Chapter 1: Lucrezia

LUCREZIA

Pietro Carusso is the man of my dreams. Don of the Carusso family, the most powerful among the five families. I’ve loved him since the day I laid my eyes on him, I knew I’m going to marry him when my eyes met his.

Pietro as a young child was aloof, mysterious, a total recluse. I guess it was his uncanny nature that attracted me to him. While all the other children swam in the swimming pool and played together, enjoying the social gatherings that the Commission had allowed, Pietro always remained by himself indulging on adult activities.

Silent, observing, sipping his grape juice, listening to adult conversation, mingling with them without actually joining them. Pietro peaked my curiosity just like that.

Pietro is serious in the business at a very young age and I kind of relate to that.

As the daughter of Raimondo Rocchi, the Don of Rocchi family. I have been involved, educated and trained in the business ever since I learned how to read and write.

My father had no sons, only two daughters and I am the eldest. This left him with no choice, someday one of us will have to inherit the business and continue his legacy.

Whoever inherits the business will be up to my father of course. Even if I am the eldest, he also trained my only sibling in the business. He treated us fairly, taught us fairly, that our knowledge and skills in the business goes neck to neck.

Women in the mafia are not known to work on the business. Of course they do, but only in the sidelines.

In the mafia, trust is important and you could trust your daughter better than a made man. Women mostly worked on the logistics side, on handling the money at times, the crucial parts of the business where trust is very important.

It’s the 21st century, women nowadays don’t receive the same treatment that they had.

My father did not just let me and my sister work in the sidelines. He let us work and get involved on everything, even with what they would call a man’s job.

To become a Don, you must know how everything works. To be a great ruler, you must be a worker first.

Pietro is the only child of the Carusso family who will with no doubt become the Don of the Carusso family.

There’s no doubt that one day me or my sister will become betrothed to him knowing exactly how the mafia works and how my father thinks.

A mafia must marry someone within the mafia. Marrying someone outside is possible, but it’s undoubtedly risky and could end up disastrously, that’s why it never happened.

Besides, the business must be kept closely and within the Mediterranean bond. We are Italian-Americans after all, and we have to preserve that blood.

Only Italians can handle bloodshed. Only Italians are resilient enough to handle our kind of business. Italians is what it takes to handle this business.

That’s tradizione!

Right now, we have two bachelors in the Commission; Pietro Carusso and Eros Cassiano. Among the two of them, Pietro is the most sought for marito!

Aside from being the Don of the most powerful family in the five families, Pietro has the cleanest background you will ever see in all the men of the mafia.

Pietro Carusso has never been involved to any romantic relationships. He never had any official girlfriends, he has never been connected to a rumor with other woman, and he’s been stirring away from women.

Pietro has his vices, but women is not one of them. Meno male!

He must be waiting for someone special, and I hope that it’s me.

I’m glad that he’s not making me jealous while I’m living at a different country where I can’t stop women from chasing after him.

Every women that Pietro meets falls hard for him. Women would throw themselves at his feet. That’s the kind of charm he gives. Pietro is like a god that came down from heaven.

Those dark pool of eyes that resembles his soul, his sharp jawline that I would love to trace with my finger, the muscles hiding beneath his shirt. Too bad for those girls because Pietro will be mine.

I’d have him before they could even have their chance with him.

I wouldn’t like it if I’m at another country studying while he’s at America tasting every woman he sets his eyes with. I’m really fortunate that wasn’t the case with him.

In the recent years that I had lived in England to finish my education and graduate Law, I remained loyal to him, preserving my celibacy.

Sure I got wild nights during college, especially after exams. I’d go with my friends and drink in bars, spend all the money my father would give me that obviously came from illegal means, but there is only one man for me and it is him.

So I kept all my firsts for him, including my first kiss.

While in England studying college, I got plenty of suitors, I got a lot of guys confessing their love for me, but Pietro has already stolen my heart for me to give it to another.

There is no one like Pietro, no one surpasses Pietro. He is the only man I’ll give my precious treasure to.

My cheeks blushed at the thought that came to my head. I looked at myself at the tall mirror feeling like a giddy teenager once again, not the woman who just graduated Law with Latin honors.

Only Pietro makes me feel that way.

I grabbed my phone on the bedside table. Pietro’s face popped up on my screen, different pictures of him has always been my wallpaper. My gallery is filled with photos of him, and I keep physical pictures of him in my wallet and all around my room.

I always defended that trait of mine, always excusing it as just a simple source of motivation and inspiration. I was obviously fangirling over him and I don’t want to admit it.

