by M. K. Moore
Benicio’s Dilemma
Valladares Family Saga, Book One
M.K. Moore
Benicio’s Dilemma (Valladares Family Saga, Book One)
By MK Moore
© MK Moore 2019
All Rights Reserved
By the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for brief quotations used in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.
This book is intended for adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Erotic Adult Romance.
Cover created by KL Fast
Created with Vellum
Contents
BLURB
Music that inspired Benicio’s Dilemma
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Other books by MK Moore
About the Author
Dedicated to Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello.
Thank you for inspiring me beyond belief. Everyone deserves a "friendship" like yours.
BLURB
Benicio
I needed what I couldn't have.
Then I got the green light to take what's mine.
Pilar
Sheltered as I was, I didn't know he existed.
Now he's my whole world.
We'll Bonnie and Clyde it until the day we die.
This is book one of the La Familia Valladares saga. The Valladares and Balzan families are about to merge in a way that was previously unheard of.
Caution: This novella may contain situations of violence and too hot for your Kindle scenes, though not together.
Music that inspired Benicio’s Dilemma
Señorita- Shawn Mendes ft. Camila Cabello
Shameless- Camila Cabello
Havana- Camila Cabello ft Young Thug
Into It- Camila Cabello
Never Be The Same -Camila Cabello
Give Me Everything- Pitbull
Baddest Girl In Town- Pitbull ft. Mohombi & Wisin
Hotel Room Service- Pitbull
Tu Cuerpo- Pitbull ft. Jencarlos
Rain Over Me- Pitbull ft. Marc Anthony
South of The Border- Ed Sheeran ft. Camila Cabello & Cardi B.
El Beso del Final- Christina Aguilera
Prologue
October 1, 2019
Benecio Valladares
Greenhill, New Jersey is the place I call home. About thirty minutes from New York City, we have everything here. It’s a nice place to live but I’ve been biding my time. I have been waiting for the girl of my dreams to grow the fuck up.
Living with my parents, Hector and Sophia, isn’t hard. They give me my space and I appreciate that. Familia, Honor, y Poder is our motto. We live by it and we die by it. It’s tattooed on my arm as a daily reminder that family, honor, and power are everything to me.
As a capo and cleaner for my father, I have been in some sticky situations before. I rarely have to kill, but when I do, it’s a dire situation for all involved. I am the message bringer. If I kill you, you and yours are being warned by me and mine. I like to get up close and personal with my kills. Blood and guts don’t bother me in the slightest. Being Catholic, I know that I should feel guilty about the lives I have taken, or the lives the other members of my family have taken, but I don’t. Not in the fucking least. We don’t kill those who don’t deserve it. God and I have an understanding and so far, it’s working out. Sometimes, the only way to get your point across is to kill. Besides, in my world, it’s kill or be killed and I have no desire to die at twenty-five.
Since I was about nine, I have been in training to be who I am today. My father and his men taught me everything I know. From how to use a gun properly to cleaning up a crime scene, I have a whole arsenal of information to keep my family and myself safe from harm and detection from the police. Not that we don’t have them in our pocket.
I had a late night. I was out until five-thirty cleaning death sites. My brothers killed three guys, in three different places. I got the first call at nine from Eco which wasn’t too late. By the time I finished with that one, Junior called with two bodies for me. Of course, it was exhausting. I was woken up at eight to be in the dining room by eight-fifteen for a meeting.
I don’t have too long to wonder why my father called this meeting. He breezes into the room like he rules the world, and in a way, I guess he does. As the head of the Valladares Crime Family, he owns pretty much any room anywhere. He sets down a pile of manila folders on the table with a slight thud.
“Boys, inside these folders are your future. I have met with four of the other heads of families. We have no choice but to unite forces against the Popov family. They are systematically killing our men. Each family has lost at least one enforcer in the last couple of weeks. They want to take over East Coast Operations and we can’t let that happen. Marriage is the most sure-fire way to unite. I have decided who is best suited to you based on these dossiers.” Shit. Someone is going to need to warn Ivy. My little sister can be headstrong, and she’ll ditch her protection detail at the first sign of something not going her way.
“Dad, you can’t be serious,” I say without thinking. No one goes against Hector, Sr. and if they do, they regret it. Though he’s not gotten his hands dirty since before Junior was born. My mother is the only person he gives leeway too. He lets his queen get away with anything. Despite our shall we say less than conventional upbringing, we know what true love looks like.
