Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Olivia Zeppeli, The New Recruit
Located in the Campania region in the southern part of Italy, Naples is famous for its intoxicating mix of Old World charm and modern grit. First settled by Greeks in the first millennium BCE, it is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with enough art, architecture, and archeology to hold its own against other metropolitan cities. Between 1925 and 1936, Naples was expanded and upgraded by Benito Mussolini's government. During the later years of World War II, it sustained severe damage from Allied bombing as they invaded the peninsula before the city received extensive reconstruction work post-1945. Since the late 20th century, Naples has had significant economic growth, helped by the construction of the Centro Direzionale business district and an advanced transportation network, which includes the Alta Velocità high-speed rail link to Rome.
One of the most distinctive Italian cities, Naples is the place to witness a proper, working urban environment with a traditional Italian feel. Rome may be the heart of this European country, but Naples-- to some people-- is its soul. With that, however, comes a less attractive element: organized crime.
On April 18th in the new millennium, it was three days before Good Friday at Abruzzi's grocery store when an intimidating heavyset man entered the store. He is dressed in an expensive suit and a gold chain around his neck. He is completely bald and has a dark beard, but no mustache or eyebrows. He is accompanied by three men, two of them in suits and the other wearing casual clothes.
"Signore Abruzzi!" the bearded man greeted the owner. He presented the third man before him. "Meet my nephew! How's business?"
In the backroom, the owner's son and his female friend are having their lunch by sharing a single table. They are wearing white aprons over their clothes while the girl has an olive-pattern bandana wrapped around her tied up bronze-colored hair. She has two colored birthmarks on both cheeks under her eyes. The door of the backroom is kept wide-open, so they are able to see the strange guests clearly.
"Who's that?" the girl asked.
"That's Burro, he's a capo from Passione," Abruzzi's son replied. "The whole neighborhood pays him. Even my father."
Mr. Abruzzi did nothing but watch helplessly as Burro reached inside the cash register and pulled out some money. The girl was glowering at the capo but the Abruzzi's son shook his head at her.
"I know what you're thinking, but you don't know how things are. Burro is mad," he told her. "Burro has been saying the neighborhood's getting sloppy. People don't pay on time, don't pay the full amount. Says he's been too nice to everybody."
The girl noticed Burro and Mr. Abruzzi are now arguing and it looked nasty. She has a strong dislike for the slimy capo.
"So, Burro's changed his mind?" she asked.
"Yeah," Abruzzi's son replied. "He wants double from everybody. Even from my father."
Then they heard Burro speaking again, "I'm a friend, right? So you'll let him work here?"
The bearded capo patted Mr. Abruzzi on the cheek in gratitude before he, his nephew, and his subordinates left the store. Mr. Abruzzi then paced around for a while before turning around.
"Olivia, come here," he called.
The girl named Olivia walked over and she saw the gloom on his wrinkled face.
"Olivia… I've got some bad news," Mr. Abruzzi began. He looked so hesitant that he's fumbling to find the right words to say. "I feel rotten about telling you this, but that was capo Burro-- he's got a nephew--"
"And you have to give him my job," Olivia finished for him. She has a bitter smile on her face. "You've always been good to me, Mr. Abruzzi, ever since I came here to Naples. You looked after me like a father. I thank you. And I won't forget it."
Olivia hugged the old man; however, this hug and her words were not sincere. She could never tell him how devastated and betrayed she actually felt. She remembered Mr. Abruzzi helped her to celebrate her sixteenth birthday earlier this month and now he just discards her so easily. She resented him with the same intensity of her hate for capo Burro.
Olivia removed her work apron and bid a short farewell to Abruzzi's son. She was given an envelope of her last wage, though it's not as much, considering Burro had already taken so much money from the cash register. She just left the grocery store when Mr. Abruzzi stopped her. He gave her a basket containing cheese, salami, and various fruits.
"Take this to your family," Mr. Abruzzi said sympathetically.
"I live alone," Olivia reminded him. "Thanks anyway. But please, I can't accept it."
