The Mafia's Stolen Daughter

22

Daniel Stefano

My jaw ticks in annoyance and anger. "George, take these two. Half of you sweep this entire place, get rid of any German, Russians and Ukrainians. The other half sweep the outside area and look for our fallen, NOW!"

Everyone starts scrambling around and I start walking towards the direction Lorenzo and Marina came from.

Out of the 232 men I brought with me today

Only 10 died.

Feliciano, Marquez, Silvio, Danny, Karlos, Sage, Cameron, Antoine, Matteo, and William.

And one of those men was my best friend.

I got my best friend killed.

When my father brought me into the mafia world I was only twelve. He trained and tortured me into the person I am today:

A cold-blooded killer who only cared about his family and the mafia.

Growing up, I didn't have any siblings. My mother died due to my fathers irresponsibility when dealing with the Russians, to be exact: Sergei's father Aleksandr.

Anyway, when I was 14, a new member joined the Strikers. His name was Feliciano. He was only 16, but needed a way to support his mother and 3 other siblings, so he joined the gang. His past was always rocky but somehow we became close friends, you could even call us brothers.

We've been through thick and thin and I repaid him by sending him to his own death. When I sent Damon and him to retrieve my children, they pledged their loyalty by following orders without getting back up.

Now Damon is in critical condition, Feliciano is dead, and Valentina is missing.

La mia principessa, Valentina Aurora.

All because of a war my father started.

The Italian Strikers used to be allies with the Russian Bloods until they 'betrayed' us. My dad retaliated by starting a war with no cause. He took the traitors word and killed Alexandr's wife Lucia. So the Russians took my mother, tortured her, then killed her.

I've never been the same since.

Then I followed my fathers footsteps and didn't learn from his mistakes.

My wife Gabriella was kidnapped by Ukrainians, but I was tricked into believing it was Russians so you took Sergei's wife, Anastasya, for answers. She wouldn't budge so I almost killed her, but I couldn't kill someone who seemed so innocent. So I sent her back.

But I didn't know he'd take my newborn child and keep her captive for 16 years. I don't even know what she is like as a person.

On a high note, I met my wife in an Australian night club.

Romantic, I know.

She was sitting across the bar in a tight red dress, yelling swears in Italian to the man trying to hit on her. So I bought her a drink.

It was something girly and she immediately gave it back and asked for a bourbon.

I knew she had to be my wife at that moment.

We dated for two years and when she got pregnant we married. We had our little twins: Marina Isabella and Lorenzo Antonio. We were elated and about a year later Gabriella was captured. After her return, I got our home on extreme surveillance. A few months later and our second daughter was born. Valentina Aurora was a calm baby for the two months I knew her. She barely cried and was always smiling. Then Sergei took her and had her always on the move with fake parents.

I never gave up on her. Eventually Gabriella was pregnant again with Venice Kacy. We continued to look and nothing was found. Seven years later and Rosé Faith was born. And two years after came a boy, Luca Romeo.

But my other kids could never replace my stolen daughter. I was so engrossed with work and finding my daughter, I barely ever took a break. Along the way, I decided my kids wouldn't be a part of this life. Mind you, I still trained them in fighting and safety skills for their protection.

My thoughts were interrupted by a scream, my daughter's scream. I knew that cry from anywhere.

"M-Matteo?!"

You see, I wasn't okay with little Matteo seeing my daughter. He joined very young and I wanted better for my daughter, any father would.

I came racing back to where I left them and saw my daughter holding the boy's lifeless body.

Part of my heart aches but I've seen death so many times that my expression remained stoic, not knowing how to respond to my daughters pain.

"Boss! Valentina and Sergei are gone, but remember there is still the bracelet," says Xavier, one of my best technicians.

"Get on it now with Andre!" I order.

She's not leaving me again.

I won't allow it.