[CASTELLO DI CARTE MAFIA CHRONICLES, #1]
𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀
When my mother's deteriorating health pushes me into rethinking my career choices, my boss does what he does best; he shoves me into the world I never planned on venturing into. The job is simple:...
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David Vitale was a man of power, and everyone was aware of it. Even though his reign as the capo had ended nine years ago, most of the underbosses, captains, and soldiers feared him still.
But despite all the power he held, he had not an ounce of respect from my side. Just tolerance. Liking a family member didn't need to be a necessity to have dinner or breakfast at the same table.
It was true; I was who I was because of him, but he had his own selfish reasons for making me the capo of the Vitale Empire. Why else would he give such an influential position to a nephew he barely liked? To the bastard child of the family?
"Where's your father?" I asked Phoebe as I sat at the long table, beside the head seat that belonged to Uncle.
Phoebe looked up at me from across the table with her light-blue eyes while munching on her plate of butter-toast and bacon. "He's upstairs."
"What's he doing?"
"I don't know. Why don't you go ask him?" She scoffed. "It's not like he answers me, anyway."
I shook my head at her words. The only thing David was good at was murdering people and running this family business. Anything outside of that wasn't in his best forte, especially parenting, which was why both Phoebe and her elder sister, Savana, hated him so much.
To say his wife was any better was wrong, too. Sorina was always out touring, going to retreats or doing wherever the fuck she did. None of us really cared.
At least, Savana was out of the house, married and living states apart, with her husband, while Phoebe was stuck. Until she turned eighteen, which would be in a year and a half. Then she would have to get married as per our tradition.
"Dom didn't come with you?" Phoebe's voice pulled my attention back, and a small frown took over my face.
"No, I'm not entertaining your stupid crush on him," I said in a low voice.
The idea of David finding out about this would endanger Dom, the only one of my men I actually preferred speaking to about more than just work. If I was correct, which I was mostly when the matter surrounded my uncle, he had already promised Phoebe to someone, someone who could give him—our empire—something in return.
"I just asked if he's here with you," Phoebe argued, looking annoyed. "And I don't have a crush on him. He's just pleasant to look at."
I leaned forward in my seat with a grin. "Well, I'm pleasant to look at, too."
"Wow, now you're back to being the condescending jerk I know."
"You know, half of my men don't have the audacity to speak to me like that."
"Well, they don't have you as their annoying cousin."
I sighed, giving up. She was only seventeen, too young for me to go on a full-blown argument over shitty matters against. "What's up with you these days? Why are acting like you have a stick up your... nose?"
