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Authors: Bethany-Kris
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go. You’re not ready for me to grow up. You, Dad, not me.”
“Oh.”
Lucia picked up the binder off the table and said, “I’m choosing the college out of state, not Columbia. It’s already been settled, tuition and first year is paid, plus I was accepted months ago. I have the grades for it, and I want to do this. Let me do it.”
Lucian dropped his head. “Okay.”
Lucia was surprised her father had dropped it that easily. It wasn’t like Lucian at all. Lucia knew exactly where she had gotten her stubbornness and fight from—her father. The man had given her far more than just his namesake when she was brought into the world as her mother and father’s unexpected surprise later in life.
Guilt chewed Lucia up inside.
“I’ll be back, Daddy,” she said softly.
“We have the summer, right?” her father asked.
Well, she did. Her father was a different story. As a Marcello principessa , Lucia knew what her father and the rest of the men in her family were involved with. She wasn’t blind or dumb. She had witnessed more than enough things over the years to know her family might as well be royalty in the world of organized crime. Her father and two uncles held three of the highest seats in the family. Even her brother was mixed up in it all. Thankfully, it kept her father busy. She had the summer off, but Lucian probably didn’t. His job was non-stop.
“Sort of, yes. I have this volunteering thing, too.”
“I’m proud that you took this on,” Lucian said, reaching out to tap the binder. “I’ve always tried to donate to the shelters and organizations for the women and children, but it makes me extremely proud that you’ve taken the extra step to do this.”
The guilt flooded Lucia again. She’d done it because she needed the break from her family and the fact it would look good on a résumé. She also did it for the experience. Lucia came from a ridiculously wealthy family. Her father might have lived some of his early years on the streets, forging for food and trying to survive, but she never had. She never worried about one single thing. Nothing was out of reach if she asked her mother and father for it.
Lucia wondered if she needed a wakeup call from real life.
Maybe this job would do that.
“I think you’ll get something amazing from it,” Lucian added when Lucia stayed quiet.
“I hope so,” she responded.
Standing from the table, her father drew her in for a tight hug that said he still wasn’t quite ready to let Lucia out of his sights. She let him hold on until he was ready to let go, because all too soon, her father wouldn’t have a choice but to let her go.
Lucian was a good father—a great one, actually. But for once, Lucia simply wanted to step out of her family’s shadow and be her own person. She didn’t think her dad would understand.
Would he?
“I love you, Lucia,” her father murmured. “You always were the easy one out of the four. I never had to worry about you getting into some kind of trouble, or causing us any heartache. My good girl, huh?”
She had always been the good girl.
Lucia didn’t know anything else.
Lucia sighed. “Yeah.”
“Hmm, what was that?”
“I love you, too, Papà .”
Releasing her from his hug, Lucian said, “I should go find your mother. I have news she’ll want to hear.”
“Oh?”
Lucian smiled widely. “Retirement is coming early for me. Your mother has been pestering me for years to do this, and I finally have. It feels good. She will be pissed off like nothing else if I don’t tell her right away.”
Retirement .
Lucia didn’t know what to say.
“So, no more … famiglia ?” Lucia asked, choosing her words carefully. Outright asking about the mafia or her father’s involvement would likely get her nowhere. “None at all?”
Lucian shrugged, still happy. “Mostly, no.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lucia poked her head into the state of the art kitchen and found the chef working behind a large stove. The
“Oh.”
Lucia picked up the binder off the table and said, “I’m choosing the college out of state, not Columbia. It’s already been settled, tuition and first year is paid, plus I was accepted months ago. I have the grades for it, and I want to do this. Let me do it.”
Lucian dropped his head. “Okay.”
Lucia was surprised her father had dropped it that easily. It wasn’t like Lucian at all. Lucia knew exactly where she had gotten her stubbornness and fight from—her father. The man had given her far more than just his namesake when she was brought into the world as her mother and father’s unexpected surprise later in life.
Guilt chewed Lucia up inside.
“I’ll be back, Daddy,” she said softly.
“We have the summer, right?” her father asked.
Well, she did. Her father was a different story. As a Marcello principessa , Lucia knew what her father and the rest of the men in her family were involved with. She wasn’t blind or dumb. She had witnessed more than enough things over the years to know her family might as well be royalty in the world of organized crime. Her father and two uncles held three of the highest seats in the family. Even her brother was mixed up in it all. Thankfully, it kept her father busy. She had the summer off, but Lucian probably didn’t. His job was non-stop.
“Sort of, yes. I have this volunteering thing, too.”
“I’m proud that you took this on,” Lucian said, reaching out to tap the binder. “I’ve always tried to donate to the shelters and organizations for the women and children, but it makes me extremely proud that you’ve taken the extra step to do this.”
The guilt flooded Lucia again. She’d done it because she needed the break from her family and the fact it would look good on a résumé. She also did it for the experience. Lucia came from a ridiculously wealthy family. Her father might have lived some of his early years on the streets, forging for food and trying to survive, but she never had. She never worried about one single thing. Nothing was out of reach if she asked her mother and father for it.
Lucia wondered if she needed a wakeup call from real life.
Maybe this job would do that.
“I think you’ll get something amazing from it,” Lucian added when Lucia stayed quiet.
“I hope so,” she responded.
Standing from the table, her father drew her in for a tight hug that said he still wasn’t quite ready to let Lucia out of his sights. She let him hold on until he was ready to let go, because all too soon, her father wouldn’t have a choice but to let her go.
Lucian was a good father—a great one, actually. But for once, Lucia simply wanted to step out of her family’s shadow and be her own person. She didn’t think her dad would understand.
Would he?
“I love you, Lucia,” her father murmured. “You always were the easy one out of the four. I never had to worry about you getting into some kind of trouble, or causing us any heartache. My good girl, huh?”
She had always been the good girl.
Lucia didn’t know anything else.
Lucia sighed. “Yeah.”
“Hmm, what was that?”
“I love you, too, Papà .”
Releasing her from his hug, Lucian said, “I should go find your mother. I have news she’ll want to hear.”
“Oh?”
Lucian smiled widely. “Retirement is coming early for me. Your mother has been pestering me for years to do this, and I finally have. It feels good. She will be pissed off like nothing else if I don’t tell her right away.”
Retirement .
Lucia didn’t know what to say.
“So, no more … famiglia ?” Lucia asked, choosing her words carefully. Outright asking about the mafia or her father’s involvement would likely get her nowhere. “None at all?”
Lucian shrugged, still happy. “Mostly, no.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lucia poked her head into the state of the art kitchen and found the chef working behind a large stove. The
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