Book 1: Valentina

Chapter 8.

Marco Pov.

" Yeah dad, I knew you were out, but not out of the country." I ran my hands through my hair speaking to my father.

As soon as I arrived home, he called me letting me know that he was in Florence, had business to take care of and wouldn't be back for at least a month. This wasn't the first time he left us alone, wasn't the longest amount of time either, it was just that he had just gotten back.

"You know how this business is Marco, its unpredictable. But I'm holding you to look after your brother's while I'm gone, don't let anything happen to them."  He responded sincerly, sighing into the phone.

This was a ridiculous request. I always took care of my brothers, they were all I had outside of my dad. Quickly remembering that I had company, I said good ye to my dad and walked back into the kitchen tucking my phone back into my joggers.

Artura sat at the island hunched over ,eating her ice cream typing away on her cell phone, she had noticed that I came back in until I cleared my throat. She looked up from her phone and sat back in the chair.

"So. Who are you always texting on that phone." I asked walking on the other side of the island standing in front of her with a counter separating us.

"My best friend from home." She shrugged.

I raised an eyebrow, popping the lid to my ice cream.
"Where's home?" I asked.

She shifted kind of uncomfortably and her phone pinged in her hand signaling that she had a text message. Without looking at her phone she sat it on the counter and looked at me,
"Georgia."

"Oh a southern girl. Born and raised. That's why you're so fiesty." I teased.

"Raised."

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I was raised in Georgia , I was born here, in New York." She said scooping another bite out of her ice cream.

I moved a chair around to where I was standing so that I could sit and enjoy my ice cream while talking to Artura.

"Why'd you leave?" I asked.

Her face changed from relaxed to melancholy and it seemed as though she zoned out with ever second her frown grew deeper and her eyes sunk lower.

Artura POV

"Why'd you leave?"

It was like a trigger question, because as soon as he asked I thought about the answer to that question, we left so that my mom could protect me, raise me better. I could've said that proudly but then I also had to realize that she was put to kill the same person she'd changed her entire life for, for some guy.

I felt my eyes get hot and before the tears could spill, I cleared my throat and looked back at Marco who was staring at me, concerned.

"So are you originally from here?" I asked hoping he'd catch the hint.

He looked confused and then his face showed some type of sign that he knew I didn't want to talk about it.

"Um, yeah actually. I've lived here my while life, but my dad is from New Jersey and his dad's from Italy." He cleared his throat.

I simply nodded and looked at my phone.

By now we were both done with our ice creams so, Marco took the empty tubs and threw them away and motioned for me to follow him. I followed him through his house, which was actually a house. Not some over sized mansion like people who are part of the mobs actually have, no this was a five bedroom house, small and quaint.