“She didn’t even care to stay long enough to see the man you would grow up to be and I’d rather be a bastard child than an unwanted one.” — I chuckle, before leaning back and staring at his furious face once again. — “I win, bitch.”
I wink at him, give him my back, and join Fallon where she is now sitting, trying to avoid everyone.
His comment about my dad was uncalled for, but I can be just as cruel, if not more.
“Is something wrong, bambina?”, a concerned Benedetto asks. — I hadn't even noticed that he had entered the room. His icy stare travels from me to Lucan. I don’t know if he can feel the tension in the room but it’s hard to miss. Regardless if he does, he chooses not to address the situation.
“No, everything is fine. Just getting to know everyone better.” I tell him with a triumphant smile on my face.
“Bene, ora andiamo nella sala da pranzo e mangiamo mentre discutiamo di affari di famiglia.” Good, now let’s go to the dining area and discuss family business.”, he repeats himself in English this time so I can understand.
He stares at me and then at Fallon. He doesn’t need to say it out loud because I get what he’s trying to say, what needs to be said, Fallon can’t know.
Fallon gets the hint and proceeds to leave the room. She heads up the stairs to wait in my room for me. I do not miss Valentino’s eyes trailing her all the way up the stairs before she disappears from view.
“Now, follow me.” Benedetto says to the room before leading the way to his home office. “It is time for me to step down and for one of you to rise and continue the Holy Trinity’s legacy in this city.”
I thought living in this place for an entire month would be easy and I could get out unscathed, but maybe I was delusional in thinking it would be that easy. Every day it is becoming clearer that it will be anything but.
Shit.
Now I must endure this evening with people that think of me as public enemy number one and no one in my corner, because the one person that has shown me acceptance is now upstairs waiting for me to be done with this night.
It’s getting harder and harder to pretend.
I just want to go home.
13
Tredici
FUTURE DON
“Oh, I shall practice my curtsy.” - Scar
LUCAN
The capo gathers the nine of us in his home office. It is a little crowded, but his face leaves no room for arguments or complaints. This is family business and by the tone of his voice, I'm pretty sure shit’s about to get real.
The head of the Holy Trinity of Detroit city sits at his desk and the rest of us stand before him as if we are in some kind of trial, which we actually are. The next generation of Holy Trinity will be chosen soon. The three most ruthless of us all will be the head of each family. I’m the future boss of the Volpe family. The Parisi family will choose between the two oldest sisters since the youngest won’t be able to lead…ever.
The Nicolasi family has yet to choose a boss since a new opponent has entered the game. Andrea’s arrival has complicated everything.
I wonder if the spoiled brat knows what she has gotten herself into.
The Nicolasi boss was Demetrio but after his death, Benedetto took over again after decades of not being the Don. He won’t make Cassius the Nicolasi boss because he is a traitor, although nobody knows what crime he committed against the family. Cassius is the eldest and he should’ve been the boss, but something happened there. No one quite knows except the Don, the traitor son and well the other one…but since the dead don't talk, I guess we might never know.
Three Nicolasi children but only one can rule over their family.
Lorenzo, Valentino and now Andrea.
The Parisi family has been run by men for decades now. All of Gabriele Parisi’s children were born female, to his utter disappointment. Most Made Men in the families think they are not fit to rule over them but let me tell you something about the two eldest Parisi girls—they are ruthless, they draw you in with their angelic looks and beautiful faces and when you least expect it, they feed on your fears until you bend to their will.
Arianna Parisi is the eldest of the three.
Some men might say she looks like God’s favorite angel with her long wavy blond hair with some white streaks in it and deep soulful green eyes, but an angel she is not.
Honestly, there is nothing angelic about that unfeeling bitch.
Arianna is Gabriele Parisi, her father’s, most prized possession. Harsh? I know. Her father is ready to marry her off to the first willing idiot, little does he know that she has an agenda of her own.
Arianna is no one's trophy wife.
Gabriele’s middle child couldn't be more different from her big sister if she tried. Whereas Arianna looks heavenly, Kadra looks like Satan’s spawn with her long, straight jet-black hair that she gets from her father and light brown almost yellow eyes that she inherited from her mom.
Kadra has always been strange, even at a young age. Always hiding in the shadows and playing with knives. The black gloves she never takes off are weird as fuck too; she never takes them off not even in the middle of a hot summer day.
She has never been a girl of many words, unlike her sisters.
The Parisi boss doesn't spare her any thought unless it’s to keep up with pretenses. No one really knows why he despises her so much, out of all three of his daughters she's the most like him. Kadra is only sixteen years old and could rival any capo in the family. I’ve witnessed what she can do with just her knife.
We have all grown up together but that doesn’t mean we get along. I’m the closest to Lorenzo and Arianna, and Valentino and Kadra formed an unlikely friendship at a young age. I still remember them bonding over who could make a man bleed faster and without getting any of the blood or bodily substances on them.
