by S. C. Ellen
I stop dead in my tracks when a voice speaks up from behind me. “Find what you were looking for?”
Vincenzo’s voice is calm… but I know better. The calmer he is, the bigger the shit storm. I freeze in place, unable to move.
“Well?”
“Your phone was ringing—I thought it was an emergency,” I begin, knowing he can see the lie I so evidently try to conceal in my stoic expression. Unease begins to creep up inside of me under his intense scrutiny.
“So, you decide to go in and answer it? And then continue to put your nose into things that don’t pertain to you?”
Growing angry and impatient, I stand my ground, needing answers already. “You’ve been dodging my questions my whole life, Vin. I am not a child anymore; you can’t keep pushing shit under the rug. I’m tired of living in the dark.”
“Living in the dark, huh? You think you’re ready for that kind of truth, kid?”
At this point in my life, I think I’m past the point of fucking surprises. “Try me.”
Vincenzo takes off his suit jacket, throwing it on the leather stool behind him. My mask of anger slips, and shock takes its place. His once perfectly white button-up is now wrinkled and stained in blood that isn’t his own. He reveals a 9 MM Glock strapped on one side of his chest, and a 40 on the other. In all my years of growing up, Vinny has never been seen without a suit jacket on, and it confuses me as to why. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the reason why was because he was packing some serious heat. I’ve never even seen any of his bodyguards carrying one either.
“Vinny?” I question, visibly stunned. Not at all recognizing the man I thought I knew.
Placing a firm hand on my shoulder, Vinny voices the only sentence I’ve waited my whole life to hear. “Son, I think it’s finally time you learned about the family business.”
Carson
Eighteen years old
New York
After learning the truth, I wish I could say that my life changed for the better that day, but nothing could have altered it more than the day I finally turned eighteen.
“My boy! Graduating on your birthday? How can I not be proud?” Vinny grabs me around the neck, kissing both of my cheeks.
“Thanks, Vin.” Not used to the affection, I awkwardly stand there, playing with a loose strand on my graduation gown.
“Oh, you’ll be thanking me later, once you see what I have in store for you, son.”
We pull up to New York’s most famous strip club, Clever Aces, right in the heart of Manhattan. With a long line for valet lining up halfway down the street, Vinny abandons his car, tossing his keys to an eagerly waiting valet.
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Pentalini!” the young man greets, casting his eyes on the white Aston Martin we just stepped out from.
“Be gentle with her, Rudy,” Vincenzo warns with humor, brushing off the excited attendant, who’s now in the driver’s seat of the exotic car.
“You got it, boss!”
The doorman greets us with a nod, as well, as we make our way inside of the swanky bar. “Happy birthday!” Women dressed in absolutely nothing crowd around me and cheer. My dick jumps at the sight of them. They’re of all shapes and sizes, and each one is more unique-looking than the last. They pounce on me, brushing a hand through my hair or across my chest. I catch the glances of men shooting daggers at me in envy.
“Go on, ladies, take my son into one of the private rooms and show him a good time.”
“No worries, Vin. We’re going to make a man out of him tonight.” One blonde with the perkiest pair of tits I’ve ever seen whistles out, gliding a tongue up along my ear. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Carson?”
A petite brunette glides her hand across my cock. “Mmmm, nice and thick, aren’t you, Carson?”
My mind is thinking of all the ways I want to not only fuck her, but all of them together. They must’ve seen it in my gaze, because they’re whisking me off into one of the rooms in no time, with Vinny laughing all the while in the background.
I wish I could say I lasted a lot longer than I wanted to, but for fuck’s sake, give me a break, it’s my first time and I have at least ten gorgeous women worshipping my goddamn body like it’s the last dick they’ll ever see or take again.
I come out of the room a little disheveled, brushing out my tousled hair and fixing my shirt. I mentally kick myself for how long I went without feeling the absolute pleasure of being inside a woman, and the feeling of their red-stained lips licking over the long shaft of my dick… fuck, how did I ever live without it? More importantly, when can it happen again?
“Feel free to call us anytime, Carson,” the blonde with the perky tits purrs, wiping off her lips that had my cock shoved in between them not that long ago, and makes her way back up to the pole.
A hand comes down on my shoulder. “You, son, deserve a drink.”
Vinny leads me to a secluded booth in the club and pours me a glass of dark liquid. I take a sip and light up a much-needed cigarette.
“You own this joint, don’t you, Vin?” I ask with a smug smile. I’m in good spirits right now, and it’s most likely due to releasing all the pent-up sexual tension in my body. I can now see why people become addicted.
“My one of many.” He shrugs with a proud grin.
Lenny, one of his guards, walks up to us, holding out his hand toward Vinny. “Phone call for you, boss.”
Vinny grabs the phone and takes the call in a nearby room.
I sit back in my chair and let out a cloud of smoke, reflecting on how my life has drastically changed in such a short amount of time. It’s like I view the whole world differently than I would have before. The lies, the corruption, the deceit…it all makes sense now. There are only three things in life that make the world of ours go around: money, women, and fucking power.
