The Vatican
◆◆◆
Copyright 2020 Monica Clayton
Published by M.E. Clayton
All Rights Reserved
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. The entire content is a product of the author’s imagination and all names, places, businesses and incidences are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), places or occurrences, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner, whatsoever, without the express written consent from the author, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Formatting: Smashwords
Cover: Adobe Stock
Warning: This book contains sexual situations and other adult themes. Recommended for 18 years of age and over
Table of Contents
◆◆◆
Author's Note
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Prologue
1. Saveria
2. Francisco
3. Saveria
4. Francisco
5. Saveria
6. Francisco
7. Saveria
8. Francisco
9. Saveria
10.Francisco
11. Saveria
12. Francisco
13. Saveria
14. Francisco
15. Saveria
16. Francisco
17. Saveria
18. Francisco
19. Saveria
20. Francisco
Epilogue
Playlist
About the Author
Other Books
Contact Me
Newsletter Sign-Up
Author’s Note
◆◆◆
Just a couple of things before I let you go and get your read on. While I am doing my best to work with better editing and proofreading software, all my books are solo, independent works. I write my books, proofread my books, edit my books, create the covers, etc. I have one beta who gives me feedback on my stories, but other than that, all my books are independent projects.
That being said, I apologize, in advance, for the typos, grammar inconsistencies, or any other mistakes I may make. Since writing is strictly a hobby for me, I haven’t looked for commitments in regard to publishers, editors, etc. My hope is that my stories are enjoyable enough that a few mistakes, here and there, can be overlooked. If not, my books are probably not for you.
Also, I am an avid reader-I mean an AVID reader. I love to read above any other hobby. One of the things about reading that hurts my heart, though, is when I fall in love with a book, but I have to wait for the additional books in the series to be released. Because I feel that disappointment down to my soul, I vowed that if I ever write a series, all books will be published at once. Nope-no waiting over here…LOL. So, if you are reading one of my books, but can’t find any other books on the secondary characters of that book, that means the book is a standalone project.
Now, that being said, if there are enough requests for the secondary characters’ stories, I try to accommodate that. So, it is possible for a series to develop unexpectedly. Should that happen, I will do my best to release the rest of the requested book all at once.
Thank You! You are truly making my dreams come true!
Note: This book was never meant to be written. My beta liked The Holy Trinity so much, she wanted me to write a spinoff with the children. Well, had I known she was going to want to read about the children, I would never have given them so many damn kids…LOL. So, instead, I compromised and gave her a story about Luca and Remy’s first born. It just felt that if any of the kids should get a story, it’d be the one who is destined to take over one day.
Acknowledgements
◆◆◆
The first acknowledgement will always be my husband (unless we ever divorce, then probably not so much after that), but seeing as how I can’t imagine that day ever coming, I can’t ever put myself out there without thanking him for all his love, support and belief in me.
Second, there’s my family; my daughter, my son, my grandchildren, my sister, and my mother. They are the people who love me the most, know me the best, and love me dearly, despite all they know…LOL!
And, of course, there’s Kamala. She insists that I don’t have to thank her in every book, but my love for her and gratitude for all her support and enthusiasm, claims otherwise. She’s the first person (outside my family) that I shared this dream with, and she’s been by my side every step of the way. Kam, you really are the best kind of friend!
And, finally, I’d like to thank everyone who’s purchased, read, reviewed, shared, and supported me and my writing. Thank you so much for helping make this dream a reality and a happy, fun one at that! There are not enough ‘Thank You’s in the world.
Dedication
◆◆◆
For Kamala-
I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me and continue to do as one of the best people I know, and one of the greatest people I’ve been able to call a friend.
For Heather-
I don’t say it enough, but I appreciate you in a way you’ll never know. Thank you for being there during the roughest time in my life, but also for just being my friend.
I love you, both!
Luca & Remy Benetti
Francisco Phoenix Benetti – 24-yrs-old – born September 21st, 2021
Cira Roberta Benetti – 23-yrs-old – born July 28th, 2022
Angelo Salvatore Benetti – 21-yrs-old – born May 18th, 2024
Emilio Leonardo Benetti – 19-yrs-old – born March 22nd, 2026
◆◆◆
Phoenix & Francesca Fiore
Vincent Aurelio Fiore – 26-yrs-old – born September 15th, 2019
Luca Saveria Fiore – 24-yrs-old – born November 7th, 2021
Dante Benito Fiore – 23-yrs-old – born October 12th, 2022
◆◆◆
Ciro & Roberta Mancini
Mattia Remy Mancini – 25-yrs-old – born May 16th, 2020
Camilla Isa Mancini – 24-yrs-old – born March 18th, 2021
Bianca Micaela Mancini – 22-yrs-old – born September 26th, 2023
Georgia Lena Mancini –20-yrs-old – born April 4th, 2025
Massimo Marco Mancini – 18-yrs-old – born June 17th, 2027
Prologue
2021~
It’s A Boy!