I scan the room for the youngest Parisi girl, Mila Areya. The sweet but lost girl that reminds me so much of my Cara.
Mila is a mix of her two sisters. She has Arianna’s wavy blond hair and Kadra’s cat-like yellow eyes. Mila and my two sisters are thick as thieves and I’m kind of relieved that my girls had Mila as a friend, and not the other two psycho sisters.
Just like my Cara is judged within the family, Mila is as well. She was born special, but the Holy Trinity deemed her as damaged goods. The sweet girl was born with a developmental brain disorder, known as Asperger’s syndrome. Mila falls somewhere along the autism spectrum. In our eyes, she is perfect but not a lot of people agree. She is awkward in social interactions, sometimes she has issues with communicating with others and she has difficulty interpreting nonverbal communication.
I remember one time I said some sarcastic shit around her, and she just looked at me with a bored and confused look on her face, but she still smiled. She might have trouble understanding other’s emotions but, in that moment, she didn’t want me to feel bad about my joke and she offered me her beautiful smile.
Cara and Mila are the hearts of our families and we would do anything to keep them from harm.
Our eyes meet and I’m shocked to find no warmth in her gaze. She must know what happened to her sister, shit or it can also be the consequence of growing up in a family that takes away your innocence before the age of fifteen. We are groomed to be ruthless and savages from an early age, we need to be strong and capable to lead not only one family but three. Civilians need to not only follow and respect us but fear us as well.
The time for the next generation of the Holy Trinity to rule over Detroit has come. Our fathers before us went to war with the Nicolasi family and lost every single time. That is why today we have control over a third part of this city but the Nicolasi family still holds more power than the rest of us.
Something that will change the moment they name me the next Don. We all want it but only one of us will reign over Detroit city. My father won’t accept failure and won’t accept the Volpe family to be second best for far longer. I have my task and I need to fulfill
my duty to the family.
The key is fear.
Fear makes even the bravest of men fall in line, bend to our will and fall they will.
And the principessa will fall on her knees but only for me.
ANDREA
This morning while I was having breakfast alone as per usual, Benedetto joined me and turned my world upside down for the second time in the matter of two weeks.
He wants me to lead his family.
A crime family, nevertheless.
What...the...hell.
I know he runs legitimate businesses; they all do but the real money maker is the illegal stuff. The casinos, strip clubs and gun trade. I’m not sure if Benedetto deals with drugs, mom never mentioned if he does but I don’t doubt it. The drug trade is where the good money's at. I suspect he deals in many illicit activities outside of Detroit, his reach goes beyond this city.
The other day I was snooping and heard him in his study having a heated conversation with a scary looking older Russian man.
Benedetto addressed the man as Solonik.
Vitali Solonik.
I swear I’ve heard that name before, but I just can’t seem to remember where.
I didn’t have time to catch everything they were discussing before one of the maids interrupted my snooping. What I did know is that by the desperate tone in Benedetto’s voice, nothing good can come of that allegiance.
It is basic knowledge that Italians and Russian don’t get along.
Their argument proved it.
I was wondering why Benedetto was so eager for me to be here, especially since he was absent my entire life.
As the oldest of the three Nicolasi grandchildren he believes it is my duty to be the next boss. I call bullshit, he needs something from me.
He believes I will be Demetrio’s successor.
I refuse to be his puppet.
He has two grandsons that were born in this lifestyle and from what I can tell, they both seem to want this. The two psycho twins love the chaos and recklessness of this life, I do not. I do not want to be the boss and I will never be one of them. Once I turn eighteen, I will be out of here.
My thoughts are interrupted by my grandfather's deep and down-to-business voice. “Most of you know the time to choose the next three bosses of each family is fast approaching.” — He stares at every single one of us in the eyes. — “Three of you will rule over your own families but only one of you will lead The Holy Trinity and rule over this city.”
The Holy Trinity of Detroit city. The three most ruthless and influential crime families in this city, well in the entire country, technically speaking.
Nicolasi.
Volpe.
Parisi.
“Mio figlio Deme is no longer with us but in his place, he left his daughter, mia cara Andrea.” He is staring at me now and as much as he tries to hide his disdain for me behind his devoted grandfather act, it is obvious to see there is no warmth in his eyes.
Only threats.
I can feel the tension rise in the room and although they all probably already knew this; it is abundantly clear that they don’t want me here nor do they believe I should be the leader of their shitty crime organization.
I am an intruder in their eyes.
I don’t intend to lead shit, only make them sweat a little.
Benedetto has no clue that he just made my time in this place more difficult by the looks of it. I ignore the hateful stares and give my undivided attention to my grandfather. I need to know exactly what I am against and dealing with. These people know a lot more about the Holy Trinity and how they operate. They have lived this criminal life for far longer than I have.
I only came here by force and to maybe find out more about my father. I did not come here to lead a fucking crime family let along three.
