Leo

Prologue:

L eo Capo walked into his cousin's house and marched straight past where his uncles were meeting and up to Ross's room. and Ross weren't really cousins. Their fathers had all started a business together, back before he, Ross, and their Uncle Bobby's son, Zane, were all born.

"It's about time," Ross grumbled from his bed. wasn't sure why seeing his sixteen-year-old cousin sitting on his bed made him feel funny, but it had. It was almost as if he suddenly had a stomachache.

Ross was the oldest out of all of them and he was also the bossiest. believed that Ross liked being in charge, and the role seemed to suit him, even if most of the time, he pissed off.

"I couldn't make my old man move any faster than he did," insisted. "He had to stop at the bank for something and I couldn't exactly ask him to drop me off here first." He looked around the room and realized that he and Ross were very alone, which was something that he usually tried to avoid.

"Where is Zane?" asked.

"He's not going to make it for our little meeting," Ross said. "He's got the flu, and his mom made him stay home, like a pussy." Ross always had a foul mouth, and he didn't seem to care who heard him—not even his father.

"So, it's just us?" asked as though he hadn't heard a word that Ross had just said.

"Are you deaf?" Ross asked. "I just said that Zane wasn't going to make it."

"Right," mumbled. He hated it when Ross was like this. His friend was usually happy and joking, but lately, every time they were alone together, Ross seemed a bit hostile. Having Zane around seemed to be the buffer that they needed to get along civilly.

"So, what's this big meeting about?" asked. "Why did you insist that I come over here with my father tonight?" They usually hung out when their fathers were together, but tonight was different. Tonight, Ross had called him, insisting that he come over for a meeting. wanted to ignore his friend; believing him to be overly dramatic, but that wasn't like Ross. So, he told his father that he wanted to tag along even though he had a shit ton of homework that he needed to do if he planned on getting out of the tenth grade.

"I've called you and Zane here to tell you that my father has decided where I'm going to go to college," Ross grumbled.

"Uncle Aldo won't let you pick where you're going to go to college? Isn't that your decision to make?" asked. Out of his two uncles and his father, Ross's father, Aldo, was the most controlling. It really shouldn't surprise him that Ross would have no say about where he went to college. In reality, none of them had a say in their lives once their fathers were gone. They were all being groomed to take over the family businesses from their fathers, whether they wanted to or not.

"You know how my father is," Ross said. "He told me that I really don't have a choice—I'm going to Georgetown University in DC."

"Well, at least it's not too far from home. I mean, you'll be able to visit whenever you want," said, trying to help his friend see the bright side of things.

"I don't know if I'll have time to visit. My father has basically picked my classes and I'm going to be quite busy. I'll be majoring in business and then, he plans to send me to law school. I'm not sure that I even want to be a lawyer, but he's told me that I'll appreciate it when I'm older and have to take over the company."

"Yeah, my dad is pretty fixated about my future in the family business too, but I'm not really sure what that will even entail. Do we really even know what the family business is?" asked. He had an inkling about what his father and uncles did, but he didn't like to think about it too much.

"Not really," Ross said, "but, I'm betting that we won't like what we're being pushed into. I planned on going to art school." Ross was one of the best painters knew, and even at sixteen, he knew that his friend had talent. He also knew that Aldo saw Ross's art as a waste of time.

"Can you minor in art?" asked, trying to stay upbeat for Ross's sake.

"As I pointed out earlier, my father already has my time at Georgetown planned and there is no extra room for silly things—his words, not mine—such as painting."

"I'm sorry, Ross," said, "but, I'm still not sure why you called me here. I really can't do anything other than commiserate with you. None of us have the ability to change your father's mind."

"Yeah, I know that all too well. My father can be an overbearing ass sometimes," Ross admitted. didn't want to pile onto his friend's pity party by telling him that his father was overbearing most of the time. It wouldn't be helpful.

crossed the room to sit next to his friend on his bed, and his tummy did another little flip-flop. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wish I could do more to help you, Ross. Maybe I can talk to my dad and ask him to talk to yours," offered.

"I appreciate that, but we both know that it won't do any good. There is no way to change my father's mind. So, I've had an idea," Ross said. "Why don't you and Zane try to get into Georgetown University, and we can at least all hangout?" Ross seemed so excited about the prospect of the three of them being together through most of their college years that couldn't burst his bubble.

"Um, yeah," said, "I mean, there is no guarantee that either of us will get in, but that would be great." knew that Georgetown would only take the top students from high schools around the country, and didn't have the best grades since starting ninth grade. Tenth grade wasn't playing out to be much better for him either. His father liked to remind him that he only had two more years to get his act together if he wanted to go to college, which always made roll his eyes. He didn't want to get his act together. In fact, he wasn't sure that he even wanted to go to college.

"Just have your father give the school an obscene amount of money," Ross said. "I mean, that's what my dad did."

"Georgetown didn't take your grades into account or anything like that?" asked.

Ross laughed and laid back on his bed. "I have the worst grades in class," he said. "I mean, I gave up trying when I realized what my father's plan was for my future." couldn't really blame Ross for that. He almost admired his friend for trying to foil his father's plans.

A knock at the bedroom door had nearly jumping off the bed. ", let's go," his dad said, sticking his head in the room.

"Sure, Dad," he said. "I'll see you later, Ross."

His friend grabbed his arm, and it felt as though electricity shot through his body. "Please consider what I said, . I'd really like to go to college with you and Zane. I can't imagine being all alone at Georgetown."

nodded, "I'll think about it," he promised. Ross released his arm, and he walked out of the room, finding his father waiting for him in the hallway.

"Is everything all right between you and your cousin, Ross?" his father asked.

"Yes, Dad," mumbled. "We were just hanging out." He left out the part where Ross asked him to go to Georgetown with him or the fact that he was having strange feelings about his so-called "cousin" every time they so much as sat next to each other. Yeah, the less his father knew about what he and Ross had just talked about was for the best—at least until could figure out what the hell was going to happen with his future.