Inizio (COMPLETED)

36. Know Your Place

Marco POV

It's your own blood that tries to destroy you.

I glared at Cane's tall figure at the entrance. The families that were once sitting at the tables were now on their feet, applauding and smiling. The orchestra joined in with a royal tune.

Piece of shit isn't even royalty.

Cane dramatically bowed and waltzed in, raising his hands to motion for the clapping to stop. He hugged Pietro, greeting each other with a touch of their temples.

"Benvenuto," Pietro said. He motioned for Cane to take a seat. Cane did so, where he had been sitting— at the head of the table. I frowned. He noticed my expression and leaned over the table, fingers intertwined.

"Why the face, bro," he said. Everyone looked at me.

"You're sitting in his seat," I finally said after what felt like minutes. Cane shrugged and leaned back into the chair.

"As I should. 'Tis mine after all," he said with a thick accent. What the hell was he talking about? As if reading my mind, he answered.

"Giuseppe and I are partners now. We've made a little... deal. We both got what was ours taken from us. We got what we loved most taken from us. Although we lie on two different spectrums of what exactly was taken, we share a common thief. Care to guess who?"

My fingers twitched. The need to beat the 32 teeth perfectly lined in his mouth grew with each second I looked at him. He didn't waste time waiting for my response.

"You. The Fiorentinos. From him you took his beloved brother and from I, well... my crown." I couldn't help myself. A laugh erupted from my chest, followed by a wince. The beatings I'd taken earlier hadn't been so generous. I could feel my chest tighten as a cough threatened to escape.

"You," I began, coughing furiously between my laugh. "A crown? My crown? I barely know you, but I can already tell you, the crown won't fit."

"And why not? I was born first and as I'm sure you know, first born male," He clicked his tongue and pointed his fingers at himself, "gets the crown. So, enlighten me."

"You're a half-breed mutt from a whore my father found decent for a night. Conosci il tuo posto," I let out. (T: know your place) Anger crossed his face and in a flash he threw a fork at me. A slight tilt of my head allowed it to breeze past me. I threw him a smile and bucked at him, the chair I was in groaning against the floor.

He flinched, but quickly tried to cover it up by standing up and walking towards me. His right hand positioned itself at the top of my chair and his left on the table beside my plate.

"You son of a bitch," he muttered. I looked at him, seeing the similar blue orbs I was acquainted with each time I saw my reflection. He went to speak again when Pietro interrupted.

"Cane— what you came to discuss-," he began.

"Ah yes." Cane leaned away from me and motioned for the woman on my left to rise. She stood up and sat in her husbands lap. The chair she was once in found its way closer to me and my chair was now turned to face Cane.

"I wan-," he stopped and looked at Giuseppe. "We want it."

"And what is it exactly," I asked.

"Everything. The power, the men, the money, the women, your businesses — all of it," Giuseppe said.

"You could get all those on your own. Unfortunately they'll be of no use because you don't have loyalty. You can't buy loyalty—,"

"— but you can threaten and beat the hell out of them for it so that's not the issue. Yes, we can get all that on our own. But there's one thing we need for it to happen," Cane started. I arched a brow, not understanding.

"And what is that," I asked. He shook his head and wagged his finger at me.

"Don't- don't. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been groomed for this since what—birth? You know how the transition in power goes."

I nodded. "Yes, I do." He rolled his eyes, annoyance becoming quite apparent in his face.

"So, whats the most important part of it. The one thing that ties it all together. The reason for which you couldn't take the crown now if your— if our father died." His voice had gotten louder near the end of his rant. It certainly didn't help me remember whatever he was talking about.

I shook my head and shrugged. Giuseppe huffed and pulled out his gun. He stomped over to me, taking the safety off. Cane made no effort to stop him. Instead he took out a knife and traced it along my knee. Pietro forced the gun against my bleeding scalp.

"Agh... shit," I gritted out. Fresh blood pooled down my ear and onto my shoulder. He nudged the gun further, making my head lean to the side. The blood seeping formed a new path across my nose and into my mouth.

"I will give you one more hint," said Cane. "They call it 'La rosa disprezzata'."( T: the scorned rose)

Time froze. My heart shuddered and my eyes flickered over to the fireplace before resting on the knife at my knee. He looked up at Giuseppe.

"I think Marco here knows something, si?" Cane took the knife off my knee, placing it beneath my chin; He lifted my head.

"Marco, brother. Tell me. I'll let you even rule beside me. We're family, remember. I'd do anything to keep us all together. Even though you guys didn't make much of an effort to include me." The knife dug into my chin. His eyes grew cold.

"Lo ucciderò e avremo i miei uomini prendere l'altro. Stephan, vero? La piccola puttana probabilmente parlerà," said Giuseppe.(T: I'll kill him and we will have my men get the other one. Stephan, was it? Little bitch will probably talk.)

I struggled against my seat letting him know I was displeased with his statement.

"Where. Is. It," Cane growled what seemed like his final warning. I knew exactly what he was referring to. I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes, seeing her face. Her smile. Her eyes. The softness of her skin still at my finger tips. I felt a sting in my heart. The love I felt... was merely a memory. But I'd said...sworn. I took in a deep breath, mentally preparing for what I was about to put myself through.

I opened my eyes, anger surging through me. Cane had a hopeful look in his eyes as he saw my jaw unclench and my mouth open. The next words that came out would be my last.

"Uccidimi oggi, uccidimi domani. Omertà rimane con me fino alla morte."
(T: Kill me today, kill me tomorrow. Omertà stays with me till death follows. )