Page 4 of Marcello DeLuca

The questions swirled in my mind, mingling with the unbearable loss. My family’s lives had been stolen from me. I was all alone.

Chapter Two

Marcello

Theater Girl

Seventeen years old and standing on the street corner with my friends, I knew I could do better than this. I didn't belong in the petty crime world.

Romeo, Altoni, and E-Smooth were deep into the drug game, selling to their usual customers. I wasn’t involved in their dealings. My father, Ramani DeLuca, had drilled into me that petty dealing was beneath us and that our family’s name alone was worth billions.

My father introduced me to his connections and encouraged a relationship with my older cousin, Vito Deluca, who was the capo of Columbus, Georgia. When Vito and I didn’t forge the close bond he expected, my father then teamed me up with some DeLucas closer to my age. But the interactions always felt forced, so I stuck close to those who made me feel most comfortable.

Even though I hung with Romeo, Altoni, and E-Smooth, I knew we had differences. They were less fortunate than I was. I didn’t have to hustle for clothes; I wore the hottest brands. I didn’t have to hustle for food; our maid cooked three hot meals and provided snacks every day.

I wanted for nothing, and my father made sure I understood the dangers of committing petty crimes, of losing my freedom to jail or my life to a hater. Even while I was on the street corner hanging with my friends in the grimiest parts of town, I knew my father had men within eyeshot, making sure nothing happened to me.

One day, everything changed. My father could protect me from most things, but there was one thing he couldn’t guard my heart from. Her.

The girl coming out of the theater across the street from where me and the guys hung out daily was going to change my life. I knew as much just from looking at her.

She walked to the edge of the street and stood there, only a few feet away from me. She had an air of elegance that was impossible to ignore, a presence that seemed to command the very air around her.

Her skin, a deep and rich shade of mahogany, gleamed under the falling sun, smooth and flawless as polished ebony. Her eyes were dark and intense, framed by a cascade of thick, natural curls that framed her face like a halo. They were the kind of eyes that seemed to hold secrets, deep pools of mystery and warmth that drew you in and made you want to uncover every story they held.

Her high cheekbones gave her an almost regal appearance, accentuated by a pair of delicate, pearl-studded earrings. Her full lips, naturally curved into a subtle, enigmatic smile, had a softness that made my heart race. She carried herself with a grace that spoke of strength and resilience, her posture straight and poised, as if she were fully aware of her own worth.

But it wasn't just her physical beauty that captivated me. There was something in the way she carried herself, a quiet confidence mixed with an underlying vulnerability, that set her apart from anyone I had ever met. She moved with a fluidity and elegance that was almost otherworldly, her presence both commanding and inviting.

As she glanced my way, our eyes met for the briefest of moments, and I felt a jolt of electricity course through me. In that instant, I knew that this girl was meant to be mine. There was something about her that made me want to know her, to understand her, to be close to her. I couldn't explain it, but I had to find out what it was about her that had turned my world upside down in a single glance.

“Yo, Marcello, why you always coming around here to hang out around the time theater practice lets out?” E-Smooth broke into my thoughts.

“Yeah, man, you got a date or something?” Altoni chimed in, laughing.

“None of your business,” I shot back, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice and my eyes on the girl. “Just like the view.”

“The view, huh?” Romeo said, raising an eyebrow. “More like a particular view, I’d say.”

“You could say that.” I gazed back at the beautiful girl just as her glowing dark curls caught the late afternoon light, making her look almost ethereal.

My heart raced, and I took a deep breath, gathering all my courage.

Not many things made me nervous, but something about going over to talk to her made me feel anxious, like I was about to make a life-changing decision.

“Here we go,” I muttered to myself, taking a step towards her. I had decided that it was time to stop watching my girl. It was time to claim her.

“Marcello, where you going, man?” Romeo called out, but I didn’t turn back.

I walked towards her, my heart pounding in my chest. She was talking to a friend, laughing, her smile lighting up her face. I waited until her friend left before I approached her.

“Hi,” I said, my voice carrying a little extra base.

She turned to look at me, her eyes widening slightly. “Hi,” she replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

“I’m Marcello,” I said, extending my hand. “I see you around here a lot.”

She stared at my hand, then took it ambivalently for a quick shake, releasing it too soon for my liking. “I’m… uh, I’m Lanay. And yeah, I guess we do keep ending up here at about the same time.”

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