DANTE

I felt the heat of the bullet as it passed by my head, shattering the glass of the window behind me. Some fell on me as I rolled for cover still holding the gun in my hand. I looked the other way and searched for Ivan with my eyes. He was crouched behind a huge barrel of fuel. I looked at him and frowned, what the hell was he doing? He stood up quickly to come to my side. Then he fired several shots into the dangerous contents and lunged with me as it caused a huge explosion. In the meantime, we took cover behind some large metal containers. The Russians had ambushed us early that morning. I did not understand why if I had dealings with the head of their organization. Of course, after this event I was going to investigate this matter very well and get to the problem that caused all this trouble.

I had several allies in the mafia, almost everywhere in the world. It didn't help them or me that we were enemies, since I delivered shipments of weapons and drugs to them just as they delivered other kinds of merchandise to me. We also handled money laundering.

-You see that? -I pointed to a metal ladder a few meters away. Climb up," I ordered, "I'll cover you.

He looked at the ladder and then at me.

-I think it's a stupid idea. You go ahead and I'll cover you.

-Go! That's a fucking order! -I shouted in annoyance. This idiot always went against me and even more so when something like this happened.

Ivan grunted, but he moved and looked at me to wait for my signal. I nodded my head. As soon as he came out from behind the container, I stood up to shoot. I distracted them and took them by surprise. That's how I was able to hit two of them, making them fall to the ground. In the meantime, another one reached to shoot me. I crouched down and took a look at Ivan, who was almost finished climbing the stairs. They noticed my friend and started shooting at him. I took advantage of the fact that they were focused on him and aimed at one of them, which I quickly knocked down. They came back towards me to attack me again. I hit one in the leg and another in the side. When they fell, I jumped out from behind the container, ran as fast as I could and climbed the stairs. When I got to the top, I heard more gunshots. Ivan was fighting two guys. As I crept closer, I saw my friend fall to his knees.

-Ivan! -I shouted, not caring if they heard me.

As I approached him, I noticed the blood spreading down his shirt. At that moment I heard footsteps. I turned quickly to shoot them until they fell. I took off my shirt and put pressure on Ivan's wound.

The sound of a helicopter made me raise my head. It was ours. They were late in arriving. At that moment I saw out of the corner of my eye that another guy was coming up the stairs. I grabbed my friend with my other arm to help him stand up and leaned him against me so we could walk together towards the rope that was thrown to us. The helicopter couldn't go any lower than it should because of where we were. For that reason we had to hang on to the rope. The problem was that Ivan didn't have much strength, as the wound was leaking and he looked pale. I was able to lift him up so that he could hang on. I didn't know how long he could hold on.

As soon as we were hanging from the rope, the helicopter ascended and flew away from the site. The men who climbed up to the roof shot at us, but their poor aim showed, as none of them hit us. They lifted the rope to help us up. I passed them my friend's arm, which they helped, to go up first. Once up, the first thing I did was to check his wound. He was getting paler and paler and was in a cold sweat. He had lost a lot of blood, I could see it on the shirt I put on him, which was still dripping.

-Brother, talk to me," I asked him. I didn't want him to fall asleep, so I needed to distract him. Look at me. We made it, as usual. We'll be home soon," I told him as his eyes narrowed. Hurry up! -I shouted to those who were in charge of taking us.

Minutes later, we were at the place where we had one of the clandestine clinics. We couldn't go to any hospital or anything like that, let alone in this country. We were outside Italy. Here in Russia we had an illegal medical service, but as things were, we couldn't stay any longer, so I rushed the doctors to get him treated as quickly as possible.

The doctors informed me that it was just a bullet graze and that the serious thing was that he had lost a lot of blood. That was what weakened him. They gave him a transfusion. Since he was still unconscious, I would take him to the plane on one of the stretchers they had while they gave him blood, as much as he needed. We had to leave now. There was no other way, we had to do it if we didn't want another shooting. I asked one of the doctors to lend me one of his nursing staff and assured him that I would bring him back safe and sound when my friend was stable.

Once on the plane, when he ascended, I began to relax a bit. I sat down in one of the seats near Ivan's stretcher. It had always been like that. When one was between life and death, we took care of him. That and much more was what made our friendship unique and faithful in all these years of knowing each other.

He was my childhood friend. His father worked for many years for my father and now he was working for me at the same time that his father continued to work. The difference between Edgardo and his son was that he was no longer able to go through the motions like us. He mostly took care of the business, the finances and all that shit, while we did the dirtier and more dangerous work.

I wasn't afraid of death. I always said that if it was my turn, it was because it was my turn. I was aware of the world I was in and what I was doing. I knew that sooner or later I would die of a fucking bullet. This is my origin, the legacy left by my father. I was born for this. It was something I couldn't give up as if it were just a job. Besides, it was what I loved to do most. I loved to watch the blood of my enemies spill, when it ran through my hands and when they begged for their lives. That's why they called me the Devil. I feared nothing. I was not afraid of losing anything because I had nothing, only this shitty world. I knew that after I died nothing would take me and that what I had today would be taken by others. I only enjoyed the adrenaline rush when a bullet shot out and hit my adversary. I always took advantage of every moment of my life with what I liked the most and in my own way. Women, alcohol and fights were the best for me. I loved to fight, so I participated in Bare-knuckle boxing matches. There was a place I would go to on Saturday nights. I would go there to drink and fight. I had plenty of women. Every day I had a different one in my lap that I would have wild sex with wherever the horniness would allow. I was a man who enjoyed rough, unceremonious sex, as fucking was one of my favorite activities. I didn't like to repeat it with the same woman. It was rare for that to happen. I didn't like that they were infatuated and then wanted those fucking things called commitments.

