening around my phone. "He's become a liability, and you know what we do with liabilities."
There's a pause on the other end of the line, and it's making me lose my patience.
"But boss," Johnny finally says with hesitation, "if we take out Carmine, the Rossi family will?—"
"The Rossi family will what?" I cut him off, my voice sharp. "Try to retaliate?" I lean back in my leather chair and scoff. "Let them try. I’ll crush them."
I stand, pacing the length of my office. The plush carpet muffles my footsteps, but it can't soften the edge in my voice. "Carmine's been sticking his nose where it doesn't belong for months. Skimming off the top, running his mouth. You know what happens to rats, Johnny."
Another pause. I can almost see him squirming on the other end of the line.
“I've made my decision. Carmine dies today,” I say and hang up without waiting for a response, tossing the phone onto a high-backed tufted chair.
I turn to stare at a family photo on my desk.
My family built this empire with blood and iron. They taught us that family is everything. But family isn't just about blood, it's about loyalty. Trust. And Carmine? He pissed all over that, and now—he meets the iron."
For a moment, I stand there, letting the weight of the decision settle over me. It's far from the first time I've ordered a hit, and it sure as hell won't be the last, but each one leaves its mark. My grandfather used to say it was on the soul itself.
Not that I believe in souls anymore.
I move to my desk, fingers tracing the smooth, polished wood. The family photograph stares back at me, framed in heavy silver. Stern faces of my grandfather and father, flanked by my brothers and me. We were younger then, but even at that age, the weight of expectation hung heavy on our shoulders.
I pick up the photo, the cool metal a contrast to my anger-heated skin. My father's words echo in my mind, a memory as sharp as the day he first spoke them.
"Enzo," he'd said, his voice stern with disapproval. "You think this is a game? That you can pick and choose which parts of our life you want to embrace?"
I was eighteen, fresh-faced and arrogant. "I just want to do some things my own way, is that so wrong?"
The sting of his hand across my face was answer enough. "Wrong? It's fucking treason, figlio. The Bonventi name isn't just a name. It's a legacy. A duty."
Sometimes, when I question things, I swear I can still feel the pain from that slap, lingering after all these years.
I set the photo down, turning away from those accusing eyes.
I walk to the window, looking out over the sprawling grounds of my estate. High walls separate me from the outside world, guards patrolling the perimeter. My kingdom, my fortress.