Olivia kept refusing him while the old grocer kept insisting. Olivia eventually gave in and walked off with the basket in hand. She never looked back. She took a route through an alley and spotted two homeless kids, who looked to be eight and ten, scrounging garbage cans looking for food.
Olivia alerted their attention and gave them her basket. The two kids stare suspiciously at her.
"Don't worry, they're all yours," Olivia said.
The older kid grabbed the basket. He and his younger friend or sibling ran off without even thanking her, but Olivia doesn't mind. She removed the bandana around her head and untied her hair. She gave a heavy sigh and walked home.
Olivia had arrived in Naples in January, shortly after Epiphany. She originally came from a hilltop village in Puglia and she thought she could find a living here. Unfortunately for the next few months after being fired by Mr. Abruzzi, Olivia couldn't keep a job longer than two weeks; the shortest one lasted only three days. The main cause, she quickly learned, is that a lot of small businesses are being operated by members of a powerful mob called Passione who run a protection racket. In order to save extra money to pay for the gangsters, new workers were fired and sometimes replaced by gangsters, who then took over the place. Shop owners were forced to come up with money every week, no matter what. If the business went bad or if the shop got hit by lightning, it doesn't matter to gangsters-- they demand to be paid, and they could do anything.
Despite many gangsters committing crimes and breaking laws, Passione seemed to have an outer impression of being a just and virtuous system in a city where politicians were corrupt and the police didn't protect the weak. She learned that the mysterious boss of Passione had cleaned the streets of drugs, fought and erased the notorious Natale gang, chased the Camorra clans out of Naples, and did various charity activities for the public.
Olivia initially despised the gang for being an obstacle to finding an honest living, but she would eventually change her mind about it…
*&*&*
March 20th, 2001.
Somewhere in a secluded alley in the middle of a shady neighborhood, a young woman of nineteen is being harassed by a man carrying a shovel. Terrified and tears almost running down her face, she has her back pushed to the wall. She has short hair and a runny nose, as well as too much lipstick and a long cashmere coat.
"P-please, Luca, I already paid you!" she begged. "I slipped the money under your door!"
"Will you shut up, you stupid broad!" the man roared. His shovel slammed the wall hard, just missing her head. The woman instantly went quiet.
The man wiped a tear from his left eye, but he wasn't actually crying. This man is known as Leaky-Eye Luca; due to his constantly leaking right eye, which he received due to a previous facial injury, with the scar noticeable under his eye. Luca is a thug who controls illegal businesses at Naples' airport. Anyone who works for him must pay their respect to him. When he is not hanging around the airport and extorting money from unlicensed taxi drivers, he extorts money from prostitutes, especially those who are still naive and new.
"You forgot to include the payment from two weeks ago," Luca told her. He raised his shovel at her, giving her a warning glare. "I told you what happens if you're late… I'm gonna be merciful here and you're not gonna piss me off even more by making excuses. Now… where's my money?"
"P-please, Luca, I don't have any more right now," the woman begged once more. "Business is slow and I had to pay some cop not to arrest me…"
"Didn't I tell you not to make excuses?!" Luca snapped. "I know you're carrying some money right now, so hand it over!"
The woman hastily dropped a silk purse at his feet. Luca picked it up and only found a few crumpled lira bills.
"Only eleven thousand?" he scoffed. "Is this all…?"
"I'm sorry--" the woman tried to apologize, but her head was struck by a violent blow by Luca's shovel. Blood spurt out from her mouth.
She crumpled to the ground. Luca continued to beat her over and over again.
*&*&*
Sometime later, Luca entered a pub a few blocks from the airport and he was in a good mood. The pub is nearly quiet, there aren't many customers today but they all knew Luca. All the windows are closed, giving the place a dark and subdued atmosphere. The TV behind the bartender wasn't turned on.
"Nice to see ya, Luca," a man said. He is sharing a small table with his partner. The first man has spiked hair on the sides of his head that falls away halfway up and he wears a sleeveless shirt with an exaggerated V-neck. The other man keeps his hair attached in a strange-looking ponytail that points straight back before curling at the end and wears a long sleeve collarless shirt with spikes on his shoulders and sleeves. Luca acknowledged the two men as though he knew them.