As if it would matter, Pietro is truly my future husband anyway.

Among all the women in the mafia, my sister and I are the best candidates for marriage. Out of all the families, only the Rocchi family has grown up daughters that can marry to the eligible Dons.

Plus, with the way that our father raised us, the two bachelors would be very lucky to have us.

Letizia can also be counted as out of the picture. She hasn’t even graduated yet. Also, I’d beg my father that he gives my hand to Pietro for marriage.

Pietro is left with no choice but to marry me and spend the rest of his life with me. With my father’s authority, hot-temper and power, Pietro would never dare to do anything bad to me, he would be crazy to refuse a marriage with me.

“Principessa.” One of our maidservant came into my room to check up on me. “Madonna!” The smile on her face is replaced with shock when she saw the bloody dress that I’m wearing.

“We are going to church, signorina! We are celebrating the Leuzzi e Serrano’s daughter’s first communion,” she rambled on about, switching in Italian and English as she stared at my red fitted dress in disdain.

One of the reasons why I became so fluent in Italian despite of growing up in America, were our house servants.

My father strictly hired full-fledged Italians to work for us at home. He wants our heritage to stay with us. It was effective though, I adapted the Italian customs easily, including cursing in Italian.

I took another look of myself in the mirror. I don’t look bad, my cleavage spilled on the dress, and it showed all my curves. It is a perfect dress for me to wear at my first meeting with Pietro after years of staying in England.

If only we weren’t supposed to meet at church. “Maybe switching to a black dress would make it look more appropriate,” I suggested, still insisting to wear the same kind of dress only with a different color.

She shook her head, “No, signorina. It’s a big no-no to wear something that exposes the knees and shoulders.”

I pouted for it is in earnest intent that I show skin for Pietro especially when he had seen countless of women wearing exposing dresses. “The church wouldn’t mind.” I sauntered out the room and she still followed me.

No one would dare to point out dress codes when they saw my outfit. Turning against me would be turning against the entire Rocchi family.

“You can wear the black dress, signorina!” She shouted after me. “It’s better not to humiliate your father.” It’s always like that, the house servants bending to my wishes and not the other way around.

“Sorella,” A huge smile appeared on my face when I saw my little sister standing not far from me, wearing a white dress that follows church dress codes.

“Letizia!” I ran after her and hugged her. It’s been so long since I last saw her.

Letizia and I have a close bond. We lost our mother at a young age, so it was I who acted as a mother to her. Letizia is a nice kid, much nicer and well mannered than me like a groomed poodle.

She’s the perfect daughter, not wild like me. I’m the stubborn one always strong-willed and determined with my ways. Despite our differences, we go along so well.

“Congratulations!” She told me as we separated from our hug. “I wish I was there at your graduation.”

While I was studying in England, she studied here in America. It’s my father’s choice to have me study in England. He knows the secret feelings I have for Pietro, so he acted so cautious.

Maybe he thought my feelings for him would go away if lived in a separate country for him, or maybe he did not want Pietro affecting my studies.

I followed his wishes and studied in a different country even graduating with Latin honors, now he must grant my wishes too.

“I think the black dress would look more appropriate to the church sorella. You have taken it far with the red dress.” She muttered kindly, not questioning my outfit.

“The church is not strict with dress codes, Letizia. You can wear whatever dress you want.”

“You should go change your dress,” she replied, convincing me to change.

So I changed to the black dress that still exposed my knees and shoulder, fitting my body like a glove.

“You should wear this.” Letizia pulled out a pearl necklace and placed it around my neck, locking it behind me.

I touched the necklace. This isn’t mine. I know all the dresses and accessories that I own even if there’s hundreds of them.

“It’s your graduation gift. I hope you like it.”

“I like it. I like it so much! It’s perfect.” The pearl necklace complimented my dress perfectly. “Grazie”

Letizia is really sweet and thoughtful even when we were little, she has always been an innocent soul.

My father walked in on us looking glorified in his suit. Even without his men behind him, power and authority radiated off him so easily.

“Papi,” Letizia greeted him first and kissed him on the cheek then I kissed him next.

“My gorgeous daughters. You are all so grown up,” my father complimented his eyes turning glassy, looking different from the man he is when he’s outside doing business.

He might be strong and hard on the outside, but he will always have a soft spot when it comes to us.

“We should go, we can’t be late at the communion.” Father immediately left the room before he could turn all soft in front of us.

I followed behind him excitedly. All morning this has been the thing that I’ve been waiting for.