The Beginning (The Life 1)

I knew that the Russos were more than oil barons and legitimate businessmen, and once I let my husband know that I was aware, he no longer had to hide from me.

But my fear was my son’s affinity for such a life. I could never forget the blood that ran in his veins was the blood of generations of the original familia—those hard, vicious men.

I saw it in him sometimes, and only the reminder that his father and I had taught him compassion kept me from fearing what he might become.

There was a ruthlessness in him that was evident whenever someone he loved was wronged. But that ruthlessness was tempered with his strong capacity to love.

When his grandfather spoke to his father of him one day taking over the darker side of the family interests, I was there, listening in at the door unbeknownst to him.

Poor Draco, he had fought the idea vehemently, and though no mother would choose such a thing for her son, I knew it was too late; I’d already seen it in him. I saw it the night I told him what that animal had done to me.

I’ll never forget that as long as I live. There was no hate, no repulsion for me. But he despised my attacker without even knowing him. Still, it was his coldness that told me what I needed to know.

That hard iciness that I’d seen in him before, again, when someone had messed with one of his sisters, came into his eyes, and even I felt the need to take a step back. Sometimes I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t call the whole thing off, not for Alonzo’s sake, but for my son’s. The boy had more in Draco in him than I would’ve thought possible, and I know my husband would commit murder to protect what’s his.

Funny enough, it was this reaction that gave me pause; the very thing I’d been hoping, for now, seemed more dangerous than I’d thought. We live in a different time and place, after all. Here there’s a justice system in place to take care of such things. Here, my old-world ideals would be frowned upon. But here, they didn’t teach you about honor. Not the kind of honor that money can’t buy.

So I listened in that night, the night that I could’ve turned it all back and left it alone. If I stuck by Draco’s side and protected our son, he’d never know that side of his family enterprise. But somehow, I knew it was already too late.

In the end, it was I who worked on my husband. Our boy was curious, yes. He could spend hours in the lab with his uncle Garret, but I knew what lived inside him. I knew there was no getting away from who he is.

What fate had led me here, to this man, this family who, in their own right, was just as powerful as the Ricci? Was that not a sign? I may never know the answer; I just know that all things were coming together for me as they had ever since the day Draco found me in the stables.

GIANNA

“Where’s that doll your grandmother sent you for your birthday?” I looked around from my place on the floor where I’d been playing with my new toys alone for the last half hour. Daddy had just left to go to work after promising to bring me back something special.

I held my breath as I looked over and up at the woman standing in the doorway. Somehow I knew that the smile that she’d worn while my daddy was here would be long gone. It had taken my little brain forever to notice that it always happens that way. When daddy is here, she smiles and laughs with me, giving me the same special attention she gives to her own little girl who’s the same age as I. But when daddy’s not around, she’s mean and hurts.

My mouth became dry with dread, and there was that funny feeling in my tummy once again. I felt tears already prickling my eyes because I knew what was coming. No doubt Victoria will get my doll just like she’d got everything else of mine. I didn’t use to mind before, back when her mom was my mommy’s best friend, and we used to play together.

Back then, Aunt Becky had been nice. Mom would always take her places with us because her husband was gone a lot, and they didn’t have much money. I’d overheard that tidbit once when grandma was here for a visit. My Grandma Eloise is funny. She was always fussing at mommy about having Aunt Becky over, something I never understood because Aunt Becky was so nice.

I could never figure out why Grandma Eloise didn’t like her and always told mommy to be afraid of her. That’s not the word she used, but my little brain can’t remember. I just know that that’s what it meant. Mommy never seemed afraid though, in fact, she always smiled at Aunt Becky, and they seemed to like each other.