“I have never been more serious about anything, Benny. If you want a place in this family, you’ll do as you are told.” I just nod and keep quiet for the rest of the speech. To be honest, I tuned most of it out. When Junior, stands up, Dad leaves the room. Fuck, I hope I didn’t miss too much, but I’ll be damned if I ask questions about it now. My brothers already think I have my head in the clouds.
“How should we do this?” he asks, laughing. I know my brothers well enough to know they think this is insane, but they will go along with it.
“Just pass the damn things out,” I say, grabbing the first folder I see. I am angry with my father, but there isn’t really anything I can do about it, short of killing him and taking his place as the head of the family. I’d never do that though: Familia, honor, y poder.
I watch as Eco and Junior open theirs, then immediately exchange folders with each other causing me to chuckle. I guess they wanted someone else. I open mine and see her picture. I had no intention of actually doing this, but she is the girl who has haunted my dreams for far too long. Someone would have to pry this folder from my cold, dead hands before I’d ever let her go.
Maria del Pilar Balzan has been the object of my obsession since I first
saw her, maybe six months ago now. She was underage then, but I was obsessed, nonetheless. Angel Balzan kept his only daughter under lock and key. If she were my daughter, I’d have done the same damn thing. I didn’t even know she existed until I delivered some paperwork to her father from mine. She was playing the piano in their living room and looked so damn beautiful that I had brief thoughts of kidnapping her and making her mine in every fucking way so they couldn’t take her away from me. Prison be damned.
Who would have thought that Mozart's Requiem Mass in D minor would have such an effect on me? She shouldn’t have been playing such somber music, she is much too everything for that. Angel had to snap me out of my daze. I was just staring into space.
“She’s seventeen. Eyes front,” he demanded, slapping me on the back of my head.
I apologized, though I didn’t mean it. I could never be sorry that I saw her. I chanced one more look at her. Her eyes were on mine, then she smiled.
I was hooked. Beyond hooked. Obsessed. Possessed. Tormented. Bewitched.
When I left that afternoon, I did what any sane man would do. I dug up every single thing I could find on her and stored the information for a later date.
Now, she is being handed to me on a silver platter and I don’t need to be told twice. Without a word to my brothers, I leave the room, folder gripped tightly in my hand.
I am going to claim my sweet, barely legal señorita and this time nothing will stop me.
Chapter One
Benny
Leaving the house, I climb into one of my cars. I choose my fastest for this purpose. It’s a 2019 black Maserati Ghibli GranLusso. I recently purchased it directly from the manufacturer. At $85,000 it better be the best fucking thing to ever come off an assembly line. My obsession lives a couple of townships over, in South Plainfield, but it’s still in Middlesex County. Unfortunately, as its eight-thirty on a Tuesday morning, it's slow going. Rush hour on Interstate 287 is total gridlock. Living this close to the city has its disadvantages too. My first stop is at my bank to pull my great-grandmother, Amara’s, engagement ring from my safety deposit box. It was the one thing I’ve inherited that wasn’t money, yet it’s priceless.
Finally, at damn near ten, I wait at the gate until it’s opened for me and then I screech up her driveway, coming to a halt near the front steps. The front door opens and Angel Balzan himself steps out onto the porch, just as I close my car door. I button my suit jacket as I walk toward him. He is impeccably dressed in a grey suit. I am similarly dressed in a navy suit. There are no outward signs in either of our appearances that says we kill people for a living.
"I gotta say, son, I expected you much sooner this morning," he says extending his hand which I shake.
"Traffic. Where is she?" I demand. The only thing that ever kept me from claiming her before today was her age. Today happens to be her eighteenth birthday. Even without the edict from my father, this day was coming and coming fast. I even spent five hundred dollars to ensure a midnight delivery of flowers for her.
"Short Hills Mall. Picking out her wedding dress," he says.
"So, she knows I'm coming for her?"
"She knows someone is. I didn't say who and she is mighty pissed about who it could possibly be."
"Why didn't you tell her?" I demand.
"An old man has to have his fun," he replies shrugging his shoulders.
"You really are a bastard," I say without venom.
"Come in out of the rain. Wait for your bride inside," he says chuckling. I follow him into the house. I have been so focused on her for months that I didn't even realize it was raining. I need to get my head out of the fucking clouds. She’s so close now. She’s almost mine. I just need to get through this last part. "Have you given any thought to where you will live?" He asks leading me into his office.
"No. I thought I'd discuss that with Pilar." Conversing with him is tedious right now. I just want my señorita.
"What a gentleman. Historically, a man goes to live with his wife's family. Are you willing to do that? Her mother would not like her to be too far away. I'd prefer to keep my wife happy. You'll understand one day, son. You can either take the East Wing of the house or one of the outlying houses on the property. You will still be able to work for your family until the merger is complete."
