A L E S S I O 893Please respect copyright.PENANAnnExrXIV9r
Fuck! I'm late.893Please respect copyright.PENANAQiFsAwuP5n
893Please respect copyright.PENANAdm3BBsOsBu
Twenty missed calls already from Beto.893Please respect copyright.PENANAYxAP0GV5P7
893Please respect copyright.PENANAFFz6oobG2I
My cousin really knows how to drive me up a wall.893Please respect copyright.PENANAFp0LYvyPfw
893Please respect copyright.PENANAY5MudR141y
He has been living with us since both of his parents died some years back. I was grateful though to have him so close, especially knowing what a great asset he is to the family.893Please respect copyright.PENANAwzRUoWlOsJ
893Please respect copyright.PENANAWmAJHwT8Qh
Though my dad taking him in certainly was not an act of kindness.893Please respect copyright.PENANAOi1ZEclhrq
He's ruthless and a piece of shit. He only cares about himself.893Please respect copyright.PENANAxtWAMmCD8g
893Please respect copyright.PENANALNMZbBBX3h
He is your typical gangster. Mob boss. Don.
All of us were born into this life for a reason and we will die in this life. There will never be a chance at normal.
And once I graduate from school, I will have my shot.
I'll become boss. The don.
I have always wanted to the boss more than anything. I have spent years since the age of thirteen proving myself to this family.
"Ciao" (Translation: Hello)
"Where the fuck are you?" Beto snaps.
"Overslept."
"Well, I'm not waiting all day. I still have Anna and Giovanni with me."
I hang up and grab my cigarettes before heading out the door. I spot my step-siblings standing near the back of the Cadillac with Beto.
Giovanni and Anna are fraternal twins and both a couple of years older than me. They are the product of my father's second marriage.
Anna is a lot like her mother which really makes her a scary person.
Her mother had been known to be a very ruthless and mean woman. She was hateful and not one to fuck with.893Please respect copyright.PENANAkvcxd819Um
893Please respect copyright.PENANAYKVJSuu7Xt
She even made my dad scared, even as she died from her cancer.
Anna has always said she would walk in her mother's footsteps. So she decided to travel through Italy for a few years with an alley of ours.893Please respect copyright.PENANATAAxEaDg2h
893Please respect copyright.PENANAimOuhSvHeL
She fell in love and is now engaged to marry a Fubini son by the name of Alonzo. Once they tie the knot, our families will unify together.
This will give us access to a percentage of their ports and profits. In turn, it will strengthen our control of Sicily.
Now aside from Anna's terror, our brother Giovanni is a monster. He stands roughly at six feet and is about 260 pounds of pure muscle.
He is one of my best friends and I rely on him for many things. Especially, his muscle and lack of emotion when it comes to killing others.893Please respect copyright.PENANAyUSV9rtReb
893Please respect copyright.PENANANw6l37SpUZ
Once the time comes, he'll be my second in command.
I walk up to the three of them and we all start to climb into the car together. Looking back at the manor, I can feel the dread build knowing I have months left of my senior year when I could be here fulfilling duties.893Please respect copyright.PENANAEu1RCcjNrb
893Please respect copyright.PENANAM33XEb4K3g
We live in one of the wealthiest places up in the hills of California. Our mansion is large enough to provide sanctuary for our family, including several guards and housekeepers.893Please respect copyright.PENANAsnnKAly8C3
893Please respect copyright.PENANA9V4OXxGbac
We top the current 1% of billionaires in the state.893Please respect copyright.PENANA4kNwsg3acu
893Please respect copyright.PENANAYVRpmNM22k
"Took you long enough!" Beto glares and takes my cigarette.
I hand him a lighter. "Get over it."
Out of all of us, Beto is the smallest and youngest.
His signature Oakley sunglasses pushed onto his head to keep his dark hair back. Even with him being the baby of the family, Beto is known for his mind.893Please respect copyright.PENANAfRIF7IK7vC
893Please respect copyright.PENANAvzgiIyac7q
He can get us out of any situation and is an absolute mastermind when it comes to technology.
The car pulls away from the driveway and onto the side road. We make our way into the city and to Westview High.893Please respect copyright.PENANAt351s0JbMX
893Please respect copyright.PENANAGjDvERomqX
⟡ ⟡ ⟡
First-period English sucks. Mrs. Davidson sucks. The entire school sucks.
