Aria grew up with her abusive mum and stepdad until they died. She was sent to live with her mafia brothers she knew nothing about. Will she cope with new brothers and life in the Mafia, or will she run?
This book includes themes such as:
Violence...
When we all got home, it was intense. It was very obvious something happened when we were gone. All the adults were barely speaking to each other. So of course it was up to me to keep the chaos in the house. I ran and jumped over Andrea and Enzo and eventually landed on Alessandro with my whole body sprawled on top of the three brothers. With my head resting safely on his lap.
Uncle Ricardo was intensely staring at me as I would break. He occasionally kept glaring at my siblings. His face suddenly softens and starts to speak "Aria, what did you do with the boys today?" he asks me.
"First of all, I wasn't with boys I was with the two twins because I'm sure you are aware of that by now that Gabriele identifies as non-binary." My siblings smile at me proudly.
I don't know if it was because I stood up for Gabriele or me just standing against Uncle Ricardo. By the tension in the room, it is quite obvious it's a complicated relationship between them.
"So how was your day out with the people," Uncle Ricardo asks with a hint of mockery when he says "People."
"It was good" I bite my tongue and looking around the room I saw a glimpse of hurt behind Gabriele's eyes. It doesn't go unnoticed by their twin as Matteo pulls his arms around him."So what did you do?" Uncle Ricardo starts to get frustrated but attempts to cover it with a fake friendly smile.
"We went to play mini-golf and long story short we are banned," I giggled and glared at a grumpy Matteo. That's his new nickname now. "How did you get banned from mini-golf?" Alessandro looks at the four of us curiously.
"Matteo threw his golf club and broke one of the displays" Everyone looked at Matteo dumbfoundedly. Meanwhile, he was sending me daggers. Guess I am sleeping with one eye open tonight.
"What else did you do? Andrea asks this time.
"McDonald's then I saw Brio's laboratory"
"You saw what?!" Uncle Ricardo storms over to Brio and punches him right in his jaw. All my older brothers stood up and pulled Ricardo away from Brio. Andrea forced Brio to sit down, so he could check him out.
Uncle Ricardo was still furious and left to take a walk to calm down.
"What's going on, Alessandro?" I asked
"Nothing Aria" He replies
"Well, it can't be nothing after that?!" I questioned him.
"He just got mad and punched his fucking son!" I yelled.
"I'm alright Aria. He just got mad at me it's okay."Brio reassured me. It still didn't sit right with me, though.
UNCLE RICARDO POV
Theirs has been something I've been keeping from my family. I slept with my brother's wife. We were having an affair. She ran off 15 years ago.
I've always been curious if Aria was mine but I knew her mother wouldn't take a DNA test. She didn't want her husband to leave her. A couple of months before she ran away she came to visit me and told me that she needed to get away from the mafia.
She tried to convince my brother to abandon the mafia life, but he refused. She was so scared for Aria's safety and knew she had to get her out of there. She told me she still loved me, and she only stayed with my brother to be close to her sons. She knew as Aria kept getting older there was a risk to her daughter's safety and needed to protect her daughter. She wanted me to go with her and abandon my mafia. She knew it would be easy as I was just getting started and had barely any enemies. I couldn't though I was too weak. I kept looking at my brother's success, and I wanted that. I needed that.
I convinced myself that there was no chance Aria was mine. In the end, I let her go. I helped her clear all traces left behind her. I made it impossible for anyone to find her. I watched Aria grow up from a distance for a couple of years until she met someone then I knew it was time to get over her.
I kept dreaming of this fantasy of me and her raising Aria together but it was never meant to be. She seemed better off without me. After a few years, I managed to fully convince myself Aria wasn't mine but now that I see her now. She looked just like the daughter I had before my sons. I lost her when she was six. Aria is my second chance, and I'm not going to blow it now. I will protect her until my last breath.
After I had punched Brio, I left to go get a DNA test. On my way, I saw one of Aria's brushes and took a few strands from her hair.
A few hours later I had my answer.
It broke me.
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