Chapter One

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Long Island, New York

Alessandra

"Alessandra? Gesù Cristo. Where the hell have you guys been?! Papa has his men out looking for you two!"

Selene shrill voice was louder than ever, her disapproving glare making me roll my eyes as I gestured at a passed out Tori that I was struggling to get through the door.

"Now is really not the time to put the judgmental shoes on, sis. Can you help me get her into bed?"

Selene seemed to comprehend my words, her gaze finally settling on Vittoria before she took her other arm. Together, we lugged our little sister into bed before covering her up as she muttered unintelligible words.

The sight made me chuckle, reminding me of just how much I loved her despite the fact that she just made me piggyback her up the spiral staircase to the second floor.

"Porca puttana...I can't feel my back. That little brat better thank her lucky stars that I love her so freaking much."

I groaned, collapsing onto the floor and staring at the ceiling before me despite my older sister's glare down at me. I knew a shit storm was coming, could fucking feel it to the core of me but I didn't feel any regret. No disappointment, only euphoria and excitement at everything that was.

I will never regret being free, enjoying myself and having control over a small portion of my life, no matter the consequences.

"First of all, Language! Second of all, why the hell would you keep doing this? You know how Papa gets when you disobey him and yet you do it every single time. Are you not tired of the punishments? Of the arguments? Why can't you just do as you're asked, especially knowing what big a day tomorrow is?!"

And there it was. The usual argument that confirmed and validated all of my feelings for my sister. I loved her so much. She was my blood, my big sister that I once looked up to. Her feelings towards our situation, our life. They changed my perception.

She is content with this life, chooses to ignore or conform to whatever this bloody existence throws at her. She is willing to continue being a pawn in our Papa's plans. The quintessential obedient and charming principessa of the mafia world.

She is the poster child for everything that a Mafia man wants in a woman in this world. Beautiful, demure, obedient. A fucking doormat.

Well, I am not and will never be okay with this. I will find a way through this darkness, even if I have to claw my way out.

"Because, as I have been told a million times, I am not you. I will never be you, big sis. I don't have the stomach to do as I'm told. I wasn't born to conform to this fucked up life. I can't smile and watch as they sign my life away to some evil bastard like you. I want to live my own life and if that freedom means having to suffer the consequences then so be it."

I released a small sigh, watching as my sister's volatile emotions grew all the more at my words. I was not sorry for giving her the reality check that no one else was willing to grant her.

She had given up.

She had chosen to be everything they wanted her to be, to marry a man whose hands were stained with the blood of so many innocents just so our father can gain more power, more allies.

"You have no right to judge me, Alessandra! I have worked with the cards that I have been dealt! You are still so immature, so blinded by ridiculous notions of a life away from this. You don't realize that your family will never change. No matter where you go, you will still be a Rinaldi. And Papa will never stop looking for you. He will drag you back, kicking and screaming and there is nothing you can ever do that will change that harsh reality!"

She was right. I knew it. Heck, Vittoria knew it too. We were too precious to our father, too deep in his world to ever really run. If not Papa, then his enemies would come for us were we to stray from the protection of the family. People who held grudges, law enforcement who had not been bought off by him.

We will always have a target on our back.

"Oh, we know. But we would rather fight and lose than do nothing and watch it all unfold. I can't live with myself in such a world. A world where I did nothing to gain any kind of control over my life. I'm sorry, Selene but that will never change."

I got to my feet, facing off with my sister who seemed to be more incensed than usual. This discussion had always become heated, always full of hostility. We were both too stubborn, too much our father's daughters to back down and give the other any kind of edge.

I guess that's the one and only thing I can thank my Father for. The ability to fight, even if not for the things he wants.

"You want to ruin your life? You want to suffer Papa's wrath because of your stubbornness? Fine. Go right ahead. Maybe he'll knock some sense into you. But do Not drag Tori into this. Do not manipulate her into becoming you. Ruin your own life, Alessandra!"

I scoffed at that, rolling my eyes despite her irritation. She hated it when I did that and so I did it, over and over again just to spite her. We were lurking on dangerous territory, hanging on the edge of what usually ensued into a full blown fight that I always won because I was the star student of the mixed martial arts classes we took when we were younger.

"'Knock some sense into me'? Wow, talk about propagating violence against women. Your own sister no less. Did you rip your feminism out of your body and choke it to death with the pretty diamond necklaces garnered from blood money that your future husband bought you?"

Selene took a threatening step forward, her rage mirroring my own as I met her head on. I refused to back down, especially from this. It was always a point of contention. It was about time to put it to sleep.

"Contrary to the belief of many around here, Vittoria is a grown ass woman. She has her own opinions, her own motivations and beliefs. If she doesn't want to be stuck in the shit life that every other woman in the dark world we live in is then that's her decision. Don't be salty just because she was brave enough to liberate herself from the brainwashing grilled into us and you weren't!"

We were both seething as we glared at each other. The air bristled with the electricity that always came before the violence set in.

I clenched my fists, readying myself for anything. I hated having to go on the defensive against my own damn sister. I hated that we had to argue like this. I hated that we could not be on the same page over something that was clearly logical.

"That is enough, girls! I will have no fighting between you two, especially on the eve of Selene's engagement ceremony."

Our mother's voice was loud, full of reprimand which was uncommon for her. She was a mafia wife, one who followed her husband's lead and kept her head down. Defiance, anger...they were rare emotions we barely saw on her. She reserved her emotions, showing them only when asked to or when necessary.

She had tried to teach us just that, to train us. It was no secret that I had not taken to it as quickly as Selene or Vittoria even.

"She started it, Mama! She is so infuriating!"

Selene released, her anger clearly more than I anticipated as I watched her storm away from me. Never was she one to speak back to our mother or anyone other than her younger siblings. She was the perfect daughter, always so fucking great.

"Indeed she is. Her defiance has become a problem that should certainly be dealt with in a more permanent manner."

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