"What?" she asked in fright when she heard me yell that motherfucker's name. He did not even deserve a normal name.

I ran my hand through my hair anxiously and stood before her. I saw red and needed to control my temper as soon as possible. "Why did you mention Atlas Barmbilla now? Did he reach out to you?" I was getting more irate by the second, so I grabbed my gun and rubbed my temple with it for some physical or mental relief. I probably looked like a psychopath ready to kill, but I did not care.

I am ready to kill.

Atlas is the reason for my anger issues, and I will not rest until I bury him six feet underground.

"Dario, calm down..." she softly said as she stood before me and tried to reach for my gun. I slapped her hand away without realizing I had used too much force, but I instantly regretted my action when I saw her shocked expression.

I am so stupid.

She's not part of the Mafia, Dario.

She is as innocent as they come.

Do not harm her.

The voice in my head kept repeating, and I took a deep breath. "Tell me, Bambi. Did he talk to you?" I asked in a softer tone, then looked at my grandpa, who was busy talking with my late Grandma.

She looked down at her feet, played with her fingers, and cleared her throat. "Atlas did reach out... I got emails and messages expressing how much he loves me and wants me to be with him." I removed the safety from the gun because I wanted to shoot something, preferably someone named Atlas.

He will fucking die by my own hands.

"I managed to block him every time he breached my firewalls, but he will not stop there. I am sure he will show up and do something major soon. Be careful; he's our enemy now."

How is Atlas so clever?

What was I doing wrong not to be able to catch him?

Am I incompetent?

Atlas was about fifteen years old when he killed my dad at his dad's orders, probably, and I was three or four. At the time, he was a fucking minor, and no one had managed to kill him yet. He was almost forty now but looked twenty-five. He probably did plastic surgery or something to appear younger, which was very disturbing.

Atlas stole my father away from us. However, he will not lay a hand on Bambi as long as I am alive since he thinks he sees a future with her.

I will keep his future away from his reach and murder him.

I could no longer contain my anger as my murderous thoughts roamed my head, so I swiftly raised my hand and shot an innocent bird. The gunshot made me snap back to reality, and I saw Bambi step back from me and Grandpa rush to our side. A few people were in the cemetery, but they ran away when they heard the gutwrenching sound.

I was not afraid of them calling the police because I had strong connections there; however, I did not want to have to explain why I fired my gun in broad daylight around civilians. I never did that before.

"Are you out of your fucking mind, stupido ragazzo?" Grandpa yelled as he snatched the gun from my hand. He secured it and put it in his pocket hoodie. "Are you okay, Jolene?" I looked at her pale face when Grandpa asked her. I felt like a piece of shit for letting my wrath get the best of me when I promised I would not let her witness such sights.

I am a fucking liar.

"I am fine, but clearly, Dario is not. Let's go back and talk it out," she replied and walked to the car.

She is right; I am not okay.

Why?

I am usually so collected and calm, but I have been a total wreck of emotions ever since she arrived.

Emotions I had never felt before.

"What made you lose your cool, son?" Grandpa's question made me remember Atlas, so I kicked the bench, and it flipped upside down. "Dario! Don or not, I will beat your ass here and now if you don't cut the bullshit and calm down immediately."

"I am so pissed off that I could not protect her before he attacked her. I was on to him, for God's sake, and I did not know what he did to her until she told me! All because of a damn unloyal rat. Who knows how many rats there are in my mafia? Can I trust anyone? I have been too lenient lately."

Grandpa grabbed my arm and dragged me to the car. For a seventy-five years old, he was still strong. "I am as angry as you are because Atlas hurt Jolene, but you don't see me shooting birds and kicking benches! You must set a plan for exposing the rats if there are any. Think cleverly, carefully, and instinctively, son," he said, gesturing toward the car where Jolene sat in silence.

"You see her? She is your responsibility, and you need to protect her now. Don't think about the past. Think about the present and the future. Control your environment wisely."

I gazed at her, and Bambi was typing on her laptop. She wanted the branch to work more than me since it was only a coverup in my case, yet it would be a great source of clean income for my children later on.

All I am doing is throwing fits.

When I saw her scar for the first time, I felt a bang in my chest. She survived death three times and was still working relentlessly hard, and I was here complaining instead of getting things done.

Now I know what my problem was with catching Atlas.

I was not overseeing the whole process. I trusted other mafia memebers to give me intel on him, and I should not have done that. I knew I could trust most of them with my life, but I should not have relied on them to catch their previous Don's killer.

Someone ruined it every time there was a bust because of their personal feelings. They were too connected to the case to see clearly. I admit I was the most attached and blind. However, now I see clearly because the fog in my head has vanished. Things need to change.

"Nonno, tell everyone to be in the Windfall building at six, not eight. We will start the meeting with Jolene at eight, but I need to talk with them before she sits with us. I will end all the traitors, and I know how." Everyone had a weakness, and I happened to know each one's liability in my mafia.

A simple threat or blackmail will do the trick.

"As you wish, son, I will contact them when you drive me home. I assume you don't want to let Jolene know, right?" he asked, and I nodded.

Every traitor must die, so she does not need to know these gruesome details.

I opened the car door and heard her sigh. "What took you so long? I need a bathroom. Let's go back, please!"

I snapped my head back at her since she sat behind me, and grandpa stared at us in silence. "Did you just say please?" I asked, dumbfounded. It was the first time she had politely asked me for something, and I was not used to these manners.

She rolled her eyes, and I grinned. "Yes, I did. Now drive before I take it back, you damn psychopath." There she was, the usual sarcastic mean Jolene.

With my Bambi's sass, she fits with my mafia perfectly.

Why do I refer to her as 'my' Bambi?

In what way is she mine?

The more I thought about this, the more I gripped the steering wheel tighter. I did not understand my feelings and it was in all honesty terrifying. More terrifying than pulling the trigger. "Stai bene?" Grandpa asked.

"Fine," I replied and drove faster.

"How about driving over the ledge? Just turn the wheel to the left a tiny bit, and we will die if that's what you desire!" Bambi slapped the back of my head, and I released my leg from the gas peddle.

I was driving too fast without realizing it, and I hated myself for this. "Sorry," I murmured, and Grandpa's eyes widened. I hardly ever apologized for anything, but the rate of my apologies increased with her in my life.

I looked at her in the rearview mirror. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful. "Good, now focus on the road, and don't you fucking kill us," she snarled.

My lower friend got excited at the sight... again. Grandpa laughed when he caught up to what was happening, and I cursed my luck.

I hate my twisted dirty mind.

~~~

Once we arrived home, I opened the main door, and she ran past me to the bathroom. We ordered food since I was too tired to make anything new, and I did not want her to tire herself. "So, since it's only four in the afternoon, what do you want to do?" she asked as she sat beside me and grabbed a bite.

Absolutely nothing.

"What do you want to do?" I asked instead.

"Let's just talk," she replied, and I mentally groaned. I did not feel like expressing my perplexing emotions, especially to her. I thought about a way to let her forget about talking, and I did what I never thought I would ever do in my life without reason. I did it yesterday because of Grandma's death anniversary, but now, there was no specific reason for my action.

I fucking hugged her. 

~~~

13.04.2023

I hope you liked this chapter. Now that you know more about what's going into Dario's head, what do you think?