CHAPTER 110: TRAITOR WITHIN

Morning descended in Neravalle like any other day, but the LuceNera was completely exhausted as he rolled out of bed.

Daniela’s screaming voice, hurling accusations at him haunted him as he freshened up in the bathroom.

The only way he had successfully silenced her last night, was by walking into his room and shutting the door, locking her out.

He just wanted to be able to think clearly without her voice constantly in his ears.

His palm covered his face as he stood in front of the mirror.

Days like this, he didn’t know what he was doing.

But as a leader, he had to show up. He couldn’t afford not to show up.

Especially now that there were security concerns that needed to be discussed.

He had to find some motivation somewhere.

His hand moved away from his face, as motivation did come in the face of a person.

"Valentina," he thought, a smile tugging the corner of his lips.

A smile which turned into a frown the moment another motivational face appeared in his mind.

"Elio!" He straightened up at once.

The promise he made burned brightly in his mind.

He had broken it once, and because it wasn’t in his character to do so, he promised himself it would be the last time.

The irony of making a promise to honour another promise stopped him dead in his tracks.

A sigh escaped his lips.

It would be easier if she wasn’t so beautiful, and stayed away.

"As if you won’t go seeking her out if you don’t see her for an entire day," a voice in his head reprimanded him.

"I do deserve that," he admitted.

"The more you’re supposed to stay away from her, the more you’re drawn to her. Do you even remember that she is Allen Wallace’s daughter?"

He inhaled sharply.

Alone like this, he remembered all of the reasons he was supposed to keep her at arms length.

However, when she was around him, he completely forgot all of the reasons she was forbidden.

No, the fact that she was forbidden was the excitement that pushed him into acting on his desires.

Luciano’s head began to throb, and so he pushed all of these thoughts to the back of his mind, and focused on dressing in silence.

Black shirt, gold wristwatch, rolled sleeves, hair in a bun.

By the time he stepped out of his room, he was ready for the meeting with some of the senior boys in Neravalle.

They were already gathered in the meeting room when he walked in.

Elio grumbled to Marcello how he hated that they were being given more responsibilities in Neravalle.

"Do you want to stop being youth leaders?" Carlo, who trained them, overheard and questioned them.

"Can I please?" Elio was begging when Luciano walked in.

Conversations ceased, all eyes turning to him.

"Morning carpo," began to echo from all sides of the room.

He took a seat at the head table, his jaw set in a hard-line.

"Elio?" He called him by name.

This was a serious meeting, which called for seriousness in all aspects.

"SìLuce?" Elio answered.

"Did you make the calls I asked you to make?"

"I did Luce."

"Good," he turned to his underboss. "Proceed."

Vittorio, dressed in his usual vintage suit piece, rose to his feet, and began to pace around as he made the announcements.

"Aurivilla is doing great as can be seen from the reports. The people are waiting eagerly for the pageant. They’re expecting the panel of judges to be revealed soon. Club Neravalle should be opened more often. The people need their club time. That’s all," he concluded.

"Thank you, Vitto. Since Salva is not here, give me the security details, Lyon."

Lyon, his head security rose to his feet. "BuongiornoLuce."

"Good morning to you too," he replied.

"We’ve had some funny movements at the borders. Especially now that the triplets are away. Salvatore is holding the northern borders down, but it doesn’t mean the rest are safe. Lorenzo Barone has also not been caught on our radar which is extremely strange, because underground noises are saying there’s a shipment arriving soon. There’s a sleekness in which he’s carrying out his trades, and we’ve not been able to capture it on camera just yet," Lyon explained.

"Elio, what does something like that tell you?"

Elio who was half listening, and half daydreaming about what the ideal life with Valentina would be like, double blinked when Marcello’s hands brushed against him discreetly.

"It’s good. Really good," he replied swiftly.

Everyone’s gaze set forward, afraid that if they catch even a glimpse of their neighbours gaze, they would burst out laughing.

"Is it good that our security is being compromised?" Luciano eyed him.

"Oh no, Luce! I meant it’s– I meant—"

"I don’t know where your mind is, but this is serious business. You have to—"

A buzzing sound, although distant, trickled into his ears, stopping him short.

"What’s that?" His brow furrowed.

The boys exchanged looks now. They had heard the sound too.

Luciano’s head whipped up.

Thickened sound that could only be described as one from rotors, slicing the air. Engines prowling low above the city, and in connection, Neravalle.

The sounds grew thicker, as if more than one had joined in.

It was so heavy, they felt a shudder of the earth above them.

If it was that heavy in Neravalle which was partially underground, then they could already guess that the city was in panic.

"What the fuck is that?!" Marcello was the first to question.

Everyone looked at Luciano, even the ones that could guess what it was.

He was the leader. It was in his place to say it.

Luciano’s pulse iced.

"Helicopters," he said. "Fucking helicopters circling Aurivilla, and by extension, Neravalle."

Lyon jumped to his feet at once, and so did Vittorio.

"What are the orders Luce?" Vittorio asked, guns already being drawn.

"Are we going into the city?" Carlo questioned

"Not so fast. We have to find out how the hell this happened. The air coordinates are known to only a select few of us. Someone has betrayed it." he rose to his feet, and began to pace.

Vittorio walked up to him, backing him in a corner.

Behind them, the rest of the boys tried to figure out what was happening.

"Luciano, helicopters do not fly above without permission. Government permission," he whispered to him.

"Think I don’t know that? The government had to have given them permission to fly. But even at that, someone betrayed the coordinates. That is for a fact." His voice was lethal, calm, enough to put the fear of God into the devil.

"What do we do?"

Luciano turned to his boys. "No need to panic yet. This is clearly the work of the government. Give me a few seconds of silence please."

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and dialed the president’s direct line.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the outcome of this call that was clearly important.

The helicopters continued to hover above, hauntingly.

One ring, two, three–

Diverted.

Luciano tried again, and again, and all three times, the call was diverted.

"Fuck you!" He roared, flinging the phone against the wall.

His eyes darkened in pure rage, as the reality of what was happening hit him hard.

"I want fifty armed men surrounding Aurivilla. I need my pilots to ready the aircrafts," he began to dish out orders.

"Luce, are they attacking us?" Elio questioned in panic.

"No, it’s a warning. We’ve been marked. Next time they come, there will be an attack," he replied in an ice cold voice.

He began to walk out of the room in rage, his hand folded into a fist.

Vittorio followed him.

"Vitto, find me the traitor who sold out Aurivilla’s air coordinates. And when you do, bring them to me. I will throw them into fire, and look into their eyes as they burn."

Those words sent chills down Vittorio’s spine, because he knew very well, Luciano wasn’t bullshitting.