Prologue

Mia's POV

My name is Mia Costa. I am the middle child of Don and Donna Costa. My father is a Don in the Italian Mafia in New York. To say I am the black sheep of the family is an understatement. My mother calls me the ugly duckling of the family. She made me wear contacts and braces to make me more acceptable in school, but it did not work. I was constantly bullied. My brother and sister never stood up for me and even joined my bullies. Well, I do not care. My brother, Lorenzo, got a Porche when he turned eighteen, and my sister got a Ferrari as she was the favorite. I got an old beat-up beetle. Most of the time, it broke down when I needed it the most. I dared to complain to my parents, and they sold the beetle, so now I have to walk where I have to. So you can say I never got a car from my parents. 

My brother is twenty-one and studying economics as he will take over the family business from my father one day. Lorenzo is blond with blue eyes like my mother and my sister. The only thing he got from my father is his length. Lorenzo is six foot three. My sister, Amara, is five foot nine and wants to become a model after school. Amara is not very intelligent, and it is good that she has looks that count in her favor. 

I am nineteen and are studying computer science, but I have to pay for it myself as my parents told me they are not going to invest their money in me. They need their money to help my sister and brother. I do not mind. I study at night and work during the day to pay for my fees and books. Sometimes I do not have classes and can go home after my shift at the diner where I work. The restaurant is owned by Rosa Sanna, a wonderful older woman who always gives me additional shifts to help. She also gives me all my tips every night. She has offered me the apartment above the diner, but I am renovating it before moving in. It is old and needs paint. Rosa gave me the paint, and I sometimes paint when I do not have classes, but for now, I am staying with my parents. I wouldn't say I like it as they use me as a maid around the house. 

I never had a boyfriend and did not wear make-up or dresses, and I will do that the day I feel like it. For now, I am happy to be alone and try to avoid my family as much as possible. My long black hair is in a bun on my head, and I just finished my shift at Rosa's pub and diner. I am too tired to paint today and have no classes, so I am walking home. I wish my parents have guests or are at a party so they will not bother me tonight when I study. I have my waitress uniform on, it will be almost dark when I get home, and I am not in the mood to work tonight at home. I sigh in relief as I near the house and see many black cars standing in front of the house. I slip in through the side door only I use, and no one really knows about it. I hear an angry voice shouting at my father as I enter the house. 

"How dare you steal from us! We trusted you, and you did this to us! " You and your family will die tonight," I hear the voice say. I do not know the voice as I have never heard it before. Not many people know that my parents have another daughter as I never get invited to their parties or when they go out to parties like my brother and sister. I am relieved now, as I do not want to die with my family. 

"Please, Godfather, have mercy. You can marry my beautiful daughter or have her as your mistress," I hear my dad beg. I am ashamed of him. He is a bloody coward and will sell his daughter to the Godfather to save his ass. Wait! What the fuck? Did my father piss off Riccardo Marino Is he crazy? Everyone knows Riccardo is heartless and will kill you for only looking funny at him. Or so they say. Riccardo made headlines in the underworld for becoming the youngest Godfather in the history of the American Mafia. He was twenty-three then, and I remember my parents talking about him. He must be around twenty-five now. 

"I am not interested in blond, blue-eyed sluts like her. I like dark-haired women. Besides, although young, I heard she has been around the block. Amara Costa does not have a good reputation, so I am uninterested, Don Riccardo says. 

"I have another daughter. She has dark hair and never had a boyfriend," My father says. Typical! He will throw me under the bus to save his sorry ass. I am not going to stand for it. No one has spotted me, so I will book it out of here. Fuck that! I am not going to die with them. I am not even beautiful, and Riccardo Marino likes gorgeous model-type women. I quietly open the door and am thankful for the darkness. I run back to the restaurant and up the stairs to the little apartment. I lock the door and sit in the dark. I know I am in deep shit because of my father's big mouth. Riccardo Marino will look for and kill me if he finds me. Why have I been so cursed to have a family like mine? I look out the window and see a black SUV pull up to the restaurant. I can hear everything in the restaurant from my little apartment. I am trembling. I know it is Marino's men, and they will not stop looking for me until they find me. 

"Rosa, my favorite cook. How are you?" I hear someone ask. 

"Mario Conti! Long time no see. Where is Ricci? I have not seen him in years. You young people forget about an old lady like me when you become wealthy and famous," I hear Rosa's voice. Fuck, he sends his second-in-command to look for me? 

"Who do you think is protecting your business from the thugs around here?" Mario asks. 

"Well, I know you are, but I miss you, boys," Rosa says.

"I am here on business, and you know Ricci he does not have patience. I am looking for a waitress working here, and her name is Mia Costa," Mario says. 

