Chapter 1

Sixteen Years Ago

"Going home isn"t an option for you."

He"s giving me away?

"Babbo, I want to go with you. Why do I have to stay with these people? They are not la famiglia!"

I grab hold of his suit jacket, and he rips my hands off before he leans down and gets right into my face. His eyes are a dark brown color that somehow reminds me of the mud that surrounds our grape orchard.

"You will go with them because I say so, boy!" He hisses and pushes me back slightly, "I don"t have time to groom you the way you need to be groomed. It doesn"t matter how old you are. Everyone in this family has to do their part.

You have a part to play, just like the rest of us, Alexandre. The Gerard family owe us a debt, and they will house you and treat you as one of their own for payment. You will respect them as one of your own as well. Whatever Mr. Gerard tells you to do, you handle it like the respectful man you are being raised to be. I"ll have more for you to do as time progresses, but right now, all you will do is what you are told. Do this and make me proud." He stands up tall and jerks his head to the side to send me on my way.

There are no words of love or when he"ll be back to pick me up. Just be good, and off you go.

I"m seven, but I"ve seen more in the office of my father"s home than any other child my age. My father is a boss. He is feared by many in Tuscany as well as in the US. All I ever wanted to do was to be like him, and if it means I must live with another family first to prove to him I can do what he asked, I will do so. I"ll make him proud, and one day when he"s ready, he"ll call me home, and we can all be a family again.

* * *

Thirteen years ago…

"Babbo." My eyes go wide as I come in from the car to see my birth father sitting in the living room with my guardians. I hadn"t seen or heard from him in years, and part of me had thought he"d forgotten all about me.

"Son, I see you"ve grown nice and strong. It"s good."" My father gets up from his seat, but I don"t move in his direction. The small smile that was once playing on his lips drop, and in its place is a sneer.

"Is that how you greet your blood?" He hisses at me, and I rush over to where he is. I grab his hand and kiss the ring on his knuckle before he bends down and kisses both of my cheeks. "Sorry, father, I was shocked." It"s the only excuse I can come up with.

"That"s fine. It"s been a while, but I wanted to come by and make sure you haven"t forgotten who you are loyal to."

"Of course not, you and our family. The Bianucci"s."The answer tumbles out. I"d never forget.

"That"s what I want to hear. You"ve spent the last three years in school and getting your education, but now I have more you need to do. You"ll be trained to be a ghost, to be able to hide in plain sight. Zachiael seems to believe you are ready to take the next step. He says you learn fast and are steady in your morals."

Shocked, I turn to look at the man who has been playing my father for the past few years, and he gives me a slight nod.

"Yes, I am, father."

"Good, then it"s time we take your training to the next level. I"m going to put you on a mission. One only you can complete."

"What is it?" Finally, it"s my chance to prove to my father and the rest of my family that I was more than just a child. I was a Bianucci and belonged with them.

"You"re going to make a friend…"