"Sale… Zucchero…"
He then grabbed a seat at the bar and placed his shovel nearby.
"Give me a pint of Moretti," he ordered with an amiable smile.
"Jeez, Luca," the bartender said when he returned with a mug of Italian beer. "Can you at least clean your shovel before coming here? I can see some blood still left on it. Who did you beat up this time?"
"Some useless whore," Luca shrugged and he downed his drink. "If she had learned how to look after herself, she wouldn't need to come to me for protection money."
"You best be careful, I hear Buccellati doesn't take kindly of anyone beating up helpless women."
"Buccellati can't fucking touch me since we're in the same organization."
"I don't know, Luca… Buccellati and his group are known to be, you know… a dangerous bunch with special qualities."
"And I'm not?" Luca demanded, wiping a tear from his eye. "Turn on the TV, I wanna watch something before I go back to work."
The door of the pub flew open and all eyes turned. It was a teenage girl, who is so unfamiliar but strikingly beautiful. She has fair hair and olive-green eyes, and two colored birthmarks on both cheeks just under her eyes. She wears a halter top with an open window to her chest. She wears tight pants decorated with olive branches. Around her sleeves are wristbands and on her head, a newsboy cap. The most distinctive feature on her attire are three jigsaw lapel located on either side of her chest and directly on her belt.
The girl looked confident and she greeted everyone with a flirty smile as she strolled up to the bar, walking with her swaying back and forth so that everyone's eyes were drawn to her gorgeous legs and hindquarters. Someone even wolf-whistled which she obviously didn't mind, she seemed to love the attention. The girl took an empty seat right next to Luca.
"Hi there," the girl smiled casually at the bartender. "I'd like a Peroni, please."
"Sure…" the bartender nodded and went to get her drink.
"Hey, sweetheart," Sale spoke up. He and Zucchero had marched over and stood around her, both looking at her with tense suspicion. "We don't take kindly to your type around here."
"Now, Sale, calm down," the bartender said. "She's not hurting anyone."
"No, how do we know she ain't a plainclothes officer?" Zucchero said. "We've never seen her around this area before."
"She kinda looks familiar…" one of the customers muttered from the corner. "I know I've seen her somewhere…"
"What's your name, girlie?" Sale demanded.
"Huh? Did you say something?" the girl asked, looking up at him. She has a curious, dopey look on her expression.
Sale frowned. "Don't play cute with me, you're not fooling anyone--"
"Aw, leave her alone," Luca said. "I can tell she's no cop in disguise."
Sale went back to his table, followed by Zucchero.
"I haven't seen you here before," Luca said, leaning close and touching the girl's shoulder. "Hey, little girl, aren't you too young to be here? How old are you?"
The teenager finished her entire beer in one gulp and smacked her lips.
"Sixteen," the girl replied without looking at him. "I'm legal~"
"Wow! Sixteen!" Luca is astonished. He is deeply interested in her, he wouldn't mind taking her home tonight for some fun. "Can I get a name?"
This time, the girl looked at him and smiled. "Before I give you a name, how about sharing a few drinks with me?"
"I wouldn't mind that, I like how you gulped down your beer," Luca smirked. "That's something to appreciate in a person, it's how much they can drink before they get drunk. You know, I can outdrink anyone in a contest. I have never gotten drunk once."
"Really? I love drinking contests too!" the girl asked excitedly. "Next time there's one, you let me know~"
"How about we do this now?"
Luca is excited. He dropped the prostitute's money on the counter and the girl looked at it for a moment. The other customers, who have been listening, decided to drop more money on top of the pile. They are eager to see this contest. The bartender returned with two shot glasses of his strongest drink.
"If I win this, you get to hang out with me tonight," Luca said.
"And if I win, I'll just take the money," the girl said.
"Don't let her beat you, Luca," Sale smirked while Zucchero looked on with excitement.
