Chapter 7 - Joseph

As I took a seat at the table, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the family on my shoulders. The Rossi name was synonymous with power and responsibility, and now Selena was part of that burden. Yet, every time I looked at her, I felt something different. It was a warmth, a feeling that was alien to the cold, calculating world of the mafia.

Her beauty was undeniable, but it was her resilience that truly captivated me. Despite the hand she'd been dealt, she remained strong. The urge to protect her, to claim her as mine was growing stronger by the second. It was confusing, to say the least.

As Don of the Rossi family, my life had always been about power, loyalty, and control. Emotions were a weakness, something to be kept in check. Yet, Selena had waltzed into my world and thrown it into chaos. I couldn’t ignore the way my heart raced whenever she was near, the way my body reacted to her presence. It was like nothing I had ever felt before.

I sat at the head of the table, my thoughts a tangled web of strategy and passion. The men around me spoke of business and war, but all I could think about was the girl who looked so lost in the midst of all this opulence. She was a stark reminder of the harsh reality of my world, a world that I never wanted her to be a part of.

The whiskey had done little to dull the ache in my chest. It grew stronger with every passing moment. I had to keep Selena safe, had to find a way to protect her without compromising the family. But how could I do that when every part of me wanted to claim her, to make her mine in every way possible?

The first time I saw Selena was two months ago. Antonio had heard the soldiers talking at one of our strip clubs, Fantasia, about George meeting with a couple of the Columbian Cartel’s soldiers. He would not be part of any family business dealings, especially with the Columbians. He was just one of the enforcers that collected gambling debts.

How could a father mention he had a teenage daughter to these people?

I knew that I had to act fast, so I sent one of my most trusted soldiers, Marco, to investigate further. We had to find Selena before the Columbians did. A young girl like her would fetch top dollar at one of their auctions.

One night, Marco returned with news that confirmed my worst fears. George had indeed accrued more debts than he could ever hope to repay, and in his desperation, he had offered Selena to the Columbians as part of the deal. The thought of her being subjected to such a fate made my blood boil.

The room grew silent as Marco laid out the details of his findings. The Columbians were planning on taking him up on his offer, and George was too far gone to care. The whispers of disgust grew louder among my men, a testament to the depth of George's betrayal. It was a line even in our world that should never be crossed.

I couldn't let that happen. The thought of Selena in the hands of those monsters was unbearable. My mind raced with a fury that could only be matched by the thunder outside. I had to save her, not just because she was a part of our family by association, but because I couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt.

For two weeks, I watched Selena every night from the shadows, ensuring she was safe while I figured out the best course of action. Marco got all of the information availanle on her. Her mother left when she was only five. She worked at the corner bodega almost every night.

The bodega was a the place where i saw Selena. She had an innocence that was almost blinding in the dark world of the mafia, a light that I found myself drawn to. I watched her smile at customers, her eyes never showing the fear that surely had to be lurking beneath the surface. She walked home alone in the worst area of the Bronx.

Every night, I would wait in the shadows, in my car, outside her apartment, making sure she got home safely. Her routine never changed—riding the subway to the library, work, and then bed. It was a simple, solitary life, one that was about to get infinitely more complicated. Marco had paid the librarian to find out what Selena was doinf there everyday. She was doing her high school classes on line.

As the days turned into weeks, my obsession grew. I found myself looking forward to the moments when she'd step out into the moonlit night, her silhouette a beacon of purity in the grime of the city. It was strange, feeling like I was her protector from a distance, but it was all I could do without revealing my hand too soon. George could not kniw what I was up to, or I would lose my opportunity to get Selena out of his reach.

The storm that had been brewing inside me was about to break. I had to make a move, to claim her before it was too late. I decided to confront George at one of his hangouts. He was going to think Selena was comimg to work for me as a maid.

I was pulled back to reality when Capo Vincent walked in. He didn’t look happy. “Don, we have a problem.”