Page 6 of Vicious Addictions

Sixteen Years Old

I pull my knees up to my chin, hugging my legs against my chest as I gaze out at the garden, where my father’s latest protégée meanders about, lost in thought.

Jude Romano has been under my father’s tutelage for a little over a month now, and he’s still an enigma to me.

Most of my father’s soldiers carry an air of brutish ignorance about them as if even a menu would be too complex for them to comprehend. Their vocabulary is limited to kill, maim, and torture, so anything beyond that would only confuse them.

But not Jude.

He looks and acts almost… civilized.

Maybe it’s because he’s American.

Perhaps they growmafiososdifferently across the pond.

Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Jude wasn’t raised in our way of life at all.

“I’m sorry.”

I can count on one hand the times my father has ever uttered those words to me, and I’m the person he loves most in this world. And yet, Jude apologized for his rudeness effortlessly, as if apologizing for bad behavior was second nature to him.

That’s definitely something I’ve never been accustomed to.

Maybe that’s why I’m so fascinated by the new addition to our household.

He’s… different.

Despite my father’s warnings to steer clear of his soldiers and associates, I’ve kept a watchful eye on our new houseguest.

Or at least, I’ve tried to.

Although my father has offered Jude our home in Kent, he only stays with us on the weekends, preferring to remain closer to his university in London during the week. Unsurprisingly, most of the tasks my father has assigned to him are also in the city.

But it’s the way that he chooses to spend his free time that is so fascinating to me.

First of all, I don’t know many soldiers who regularly attend Sunday mass, yet Jude never misses a sermon. Beyond his academic textbooks, he likes to immerse himself in books about history, business economics, political science, and the occasional thriller mystery. When he’s not doing that, I often find him wandering our gardens, lost in deep thought as if the world’s weight rested upon his shoulders.

He’s always so… serious.

The only time that I’ve even heard him laugh is when he’s FaceTiming his family.

Like clockwork, Jude makes a point to call them after dinner, spending at least an hour chatting with his younger siblings.

Nothing about his behavior shouts out heir to the Chicago crime family.

But hey…

Who am I to judge?

It’s not like anyone looks at me and sees the next in line to inherit my father’s empire, either.

I let out a sigh, allowing my eyes to wander a little longer on our houseguest.

In addition to his odd behavior that intrigues me, I must admit that I don’t mind spending my weekends admiring him either. In a world filled with pretty faces, there’s no denying that Jude is in a league of his own. With sharp, symmetrical features, a strong jawline, piercing hazel eyes, and thick, tousled dark hair, there’s no doubt in my mind that Jude Romano leaves one hell of an impression on anyone he meets.

Me included.

“Careful there, cousin. Your drool is showing,” Remus teases as he plops down next to me in the window nook.

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