The heart of a soldier by Amanda Steel

As Micaela walked through the corridors of Hotel Orient the city's most expensive and luxurious hotel, a home away from home for the creme de la creme of the beautiful and largest island on the Mediterranean- Sicily, bathed in golden sunlight, the island boasts breathtaking coastlines where azure waves lap against rocky cliffs and pristine beaches, providing a stunning backdrop for sun-seekers and romantics alike. However, beneath this surface beauty lies an undercurrent of danger that whispers through the narrow alleyways and shadowed corners of the island.

The island storied past is interwoven with tales of organized crime which has left a palpable mark on its culture and society.

Micaela! The tone of the voice made her jerk back to reality and to abruptly cut short her day dreaming which to her is her only escape from her everyday boring life of being a housekeeper at the hotel. She sees the powerful, the wealthy, the tourist but never gets noticed either because of the job or because she barely makes any effort to impress anyone. With hair as dark as a night without a moon and eyes as blue as the seas which she subtly hides behind her spectacles, though she dresses as plainly as possible but her curves don't lie and a complete testament to her overall demeanor.

I'm coming, she replied swiftly, turning and walking towards the voice, Micaela, this is Antonia, she's the new housekeeper and I would like you to show her around and make sure she's well acquainted with the cleaning routine. You know how much I like the rooms looking sparkling...Mr Rossi the manager of the hotel is a 5 '8 man with curly hairs like the waves, he has an awkward way of doing things. Micaela and Antonia worked together all day and as ladies they had things to talk about although Micaela has never been one for much talk but now she has to put up with Antonia continues talk about fashion, food and men, for Micaela fashion isn't her forte because she rarely goes out to any social gathering aside work and family nothing truly matters to her and for men, she has never been in love let alone be in any romantic relationship, one might argue that she is waiting for the right man if there was ever anything like that or rather she was waiting for the man that would spark her interest. Rossi has also had an eye for Micaela but was too shy to let his feelings known and at the same time get rejected by her.

As the daylight slowly faded into darkness, the city also gradually shifted from all its beauty and glamour into an underbelly of danger and crime. The (invincibles) mafia family engaged in all forms of criminal and illicit activities ranging from drugs to arms dealings, they controlled a larger part of the city and had vibrant operations in major countries of Europe, most of the city's law enforcement officers were on their payroll and the few who were not were either new officers or those who had high moral values.

Germano was with his father who has been bedridden for years as a result of the helicopter crash which caused him Quadriplegia. Del Piero who is better known as Padrino is the head of the (invincible) mafia family, though bedridden but he still had the aura of a mafia boss around him and he still spoke with such authority that one might wonder if his glory days were truly over.

Padrino is a firm believer that a man must have a code of conduct and the most important of them is "loyalty to the family comes first" he passed that mindset to his sons along with ruthlessness and an insatiable taste for power and dominance.

Germano listened attentively as Padrino spoke to him about the looming dangers and how best to manage the threats from the rival gang, Germano a tall, devilishly charming young man in his early thirties, his dark eyes burned with both revenge and loyalty. He had black, close cropped hair, clean shaved, masculine cheekbones above a thin and sensuous mouth. His chiseled chest and rippled abs did masculine justice to his posture and physique. Amid all the good looks, affluence and ruthlessness, Germano silently yearned to be free from the mafia world and see what the peaceful and less dangerous side of life has to offer. He wants to explore the world and find his own path but the possibility of his fantasy turning to reality seems very bleak because after the death of Lorenzo his older brother, the family leadership and business operations fell to him and he cannot afford to let the family down. In the mafia world, forgiveness is a sin and as such he cannot rest until he finds Lorenzo's killer.