Francisco Phoenix Benetti
Born: September 21st, 2021
8 lbs. – 6oz.
21 inches
*****
It’s A Girl!
Luca Saveria Fiore
Born: November 7th, 2021
7 lbs. – 3 oz.
19 inches
Chapter 1
Saveria – (Twenty-Four Years Later)~
Cira Benetti was driving me insane.
Absolutely. Insane.
No matter how many times we did the math, she just refused to accept that we did not, indeed, outnumber the men in our family. Between her parents, my parents, and Uncle Ciro and Aunt Robbie, there were exactly six boys and six girls
in our generation. But if you included her Uncle Sal and Uncle Leo’s children, the males outnumbered us by five.
But. The. Girl. Just. Wouldn’t. Budge.
For the past two years, she’s been in my ear about how we could easily take over the Benetti Empire if we would just band together to overthrow the elders. Those elders being our freakin’ fathers and her uncles.
The girl was nuts.
Besides, growing up being a part of the Benetti Mafia Family, she should know better than anyone else that you can’t just…anything. Now, Cira was smart as a whip. She was beautiful, talented, and cunning. She just happened to also be spoiled. The men in her family babied the shit out of her when she was younger, and she never shook it off entirely as we grew into adulthood.
I loved the girl to death, but her plans to take over needed a lot of work.
Growing up, I was the middle child between my older brother, Vincent, and my younger brother, Dante. Vincent was twenty-six, and the oldest out of all us kids, and Dante was twenty-three. Between my parents, Phoenix and Francesca Fiore, my Uncle Ciro and his wife, Roberta Mancini, and, though not by blood, my Uncle Luca and his wife, Remy Benetti, us kids ranged from ages nineteen to twenty-six.
And every single one of us had been, or was being, groomed to take their rightful place as a Benetti in the crime family that was the Benetti Organization.
Francisco Benetti-named after my mother, because she and Uncle Luca were super close-was the heir to the throne, so to speak. In a few years, he will become the Benetti Underboss, but until he took his rightful place, Uncle Salvatore was holding the spot down for him.
The rest of us were to be utilized in whichever areas we could contribute to the best. College had been an option for all of us, but it was mostly the girls who had gone or who would go. The males, even the young ones, already knew who they were and where they were going in life; they didn’t need college for that.
I was one of the ones who chose college. I knew I’d end up working for Uncle Luca, but I wanted my reputation in the organization to be one that portrayed me as smart, ambitious, and brave. I didn’t want anyone thinking I was being treated with kid gloves because of who my parents were. It also didn’t help that my name was Luca Saveria Fiore. Or that Uncle Luca was my godfather on top of that. Or that, as rumor has it, he used to take me everywhere with him when I was a baby. Or that, thanks to Uncle Luca, I knew the ins and outs of the Benetti Organization better than anyone else.
Including his own sons.
So, that’s why I knew Cira’s half-ass plans to overthrow all the men in power would fail, even with Uncle Ciro’s girls thrown into the mix. And let me teeellllll you, those four were as cutthroat as you could get. Mattia, Camilla, Bianca, and Georgia Mancini were the reason every guy in our families slept with one eye open. Those girls wreaked havoc wherever they went, and God forbid you mess with their baby brother, Massimo. Even though Massimo was nineteen, and clearly well on his way to earning a position in the Benetti Family, those golden-eyed mercenaries adored their little brother.
The most respectful of the lot were the Benetti Brothers, though. Francisco, Angelo, and Emilio were the real thing; true Benetti Royalty. They were princes and Cira was the only princess. We all had our strengths, and we all had our weaknesses, but even on our weakest day, we were still a formidable group.
As we had been raised to be.
The problem with all of Cira’s plans to take over was that she ignored the lack of brute strength in her plans. While we were every bit as intelligent and cunning as our male counterparts, we lacked the experience of actually torturing or killing someone on a regular basis. While Cira was off getting her nails done, Emilio Benetti, at only nineteen, was already killing grown ass men. Now, I wasn’t opposed to a woman in power, but her plans needed just a bit more work.
Hanging up with her, I started thinking about our mothers. They were all just as strong, intelligent, and formidable as our fathers, but the way they balanced that line between being strong and independent, and still bowing to their husbands when it was necessary, never ceased to amaze me. The respect between the couples was impressive and inspiring. My mom was the bookkeeper of all the legitimate business they owned, while my father was…not. Aunt Robbie handled all the legitimate real estate properties they owned, while Uncle Ciro…dabbled in other things. And Aunt Remy was head of security for all the legitimate business and real estate, while Uncle Luca…was Uncle Luca. And Uncle Sal and Uncle Leo were completely devoted to everything else Benetti.
