Book One
Aria Rossi grows up is in a family war between her family and the Violante's. This story follows her journey as a young sheltered child through the challenges that arise ahead.
Lies, loyalty, deceit, ambition, pain, trust, love, and fami...
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I grab my three guns, putting one in the inside pocket of my jacket, one in the waistband of my pants behind me, and one in the holster around my ankle. I put on a silk shirt and pulled my jacket over it, smoothing down my hair once more. In the distance, I heard Draven yelling for me. "I'm coming!" I huff, checking my hair one more time.
It is hypocritical, but we are doing what many other crime families are doing. For those who paid us protection fees since the beginning, we extended our protection to them. For other families who needed more convincing, we decided to give them some persuasion. We went from house to house, business to business, with Ethan, Draven, Valentine, Papà, and Uncle Sal. Most agreed to fall under our protective wing, preferring the enemy they knew to the enemy they did not.
After, as usual, we went to our bar. My knee bounced nervously as we sat down and ordered drinks. I could feel Uncle Sal's eyes boring down on me and I wanted to shrink back into the cushions.
Draven looks at his list, "That's everyone from the list," He says, folding it and putting it into his pocket. "Now we need to plan our next move for Xander."
"What do you propose, brother?" I ask, placing my hands on the table.
"Something big..." He muses quietly.
Just then, the TV in the bar was interrupted and yet another former Congressmen flashed across the screen. This one admitted to embezzlement, taking bribes, tax fraud, and adultery. It will be hard to push for change when former leaders admit to their past crimes. Since January, at least one government official a week admits to their crimes. The background of each video message is the same, so it is obvious Xander is holding them somewhere together. I wonder if they are being tortured; they have to be, to admit to some of the things they have done.
Once he admitted to his crimes, Xander's usual message popped onto the screen. He talked about how the Legality Movement is liberating American citizens from the shackles of apathetic politicians and how through the Legality Movement, they could reclaim their former freedoms. I roll my eyes and sigh deeply.
Right now, chaos rules major cities. Many cities are run by gangs with no central base or direction. Ordinary people were fleeing at nighttime or succumbing to their threats of violence. Some crime families, like ours, offered protection from rogue gangs. Yet, with the decentralization of government, basic infrastructure fell apart. Construction work, school systems, hospitals, transport systems, communications, and even some water/ sewage treatments had been affected. Papà invested early on in the farms outside of Verna, giving them as many resources as they needed. Verna was one of the better off cities, but it was obvious that Xander's rebellion was not a sustainable solution. Yet, he gained more and more support as the weeks went on. Whether it was out of fear, genuine belief, or American individualism, it was working.
"Like what? We've been over practically everything," I sigh, shaking my head. "We've been supplying bases with guns, you've been making speeches, and every time the bases are either getting overrun or pushed further and further back."