"What do you want with her? She is a good child, and I will not tell you where she is," Rosa shouts at Mario. 

"Rosa, please do not anger Ricci. Her father is Don Costa, and he stole from Ricci. You know Ricci can not let him and his family go," Mario says. 

"She has nothing to do with that bloody family of hers, and they do not even love her and will not even take her out to dinner with them," Rosa says. 

"I do not care. Ricci wants her, and if she is beautiful, she might save her family tonight," Mario says. 

"She is not Ricci's type. I will not tell you where she is because she does not deserve to die for that old fart's sake. Ricci can kill the other Costas for all I care, but he will not lay a hand on my Mia," Rosa says. 

"Rosa, do not make it difficult for me, please. I do not want to harm you. You know I love you like a second mother, but I can not return empty-handed to Ricci, and he will kill me with the Costas," Mario says. 

"You know as well as I know Ricci will never kill you. You are like a brother to him," Rosa says. 

"Rosa, Ricci has changed. He is heartless. Do you know how his father used to beat him up to make him a man?  You know how close he was to Bria. She left him for another man and broke his heart," Mario says. I am getting nervous about Rosa. At least I know now why Riccardo is so mean. He got a boo-boo and is acting out his pain like a child throwing tantrums. 

"Mario, call Ricci. I want to talk to him," Rosa says. 

"Fine, but I am unhappy, Rosa," Mario says. It goes quiet, and after a while, I hear Mario again. 

"Ricci, Rosa wants to speak with you," Mario says. I can only hear one side of the conversation. 

"Ricci, listen to me. You can let Mario kill me, but I will not tell you where Mia is. She is a good child and does not deserve to die with that bunch of idiots," Rosa says. She is angry. I can hear it in her voice. 

"What do you mean you will close down my diner? I have worked hard all my life and even gave you free meals. You have become your father, Ricci!" Rosa shouts. I hear tables falling, and I know I need to save Rosa, and I can not let them destroy her diner. It is all she has. 

"Mario, please, I know what Ricci said, but you just said I am like your mother, and now you do this to me," Rosa cries. 

"Rosa, it is not personal. It is business," Mario says. I open the door of the apartment and run down the stairs. 

"Stop! I am Mia. What do you want with me," I shout. Mario spins around and looks at me. 

"Stop! Put the things back in place," Mario says to his men. 

"Mia, no, honey, they are going to kill you," Rosa cries. 

"I can not let them destroy what you have worked so hard for. I will be fine. If this bastard kills me, I will die with my head held high! Even if they torture me, I will not cry," I say.

"Oh, honey, I am not sure Ricci will kill you. You are full of fire like he likes his women," Mario says with a smile. 

"I would rather die than become one of his mistresses," I say.

"We will see about that. The choice is not yours, little Mia," Mario says.

"I swear to if you and Ricci kill her, I will come after you with everything I have," Rosa says. She is in tears. I walk over to her and hug her. 

"Rosa, be strong for me! I will die with peace in my heart," I say. I walk out of the diner with Mario. Although I acted tough, I was trembling inside. I am not as brave as I pretend to be. 

We drive silently to my parent's house, and I think about my life and how nobody will miss me when I am gone except for Rosa. I never knew happiness, and now I am about to die. When we get home, I jump out of the car and walk into the house with my head held high and with a new fight in me. Fuck them. I will not die today. I am young but will not beg Riccardo Marina to spare me. I will demand that he spare me. I walk to the study, where I know they are gathered. A tall, dark, handsome man leans against the desk and looks at me curiously as I walk in. 

"Listen, Riccardo Marino, you will not kill me today. I have nothing to do with these idiots and do not care if they die. I am still young and have my whole life in front of me! I would rather fight you for my life," I say.

"Mia! Shut up! Do not talk to the Godfather like that," My father says, and I kick him where he is kneeling in front of Riccardo. 

"Fucking coward! You will see your family die but still beg for your own life. So you shut the fuck up!" I say. I had about enough of my family. 

"You have spirit. I like it. You will run this family from now on, but you will do it from my home. You are no longer a Don and will answer Donna Mia Costa from now on. You will have no access to any of the family business accounts, and everything you will sign over to Donna Mia, or you and your family will die," Riccardo says. What the fuck just happened, and why do I have to go to his house.

"I can run the family from here," I say. My family is too scared to say anything. 

"Yes, but you can only be my mistress at my house," Riccardo says. 

"Well, kill us then. I would rather die than become your bloody mistress," I say. 

"It is not your choice, la mia, Mia," Ricardo says. I know it will not help to fight him. He will drag me to his house if he has to. 

"Mario, make sure the old bastard signs all the documents. You can thank your daughter you are still alive, Leonardo," Riccardo says as he picks me up throw me over his shoulder, and carries me to his car.