THE SHADOWS WITHIN: BROTHERS OF FATE

A Coward

In Italy…

Enzo couldn’t sleep the entire night. He stood by the window of the room he was shown to, glared downstairs, and saw some men carrying new guns to the van.

He checked the clock on the wall, and it was still 5 a.m. He knew that this was an illegal business, but what was he supposed to do? Go downstairs and arrest them.

Jackie and the others must be worried about him; he needed to let them know he was safe, but he didn’t have a phone. He checked the wardrobe and found some new clothes there.

It seems everything was arranged for him. He walked to the bathroom and took a cold shower before wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt.

He walked out of the room when the door opposite him was pushed open. A slim lady, half-dressed, ran out of the room. She glared at him; her hair was a mess, and she looked miserable.

She slightly bowed to him before rushing downstairs. Enzo frowned before he walked to the room and found Antonio standing by the window while holding a gun.

“Enzo Marino,” Antonio called out without turning around. How did he know he was by the door without glaring at him?

“Who was that?” Enzo asked, referring to the girl who just ran out with a frustrated look.

He glared around and noticed a handcuff by the bed. Did he cuff the lady to sleep with her?

“Just one of my submissives; I could get you some of them if you wish—fresh ones, of course,” he said, and Enzo shook his head.

He didn't play around with girls, and he didn’t see his future with a woman in it.

Antonio walked towards his wardrobe and pulled an iron box before placing it on the table. He opened it and took out a picture before handing it to Enzo.

Enzo glared at the picture, and he had a trance of memory. It was the picture of a kid, and she had a bright smile.

"Sophie,” he blurted. Seeing this picture made him remember his sister. Where was all this memory? Maybe it only got triggered when Antonio reminded him of their family.

Antonio took out another picture of a young woman; she had a beautiful smile as well, and beside her were two young boys who looked identical.

It was him and Antonio, and that woman in the middle was their mother. “Don’t save me, save yourselves,” he remembered. This woman had told him these words, now that he remembers. He was ten when this all happened, but it was registered at the orphanage that he joined them at the age of four.

“What happened to them?” He asked because he couldn’t remember further; all the memories of that period were blocked. He couldn’t hate Jackie for this because she might have done it for his good.

“They were killed, don’t you remember?” He asked, and Enzo shut his eyes tightly. He didn’t know why, but he felt hurt.

He didn’t want to talk about this again. “The old man downstairs, is he my mother? I mean, this woman’s dad?” He stuttered. It felt awkward to call someone his mother.

He grew up at the orphanage and has never had the word mother in his vocabulary.

“No, he is from the father's side,” he answered, and Enzo clicked his tongue before asking, “And where is the father?”

Antonio smiled. “He is alive; he is someone you won't wish to meet,” Antonio said before taking out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket as he lit one, placed it in his mouth, and fumed it.

“Brothers, good morning.” Damon walked in with a smile. He felt happy waking up to two brothers, even though he had other brothers.

“It’s good seeing two Antonio's; I pity Italy,” he said mockingly.

“How about hitting the club tonight? I am quite popular there,” he added, and Enzo shook his head in denial. He had to find a way to return to Slovenia and clear his name.

Antonio had an idea when he heard about the club. Today was a Saturday, so it was the day all other gangster families went to hang out at the club.

“Good, we will visit the club,” he said as a smile crept on his lips. He glared at Enzo and nodded. This will be good.

“What evil plan are you cooking?” Damon asked suspiciously.

Antonio walked to his closet and returned with some clothes. “These clothes will suit you; you should wear them to the club,” he said, and Enzo frowned. Didn’t he just see new clothes in the closet just now?

And he hadn’t yet agreed to go to the club. “It’s going to be fun, two brothers hanging out,” Antonio said as he threw the dress on him and walked out of the room.

He retracted his phone from his pocket and dialed his trusted man’s number as he puffed out the cigarette.

"Jude,” he said once the call got connected.

“You remember that formula at the Ginsen mansion?” he asked with a wicked smile.

The Ginsen family was too powerful because of their numerous connections, and they kept getting more powerful as their drugs went international, and he needed the formula.

But going against the Ginsen family meant endangering his family; the formula was highly secured. But he was going to get it tonight, and no one would even know he was the one.

"Yes, sir, but that’s off-limit,” Jude said with a nervous tone. The Ginsen family had their eyes everywhere, and they could track them down.

“Nothing is off-limit until I say so. Get the men ready. We are going in tonight,” he said before hanging up.

He puffed out his cigarette before glaring around; he couldn’t fill Enzo in on his plan because he knew he was not like him. He was against the law, but his brother was in favor of it, so he wanted him to see that the law wasn’t something to trust.

But he knows Enzo was still planning on going back to Slovenia, and probably he was planning on taking his head as proof.

“He who runs from the bullet is a coward,” he repeated Enzo’s word and laughed hard, so he needed to get that formula to prove to the Ginsen family that he ruled Italy and not them.