Page 1 of Beautiful Desire

PROLOGUE

ARTURO

Age 16 - Sicily

“Arturo! Andiamo,”my father’s voice booms up the stairs, letting me know it’s time.

Shit, it’stime. I’ve been dreading this day for the last two years, since I learned what was expected of me on my sixteenth birthday. I’ve tried everything I could think of to get out of tonight, but my only way out of this is if Death comes knocking – which, if I don’t go through with this, it will.

My life has already been planned out for me since before I was born. It’s expected of me to join thefamily business: working with my two older brothers, Armando and Alessio, under my father, Giuliano Bianchi, Don of the Cosa Nostra. But that’s not what I want at all.

For years, my father has talked to us about our initiation, and the excitement in his voice when he spoke about it had us all hyped up. I couldn’t wait for my turn tobe a manand join the famiglia. But that all changed two years ago when it was Alessio’s initiation.

My brothers and I were very close; we were each other’s best friends. Though I was the youngest of three boys, we did pretty much everything together. When Mando had his initiation, I was only ten and don’t remember much about that night – only that from that night on, he was no longer my fun-loving brother who would play “cops and robbers” with me. He was so busy being my father’s shadow and learning the famigliabusinessthat we hardly saw him anymore.

Alessio and I were always the closest, since we’re only two years apart. With Mando’s absence, we became inseparable. That was, until his own sixteenth birthday came around.

None of us knew what happened the night we turned sixteen. My father never went into detail about it. He just made it seem like it was the best thing ever and made all three of us excited for it.

Armando never came back to see us that night to tell us either, so we were still in the dark about it. We knew it had to be something big, because we were told that was the night we finally became a man and joined the Cosa Nostra alongside our papa.

What happened on Alessio’s birthday changed everything. I found out what was expected of me, and I was determined to not let that happen, no matter the cost.

The sound of heavy footsteps can be heard through the walls, and moments later, my father enters my room. Standing in the open doorway, he assesses me with judgement in his eyes before speaking.

“What are you doing? It’s time to go. Move it!” he roars.

He starts to turn around, and before he can walk away, I stop him in his tracks with my next word.

“No,” I say calmly, but firmly.

Halting his movements, he turns back around to face me before taking slow, controlled steps toward me.

Stopping just a hair’s breadth away, he says, “What did you say to me?”

“N—”

His hand moves so fast, I don’t see it coming. Before I can even get the full word out, he raises his right hand and punches me square in the face.

Fuck, that hurt.

Ireallywant to yell out in pain, but I know that would only satisfy him, so I don’t. Instead, I try to be as stoic as possible and not show any signs of my discomfort.

“Let’s get something straight. I am your father, and after tonight, I’ll also be your Don, which means you do as I say. And if you don’t, youwillpay for it. I don’t care if you’re my son or not. Now,let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”

Knowing what’s coming to me if I disobey him, I say it anyway.

“No, Papa. I won’t go and kill someone for you. I’m not a murderer, and I don’t want to be part ofla famigliaeither. You might have been able to force Armando and Alessio, but you won’t make me go through with it. So, do what you have to do.”

He stares at me for a beat, his cornflower-blue eyes carefully taking me in. I’m not sure if he’s impressed or disappointed.

As he looks me over once more, an evil smirk forms on his face and he speaks with a smile. “As you wish, son.”

For a split second, I let my shoulders drop and release a breath of relief at the thought that I’ve won.

That relief quickly vanishes when he punches me in the stomach. This time, I can’t help the noise that escapes me. He caught me off-guard and knocked the wind out of me. For an old guy, he can still throw a punch.

While I’m hunched over and trying to catch my breath, he hits me again, this time not letting up between punches. He only stops when I fall to the ground and hold my stomach. I’m on my side coughing and wishing for the pain to stop when he crouches down.

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