Marked by The Devil Don

CHAPTER FIVE

Salazar's POV

I rarely react to news. I believed men who ruled empires built on violence should not exhibit such emotion. That was considered a weakness, one that others could weaponize against.

When the door to my office opened, I dropped the pen I had just used to sign a ledger on my desk, then raised my gaze to Rafael who walked in.

“Any news?” I asked him in a calm tone.

Rafael hesitated. Then he took a step forward towards the desk.

“We received confirmation from one of our spies,” he told me.

“And?”

“She is alive. Elena is breathing.”

There was silence for a moment. The expression on my face did not change. I had expected such an outcome, plus I knew if Dante had wanted her dead, he would have killed her at first instance.

“Anything else?” I asked.

I noticed Rafael shift uncomfortably.

“Speak!” I yelled, my voice resonating across the room.

Rafael exhaled slowly.

“He branded her. He marked her as his.”

I raised a brow, my fingers tapping the desk lightly.

“Branded?”

“Yes, boss. From what I was told, she had a tattoo imprinted behind her ear. A letter V which represents the initial belonging to Vescari.”

“Bastard!” I yelled, rising from my seat, “he never brands anyone, so why Elena?!”

“He must have known she was sent by someone, so claiming her gives him more authority and power over her.” Rafael tried explaining.

I clenched my fists.

“Vescari knows what he is doing. He is sending a message through that mark.” I said, “and now he has her, it poses a risk towards us.”

“We need to respond. He cannot take what is ours and claim it as his.” Rafael suggested.

I glanced at him before heading towards the large window overlooking the city's skyline.

“War over a woman?” I asked, my gaze admiring the view outside the window, “that would be very stupid.”

I heard Rafael sigh.

“But she worked for us.”

I smirked.

“Being in Dante's grasp does not mean she still can't work for me.”

Rafael raised a brow towards me.

“Boss, you still trust her to remain loyal to you?”

I turned and walked towards the desk then picked up the glass of whiskey and sipped from it.

“Elena understands the consequences. She is aware of the outcome of disloyalty.”

“And if Dante breaks her?”

My lips curled into a smile.

“He won't. I'm sure of that.”

Rafael raised another brow.

I ignored him and continued, “Men like Vescari love to enjoy the game and as for Elena, she is an interesting player.”

“So what do we do, boss?”

Do? Was there anything to do than wait?

“Nothing, for now.” I answered.

Rafael's brows furrowed slightly. His expression said he could not believe I wanted to do just nothing.

“We cannot start wars anyhow, besides, when one comes, Elena will still have a role to play.” I assured him.

At this point, Rafael took a deep breath. His face was still bearing confusion. He surely did not seem to understand anything.

“She is marked already. How will that happen?”

I shot him a stern look and heaved a sigh.

“The mark is just an ink,” I told him, “but loyalty is something else entirely.

***

Elena's POV

I sat in my room, a cage-like place disguised as comfort with a large bed, and an ambience that felt too real to be true.

I walked to the window, taking in the view of the dark weather from where I stood. Once again, I brought my hand to the mark and touched it lightly.

The pain was still there.

My jaws tightened.

I was now the Mafia's property and no one was allowed to touch me. I sighed deeply. Even returning to Salazar was no longer guaranteed.

I sighed again, my mind drifting back to the man who had raised me, given me the comfort I needed and even still trained me. Then my mind went back to when I was young, living in a place called an “orphanage” where abandoned children no one wanted lived.

(FLASHBACK)

I was only twelve with no parent or even a relative to claim me. That was until I saw him walk in, wearing a black suit, an expensive wristwatch and a pair of shiny shoes.

At first glance, he looked rogue with a cruel expression, the men at his sides held the same look, bringing fright upon the other children.

I, however, sat in one corner, watching. Studying everything. And when his gaze fell on me, I saw the look on his face shift.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the room where he had just finished discussing with the woman in charge of the orphanage. I watched as he approached me and crouched down beside me.

“What is your name?” he asked me.

“Elena Virelli.” I answered, even though saying my father's name felt like swallowing a lump down my throat.

“Do you want to stay here forever, Elena?”

I froze for a while.

Was I actually going to remain in such a place forever?

I looked around, observing the place I had grown up in. At that moment, I came to the conclusion that the orphanage was not a home. It was not where I wanted to be.

So as for the answer to his question, I shook my head in refusal.

The man let out a smile, an expression I was not expecting to see, and stretched his hands towards me.

“Will you come with me then?” he asked me.

I raised my gaze to him, wondering why a rich man like him with bodyguards wanted a poor helpless girl like me. Apart from that, the orphanage was a place where rich men hated to visit, unless they were looking for something.

Had he been looking for me?

“I will give you all you need. Food. Shelter. Protection.” I heard the man say.

Food.

Shelter.

Protection.

I looked at the man again. He had just promised me the exact things I really wanted. Those were the basic things I craved.

Then I met his smile, an almost genuine one, but that was not what I was interested in. I needed help and my helper was right before me.

I thought for a while. Maybe he would bring me out from such a condition. Maybe he would really give me what I needed.

I let out a sigh.

One thing I really wanted was to survive and to do that, I needed someone like him.

So without thinking, I took his hand.

(PRESENT DAY)

Now I was standing in Dante's building, I realized that Salazar had actually kept his promises. He had given me food, shelter, and protection. He had even trained me to fend myself and for this I was forever grateful.

But now I was in the hands of their enemy, a man stronger than Salazar and his men put together. It was left for me to make a choice to either pay my loyalty to the one who raised me, or betray him to serve another lord.

However, one thing I had come to learn was not to bite the hand that fed me. I had been taught that and looking at Salazar, he had been good to me, so now, I had to repay his kindness.

As I surveyed the environment through the window, I caught sight of guards patrolling the perimeter.

Escaping would be difficult.

Even killing Dante would be harder.

But there was one option left.

Patience.

I had been taught to wait for the right time.

I smiled.

“I'll work for you.” I said, directing it at no one.

That was going to be the first move. Other plans would follow later.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door and turned.

“Come in.” I said as I waited for the person to enter.

The same man who had escorted me out after the tattoo carving walked in.

“Dante requests for you,” he told me.

Dante needs me?

Just then my lips curled into a smile.

“After you.” I said as I directed him out.

When he turned, my sight landed on his neck and my smile ceased immediately.