LEONARDO'S POV "So what's the matter?" inquired my cousin Stefano, who was of the same age as me. He was sprawled on the poolside lounge chair, basking in the cool night as we all did. Stefano and his younger brother Alessio dropped out a long time to take part in the family business, I was the only one in the group who was attending college and I might as well drop out if not for... her. "Woman," I muttered, sipping my iced Coke. "What woman?" Stefano asked, sitting up now, intrigued. "A woman with a dangerous last name." Lucio, who was lounging on a nearby chair, perked up at the mention of a dangerous surname. "What, like 'Smith'?" he joked, earning a chuckle from Stefano. "Worse, she's Russo." As I mentioned the name Russo, a sudden silence fell upon the group. Alessio, who had been engrossed in a Playboy magazine, looked up with a furrowed brow. Stefano's smile vanished, and Luca, who had been sipping on a can of soda spat it out and coughed. "You're joking, right?" Alessi
LEONARDO'S POVLucio used his credit card to arrange a straight line of white cocaine powder before snorting it deep into his nose. As the Coke hit his system, Lucio's eyes widened. He tilted his head back and let out a long, satisfied sigh. He legit looked like he had just came inside his pants. He was just 18 years old, and his addiction only seemed to be getting worse. "Your Papa seriously approves of you taking drugs?" I asked him as I took a seat next to the table."Trust me. He doesn't give a fuck." Lucio snorted. "All he cares about is himself.""He is meeting up with some chick in Chicago," Luca said, rubbing his powdered nose. "Mamma is heartbroken about it."Cheating husbands were not a new phenomenon in the Cosa Nostra. It wasn't even a deal breaker for most wives. But that didn't mean they were alright with it, unless the husband was providing for the family in a sufficient way. The possibility of never being content with just one woman was a factor in my decision to avoi
LEONARDO'S POV "So, what did you find out?" I asked Enzo as I poured him and myself a glass of whiskey from the bar inside our family mansion. "The man's name is Alessandro. He was the one who supplied the guns. He must have thought we'd suspect Max for tampering with the guns." My brother took a sip of his whiskey and leaned against the bar with his elbow propped up to the wooden counter. "But why would he do that?" I asked, puzzled. "He's a competitor. He runs his own gun smuggling operation, and he saw an opportunity to eliminate some competition," Enzo explained. "He is also secretly commissioned by the Armando family." The Armando family was one of the most powerful and influential crime families in the city. They controlled most of the illegal activities, from drug trafficking to prostitution, and were constantly expanding their empire. For years, they had been our rivals and tensions between our families were always on the edge. I nodded my head, letting the information si
LEONARDO'S POVWhen I stepped out of the balcony of the luxurious resort, Miami spread before me in all it's purplish, vibrant glory. The city sung with life, the sounds of celebration and merrymaking reverberated through its streets. The sparkling mix of yellow, red and pink neon lights twinkled like stars, illuminating the cityscape with a dazzling glow. Inside, the festivity raged on, the thumping music emanating from the walls a testament to our victorious college football game. The liveliness of the night coursed through my veins, my heart racing with the electric fervor that permeated this enchanting city.Taking one from the pack, I carefully held the cigarette between my fingers and positioned it between my lips. As I sparked my trusty lighter, a brilliant blaze of orange and yellow sparked to life before me. The flame danced a tantalizing tango as I brought it to the tip of my cigarette, igniting the rich tobacco within. The smoke curled and swirled, forming a wisp of hazy bl
LEONARDO'S POVIt took me a few seconds to realize I wasn't in my own bed. Instead, I was in the hotel room, butt naked. As the sleep-induced fog cleared my mind, the memories of last night came crashing down on me like a load of bricks. I groaned inwardly. Fucking orgies.Two of the team's cheerleaders were sleeping soundly beside me, their naked bodies tangled together and barely covered by the sheets. I guess there were more, but they left after the orgy ended and I was dragged inside this room by these two demanding more sex. My head was pounding like someone had knocked me out with a hammer. I swam in a lake of vodka last night. One thing that I fucking hated about myself was that I think too little of the consequences. Enzo was right, my promiscuity was getting out of hand.I picked up my phone from my pant pocket that was discarded on the floor and saw several missed calls from Nonna. A sharp sense of guilt shot through me. I walked put my boxers back on and walked towards the
ROSALINA'S POVSelena, Elizabetta, Isabella, and I were lounging at the poolside of Selena's sprawling mansion, soaking up the warm rays of the golden sun. Yes, Selena Perez was my rich best friend. Her parents ran a real estate company, so yeah. Filthy rich.Isabella was applying suntan lotion on my bare back, while her sister was floating on an inflatable unicorn bed, eyes closed as she soaked up the sun. Selena was laying on a sun lounger, beside Sammy who was fanning her using a hand fan. Sometimes I thought her parents gave birth to Sammy just to be her slave. Poor boy."Go get us some watermelon juice," Selena said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Sammy groaned and tossed the hand fan away before running to the kitchen to fetch us some juice.Just as Sammy returned with our drinks, Selena's phone buzzed from the side table. She picked it up and her expression turned from relaxed to horrified within seconds."What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up from the sun lounger."It's Trist
LEONARDO'S POVFinally, home.After parking my red Ferrari in the driveway, I gathered my backpack and made my way toward the Salvadori mansion. The exterior of our family mansion was as grand and opulent as it could get. With tall white pillars framing the entrance and a beautiful landscape of luscious green garden surrounding it that was especially taken care of by my Nonna. The mansion was painted in a pristine white color, with large windows that overlooked the garden.I pushed the front door open and was greeted with our warm and inviting foyer. The walls were painted soft cream with ornate golden moldings lining the ceiling. The floor was made of the finest Italian marble, with a decorative rug strategically placed in the center. In the center of the foyer was a grand chandelier, which illuminated the space with a warm glow.The first thing I looked for was Nonna. Sasha, our housekeeper, told me that Nonna was sick and Lilliana Russo was the one who took care of her medication a
ROSALINA'S POV I waltzed into the crowded cafeteria with two cold lattes in my hands, scanning the room for Selena. She said she would wait for me. That was when I spotted her with Tristan at the corner booth. Tristan was in tears as he practically begged for Selena's forgiveness. The audacity. "Such a loser," Elizabetta muttered as she stood beside me. "I know, right?" Isabella said, crossing her arms to her chest. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to show up here after cheating on Selena with the whole cheerleading squad, let alone ask for forgiveness. Selena looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and hide from the embarrassment Tristan was giving her. He was making a fucking scene so Selena would give in. Like hell, that was happening. "Please, Sel! Take me back!" Tristan dropped to his knees and hugged Selena's waist. "I won't do it again. I promise. I love you!" No, he didn't. His career was ruined for good and knew no other girl would want to commit to him after