I slump back into my seat at the back of the room and let my fingertips play with the edge of my switchblade.893Please respect copyright.PENANA1CWuTSblon
893Please respect copyright.PENANAmFhQkJsqUu
I hate high school and loathe my father even more for making it a condition of my leadership.893Please respect copyright.PENANADCsznvySLd
893Please respect copyright.PENANA2Kn9E3JThN
He didn't have a normal teenage life so he expected Beto and me to be the ones to fulfill that weird fantasy for him since Giovanni and Anna both were homeschooled up until eighteen.893Please respect copyright.PENANAoIiRFa0gXy
893Please respect copyright.PENANA8DOlkKojWd
At the age of 17, my dad had his first marriage to a girl from Italy for a few years. It didn't work out at all and actually ended with her death for the betrayal of the family.893Please respect copyright.PENANAX6E6NqLyE1
893Please respect copyright.PENANArFzsBoPZ3p
He met Giovanni and Anna's mother shortly after and they married within three months of knowing each other. She was the daughter of another family in Italy and her mean spirit was a huge turn-on for him apparently.893Please respect copyright.PENANAVdF4Ue8YiK
893Please respect copyright.PENANAlvN9mAPsmg
My dad though is not a loyal man when it comes to women and while she was battling cancer he was starting a new relationship with my mother.893Please respect copyright.PENANAik3HbDQUkI
893Please respect copyright.PENANAbAypbrNBRc
She was his last wife and according to the stories, he did love her more than anything.
I don't remember my mother but I do keep pictures of her with me. She was beautiful and had the same black hair and brown eyes.
I was just four years old when she was murdered in the middle of the night. My dad had been away handling business and was on his way home when it happened.
That night has haunted me for years.893Please respect copyright.PENANAOAL14ZOzxx
893Please respect copyright.PENANAUUYqXJYddw
I could hear her screaming down the hallway when she was killed and the whole house erupted into chaos. Nobody understood how anyone got to her.893Please respect copyright.PENANAaSkpSXlmzc
893Please respect copyright.PENANAp4uyBBOwbm
My uncle, Michele, had drug me back into my room and locked the door.893Please respect copyright.PENANAN6yzSzQpWd
893Please respect copyright.PENANA3J3NbmU09w
I had screamed for her over and over again. Hours felt so long that night.893Please respect copyright.PENANAvb85YaKaMz
893Please respect copyright.PENANA8D0Fd2Vvep
"We'd love to learn a little more about our new friend. Would you mind sharing?" Mrs. Davidson's voice rings out in the room, pulling me from my mind.
I glance up and spot a girl I haven't seen before.
She has thick, chocolate brown hair that tumbles down to the edge of her waist. Her hand stops moving across a sketchbook and she looks up.
She seems to be struggling with the thought of having to introduce herself. I don't blame her though.893Please respect copyright.PENANAwVE1I90KT4
893Please respect copyright.PENANAENDJ4SWYRX
It is such a corny and silly part of starting a new school.
She stands and turns around to face the class. I feel my breath catch in my throat as she locks her eyes with me.
She's beautiful.
Her chocolate hair seems to frame her angelic, soft features and highlights the most stunning part about her.893Please respect copyright.PENANApZ15cEsxTy
893Please respect copyright.PENANARtFi3z4nmy
Ocean blue eyes pop against the contrast of her dark hair and fair skin.
She seems so innocent. Fragile.
She starts to speak, "My name is Olivia Moore. I'm from New York, but we made the big move here recently since my dad accepted a new job."
I watch her lips as she parts them with each word.893Please respect copyright.PENANASUJzTTcwNf
893Please respect copyright.PENANAAeuwrytvJK
Full and pink. Pearly white teeth and a bit of sparkle as the light hits them.893Please respect copyright.PENANAvpLZ4c9sNx
893Please respect copyright.PENANAWIxCSzuxgv
Her blue eyes land on me again and my chest tightens from her intense gaze.
I feel myself lean into the desk as I study her again and again. I want to know her.893Please respect copyright.PENANAbnYH2MH2qd
893Please respect copyright.PENANAPjKkPqVbRu
I need to know her.
Snap out of it! Stop it! 893Please respect copyright.PENANAxqWwVP2mMd
893Please respect copyright.PENANALL7lTvzlsG
I shake my head again and try to pull myself away from her hypnotization. I pulled out a pencil from the bag at my feet and went to work on my own artwork on the desktop.893Please respect copyright.PENANA0oE3dqGoYG
893Please respect copyright.PENANAQZWqewqnS0
Praying the time passed by quickly.893Please respect copyright.PENANA3uvJ64H8fY
893Please respect copyright.PENANAfqSZiGEr0c
⟡ ⟡ ⟡
The last bell rings and I hurry out into the crowded halls.
Students are rushing around trying their hardest to get out of the school as quickly as they can.
"Watch it fucker."
I stop and turn to find the biggest asshole of Westview High.
Beloved quarterback, Nelson Tucker, is your typical "my dad is rich" driving around in his sports car and spending too much on his drugs. Despite how much I hate this kid I do love selling him marijuana at an outrageous price.
He curls his lip into a snarl and pushes his glasses back on his head.
"I'd watch yourself, Nelson." I laugh darkly.
He looks back at his football buddies and tries to take another step forward towards me.
"Stay out of my way or I won't help fund your shitty ass cigarettes anymore. Everyone knows you are only good for your drugs, bitch." He smacks the pack of cigarettes from my hand and they hit the floor.
I feel my body tense immediately and without thinking I pull him by the collar. My free hand edges my shirt up to expose my gun.
