Capo Dei Capi (Secrets of the Famiglia Part 1)

“The Air,” I say as the memory of that morning with Ren flashes in my head.

“Her name is Dakota Larken now. He should get more with that. Are you ready for tonight?” Deno questions.

“They are, so we'll have to be. I’ll get our hacker on this stuff before we go. If there is something to be found linking Ren’s death to his girlfriend, we need to know. Ren could be the first target. I learned a long time ago the lengths people are willing to go for a brainy little girl.”

“Yes, the same brainy little girl. We can’t deny it no longer. Anya is digging. Our sister will open a can of deadly worms if she continues to do so. A new name doesn’t make someone different.”

“No, it does not, but it gives her a fighting chance. As for Anya, she will do no such thing. Our sister will be dealt with swiftly. She needs a little yanking. We made a pact to protect that girl and her sister,” I tell my brother.

His jaw ticks as his hard glare simmers through me, “We made a pact to protect our brother too.”

“Yes, but the difference is, Ren chose her a long time ago. He chose her knowing the consequences, you warned him, I warned him. Fuck, we even tried to force the issue.”

“What about us? We were warned, yet here we are having this conversation. What choice do we get, brother?”

I stare at Deno, seeing the mask of my brother falling with every tick of the clock as he stares at me, waiting for me to answer him, even knowing the answer I give him will not be the one he wants.

“We don't get those luxuries.”

and I watch his jaw tick as he

get to that fucking meeting,

few things needing my attention. I’ll meet

Capo.” Certainly

know brother, Ren loved Diamond, and he believed she deserved our protection. With his death, there are only 4 of us left who knows who she really is. And 1 of them happens to be her sister, who hasn’t shown herself for a few years. Do you remember the girl who stole your heart? Or have you

shoulders square, as he stands by the door for a

weigh me down physically as well as emotionally. My hands lift to cradle my face as my elbows balance the weight of the position, digging into the

danced with the very girl he begged me to stay away from. He always knew Aliyana’s part in my plan, yet, even knowing it

was doing exactly what he didn’t want. The truth which weakens me at this moment is knowing all of this, I would

maybe she knows how to pull a trigger, but she's innocent when it comes to matters of desire and sex. A sane man would stay

faze me. Then again, I live in a world where men marry a woman regardless of her age. My own father married his wife, 20-years his junior. Aliyana’s father wasn’t far off that mark with Ilaria either.

I forgot about him today.

of my city basking under the night sky. It glimmers, as I watch a few lights going off on the building not too far from the one I

the 5th State, your armor needs to be impenetrable. Sartini Capello has made

image of his wife, his precious daughter, Aliyana. My father believed Sartini's love for his wife was the sole reason for that kind of loyalty and love for

knew about her parents. Call it denial, or maybe survival, but she knew