"I am agreeable with either of those options. Pilar can decide,” I say diplomatically.
"You are a good man. Her mother will be pleased."
"I definitely wouldn't want my new mother-in-law to be displeased with me." That sounds like a fucking nightmare, to be honest.
"Smart. Real smart. Lizzy is a godsend, but she can also conjure up the evil if you know what I mean. Want a whiskey?"
"It's ten in the morning," I deadpan.
"Your point?"
"No point really. I'd prefer coffee."
"Sure. Coming right up. Magda!" he shouts. A few seconds later, a stout older woman enters.
"Sí, señor?" Magda asks.
“A el Señor Valladares le gustaría un café,” he says and Magda bows before leaving the room.
“Why is your maid ninety years old?” I ask without thinking. I am sure men have died for less, but it’s out there now. I want my future father-in-law to see me as an equal, not a fucking pansy.
“She refuses to retire. I have offered her every perk under the sun and still, she refuses.”
“Loyalty,” I say, nodding.
“Probably. She has been with my family for fifty plus years.”
At this point, I am getting anxious for my Pilar to come home. I have begun to imagine her spread out for me. Now is not the time for such musings. I don't know how long I am spaced out for, but when I realize it, Angel is snapping his fingers in my face.
“What?” I question.
“Where is your head at?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” I say chuckling and shifting in my chair.
“Probably not then,” he says as Magda returns expertly holding a tray with coffee.
“Gracias señora,” I say taking the cup from the tray. I drink it black, so there is no need for me to utilize the cream and sugar she brought as well.
“De nada señor.” She is gone before I can say another word.
“Mr. Balzan, how long do you think she’ll be?” I ask, casually sipping my coffee as if my whole world isn’t about to change for the better. As if everything I’ve ever wanted isn’t at my fucking fingertips.
“Angel, please. We are going to be family. And you know women. I expect they will be shopping for most of the day.”
“I’ll let you get to work then Angel. I will show myself to the living room,” I say standing.
“No, no. We will chat.”
“Alright. What about?”
“Any women you need to cut out of your life?” he asks just as I take a sip of hot coffee and almost choke.
“Excuse me?”
“Mistresses, girlfriends. Anything of the like?”
“No. Not at all. Why do you ask?”
“I am going to give you some solid advice about my daughter. Pilar is fiery. She would never tolerate that type of behavior from her husband. She is also a devout Catholic if you understand my meaning. She has also been pretty sheltered. Not from the world mind you, just men. I never allowed her to date when she was younger. She went to an all-girls Catholic high school. She’s only been of age for a few hours.” I raise my hand.
“I am going to stop you right there. I am also devout, so she needn’t worry about that,” I say hoping to reassure him, but I also need him to stop talking.
I always knew that the only woman I’d ever sleep with would be my wife. Before I saw her, it was just a fact in my head. In the last six months, the image became clearer and there is no one but her and there never will be.
There is nothing I can do but wait and Pilar is worth the wait. I might be a virgin, but I will satisfy mi señorita, mi esposa in all fucking ways. Garantizado.
Chapt
er Two
Pilar Balzan
I could kill my father right now. How dare he trade me like horseflesh? I do love this dress though, I think, as I stare at myself in the trio of mirrors in front of me. It’s a vintage 1950s dress with gold embellishments embroidered throughout into the white cream lace. It’s completely backless but has a very deep v neckline, the sides of my boobs are showing, and it has a tight waist. The sleeves are also tight down to my wrists. The diamond tiara on my head sparkles under the fluorescent lights and the veil is long, covering my back. I look like a fucking badass queen, all that’s missing is a scepter and I bet if I asked for one, it would appear. I am almost tempted to. It would really complete the ensemble.
My mamá is fusing over the ten-foot train behind me. I smile. She is enjoying this much more than I am. Back to my father. Really, how could he do this to me? I have been eighteen for less than twenty-four hours. I even received a huge bouquet of flowers anonymously at midnight. How cool is that? I’ve never even kissed a man yet and I am being sold into an arranged marriage. I mean, I get it. He told me why he was doing what he was doing. Protecting the family is his top priority and I know he will do it by any means necessary. Not that I blame him. But why me? Why can’t one of my brothers get married off? I have four older brothers: Pablo, who is thirty. Fiero, who is twenty-eight. Dominick, who is twenty-six. Finally, there’s Carlos who is twenty-four. Anyone of them is better suited to marry for duty. They eat, sleep, and breathe this family. Pablo is ripe to take over for my father one day. The others are enforcers. Did I not mention we are the Balzan Crime Family?