Luca and the girl sized each other up before taking turns drinking. Every time they are finished, the bartender brings more shots. However, by the 7th shot, Luca is already beginning to feel queasy. The other girl still looked fine. She hadn't looked anywhere else except at him and the new glasses. The money pile grew bigger and the customers gathered around them, chatting and encouraging either Luca or the mysterious girl to win.
Luca down his 10th shot and set his empty glass upside down on the counter. He felt victorious for a moment, before sliding down from his chair and crashing on the floor. He puked and earned disgusting remarks from the other customers.
The girl finished her 11th drink and stood up, pumping her fists in the air.
"Whooo! I win!" she cheered. The other customers clapped for her. The ones who lost their bets, such as Sale and Zucchero, left the bar in disappointment.
The girl went to gather her prize.
"Sorry, Luca," she apologized in a cutesy manner. "It was so fun drinking with you though, we should do this again next time--"
She looked up just in time and dodged just as Luca's shovel missed her. The shovel smashed several shot glasses and broke a dent in the wooden counter. Sensing an incoming beatdown, the customers immediately backed away.
"Luca, what the hell?!" the bartender yelled in outrage. "This is my bar!"
"Shut up!" Luca yelled in a slurred voice. He pointed his shovel at the girl, who looked shocked. "You… give me back… my money."
"I won, fair and square," the girl protested. "You don't have to be upset, I don't mind splitting the cash--"
Luca smashed a table nearby, threatening her.
"You've been cheating, I know it!!" Luca snarled. "I'll teach you not to make a fool out of Leaky-Eye Luca!"
"I haven't been cheating, you've been watching me the entire time, haven't you?"
"Shut your goddamn mouth!!"
Luca swung his shovel at her. The girl didn't move from her place. However, she blocked the attack with her arm. Without pausing, the girl grabbed the shovel and pulled Luca towards her. Luca was elbowed to the face and thrown down at the floor. The girl is now wearing a furious expression as she kicked Luca in the stomach.
"Why don't YOU shut your goddamn mouth, you walking testicle?!" the girl screamed. "You deserve this, after what you did to Prudenza!!"
"Prudenza…?" Luca coughed before getting a foot kicked to his jaw.
"That's right, fucker! That poor girl you beat up today and took her money! Did you know she used to be a co-worker of mine?!"
The men in the bar are astounded by the change of behavior in the girl. She was initially cute and friendly, but she now has a ferocious temper of a witch. Despite being smaller than Luca, she was giving him a beatdown that would make a hardcore gangster blush. Every kick she swings into Luca's stomach earns a painful yelp and a spurt of blood from his mouth. She continued to scream obscenities at him, half of them being blasphemous.
"Whoa… now I remember where I've seen this chick before," a customer whispered. "She works at Club L'amore."
"Hey, you're right," another customer whispered in awe. "She really is great at using her legs…"
"Damn, I almost wish I was Luca…"
"If you ever beat Prudenza again, I'll rip out your fucking balls from your tiny dick and throw them under a speeding car! Bastardo!" the girl screamed at Luca before kicking him one last time. Then she grabbed only half of the money from the bar and bowed at the bartender. "Sorry for the damage, the rest of the money is for repairment."
The customers parted, letting her leave while Luca remained on the floor, heavily bruised and drunk. He managed to throw her a dirty glare.
"When I catch you again… you're dead!" he warned her.
The girl performed a rude gesture by brushing the back of her hand underneath her chin in a flicking motion at Luca.
"By the way, the name's Olivia," she told him.
*&*&*
Olivia returned to the shady neighborhood and found Prudenza, the young prostitute, still sitting near the garbage cans where Olivia had found her. Half of Prudenza's face is swollen and purple. Her coat is open, revealing her little black dress and torn stockings.
Olivia gave her back her money, including the extra cash she won from the contest.
"You didn't have to do this," Prudenza mumbled. "Luca is gonna be really mad…"
"This is gonna be money to pay for your rent," Olivia told her gently. "And don't worry about Luca. If he's smart, he won't bother you again."
Prudenza looked at the extra money for a moment before eagerly putting them away inside a pocket of her coat.
