T-misha
Made a Mobster|| Book 0.5 of the Chicago Mob Series
Before he ruled territory, Renzo Santoro had nothing to rule.
No inheritance. No protection. No future promised to him. Only a devoted mother, a sharp mind with empty pockets, and an eye for opportunity most people missed.
It started small. Petty products moving hand to hand, favors traded instead of cash. Renzo didn't chase money; he studied flow. He learned where pressure cracked, who could be trusted, and which risks paid back twice.
Money came after. Fast. Dirty. Addictive. Then power followed--heavier than he expected--demanding loyalty, blood, and silence. Women wanted proximity. Men wanted deals. Most decisions he made carried weight, most mistakes came with a cut... or a body count.
This is the story we were never told: how Renzo fought for power in a world that didn't reward desperation. How he survived greed without becoming sloppy, desire without ending up in an unmarked grave, and pressure after years of being crushed beneath it. How he learned that fear was louder than love; and far more useful.
From college hallways to street corners, from small deals to city-wide influence, Renzo Stefano Santoro didn't rise because he was ruthless.
He rose because he was the brightest of the bunch, and had learned control well.
By the time Chicago learned his name, the things that once threatened to elude him--money, women, power--were his to command.
The mobster Alessandra Benedetti would one day love with every fiber of her being wasn't born.
He was made.