A Mob Boss's Dominance (Book 4-About Tristan)

44. The Past & Present (Bonus 1)

Bonus chapters meaning you don't need to read them in alternating manner any more
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O'Kane was in a dimly lit room drinking coffee. It was night time. Almost morning. After attending the Irish calling he had been having flashbacks of the past and thinking about his life. He was thinking of Anna, Francesco, Terrence and himself. Memories of the past were pouring in. He hadn't slept well. So he had decided to stay awake and think. He was contemplating what he was dealing with.

There was him and then there was his traitor relative who was un-Irish But Irish by blood. That was unfortunate. He would have killed Terrence if they weren't related. He had insulted him enough times and had sabotaged his missions many times. Terrence Emanuel was the prince of his own castle in his childhood and teens. He had it all as a youth. He had love. He didn't have the extended Sicilian family that Francesco had but he had good enough number of distant relatives on his father's side he could call family.

It did not seem so long ago when Terrence used to hang out with Francesco, sometimes in secret and sometimes openly. Once he had ended up going swimming with the pair somehow. That could not happen now. Back then they were swimming in the Rosario family lake at Francesco's house. The lake was no longer there now. All that was left of it was the lair where Francesco was currently trapped in apparently according to reports. The place was where he called Home but it never was homey enough for Francesco... Even when Paulo wasn't going to step foot there it didn't matter, Francesco preferred to sleep outside than inside. O'Neil had convinced Jackson to sleep outside in the summer when they were swimming, playing chess, boxing and hanging out when school was closed. They did so when their parents were busy in business. Francesco's home was the perfect place to be rebelling and spending time with the enemy. Francesco was no friend of Jackson truly. He knew Jackson was the enemy but he was welcome. Francesco's father didn't care who came over among Francesco's friends. As long as they were not turning his son soft he didn't care.

He remembered how the conversations back then started showing how different they were. They got to know him and he got to know them. Maybe the impressions of their teen gave the picture to Francesco ru be wary of him and not allow him to court Anna. Ultimately Jackson's father didn't agree to Jackson's union but Francesco had allowed Arturo to take Anna instead of encouraging her to wait for him. Francesco had ruined his chances with Anna deliberately and had given her away to a crime Lord from Milan who was untouchable. He poured more coffee for himself welcoming the aromatic taste that was mixed with Irish cream.

Francesco had come out all wet with his swimming trunks and the first thing he had picked up was his gun.

O'Neil had come out panting "You win this time. What's that? You shoot the loser of this swimming race? Is this how it goes in this house?" He has mockingly held his hand up in surrender.

Jackson had followed them out of the pool closely. He was last. He wasn't able to beat Francesco in swimming. He didn't know anyone who could Francesco.

Francesco had rolled his eyes "You wouldn't understand...."

O'Neil had asked "Its your house Francesco. What could go wrong. You have an entire army of bodyguards watching you..."

Francesco had shrugged "And?"

O'Neil had said "They are meant to protect you..."

Francesco had replied in a tone that said he had explained this a thousand times "My father is meant to protect me... But does he?"

O'Neil had said "Well..."

Francesco had replied "Exactly. Next time don't tell me to get changed before watching out for facing death..."