I wasn't the kind of guy who would talk pretty in their ear to win them over and make them fall in love. My only goal in that was to get them into bed and have sex for just one night if it was good. If not, it was her loss. I didn't like begging, much less a one-night stand. I never forced them. If they wanted, I would make them enjoy the whole night until they were completely satisfied, but only by fucking them. The girls brought to me for service were for my men. They were women who chose to be there. Their only task was to carry out orders and their job. Even if their labor was by force, I would never force them to be with me. It wasn't something I needed to do, as they came to me on their own. And speaking of women, the purser girl had already been offering herself to me for some time. I won't deny that she's attractive. She's in for a treat, that gorgeous blonde. But I wasn't in the habit of messing with the staff that worked for me, especially if they were good at their jobs. If I did, I'd have to fire them. He ignored her, but I figured my weakness for women would bring me down one of these days. I dreaded the thought that I would soon lose a good employee. Well, no one was indispensable in this rotten world.

Ivan woke up after two hours and asked for water because his mouth was dry.

-Shit, you scared the shit out of me," I told him when he laid his eyes on me. Don't do that again, because if they don't kill you, I will for being an idiot.

-Thank you for the welcome," he replied with difficulty. He was exhausted, but he still smiled.

-Don't be a baby. -I gave him a light fist on his leg, since his wound was on his abdomen.

-And why are you still shirtless? -he asked. I hadn't realized I was still naked from the waist up. If you did it to seduce the medical staff so they would treat me faster, I assure you your plan worked.

-You know I don't need those strategies to seduce a woman. They just fall off by looking at them. -I curved my lip in a smile.

-You're a conceited idiot," he growled.

-Yes, a cocky idiot and lucky to attract the female sex. -I winked.

-I winked at him. "No kidding. Have you noticed how you've got that stewardess in love with you? Even her panties must be wet. -He nodded his head towards the cabin where the woman entered. Poor girl, listen to her. The Devil never misses his prey.

-You know what I think of the staff.

-But if it's just a fuck and that's it, you're not going to ask her to marry you.

-That's the fucking detail, they get their hopes up believing that because I'm with them I'll ask them to marry you.

I snorted as my cell phone vibrated in my pants pocket and I turned to see myself without the top garment. Damn, I had forgotten. The first thing I had to do was get a shirt. I scrolled the screen to take the call. It was Leo. He filled me in on some financial matters of business I had in New York. The head office of my companies was in that country and other matters of the DM organization, which was the name of the association that my father formed in his time and that I myself knew how to keep these eight years.

I was 21 years old when I started to take charge of the organization and everything. At that time my father had died and I had no choice but to take his place. I had already been preparing for years for the day to come. A little before I was a teenager, he had already taught me how to use weapons and how to fight. I had known all that since my childhood. I myself fought at school with other classmates. It was in my blood. My mother used to live always worried about me, but she was aware that this was my world and that this was the future that awaited me, because she knew who her husband was, the king of the Italian mafia, and I was the only one who would inherit everything. My parents had no more children, as my father said he didn't want to bring any more into this world to have a future like ours. He always had rivalry with his younger brother because the grandfather left my father in charge because he was the oldest son, so the whole Italian mafia was left in his hands. My uncle never agreed with what his father dictated, that's why he always hated them. There was always rivalry between them and now there was between Bruno, my cousin, and me. He was a little younger than me, even so, he was also good in fights and what to say with the use of a weapon. They called him the Raven for a reason. Even though they were my blood, I wasn't tempted to hit them back when they attacked me.

Several times I competed with him in fights and I always beat him. Although he was good, he still lacked polish, but since it was none of my business and I didn't care, I smashed his stupid face in. He deserved it in spades for continuing to mess with me. As for business, we had already been played badly several times. Since his father, Giorgio, was in charge of a part that grandfather left him, he would do anything to get me out of the way, but what he didn't count on was that I already knew all his tricks.

I did not trust anyone but Ivan and Edgardo, who were by my side for years. They were faithful and the only ones.

-Who was it? -my friend asked.

-It was Leo. It is necessary for me to travel to New York urgently.

-Failures?

-Something like that," I grunted, "but this time I'll have to go alone.

-Are you crazy? You know you can't go alone. Someone of us has to go with you. -He looked at me annoyed.

-It's something I have to do. I'm not asking for your permission." Now I looked at him with an annoyed gesture. Besides, I have no other way. Leo and Enzo are busy with other matters in Italy. They can't accompany me.

-Then I'll go.

-I think it's someone else who's crazy. You just got shot and you want to go to work? -I glared at him. When we get to Italy, you'll stay and I'll go.

-Don't exaggerate, it was just a graze. I said I'll go with you.

-And I just said no. Are you going to disobey my orders? -I mumbled.

-Devil, it's my duty to have your back. It's my job and my loyalty as a friend.

-Yes, but you're in no condition. Besides, you're of no use to me, you'd only get in my way," he told him so I wouldn't insist. He would never get in my way.

-To a certain extent you're right. I don't want to be in the way. My job is to watch your back, not for you to watch mine," he snarled. I knew he was angry with himself. If nothing else, take the best men with you. You can't be left unprotected.

-Ivan, don't treat me like an idiot who doesn't know how to take care of himself and defend himself. Although you are the best hitman on the European and American continent, I am very good with my fists, just as you are with your guns. With them I have already killed several. I don't know if you remember.

-You said it, with your fists. -He smiled.

-I'm also too good with weapons, I just don't like to show off, since it would take away your title. -I winked at him.

The stupid grin was wiped off his face.

I guffawed as he gave me a dirty look.

Now I would have to go to America to travel to New York. I had very valuable business to take care of, but this time it would be without my trusted people. I would take with me my best soldier, Franco, the one who always walked by my side, and the team he had well trained and controlled. That was enough to make sure that no one would get close to us.