And Vincenzo Pentalini has it all. He’s head fucking honcho and the rest of the world is his for the taking. All the lessons he taught me throughout my entire life, and all of the relentless hours of learning and training I did over the past year with him and his men is all going to pay off.
Tonight.
It isn’t until a few drinks later, when I have a joint smacked between my lips and a curvy blonde straddling my lap, that Vinny finally makes his way back over to the table, with amusement masked on his features at the sight. The blonde, getting the hint, slips her number into my front coat pocket and gives me a wink before she leaves.
“You ready to go, son? I have something I want to show you.”
After leaving the club, Vin drives into the city and stops in front of a random skyscraper. I look up at it, confused. “What are we doing here?”
Vinny just continues to drive into the parking garage with a smirk playing high on his face.
He eventually parks the car and takes out a slick pair of keys from his suit pocket, throwing them into my lap. “Your graduation gift.”
“Vin, you’re kidding!” I pick them up, and immediately press the unlock button on the key fob. A black 1969 Mustang Boss roars to life next to us and I nearly choke.
“Col cavolo!” No way! I shout. I often catch myself going back to my native Italian tongue when I’m caught off guard, especially in recent months—much to Vinny’s delight.
“Do I kid around? Now go check out your car, I had them modify the interior.”
I get out of the car so fast, I nearly trip over myself. I open the driver’s side door, and take in the red leather seats and steering wheel.
“Vinny! I can’t accept this!”
“Nonsense, my boy, that’s just for graduating, wait until you see your birthday present.” I don’t see how it could possibly get any better than this, but I follow him over to the elevator anyway. He presses a button for the twenty-second floor, and soon we step out into a hallway with only one room at the end of it.
Taking another key from out of his coat pocket, he unlocks the door, slowly opening it.
“Welcome home, Carson.�
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My balls nearly drop out from under me when I hear those words. The place is huge and has an amazing view of Central Park.
“Vinny…” is all I can manage to say.
“Take a look around, it’s all yours.” Handing me the keys, my eyes wander around the room. It’s all fully furnished and has everything I could ever need. After learning about the family business, I know Vinny is pretty well-off in the financial department, but this? This is insane.
I knew Vinny wasn’t going to throw me out on the streets once I finally graduated, but I never thought that this would be what he had in mind for me.
Staring at the peaceful view, I catch my reflection peering back at me through the glass window. It’s then that I notice it isn’t just my life that has changed so drastically, but I have physically changed along with it. I’ve filled out nicely over the last year while working out with Ro. I have muscles in places I didn’t think I could have muscles, and my boyish features are starting to take on a more masculine shape. My white dress shirt is unbuttoned at the top, showing off a new, fresh tattoo of a Jesus piece bandaged on the left side of my chest, and I have a 44 Magnum tucked into the waistband of my jeans. It’s like I’m a whole new person—the person I should have been all along.
“It’s like you grew up in the blink of an eye,” Vinny speaks, pulling out two cigars and handing me one.
A foreign sense of gratitude runs through me during that moment, remembering everything Vinny has ever done for me to get to this point. “Vin, I never told you this before, but I just want to say thank you… for everything. You let me choose my life and did your best with the circumstances given to you. I know it sure as hell wasn’t easy, but I appreciate it, nonetheless.”
Vinny lights up his cigar and pours us both a shot of whiskey. “You have made me proud, son, and I know you will continue to do so. Salut.” Clinking our glasses together, the fiery liquid burns a trail on its way down my throat, but I enjoy the sense of calm it places in me.
“I still have one more surprise in store for you.” He checks the time on his watch, my brows furrowing in confusion. “What more could I possibly want for?”
Vinny’s expression turns calculating, leaving me with unease. “What all men want, my son… Revenge.”
Pulling up into an abandoned warehouse, my mind is on a constant, never-ending reel of wondering what the fuck we could possibly be doing here.
“Get out,” Romario harshly demands.
I stare at him, “Say please.”
“I’m not fucking around, Carson, get out.”
I eventually comply, because apparently this isn’t a joking matter. Whatever the fuck is about to go down must be some serious shit.
I talked about joining the familia plenty of times with Vinny, but he always said I wasn’t ready. I needed to earn my way in, and I hadn’t yet. An unwanted thought crosses my mind; maybe time is up, and I know too much, and this is it, I’m walking into my very own death trap.
I shake the thought away. No, Vinny would never do that. I trust that guy with my life.
However, something is still nagging at me thinking that maybe I’ve been too trustful and should have had my guard up the whole time.
We finally enter the block building, and I soon hear the clicking sound of a gun behind me. Without having to look, I know the barrel is pointed directly at me.
“You know, if you wanted to kill me, Romario, at least face me when you do it.”
“Walk. Now,” he demands, nudging my back with the front of his gun.
I never cower and I never felt fear; if this is how I die, then so be it.
His gun nudges me more forcefully this time, causing my feet to move farther into the building.
That’s when I notice a small circle of men forming around a dim light in the middle of the room. Surveying the crowd, I note men of all ages, some familiar, some not so familiar. The one who strikes out the most is Vinny, and he’s giving me a somber look.
