Salvatore Dalla

I was giving orders in every direction; in fact, the last two months had been hell for those who lived and worked directly with me. I took out my anger by beating, torturing, and killing anyone who dared to get in my way. I knew that even my brothers could barely stand me anymore, but what could I do? This was the only way I knew to relieve some of my stress.
“Are you going to just sit there staring at me like that?” I asked after giving another order to Fabrizio. I expected him and Rico to leave immediately, but the two remained seated, legs crossed, glasses of whiskey in hand, their sharp gazes fixed on me.
“Yes, we’ll stay until you stop barking like a dog and actually listen to us,” Rico replied.
“Spare me, Rico. I don’t have time to chat with you.”
“We don’t want to chat, Salvatore, but we need you to hit the brakes at least for a moment,” Fabrizio added.
“Hit the brakes?” I smiled scornfully. “How can I do that when I have a pile of shit to deal with?”
“Delegate tasks,” Rico raised his eyebrows at me, as if stating the obvious.
“In the past few months, we’ve hardly had any responsibilities; you’ve been taking everything on yourself, Salvatore,” Fabrizio added.
“Then good for you, isn’t it? Enjoy the break and have fun.” I gestured toward the door, wanting to be alone.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rico lost his patience, and I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest to hear whatever they had to say. I was anxious for them to finish and leave.
“Brother, look, we’ve always worked as a team; we know each other like no one else does. Honestly, we can’t keep watching you drown in all this mess.”
“You don’t need to watch anything; just get out and let me work in peace.”
“Salvatore, we don’t know what else to say to control the capos. Since the Carbone’s death, we haven’t held any meetings, and you keep demanding more from them.”
“That’s my job as the boss: to demand so that in the end, everything works out. If I don’t get my damn head straight, this whole organization will collapse.”
“That’s the problem, Salvatore; your head isn’t straight. Your entire mind is focused on just one person: Amapola Beviláqua,” Rico said, and I suppressed the jolt I felt in my heart at the mere mention of her name.
I had forbidden them from giving me any information about her. I had asked them not to tell me anything since she left, just to continue protecting her and helping her with whatever she needed. I also ordered Amadeu to have men following her, but I didn’t want to know anything about her. Ensuring she was okay was all I needed.
Only one person broke through the barrier I created: Leopoldo Beviláqua.
After four months of Amapola being gone, he started calling me at least twice a day. Each time, I had them tell him I was in a meeting. He was persistent, continuing to call for about a month, and I wondered how long he would resist.
Then one day, during one of his calls, he said she was feeling unwell. It was a lie; just a trick he used to get me to answer. For the first time in my life, I was irrational, letting my emotions guide me, and I answered.
Talking to him was like speaking with my father. He first lectured me about everything his daughter had witnessed, and I knew I deserved it, so I listened. Then he made it clear how weak I was. I almost smiled because it was, at the very least, crazy for him to attack me again, even if this time it was with words.
In the last month, his calls had been constant, but something he said threw me off balance: Marco, my partner and president of the export company, was getting too close to Amapola.
How the hell had no one told me this? I questioned, but then I remembered I had forbidden anyone to mention her name. Everyone, as always, was just following my orders; I couldn’t complain.
I lived in hell, unable to decide what to do. I packed my bags to go to her more times than I could count, but I gave up every time. The updates, even if contrary to my orders, increasingly robbed me of my sleep.
I even went to Palermo fifteen days ago and saw them having lunch at the same restaurant where I had taken her. They weren’t alone; it was a business lunch, I knew that. But seeing their interaction almost made me lose it. Like the ogre I was, I wanted to snatch her away, put her on my shoulders, and give her a good smack on the ass for even letting him get close, but I didn’t do it.