"Th-thank you, Olivia… I really am short on money this week…" Prudenza smiled. "This is gonna help me a lot."
Olivia tried to help her get on her feet. "Come on, let's get you home and fix you up."
"It's okay, Olivia… I'll be fine," Prudenza refused, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for not coming back to the club in weeks, I got… a new job…"
"Well, your new job stinks!" Olivia scolded her, placing her hands on her hips. She became furious at her. "Why didn't you tell me that you quit L'amore? Do you want to make a living lying on your back? You're better than this!"
"I make good money!" Prudenza snapped.
Olivia gestured at Prudenza's appearance. "Look at you! I thought you wanted to be a dancer!"
"I'm not talented like you!" Prudenza said, getting angrier by the second. "I didn't want to spend my life as a waitress!"
"At least you have dignity, and you didn't have to hang out with scum like Leaky-Eye Luca."
"Why are you here then?!"
"Because you're my friend, jerk! We have to look out for each other in this rotten world! We can't let people like Luca have control over us!"
Prudenza glared at her, slowly getting back on her feet despite her injuries. "You don't trust people, Olivia, that's the difference between you and me. Unlike you, I'm not strong enough to beat up thugs… You can't survive in this society with an attitude like that… You have to adapt."
Olivia stared at her, genuinely hurt by this comment. Prudenza grabbed only a few bills from the money Olivia gave her and threw the rest at her.
"You can take these back, I don't need your generosity."
Prudenza turned around and walked away.
"You are so dumb," Olivia groaned. She retrieved the money and chased after her friend. She tried forcing the money inside one of the pockets of Prudenza's coat.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
"I told you, these are for your rent… You're such a stubborn--"
Olivia stopped talking. She felt something inside Prudenza's pocket and pulled it out despite the latter's protest. It is a small bag that contains a small amount of white powder. Olivia recognized the substance and her heart sank.
"You've been taking this shit…?!" she yelled, on the urge of tears.
"That's mine!" Prudenza snatched it back. "It makes me feel good!"
"No, it won't!" Olivia grabbed her friend's arm. "I know someone who can remove that poison from your body. And after that, you're going back to work at L'amore--"
However, Prudenza freed herself and shoved Olivia away. "Will you fuck off and leave me alone?! You don't know how I feel, you have a lot of growing up to do!"
Prudenza turned around and walked off. This time, Olivia did not try to stop her. She is absolutely crushed.
"Don't…" she pleaded in a quiet voice. "Please don't leave me too…"
And then, only Olivia stands in the middle of this lonely alley.
After staying in Naples for an entire year and despite not being a full-grown woman yet, the young teenager was already so jaded that by that society, which is full of barbarians and beasts. Due to a terrible incident in her childhood, Olivia believed she could not trust adults and the only way to protect herself from the outside world is to build up some "strong armor"-- even if it means an uncompromising and unrepentant attitude.
Any normal person would just leave and return home; Olivia, however, has another reason to stay in Naples. She then silently reflected on Prudenza's words: "You have to adapt."
I'm already trying to adapt in this unfair world, she thought grimly. I know what I want… I'm just waiting for that opportunity to come to me.
*&*&*
Club L'amore opens from 6 pm to 2 am, from Monday to Saturday. It is a popular neighborhood bar that hosts a nightly cabaret. A tiny stage is built at the end of the club where a performer comes out from the heavy curtains to entertain the audience. Because the stage is too small, only one person performs. The owner set up his own cabaret club based on the ones he saw in France. A majority of performers are made up of the club's waitresses and cooks.
On this night, around 7 pm, the atmosphere is cheerful. A young serious-looking man in a flashy suit entered the bar; his chin-length black hair is adorned with a braid going along the top of his head and a hair clip surmounted on each side of his bangs. His attire is composed of an all-white suit covered in small black spoon-like symbols, with an open chest and zippers in random places.
The owner, who also works as a bartender and cashier, recognized him.
"Mr. Buccellati, welcome to my club!" he smiled cheerfully. "I'll be right with you!"
