The Don's Rebellion

CHAPTER 1. FIVE YEARS LATER.

The afternoon sun beat down on the two brothers, but their faces stayed focused. Determined. Two other pairs of eyes were watching them eagerly, their attention span as sharp as eagles. The four young men barely heaved a breath as they stood still in silence.

The two brothers raised their guns, mirroring each other. The metallic gleam of their weapons caught the light, casting a shiny ray in the distance.

"Go on," Dominic said, tilting his head to the side. A smirk played at his lips, but his eyes were sharp, waiting. "Shoot, little brother. You’ve been talking a big game. Let’s see if your skills match your confidence."

Roman shrugged his shoulders, tightening his grip around the pistol. His fingers twitched slightly, betraying the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Funny," he chirped back dryly. "I was about to say the same to you."

Dominic let out a low chuckle, a sound that barely carried over the afternoon breeze. "I’m giving you the first shot. Don’t waste it."

Roman narrowed his eyes, calculating, while his brother watched with acute concentration. The only reason Dominic had even bothered to challenge him was because he needed to make sure his little brother wasn’t slacking behind.

It was his way of looking out for him, and he hoped more than anything that Roman would make the shot.

Time went by but nothing happened. The tension grew as Roman raised his gun a fraction higher, lining up his arm to perfect his aim.

Dominic decided to try again. This time, teasing even louder. “What’s the matter? Afraid?” His smirk widened as he watched his little brother exhale slowly with a killer expression plastered on his face. “That’s it, Roman. No need to think, just shoot.” Dominic whispered under his breath, careful not to be heard by anyone.

Roman pulled the trigger, and the gunshot exploded into the air like a crack of thunder. A set of bottles lined up on an old wooden crate trembled from the force of the impact, but the glass remained intact. His shot had missed, but only by an inch.

There was silence.

Then, Roman yelled out in frustration. “f**k!”

Dominic sighed in disappointment, lowering his own gun. “That wasn’t half bad, you just need—”

“Not half bad?” Roman repeated in annoyance. “That was embarrassing. I’m just glad father and uncle Emilio weren’t here to see that, they’d have been pissed. I’m already twenty one, Dominic. I’m not supposed to still be missing targets.”

“Calm down, okay? Shooting isn’t your strongest suit, but you’re a beast when it comes to strategizing. You’ll be fine.” Dominic countered.

“Will I be fine if I’m ever in danger?” Roman asked, still upset. “Or maybe I’ll just strategize my way out of that too.”

“It could work,” One of the men standing behind said in a low tone.

Dominic shot him a dirty look. “Shut up, Vincenzo.” He turned to his brother and put on a friendly expression on his face. “Roman, take a break. We’ll try again later.”

“Whatever,” Roman muttered.

Dominic ignored him, turning to the other two guys. “Matteo, you’re up.”

The one that hadn’t said a word since stepped forward, his sandy blonde hair and blue eyes only enhanced his baby face. He pointed his gun in front of himself, barely taking a look at the bottles before firing immediately.

One shattered. He released another bullet, and the next went firing into pieces. He repeated the motion until all the bottles were gone, then blew the smoke off the mouth of his gun, twirled it and buried it into his holster.

“Amazing, Matteo. You’re a natural.” Dominic praised, patting him on the back.

Roman rolled his eyes. “Show off.”

Matteo turned to his jealous friend and finally spoke. “Don’t hate, dude. Come to me for lessons. I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Roman scoffed, ready to respond.

“That’s enough practice for today,” Dominic announced. “Come, Vincenzo. We have work to attend to.”

Vincenzo nodded, giving the others a warm smile before escorting Dominic into the house. The Contini mansion was huge, and Dominic Contini was not a man to be messed with. His family owned New York, and one day, he would be the one to control the entire Crimson Camorra empire.

When he wasn’t barking orders and trying to show his father he was responsible enough, he was out partying and juggling girls. He knew he was untouchable and sometimes, it got to his head.

He used to be responsible and respectful, careful not to stir up any trouble, but that was a different time. A time when his mother was still alive. Five years ago, he was in a terrible car accident, the kind that has you questioning everything. His life had flashed before his eyes, and he didn’t think he would make it.

Until she came along…..

She was beautiful with sad eyes and a face that indicated she had seen the many horrors life had to offer. But still, she remained kind. She saved him.

And all he had to remember her by was her black hair, brown eyes and a purple heart tattoo next to her belly button. She didn’t even tell him her name, but he knew he had to find her. To thank her.

Maybe even marry her.

If she would have him, that is.

“How’s the search coming along?” He asked Vincenzo as they strolled up the stairs and down a hallway.

“Still nothing, Dom.” Vincenzo replied in a low tone. “Are you sure you gave me the right details? I mean, it’s been five years and we’re not any closer to finding this mystery girl.”

Dominic came to a halt, turning around to face his friend. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing, I just think—”

“You think I imagined her?” He asked loudly. “You think I somehow pulled myself out of my car, called an ambulance instead of Dr Bianchi, and then passed out?”

Vincenzo said nothing. Now that he had heard Dominic say what he’d been thinking, it sounded unlikely. The first person any of them call when there’s a medical emergency is their personal doctor, Bianchi. Also, five years ago, Dominic’s mother was still alive. He would have definitely called her before dialing some emergency service provider.

“No, Dominic.” Vincenzo finally said, lowering his head to stare at the floor. “I just wish we had more to go by, other than her hair color and some tattoo you might have mistaken for a heart.”