The circle opens for me as soon as I step in, and then closes, caging me in like a rabid animal. It’s then that I notice I’m not alone. A man is tied to a chair next to me, with his face masked inside of a paper bag.
Confusion overtakes me, and my gaze strays to Vinny’s.
Suddenly, Vinny’s voice bellows throughout the empty space, “If there is anyone in this La Cosa Nostra who is opposed to what will be taking place tonight, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The men stand silent.
Once Vinny is satisfied, he nods his head. “Bene.” Good.
“The demons of your past shall no longer haunt you, my boy. Go ahead.” He gestures to the tied-up man. “Unveil him.”
There were a lot of things my mind came up with, things that I thought would have happened to me tonight, but nothing in this world could have shocked me more than the one that actually plays out.
I hesitantly rip off the mask on the man and come face to face with the monster responsible for everything I ever lost in life.
Diavolo.
“You…” I whisper out into the silence. He looks old and beaten, like life hasn’t treated him too kindly after that fateful night.
The man’s beaten face contorts into a twisted smile. “Yes, it is I. The one who should’ve died along with your parents but lived long enough to tell the tale. Just. Like. You.”
My mind is on overdrive and my fists are shaking hard at my sides.
“Do it, my son. Let the demons become you. Take what he took from you,” Vinny speaks but he sounds far away. My mind is far away, like I’m back inside of that house, no longer hiding from the man.
I am the man, and he is now my victim.
“Do it, boy, kill me. Kill me like how I killed your parents.”
A sickening sneer spreads across my lips at his words. “Death would be too easy. You deserve a life full of pain and torture just like the life you left me with.”
And with that, the last ounce of humanity I have left in my body snaps into tiny little fragments, and I am neither a man, nor am I even human anymore. I let the demons take over, and in return…
I become one.
The man falters at the shift in my demeanor, his poker face now showing hints of his fear.
Like a skilled hunter, I circle him, sizing up his old and withered body. The need for blood spill running at a rampant pace through my veins.
Excitement courses through me when I spot the different assortment of tools sitting on top of a discarded table just waiting for me to use. I grab one that I know will do the most damage.
A sledgehammer.
With the element of surprise on my side, I strike him across the jaw with it, his bone immediately breaking and hanging off the side of his skull.
A scream erupts from within him, further fueling me to keep going.
“What was that?” I shout, harshly grabbing hold of his face with my bare hands, relishing in the pain that is evident on his bastard face. “You didn’t care about the screams while you were raping my mother, you figlio di puttana!” Son of a bitch. I release him with a hard shove, nearly knocking over the chair he’s sitting on.
This time, the blow I deliver with the hammer is to the hand that had violated my mother, smashing it, and enjoying the sickening crunch it makes. I then swing it harshly down on to the grimy dick he fucked her with. The next six swings are for my father who laid dead in his own office, and the next twelve after that are for my sister, the only family I had left, and never get to see because of the demons created by him.
The man is holding onto dear life by a thin string, one more blow to the head and it’s game over for him. Blood is seeping out from every single pore of his body, his eyes are swollen shut, and his mouth and jaw are completely mutilated.
He is unrecognizable, all thanks to me.
Sick satisfaction crosses my features, taking in my handiwork.
I hear Vinny’s voice again, “Finish him, Carson. Finish what he started.”
&nb
sp; With a few more blows, delivered this time by my fists, I’ve had enough of playing around. It’s time I sent this devil back into the deepest pits of hell—where he belongs.
I pull out my gun, aiming it straight for his heart, repeating my mother’s last words, and finish the job my family wasn’t able to finish the first time. “Vaffengolo, you traitor.”
I don’t just end him with one single shot, I shoot him until all the bullets in the chamber run empty. Until pieces of him now coat the cement ground, until the exhaustion overtakes my body and I am physically unable to destroy him any more than I already have.
I throw my gun to the side and fall onto my knees. I’m covered head to toe in the man’s blood. Covered like it’s war paint. I roar out loud into the abandoned building, not giving a flying fuck about the other men watching, letting out all that I have lost, all that I have gone through, and all of my frustrations that I am tortured with on a regular basis.
With one last act of revenge left inside of me, I pick up the bucket of gasoline from off of the table, pouring the contents onto his heavily beaten body.
Flicking the matchstick onto the fire starter, a small flame ignites.
A blurred memory flashes before me.
Burn the place. Burn all of it.
The reminder triggers my actions, and in no time the single flame erupts into a huge fire, encasing all that is left of the man.
My eyes never waver from the scene before me. Making sure to watch every single moment of the devil who turned my world right on its ass now disintegrating into nothing but tiny specks of dust.
The familiar touch of a hand carefully squeezes onto my shoulders, whispering the five words that change my life forever. “Welcome to the familia, son.”
Carson
I can’t decide if my life changed for the better or for the worse after that night. Killing the man who killed my family was the best present I could have ever received; however, the demon that awoke because of it—now that’s a dangerous thing.