I know shit about the criminal world, plus, this is not the life I want for myself. I want to be back home, safe in my mother’s world and doing what I love.
My mom’s legacy.
I have been keeping track of mom’s company and what’s going on back in New York since I left a few weeks ago. The media does not know what happened to me and the last time they saw me was at my mother’s wake. I’m sure paparazzi took photos of me leaving the chapel with Benedetto and his team of goons, but he went through great lengths to keep them from releasing those photos and statements. I don't even want to know how he managed to do that, but most likely he threatened someone’s life, livelihood or he threw his money and status around to get what he wanted.
Lorenzo, the less than smart twin brother, opens his big mouth and shares his two unwanted cents. “I don’t think sketching pretty dresses and doing naked photoshoots makes dear Andrea capable of leading three crime families.” he snorts. “Get real, grandpa.” He laughs at my expense.
“I’m a model not a pornstar, you idiot.”, I fire back. The poor dumbass actually believes he could hurt my feelings.
That only makes Lorenzo laugh louder, a genuine laugh.
He is so damn weird.
Benedetto rewards Lorenzo with a furious glare but carries on.
“Now onto more important matters, the Trinity Ceremony is fast approaching, and you need to accomplish the tasks given by the current boss of each family. You will need to do everything that is asked of you and prove yourself worthy. These tasks will push your limits, break your mind and soul.” Benedetto stares at each one of us in the eyes. “Man or woman it does not matter, you are equals and as such you will be treated. Only the most ruthless and cunning will reign over this city. It is my time to step down as the boss of all three families and now that Andrea has come home, it is the perfect time for a new leader to be chosen.” He turns to me and he has this weird and calculating look on his face.
I swear I don’t understand this.
Only one will have the honor of being called the Don and Benedetto wants me to be part of this. Why? Why me, when he has two grandsons that are clearly more qualified to be made than me?
The room goes completely silent. From what I learnt they’ve all grown up together, the three families as one. The ties that bind them together will be broken beyond repaired once they choose between their brothers and sisters for the title of capo.
I scan the room and pay close attention to all of them. Lorenzo is playing with the rings on his fingers with a serious look on his face. I notice how he taps one ring four times before he takes it off and does the same exact thing all over again. I must sound like a broken record by now but there is something seriously wrong with him. He has these weird habits and ticks that no sane person does. On the far-left corner of the room, Valentino is standing looking bored. I don’t even think he heard anything Benedetto just said. He seems far away from here.
I look to my right and see the Volpe children standing tall and strong like a united front. Lucan has a smug look on his face, acting like he already has this in the bag, while his sisters are quiet and observing the scene before them. They both are the perfect picture of good Italian girls.
The Volpe family stands united but the Parisi sisters stand like enemies; right next to each other but inches apart. They look ready for combat and not like a united front at all.
Arianna is looking through her phone like she gives two shits about everything that just left Benedetto’s mouth. There is something about that girl that’s almost scary. How can someone so beautiful and angelic looking and act so frigid and cold, especially towards her sisters.
I learnt the other girls’ names; Kadra is the middle sister and Mila the youngest. Kadra has this dark energy all around her, like she is about to explode at any given moment and take us all to hell with her. Unlike her older sister, she doesn’t look cold or frigid, she looks angry. I’m not easily scared but the pain and anger behind her cat-like yellow eyes, are a lethal combination. The youngest Parisi is standing far away from her sisters, like she can’t bear to be next to them.
Her small hands are shaking; she’s nervous. For herself?
Her sisters?
Who knows? But one thing I am sure of.
For one to rule, the other must fall.
Benedetto’s voice cuts through my thoughts like a double-edged knife.
“Andrea, for the next couple of weeks you will be trained to defend yourself. One on one combat, shooting range, knife, and gun training.”, he motions for the silent man that has been here the entire time but was so quiet and undetected that I failed to notice his presence.
Oh, just great.
He won’t let this go.
How will I get out of this?
He must’ve noticed the annoyed look on my face. “I know this is new to you. That is why one of my most trusted men will train you under my supervision.” — He points to the man in the corner of the room. — “This is Rian, he will train you in one-on-one combat for the next couple of weeks leading up to the ceremony.” — The handsome stranger nods once in my direction and goes back to standing in the shadows.
I sense movement out of the corner of my eyes, so I turn and catch Lucan glaring at Rian while playing with his pocketknife. If looks could kill, my new trainer would be on the other end of Lucan’s knife.
And what is his deal?
He is seriously giving me whiplash.
Benedetto dismisses us with one final statement. “Che vinca il migliore uomo o donna.”, he gives me one last look before I head out of his office. “In bocca al lupo.”
May the best man or woman win.
Good luck.
14
Quattordici
THE HOLY TRINITY
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall who’s the baddest bitch of them all?” - Unknown
ANDREA
Andrea The Beginning (Holy Trinity, #1) Page 7