Roses, Bullets and Knives

TEXAS,

THE REDNECK SYNDICATE MAFIA HOUSE 

Gia looked up at her father with a huge grin on her lovely face. The soft breeze fluttered her wild hair. "I am so happy about your retirement."

Capri smiled down at his daughter, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Retirement only means I will step back a little. There is no complete retirement in this line of work remember?"

She looked away from her father and tugged the sleeves of her cardigan. "I don't want this life. It is a little scary sometimes. What if I lose you? What if I lose any of my brothers? What about mom and Bella?"

"We've talked about this Gia," Omri said with a sigh.

"I know," she sniffed and wiped a fallen tear from her face with her sleeve. "I just can't help it sometimes."

"None of that will ever happen. I will never let it happen. I'm never letting any harm come your way again. I'd do anything and everything to protect you. I want you to trust me on this."

Gia's lips curved upwards, "Of course!"

"So don't worry, I have everything under control," he assured her.

"I'm glad you are stepping down even if it is just a little. Mom will have someone other than my sorry ass to accompany her in the yard while she gardens."

"I am not looking forward to that at all. I do not know what it is about her and gardening," Capri said with a shake of his head.

Gia giggled as they stepped on the porch from the yard her mother loved to garden in. The porch led to a huge house that could almost be considered a mansion. The mafia house.

"See you later papa. I promise to make you proud," she stood on her tippy toes and kissed her father's cheek before turning on her heel.

"Be careful out there, niña!"

Leodis, the heir to the Redneck Syndicate, the mafia led by Capri walked past his sister with his third in command, Zeke in tow.

Gia hurried to the foyer to meet up with her fourth brother, Darius, her partner.

"What's that look on your face?" Darius eyed her suspiciously.

"Get lost!" she scowled at him and flipped her hair over her shoulder for a more dramatic effect.

He zeroed his eyes on her face. "Is that makeup you are wearing?" he asked. He did not bother waiting for a reply. "Ma! Gia is wearing_" he yelled to draw their mother's attention but Gia cut him off.

"Darius!" she clamped her hand over his mouth and dragged him to the Bentley in front of the mansion. "I am not fifteen. One more word from you and your shin will kiss my boot," she threatened.

Darius grabbed her hand and attempted twisting it behind her back but she swiftly slipped out of his grasp.

She tried to hit his arm but he dodged. She tried again and again but he kept blocking her attacks. She was quick but he was quicker.

"Damn you!" she spat and turned around then entered the passenger's seat of the car while Darius' laughter could be heard over a mile away. She strapped her seatbelt and huffed in annoyance as she waited for him to drive them for the next phase of their mission.

***

Leodis stood in front of his father with Zeke at his side.

"Omri is here. He says he has very important business," he informed his father.

"What does he want?" Capri asked him while staring off into the garden, where he had taken a walk with his daughter a few minutes ago.

"He wouldn't say," Leodis responded. "Should I send him away?" he inquired.

Capri was silent for a while. "No. Just make sure that everyone is on high alert," he simply instructed and walked into the mansion to prepare for the impromptu meeting.

He had a lot on his plate and Omri was the least of his problems. Omri was stubborn and could cause a lot of trouble if he was not cautiously taken care of. With each passing day, his retirement seemed beyond feasible.

"What is Omri doing here?" Zara, Capri's wife, stepped in front of him. She had a long flowing dress covering her body and a book in one hand. She was reading a book before she was notified about Omri's presence.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully.

"Gia is just twenty-three, she is not ready for any of this," Zara said pleadingly. 

Since Gia clocked eighteen, Zara had always been worried about her little baby being married off to some stranger.

"I won't let anything happen to our daughter," Capri assured her.

***

About 45 degrees North-West of the mafia house stood a much bigger building, it served majorly for offices and a reception for guests.

Inside the building, Omri stood behind the glass wall of the ground floor where he was waiting for Capri. His eldest son, Alvan and a few men from his mafia were with him. He stared at Gia and Darius through the glass wall. He watched their little combat, observing her graceful yet swift and firm attacks.

"She is good," he commented.

Alvan said nothing in response. He silently watched her till she entered the Bentley and shut the door. "She is trouble," he said finally and moved away from his father.

He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the sweet young girl he met five years ago was the daughter of a Capo. He wondered what else she had lied to him about.

Theo, the second son of Capri walked into the building with Omar, the third son, behind him.

"This way Mr. Martinelli. Papa will be with you shortly," Theo said and led them to Capri's office which was on the same floor.

Shortly after they were seated, Capri walked in with Leodis and his men. He sat down behind the desk while the Salvatore boys remained standing behind their father.

"Go straight to the point Omri," Capri said gruffly.

Omri cracked a small smile while Alvan watched in silence like a spectator.

Capri looked at him with an expressionless face.

"You owe me," Omri simply stated.

"What exactly do I owe you?" Capri arched a brow at him.

Alvan tossed a flat office file at Capri.

"What is this?" Capri asked without moving a muscle.

"Your father's outstanding debt," Omri replied casually.

Leodis stepped forward and flipped through the document.

"Your father's outstanding debt accumulated through lucrative arms deals and protection services. To say the least, the Salvatore's inability to repay the debt has triggered exorbitant interest rates and seizure of Redneck Syndicate assets in New Orleans," Alvan explained.

The Salvatores remained silent.

They already knew about this and they knew that it was only a matter of time before Omri would storm into their city and start making demands.

"The agreement was to get 20% of the resources from the land," Alvan added.

"The land we speak of has been confiscated by the government. What do you want, Mr. Martinelli?" Leodis asked impatiently.

"As payment for what you owe me, I want a 20% stake in Redneck Syndicate operations," Omri said.

"Bold of you to say. That's outrageous," Capri said. 

Omri chuckled darkly, "That is not the end of it. We want your daughter. You will marry Gia to my son," he said casually.

Alvan froze in his seat. The argument has escalated so quickly. His father had never mentioned anything about his marriage to the Salvatore daughter. It came as a shock to him and he didn't like the sound of it at all.

Capri glared at Omri.

"This is ridiculous. You are walking away with 40 million and not a dime more than that," Leodis said firmly.

Omri chuckled, "I do not care about your money. It is either Gia or _" he ended his statement with a shrug.

"40 million. Don't push it!" Leo snapped at him.

"Mr. Salvatore, I'm sure you know how this works. You know what you stand to lose don't you?"

"Get out of my city!" Capri yelled and charged to his feet.

Omri's men cocked their guns at Capri, so did his men at Omri. The room buzzed with heavy tension.

"Give me an answer in a week," Omri said darkly and walked out