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"Don't you see all the things around us, son? The blood, the anger, it will all seep into and change the beautiful boy you are."
I shook my head. "I'm not a boy anymore. I haven't been for a long time. This is what's right. It's what I need to do."
"It is not right, and you don't need to do it. Who convinced you? Was it Dante? Did he have a say in this? I swear you follow him around like the world begins and ends at his feet."
"Enough! Mom, you have to see that there is more here than your worry. You're projecting your fear onto me. I'm not going to end up dead on the first day of training. Besides, there are plenty of people outside of the Cosa Nostra who are hurt every day from car wrecks, plane crashes, and more. You can't pick how and when I leave this world."
She trembled as she took me into a tight hug. I was taller than her now, my head leaning on top of hers, yet we both found comfort in the hold.
"It's just that... you're supposed to be mine for a bit longer. I'd always prepared myself for you leaving at eighteen to go explore the world. But here you are, just thirteen years old and already making decisions about your life without me. It's not ok and because of who I work for, who you will soon work for, there is no way to reverse your decision."
"I wouldn't even if I could, Mom. This is the way it should be. Dante is my best friend. I don't ever want to be apart from him, and this is his legacy. Together, he and I will set things right. Trust us to fix what's been broken."
She pulled back to look at me. I made sure she could see the sincerity in my gaze. There was nothing for me to lie about, nothing to hide from her now that she knew my plan. Plus, I wasn't lying. I did want to spend my life by Dante's side. We'd made a pact, a vow. He and I, until the end.
CHAPTER THREE
DANTE
Seventeen years old
"Areyou sure there are no cameras here? I feel like you should be a bit more thorough. Last time we thought we were in the clear, your dad busted us and called that meeting," Lloyd teased.
I shoved at his chest. "Yeah, well, look at us now. Some of the youngest capos to ever be, and we're only just getting started. I can't even vote yet, but I can decide whether a man lives or dies. Fucking wild, isn't it?"
We spent the summers of ages thirteen and fourteen training to work under my father. It had been tough, but we pulled it off somehow. During the school year, things were different. We both had commitments to classes and such, so training eased up. Now that we were about to graduate, things would change completely.
"You ready for this next stage of life?" I asked the man lying beside me.
Instead of answering, he looked around the room we were in. This small space was once a maid's chamber. It became a storage room of sorts, which meant it was one of the few rooms in the house not under surveillance. I knew that because I'd recently been given clearance to know where everything was. It had come as part of my "you'll have all of this one day, Dante" speech.
"So long as you're there, I'm in." Lloyd said, his gaze looking everywhere but at me.
God, he was fucking handsome. I could barely stand it most days. With that chiseled jawline and his messy hair, he caught most people's attention when he walked by. It was also his size too. At well over six feet tall, he was a giant of a man. I wanted to explore every inch of him, but I worried how that would change things between us.
I'd asked him to come meet me here today so I could admit to him how I felt. Secrets between people were what got you killed. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him. It would end me.
But telling him I had a crush on him... admitting that I would stroke my dick at night to thoughts of him all hot and sweaty as we ran drill through the day... those were nearly impossible tasks for me. It had taken weeks of pep talks to myself to get us to this point.
"Hey Lloyd," I whispered. His head turned my way, a soft smile on his face. "Can I tell you a secret?"
He nodded so quickly I could tell it was a reflex. "Anything. I want all your secrets."
I took a deep breath, then let it out as I spilled the truth. "I want to kiss you."
Lloyd kept the grin on his face as he moved closer to me. "Oh, really? I have a feeling that's not all you want, is it?"
"How did you —? Why aren't you —? I'm so confused. You're just ok with this?" I sat up to face him. My body was rigid, as if it were restrained somehow. I didn't even feel like myself at the moment because my entire focus was on that single second.
He knew. Lloyd knew how I felt. And if he knew, then others might.Oh, fuck.That was bad. Really bad.
The Cosa Nostra was notoriously homophobic, like most mafia groups. We functioned on the old school vibes of a husband-and-wife pairing, usually of the arranged kind. It made forming alliances easy, and often the couples would eventually find love.
"Calm down, Dante. I'm right here. No one is going to hurt you. I'd kill them before they could even try," he growled.
I shook my head as I pulled my knees to my chest. "Why aren't you freaking out? If you knew, then it's only a matter of time."
"No, baby, it's not." Baby? Oh, how I liked that. "I knew because I know you. I've spent a decade of my life following you around and watching your every move. You think I can't tell when you're attracted to someone? You think I haven't noticed you don't look at girls the same way you look at me?"
