by Amy Rachiele
Knock, knock.
“Megan must have forgotten something,” I convey to my dad and double back to the front door.
My heart races when I peek through the lace and see that it isn’t Megan.
Troy!
I turn the locks and open it.
“Hi, Alessandra.”
“I like him already. He calls you by your full name,” Dad calls from his chair.
“You look great.”
“Um…” I am flustered by the sight of Troy. I don’t know how he can say I look great. My cheek is marked for life. The bite from Gus left a scar.
“Invite him in, San!” Dad hums with excitement. What the hell?
“Uh… Come in.” I move aside and allow Troy in, truly shocked to see him.
“Hello, Mr. Maranzano.” Troy walks toward my father.
“Have a seat.” Dad points to the couch. “Just push those over.” Troy uses his hand to nudge aside the stuffed animals. The new living room has been sucked up by Troy’s presence. Butterflies dance in my stomach watching him have a conversation with my Dad.
“Thank you for allowing me to come over.”
“Well, Vito speaks very highly of you.” Troy smiles.
“I’m here because I would like to ask your permission to date Alessandra.”
I am watching all of this like I’m outside the window looking in. What? How?
“That is up to her. But you have my permission.” Dad has a knowing look on his face and when he glances at me he flashes me a crooked smile.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I take Troy’s hand, pulling him off the couch and yanking him into the kitchen. “What are you doing?” I half-whisper.
“Vito coached me.” Troy seems very proud of himself. “He said the proper way to handle this was to go to through your father.”
I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready for anything. I have an urge to go back upstairs and crawl into bed. I don’t want Troy to get hurt. He could have been killed. The bullet that went through Celia was meant for him. He is too nice of a guy for this.
“We can’t,” I say. It hurts but it is the right thing to do. “We can’t be together.”
Troy is confused.
“I thought you cared about me. After all we’ve been through… You won’t take my calls. You just up and left me.”
“I do care about you. But you have to understand. I’m broken… scarred… and my life is full of very dangerous people.”
“I know all of that.”
“But I can’t deal with anything happening to you.”
“I want you, Alessandra, and everything that comes with you.” Troy pulls me to him and crushes his lips with mine. “I love you,” he professes.
My resolve fails and I want him with every part of me. He is amazing and I immediately melt into him. Megan’s words pop into my head. This is his choice. I can’t change my family or where I came from. If he wants me and he is ready to accept everything that comes with me then I want him too.
I pull Troy down to me and kiss him. He crushes me to his chest like he is never going to let go.
“Eh!” my father calls out. “What are you two doing in there!?”
We jump apart, laughing.
“Nothing!” I yell back.
I wrap my arms around Troy and hug him. He hugs me too and that comfortable, settled feeling I had at Notre Dame comes flooding back. Through this horrifying experience something good came out of it. I got my Troy, and I am never letting go.
Epilogue
Troy
“Alessandra! We’re going to be late!”
She clops into the living room of our small apartment in her high heels. Stunning is the only word to describe her.
“No, we aren’t. We have time.” She snatches her purse off the coffee table and tosses lipstick and tissues into it.
“It’s the first day of spring semester,” I tell her. “I’d like to be there a little early. I don’t know this place very well.” She hands me my notebook and grabs her own. “Thanks.” She angles her face up and places a swift chaste kiss to my lips. That isn’t enough for me. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to me, kissing her long and hard.
“Now who is making us late,” Alessandra jokes with me.
We take the elevator to the street level of the brownstone we are living in off Harvard campus. Alessandra hands me the keys and we pop into her car. I start it up and drive the couple of miles to school.
“It’s near Memorial Hall,” she reminds me.
“Got it.” I find a parking spot right near the entrance. Getting out, I grab our notebooks and Alessandra straightens her purse strap on her shoulder.
“You ready?” I ask.
“Absolutely,” she replies, radiant in the sunlight.
Holding hands, we walk toward our English class. “I hope this teacher is more interesting than the guy you had at Notre Dame.”
“Me too,” I agree.
“Don’t forget that they are all coming this weekend to check this place out.”
“How could I forget?” I pull her to me and kiss her forehead.
Antonio, Megan, and Alessandra’s father are going to be visiting. Checking up on me is more like it. I don’t care, this has been the best decision we’ve made. I can’t imagine a different future.
Plans aren’t chiseled into stone. They are guidelines for the big picture. Sometimes a fresh start is all that you need. All roads led to where I am today. I didn’t cross over to the dark side. I was already here, unintentionally. Secrets cover the entire existence of the mob. I didn’t look for this, it found me. I have ended up exactly where I am supposed to be, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Dear Reader,
I hope that you enjoyed Mobster’s Bones. Please contact me at [email protected] or visit me at http://www.amyrachiele.com if you have any questions or just want to say hi.
If you are inclined to do so, I would love for you to review Mobster’s Bones. Your feedback and input are invaluable to a novelist.
Thank you for spending time in the Mafia world.
To get the first three books in the series for free visit, www.amyrachiele.com under FREE EBOOKS, Mobster Series Anniversary Edition w/ Bonus Epilogue.
In gratitude,
Amy Rachiele
Books by Amy Rachiele:
Mobster’s Girl (1)
Awakening the Mobster (2)
Mobster’s Vendetta (3)
Mobster’s Angel (4)
Mobster’s Bones (5)
Frosted Over
Silencing Joy
Shrapnel’s Kiss (Military Romance)
Under Pen Name: A.T. DeWinter:
Vampire’s Need (Historical Paranormal Romance)
Coming Soon:
(Add to your To Be Read-TBR list)
Mobster’s Gamble (Chicago Mob Series Book 1)
Follow the Blood Lines (Paranormal Crime)
Under Pen Name: A.T. DeWinter
Hellwalkers Book 1: A Walk in Hell (Paranormal Romance)
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