Bruno Buccellati is a gangster from Passione. He is known for his righteousness and kindness towards those who come to him for favors. At the same, he's also a ruthless gangster who severely punishes those who harm the weak and helpless. These two traits help him develop a strong loyal relationship with the Neapolitan community.
Tonight, Buccellati is in the bar not to dine and drink, but to scout out someone. The place is half full, with an after-work crowd. Buccellati makes his way through it. Someone is playing a violin from the tiny stage and rows of cheap colored bulbs are flashing around it. Buccellati found a vacant table and sat down.
"I want to thank you for getting rid of those drug dealers," the owner beamed, coming over for a quick chat. "Without those punks selling their stuff behind my club, I can rest easy at night knowing my grandson won't be influenced."
"It's no problem," Buccellati replied politely. He hated the drug trade going around in the city, which is hurting the population on a large scale. Even children were included, much to his disgust.
"Would you like anything to drink?" The owner turned his head and snapped his fingers to alert a nearby waitress to take Buccellati's orders.
"Thank you, but I don't need anything," Buccellati said. "I hear that you have someone named Olivia working here. I hear she has two birthmarks under her eyes."
The owner raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I know her. Yes, she's been working here for about six months. She's a lovely girl and a good worker, I can tell you that. She never fights with anyone here, but you don't want to get her angry."
On the stage, the performer finished and bowed before a cheering audience. The performer went backstage as the curtains closed so the next performer can prepare themselves
Buccellati clasped his hands together. "Can you tell me her last name?"
"Er, that's complicated…" the owner replied nervously.
"Why is it complicated?"
"Well, we don't openly address her last name here, because it's associated with… an infamous gangster that a lot of older folks still have bad memories of."
"Is she related to that gangster?"
"Who knows? Perhaps it's a coincidence she shared that name, but she doesn't like talking about it."
"What's the family name then?"
The owner rubbed his head and leaned close so he could whisper. "... Zeppeli."
Buccellati was mildly surprised but he understood. He knew the name 'Zeppeli' when he joined Passione; a long time ago, a gangster named Fredo Zeppeli was consigliere to an old mob boss named Don Natale. Fredo Zeppeli was supposed to act as a counselor to his boss, but his intelligence and ruthlessness gained him favor in Don Natale's eyes. Fredo Zeppeli became powerful despite his rank and was even considered to be the next heir to take over the Natale gang's operations. However, he was assassinated by enemies. Decades later, the Natale gang lost their power and collapsed without a strong leader. Fredo Zeppeli's sons and their families were wiped out by Passione.
It has been ten years since the incident; Buccellati remembered joining Passione one year after Fredo Zeppeli's last son was killed when he and his family tried to flee Italy. Nowadays, it's almost taboo to mention the name 'Zeppeli' among gangsters. Buccellati had no sympathy for the late Fredo Zeppeli but he thought his family and relatives being punished was rather extreme. Still, he's not supposed to question Passione's methods.
"I still want to meet her," Buccellati said. "She's been hounding one of my men for a while."
"Oh, she finally has a boyfriend," the owner sighed romantically.
Buccellati nearly chuckled. "Not really."
The owner decided to get back to work, but he almost forgot one important piece of information.
"There's something I should tell you, Mr. Buccellati. She's--"
"She's what?"
The light on the stage went on. The owner changed his mind.
"She's on."
Buccellati looked up as the bar went almost quiet. The curtains parted to reveal Olivia sitting on a chair, wearing a long coat.
To the beat of the music, she sensually moves up from the chair and dances around. With her back to the audience, she slowly stripped away her coat to reveal a satin corset and thigh-high stockings that emphasize her long legs. The audience is entranced by the girl's alluring and passionate dance. She spun around the stage and performed perfect splits.
When it was over, Olivia bowed to the audience and disappeared behind the curtains. Buccellati is already intrigued by her.
*&*&*
When Club L'amore started closing at 2 AM, Olivia was told by the owner to meet someone outside. She exited through the back door and as soon as she saw Buccellati, she eyed his glamorous outfit.