“I know what I saw, Vincenzo. It was a purple heart, I’m sure about it.”

But in reality, Dominic wasn’t really sure. He was barely conscious that night. But still, nothing was going to make him give up. Even though it took him a lifetime, he was prepared to wait. There was just something about her, something he couldn’t quite place.

“We’ll keep looking,” Vincenzo assured him.

Dominic nodded, and they continued their walk down the hall. “What about the search for my new assistant?”

“We have two suitable candidates already, but we’re still going through the rest of the application. Don’t worry, Dom. You’ll get an assistant by the end of the week.”

“Good. Let’s head to the Camorra club and blow off some steam, all this talk about work is beginning to bore me.”

Vincenzo nodded without uttering a word. They stopped in from of a door, Dominic stepped into the room while Vincenzo scurried off in another direction.

About forty five minutes later, they arrived at the club, both wearing a different outfit. The Camorra club belonged to the Contini family, it was named after their mafia title ‘THE CRIMSON CAMORRA’. It was where Dominic came to pass the time and have fun.

The place was always filled with different types of people, mostly important people who knew their secrets would be safe inside the four corner walls of the club. People who wouldn’t want anyone to know the kind of business they were involved in.

Dominic Contini leaned back against the leather booth, whiskey swirling in his glass. Music blared loudly through the dimly lit club, vibrating through the floor as his eyes rounded the room. He liked to stay in the general area, it was the best place to scope out girls. To him, those private rooms were boring, plus he was sick of the strippers giving him a free show.

Not like he’d ever f**k any of them.

Beside him, Vincenzo laughed, already deep in conversation with a sultry brunette draped over his arm. He was happy for his friend, but Vincenzo’s choice of women was getting a bit boring. They were always brunette and a little too flirty.

Dominic tried not to judge too hard, tonight was supposed to be about unwinding, forgetting the weight of business and indulging in simple pleasures. But for some reason, he wasn’t really feeling it, even though it had been his idea to come here.

He scanned the room lazily, watching bodies move in sync with the music. His eyes did a double take whenever it passed a girl with ebony hair, lingering a little too much before finally looking away. It’s not her, he kept telling himself.

Would she really be in a place like this? Was this her kind of scene?

He sighed. The club was his…..every flickering light, every drink poured, every person here unknowingly part of the empire that would one day be his. It should’ve been satisfying. Instead, it just felt like another night.

Another night without knowing who she was. The girl who saved him. His guardian angel, just like his mother was.

“Dominic Contini, right?” A voice, sweet and confident, cut through the haze of music and idle chatter.

Dominic snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to see a woman standing before him, her red dress hugging every curve of her body. She was beautiful with long blonde hair, and her eyes had a twinkle of boldness.

The kind of woman who knew what she wanted and assumed she’d get it.

“Depends,” he responded, taking a sip of his drink. “Who’s asking?”

She smiled seductively, shifting closer so she could stand by his side. “You can say I’m a fan, or a friend. I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr Contini. I hear you’re the most eligible bachelor in New York.”

“You must have me confused with my little brother,” Dominic said without giving her so much as a look. He hated when people only associated with him because of his name.

“You’re funny,” she smirked.

Dominic exhaled, setting his glass down. “Tell me, girl I do not know. What is it you think I am?”

“Powerful.” She tilted her head playfully. “Untouchable.”

He was right.

Vincenzo chuckled from beside him, clearly entertained, but Dominic remained unmoved. He’d been approached like this a hundred times before. Women drawn to the allure of his name, his status. It never interested him.

“I appreciate the compliment,” he said smoothly, “but I’m just here to have a drink.”

She wasn’t deterred. “So have one with me.”

He took another look at her, examining her. She wasn’t quite bad to look at. Maybe if it were any other day, he would have taken her up on her offer. Taken advantage of the fact that she was attracted to what he owned and not who he was as a person.

Dominic sighed, rubbing his jaw. Persistent. He could respect it, but he wasn’t in the mood. “I’m here with my girlfriend,” he said, deciding to put an end to it without hurting her feelings.

She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “You expect me to believe you have a girlfriend? The Dominic Contini is in a relationship?”

“Love works in mysterious ways,” he said dryly.

Did he even believe in love? Had he ever felt it before?

The lady stepped closer to him and bent a little, revealing her cleavage. Dominic’s eyes went to her chest, he swallowed, before reminding himself to stick to his words.

Dominic’s gaze traveled across the room again, landing on the first woman who happened to walk by. Without hesitation, he reached out, his hand curling around the wrist of an unsuspecting stranger. She stumbled slightly, blinking up at him in confusion.

“This is my girlfriend,” Dominic declared effortlessly, pulling the new girl towards him.

The woman in the red dress narrowed her eyes, skeptical. “Really?”

The girl in his arms looked between them, then up at Dominic. To his relief, she caught on quickly. “That’s right,” she said, slipping an arm around his waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Problem?”

A look of irritation crossed the other woman’s face before she let out a forced smile. “Of course not,” she said, stepping back. “Enjoy your night.”

As soon as she was gone, Dominic released the girl, flashing her a smirk. “Thanks for that.”

To his surprise, she wasn’t annoyed. She smiled up at him instead. “You’re welcome, boyfriend.”

He chuckled, and before he realized what was going on, he found himself asking. “Can I buy you a drink?”