Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
At least for now.
2
VINNIE
The weight of the world presses down on my shoulders as I sit in my grandfather’s office in an Austin skyscraper. It’s different from his study at his home, where the room is heavy with the scent of leather and old books and the walls are lined with the faces of my ancestors, their stern eyes watching me, judging me. I can almost hear their whispers, feel their expectations.
This office is sleek and modern. Polished glass walls overlook an expanse of cityscape, the hum of Austin's daily grind a white noise that filters through the silence. The floor is made of polished white marble, and a handful of abstract art deco paintings adorn the inner walls. The furniture is minimalist. A small table and chairs next to a small wet bar, and a mahogany desk crowning the room, the only nod toward tradition in an otherwise futuristic space. Across from the desk are two red plush wingback chairs.
I can't feel the judgmental gazes of my ancestors here. There are no prodding eyes carved into age-old oil portraits, no oppressive atmosphere of legacy. There are a handful of framed portraits of the family—though my father is noticeably absent from all of them—on the desk, but they face my grandfather, not me. The only face I see is the stoic one in front of me.
The face of the man I’ve come to know as evil incarnate.
This isn’t the life I wanted. I escaped it for over a decade, lost a brother and nearly a sister in the process. Watched my father go to prison for murdering Miles McAllister, the son of a rival family here in Texas.
And now?
This is the life I’ve been handed.
The life I came back to.
Willingly.
I had my reasons.
Mario Bianchi sits behind his desk, his gaze stern as he glares at me. He’s a hard man, ruthless and feared by many, including the McAllister family.
“I’m happy you’ve returned, Vincent,” he says. “I know you’ll make me proud of you.”
Right. I know my grandfather better than to take his words at face value. I fled to Europe after he showed me his true colors the year I turned eighteen. For him to be proud of me? To trust me?
I’m going to have to prove myself.
And it won’t be pretty.
I glance over my grandfather’s head and out the window at the city of Austin sprawling below, alive with its own pulse. I used to dream of a different life, one far away from the shadow of this family business. I left the country to make it happen, but I learned only that I am what my family made me.
Those dreams seem like distant memories now, replaced by the stark reality of what I must do.
My mother and sister are everything to me. Savannah is engaged to Falcon Bellamy, the son of a billionaire Texas rancher. Falcon’s an ex-con, and he’s strong and resilient. I watched him stay alert after several of my grandfather’s henchmen pummeled the shit out of him. Miles McAllister, who wanted—no, that’s not the right word. Was being forced—to marry Savannah, had a gun pointed to Falcon’s head when my father, Vincent Gallo Senior, shot Miles before he could take Falcon out.
But Falcon was ready to go. He’d do anything for Savannah. That’s how I know she’s protected.
My mother, on the other hand…
With Dad now incarcerated, she’s my responsibility. And she’s a mess. She blames Savannah for everything, but she’ll see reason eventually. She’s an intelligent woman.
I stand, showing Grandfather my full height. I’m several inches taller than he is and a lot more muscular. Plus he’s in his eighties.
“I’m willing to do what needs to be done,” I say, burning my gaze into his, “but let’s stop beating around the bush. I know what you expect of me. And if you think you’re going to shove anything up my ass like you did when I was a kid, think again. I’ll do what has to be done, but I won’t be abused.”
Grandfather shakes his head with a chuckle. “You think I was abusing you? You think I did anything to you that wasn’t done to me?”
“Then you’re a victim as much as I am,” I say. “I won’t run this family that way. I won’t abuse people into obedience. People will do my bidding because they respect me. Not because I hurt them.”
Grandfather narrows his eyes. “So if I tell you that you have to violate an up-and-coming young man in the family, you will refuse?”
“I will absolutely refuse, Grandfather.” I grit my teeth. “You want me to be back. I’m back. The first son of your only child. I’m here to do my duty, but if you expect me to run this family when you’re gone, I’m going to do it my way.”
Grandfather scowls. “Don’t be an idiot, Vincent. You think you can command respect without having your men fear you?”