"Leave now. "I spit out and he catches the weapon at my waistband.
He takes a few steps back from me and flips me off before heading off with his little football gang.
I snatch my cigarettes from the ground and shove them back in my pocket just as Beto walks up.
"What was that all about?" He asks me.
"Just some punk bitch shit. Don't worry about it."
Beto laughs and we both look over as Giovanni and Anna make their daily entrance into the school.
Several students seem to back up against the lockers in fear as Giovanni passes them. The scary, mysterious Giovanni Romano always had a way to make men piss themselves and women swoon over his bad boy look.
Anna is hot on his trail and seems to be yelling at someone on her phone in Italian.893Please respect copyright.PENANAb0mjC7ijEH
893Please respect copyright.PENANANsfL4ifuhb
"Hai 24 ore o ti tagliamo le palle!" (Translation: You've got 24 hours or we're going to cut your balls off!)
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Alejandro is fucking around, Alessio. I really hope he is legit like you said."
"He has always come through for me on time" I reply.
"He told me he'd have the money by tonight. Now I'm finding out that he only has half of our cut."
"Are you fucking serious?" I snap.
She sighs loudly, "Unfortunately."
"Well...I think your threat was justified then."
She chuckles and pulls out a cigarette.
"I'll talk to Alejandro tonight as well," Giovanni snickers and pulls his switchblade out, "Just so he really gets the message."
I laugh at him and look up towards a familiar face that appears in the crowd.
The beautiful girl from English.
Olivia Moore.
She's with three other kids from the school who I had seen around before. The Kimberly girl was known for being a bit of a flirt. She had thrown herself at me a few times but I just wasn't interested.
The short girl next to her was one I had seen before but knew nothing about. The boy with them, Austin, I knew plenty about.893Please respect copyright.PENANARHbniAy7Ow
893Please respect copyright.PENANAjfBlrJowL8
His dad worked for the San Diego police department and Austin himself was a bit of a bitch.893Please respect copyright.PENANAMjKcNx9NdI
I could only really focus on Olivia though.
My eyes traveled up and down her womanly figure tight in her jeans and dark tank top. I watch as she tosses her head back and laughs at something before glancing over and finding me staring at her.893Please respect copyright.PENANAa5ZI3ZNxpq
893Please respect copyright.PENANADVWEU7hJDp
Her cheeks blush a bright pink and she looks down nervously.
"Alessio?" Beto snaps out.
Yes?"
"Ready to go?" He asks and follows my gaze towards Olivia.
I nod and light the cigarette that had been hanging between my lips.
"Piccolo uomo. " Giovanni teases as he walks behind Beto. (Translation: little man)
Beto mocks him and pushes his Oakley's down onto his face as the four of us climb into the car and head out onto the street.
After a few moments of driving in silence, I decided to get some detail on today's business.
"How did the shipment go today?"
Anna responds from the back, "Shockingly well. No trouble from the 12 or the San Diablo's this time."
The San Diablo's are notorious for sticking their noses where they don't belong.
They are just some random, bullshit excuse of a street gang that immediately tried to start trouble with us when they caught wind of the Sicilian mafia being in California.
Of course, they have never been a match for us.
We have several ports we control here and still back in Italy. We tend to only move quantities of guns and drugs that turn a significant profit.893Please respect copyright.PENANAKr3eG9G58Z
893Please respect copyright.PENANALvRWzBDtKm
If it is small, there's no point in the risk.
We move only large quantities of drugs and guns.
If it doesn't turn a significant profit, there's no point.
Our top priority tends to lie in the businesses we currently own.893Please respect copyright.PENANAlFuKhDMAXc
893Please respect copyright.PENANA9kmuNK0KTh
We try to put our money in places where cleaning the money will be the easiest, such as clubs and casinos. We own a few restaurants around the area as well.893Please respect copyright.PENANA9RkbuQ8ibw
The more we have control of means our income will be higher and we can put our money into several different places if needed.
I knew exactly how the process worked and had perfected it as my art.893Please respect copyright.PENANAJeMBwepczr
893Please respect copyright.PENANAS8raPp51Yq
My father, Adolfo, had stepped back from the inner workings of the organization due to his old age. He would be turning 83 later this year and he knew it was time to slow down.893Please respect copyright.PENANA85vPtr6U3T
893Please respect copyright.PENANAMJb2Q5jc42
I was ready to take over the family. I was ready to make a real name for myself.893Please respect copyright.PENANAb8HpbRGrhc
893Please respect copyright.PENANAL9Pd4bLcue
I have to stay focused.893Please respect copyright.PENANAL8nTnTN0wM
893Please respect copyright.PENANAVn3WoLyci0
I have to keep the end goal in sight.893Please respect copyright.PENANAcW38uM6H8O
893Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5evNEkEJJ
I just couldn't get Olivia Moore out of my fucking head.893Please respect copyright.PENANAOPEoMIII4i
⟡ ⟡ ⟡893Please respect copyright.PENANAuGypM8EEHO