"You're a gangster," she commented.
"You can tell by just one look?" Buccellati asked, impressed. He then put on a serious face. "My name is Bruno Buccellati, I'm part of a gang called Passione. Your owner is one of our associates."
"I've heard about you," Olivia said, with her hands on her hips. "The Friendly Neighborhood Gangster, defender of children and little old women… So, Guido told you all about me?"
"Mista? He said you were interested in joining our gang."
"Yeah, I owe him a lot…" Olivia nodded. "You can say that he saved my ass last summer. He's so cool."
"He told me about that… But he forgot to mention your family name and occupation."
Olivia became annoyed. "What's the big deal about my last name? Everywhere I go, I get weird looks about my name. It's fucking nuts."
So, she's not aware of her family's history? Buccellati thought. "How about your family? Do you spend time with them?"
"I don't… have one," Olivia muttered, glancing down. "I was separated from my parents when I was a kid. I was raised by a guardian until two years ago. I came here to Naples because I heard my father is living here. It's tough being alone, you know."
Buccellati sympathized with her. "So, you're still looking for your father? What's his name?"
"That's the problem, I couldn't find a Zeppeli here. The only thing I knew about my father is that he was a gangster."
If that's true, then I see the problem, Buccellati thought. Her father must have changed his name... if he's still alive.
Buccellati considered helping her, but he could not risk endangering her.
"I admire your dedication to finding your lost father, but I suggest going back to your hometown and leave Naples," he said. "You don't have a place in Passione."
Olivia frowned at him. "Is it because I'm a woman?"
"No, it's not that," Buccellati said emotionlessly. "But kids like you should go to school and not deal with gangsters."
"You don't look much older than me! I bet you're only three years older!"
"I'll give you some money and you can leave the city tonight. I don't want you to contact me, or Mista, or anyone from the gang ever again. Do you understand?"
"You don't understand," Olivia said. "It's not gonna be easy for me to leave in one piece. I'm in serious trouble. I've targeted someone from your gang…"
"I already know," Buccellati said. "You beat up Leaky-Eye Luca this afternoon at 3 PM. That's the reason I'm here… to take care of the one responsible for it."
In a brief moment of fear, Olivia nearly stepped back thinking that Buccellati would strike her down, but she firmly stood her ground.
"You can beat me up if you want, but I'm not leaving Naples until I find my father. Do what you have to do, gangster… it's in your nature."
"What do you know about my nature?"
"I'm talking about your people, not you. I'm talking about how you gangsters are tough motherfuckers who only look out for each other. You see, there are two kinds of people. Those who give and those who take. The scorpion and the frog. Ever heard of them?"
Buccellati has heard of that animal fable, he remembered his mother reading that story to him a long time ago; the fable of the scorpion and the frog teaches that vicious people often cannot resist hurting others even when it is not in their own interests.
"So, why are you telling me this?" Buccellati asked.
"The scorpion does what is in his nature. I know you won't kill me," Olivia smirked bitterly. "You would have done it already. You're a kind person. It's in your nature."
"You assume too much."
"You wouldn't have a good reputation if you weren't a little kind."
Buccellati stared at her and an intense moment of silence passed between them. If he let her go free, then the other members of Passione will target her. Buccellati doesn't believe he's as kind as everyone else thinks he is; he is a coldhearted gangster who has threatened and even killed people before. Yet, he doesn't have it in his heart to hurt or abandon this girl.
"The only way you can avoid punishment from the gang is to join us," Buccellati said. "I must warn you that once you join Passione, you can't leave."
"That's fine with me," Oliva said, looking hopeful.
"I've already called my capo about your offer," Buccellati continued. "He'll be the one to decide if you're worthy of joining… If he rejects you or you refuse to show up, I will not protect you from Luca's wrath."
Olivia Zeppeli's heart is beating with nervousness, she did not expect to get this far. There is no turning back now.
"See? I was right about you," she smiled with relief. "It's in your nature."
"Don't be so sure," Buccellati denied.
"Nah, I'm always right."
<-- To be continued.
