The mood in the room was a budding volcano, gearing towards the edge of an explosion.
One wrong word, a negative stare, even the wrong cough was sure to set it off.
Luciano, reclined in his seat, his thoughts straying far away from the small-minded men, as he slightly lifted his arms.
The Graff Diamonds Hallucination piece around his wrist showed he had exhausted an hour out of the two he planned on giving these men.
Time was ticking, and they were yet to say anything substantial.
Luciano was well and truly bored.
"None of these discussions are as important as my business being fucked with by a man who has close relationships with a copper. A freaking cop! He is even marrying his daughter. If that's not the definition of an infame, I don't know what is!" Lorenzo boldly spewed.
That word lifted Luciano's gaze, as did the rest of the room.
They all went silent.
It was worse than the silence of a graveyard, because even ghosts couldn't whoosh their way through this one.
Luciano went through the emotions internally.
He had just been called the worst thing one could call men like them. It would be justified if he reacted violently, but he knew– he knew that it would only give them what they craved.
And so he smiled.
"That's all you've got?" His brow slanted, as he leaned out, and tilted his head to the side to get a better view of Lorenzo who was across him.
Lorenzo's face contorted. He was confused. That word usually caused a more hostile reaction.
"I called you an infame for rolling in bed with a cop. Just like your daddy was!"
Pow!
Another jab below the belt.
Nicolo hissed internally. Lorenzo would have turned to bones and blood if those words had been directed to him.
He was almost disappointed at Luciano's lack of reaction. Until he remembered the kind of psychopath they were all dealing with.
"Again, that's all you have?" Luciano questioned in a monotonous tone.
Lorenzo grew even more furious. His eyes reddened, and his hand folded into tightly combative fists.
"Don't pretend it's not the truth. You're towing the same path your father took, that had him laying in a pool of his own blood in the most disgraceful way. I see the same fate for your future!" He spat with rage in his eyes.
"That's enough, Lorenzo." Don Carlo stepped in.
"No, let him speak," Luciano's voice rang like a vibration, letting everyone know this was business mode now. "I'm glad we're talking about fathers. Didn't yours die with a broken heart over his precious daughter?"
Another round of silence invaded the space. They all waited with butts clenched tightly at the edge of seats, for what was sure to be a cracking session.
Bianca Barone was a touching subject. No one spoke about Bianca.
"Wh-at are you try-ing to s-ay?" Lorenzo counted his words through seething teeth.
"I'm not trying to say anything. I'm telling you that if there were better laws that catered to women's safety, your sister wouldn't have been easily snatched away. It was easier to transport her to the states because of loopholes men like you create. This circles back to my insistence on abolishing sex trafficking."
Lorenzo flipped, as he banged a violent fist on the table, splitting both his hand, and a piece of the ancient furniture.
"How dare you make mention of my beloved sister-her soul rest in peace. Your father is the reason she's dead. He killed her cold-blooded!"
Luciano shrugged, unswayed by Lorenzo's continuous attempt to rile him up. "So you say. So you've always said. The only people that could possibly refute your claims are all dead. How convenient. But I digress."
"No!" He jumped to his feet. "No digressions. Are you saying I lied about your father killing my sister?!" He bellowed thunderously.
The silence instantly broke, as everyone began adding their inputs.
"We shouldn't get into that," Don Carlo said.
"This is not the time to bring up old wounds," Nicolo added.
They all had something to say, except for Luciano who held Lorenzo's furious gaze with his unshakeable ones.
"Do you realise what you're accusing me of?" Lorenzo's voice wailed into the air like an injured animal.
"I haven't accused you of anything yet. Your conscience is probably just playing tricks on you. But just so we're clear, I've made my point. Your sister would never have gone to the states if sex trafficking wasn't a thing. That action alone caused a ripple effect that still haunts us all to date. We're only doomed to repeat the past if we don't make the necessary corrections. Now If I have to join forces with a copper— like you've said, then I'll do it. Because let me be clear about one thing, in my lifetime, I will see an end to sex trafficking!" he reclined into his seat, having spoken more than he ever desired to.
"Fake morality police! You don't care about these women! You only care about your faux morality. A mafioso who turns his nose on trafficking? That's laughable! Hear that, Enzo? Laughable!"
"You could just venture into other things. Why are drugs and laundering not enough? Our women should feel safe. It is our primary duty to protect them," Luciano countered, stifling a yawn that showed how over the back and forth he was.
"Nonsense! Call them what they truly are. Don't humanize them to push your agendas," he leaned forward from his standing position, his hand grappling the edge of the table. "They're whores! Filthy whores!"
Luciano abruptly sprang up to his feet, and the tension in the room blazed even higher.
"I don't give a fuck what you see them as. Find another business venture. And this goes for every last one of you. Every single time you try to traffic a girl, I'll find out, and I'll put a stop to it. If you have a problem with it, then come face me and stop being bloody cowards!" He circled the table, and walked towards the door, whilst everyone's mouth hung open at his audacity.
"You're a walking dead man, Luciano. You've insulted us, and poured saliva in our faces because of the money you think you have. You'll regret everything you've said," Enzo's voice rose high, as Luciano grabbed the door handle.
He paused. "What are you going to get me with?" He asked behind his shoulders, in an amused tone. "Your failing businesses? The government who eats from my pockets?" He laughed dryly. "Come back to reality, man. I own the banks where you store your money. My power is unlimited. Again, do something real about it, or fuck off with your empty treats!" He walked out, and slammed the door behind him.
"Bastards!"
Luciano muttered, as he walked up to his car.
The day had dawned, and the first light of the morning was beginning to hover.
His phone rang just as he slid in through the door already opened for him.
"How'd you know I was done?" He asked on answering.
"I'm surprised you didn't walk out earlier," Vittorio replied.
Luciano's shoulders relaxed. "You have news."
It was a question in the form of a statement.
"I do. Unfortunate news. The girl did not bite, the way we thought she would."
"What did you do with her?"
"Left her in the room I interrogated her. She might brief her friend if I had allowed her to return."
"Good. You've done well. Bring her straight to the dining room. I'll be back for breakfast. Have we gotten a response yet from the IT boys?"
"Yeah. Information about both girls' backgrounds are redacted. Only accessible through important connections."
Luciano hissed through his teeth, as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Fine, I'll make a call."
"Okay, bro. You'll be back for breakfast, you said?"
"I will," he replied, and ended the call.
Reclining into his seat, he let out a heavy breath.
The battle with the Dons were over, now it was time for a prettier battle.
An image of Valentina taking off her mask popped into his head, and his fingers tingled.