Growing up, all this was normal, even though we knew it wasn’t. We’d grown up with guards, guns, and violence. We’d been protecting ourselves and each other since birth. All of us, we’d always known what we were about. And the entire Benetti Family had always known us kids were going to infiltrate the organization slowly, but surely. And, whether Cira realized it or not, the fact that the females of our generation were outnumbers by the males was the only reason the old school elders felt comfortable with us girls coming on board. See, we were destined to do what our mothers were never allowed to do, and that’s get our hands dirty.
I had no problem killing a man.
Sure, I had graduated from college with a degree in Science of Criminal Justice, but the degree wasn’t obtained to save the world, or anything magnanimous as that. It was to help improve how to keep anyone in the organization from getting arrested and thrown in jail. It’s been two years since I graduated, and I’ve been working with Vincent, who reported directly to Uncle Sal, ever since.
While I was twenty-four, Cira was twenty-three. She had gone to college, too, and had gotten a degree in Forensic Science and she worked with Mia Rossi, creating crazy shit for Uncle Ciro. Maybe that’s why Cira thought we could take over. She must not be wearing her protective gear and whatever chemicals she and Mia used were frying her brain.
My phone rang, pulling me from my thoughts, and when I saw the name flashing across the screen, I smiled.
Geno.
I met Geno a couple of months ago at one of Uncle Ciro’s clubs, The Emerald. It had been a Friday night and a bunch of us girls had gone out to unwind. Well, those of us who were of legal age. Even though Morgan City bowed to the Benettis, we weren’t all assholes. We followed basic laws, and even if we didn’t, there’s no way the men in our family would allow the younger girls to go out and get drunk like idiots.
Geno had been sitting at the end of the bar, minding his own damn business, when I had tripped on my heels and faceplanted in his chest. The second he grabbed my shoulders to steady me, two armed guards had hauled him away, and thrown him out of the club.
I had been pissed.
Ignoring all protocol, I had chased them out into the sidewalk and lost my shit on the guards. After ten minutes of me unleashing holy hell, Geno was escorted back into the bar, where I put his drinks on the house and never stopped apologizing for the misunderstanding. My personal guard, Mica, had stayed close by, but the club guards had gone back to our VIP section after I had given them the what for.
Geno and I had ended up talking all night.
I answered the phone. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, Ria.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “You busy?”
“Just settling down for the night,” I told him. “What about you?”
“I just walked in,” he said. Geno was a year older than me and a real estate broker. He worked mostly in commercial properties and lived just outside the city. He told me he liked privacy and running around the city all day or being stuck in the office made him appreciate the solitude of living outside of town.
“Long day?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he replied. “I was calling to ask you to dinner tomorrow night, but it’s been a hell of a week, and I was hoping you’d have mercy on me and let me just come over with a pizza.”
I wasn’t sure what was going on between Geno and me, but I knew I wouldn’t mind finding out what this could be. We haven’t kissed, or gotten familia
r in any way, but I saw something in him that had the potential to lead to something.
I wasn’t stupid. I knew who my family was, and I knew that not just any guy could become a part of what we were. I’d have to date someone a long ass time before he proved himself enough to be brought into the fold. It’s probably why all my relationships have always been casual. I could always tell right off if a man had what it took to date me seriously, and I’ve yet to meet a man who did.
I was hoping Geno would be different.
I laughed. “Pizza, after a long week, sounds perfect.”
“Is it okay if it’s an early dinner?” he asked. “I have to go out of town Saturday, and I need to get to bed early to prepare me for the drive.”
“No problem,” I said. “Just text me when you’re ready to come over.” This would be only the second time Geno’s been to my condo and I knew I’d have to meet him up front or the guards would never let him in the building.
“Perfect,” he replied. “Now, tell me about your day.”
We talked for an hour, and even if there weren’t any butterflies right now, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t come later. We were just friends, but…you never know what could happen.
Chapter 2
Francisco~
Cira was driving me fucking crazy.
Absolutely. Crazy.
If I didn’t think it’d upset Mom so much, I’d put a pillow over that girl’s face and put us all out of our misery. The girl wanted my job so badly, it’s a wonder she hasn’t smothered me with a fucking pillow by now.
I loved my sister.
Hand-to-God, I did.
Cira was…Cira. There wasn’t anyone else around like her. But she was fucking nuts. Sure, Uncle Ciro’s girls were bloodthirsty hooligans, but even as the brutal little mercenaries that they were, they still knew their fucking place. Yeah, this wasn’t early America, and women have come a long fucking way, but it was still a man’s world. Even when America elected its first female president ten years ago, it was still a man’s world. And it will always be a man’s world, because at the end of it all, women were not designed to protect men. It was our job to protect women, and as long as we were born, bred, and raised to know our place, this was going to be a man’s world because men were the protectors. Men were warriors. Men were the hunters and the providers. A woman could be smarter than I was. She could make more money than I did. She could not, however, take a bullet for me.
The Vatican: (Standalone) (The Holy Trinity Series Book 5) Page 1