Chapter 1

Rocco

"I know things got down last night, and I'm sorry I couldn't make it to reach Chicago on time. Tell me you've dealt with everything," I explain while looking at Antonio. Pinching the bridge of his eyes, he meets my gaze, and then he lets out a half-smile.

"Did I ever mess up in life?" He grins, and that describes my brother. We lost our family, but here we are, supporting each other in every situation. Now our family is small, with my brother, Arielle, and their daughter, Alaïa. I might be the one who fucks around, but my brother is a gentleman—not the overly gentle one, but yeah... Antonio had taken a bullet in the sake of saving his love. I still remember that day, the day I thought I had lost my brother, but thankfully I was able to rescue him. I'm happy that now he is with his family. Thus, I have also warned him not to stay away from his daughter and wife because I know how it feels to lose a member of the family, and that shit really stabs in the heart. Alaïa is only one year old, and I do not want her to see her father coming home with blood on his shirt. Being her uncle, I want to do my best by taking on half of Antonio's work.

"Well, brother, I think you didn't come home late yesterday?"

"Are you my wife?" Antonio lifts his brows in a sarcastic way.

"I meant to say that you have a family to look after, and I don't want my little niece to think that her father doesn't have enough time for her."

"Since when have you begun to think like a gentleman, Rocco?" My brother pats me on the back, along with a proud smile.

"I need you to be safe."

"I will." He nods his head. "However, I'm not a gentleman. I'm a deadly mafia, and you know that perfectly."

"If I'm not interrupting, will you brothers now pay attention to dinner?" Arielle joins us at the dining table; she has Alaïa in her lap, and my little niece looks adorable in the pink frock she is wearing. I smile at her as she admires my face properly, then I wave at her, and she finally smiles at me while giggling until her cheeks become pink.

"Why have you invited me for dinner? Anything special today?" I ask Arielle, who is spoon-feeding the baby. She fills the spoon from the bowl, then she gazes at Antonio, and then her eyes shift to me.

"Yeah, kind of." She continues to feed my baby niece.

"What do you mean by 'kind of'?"

"Rocco, since you want me to stay with my family from now on..." Antonio pauses for a second. He has a smile on his lips, and this dude does not smile too much. That means he is about to cut my ass off.

"What?" I shrug.

"We want you to take over my position and become the Capo of Chicago."

I stand up with a pressure that causes my chair to fall down. They all glare at me. Running a hand through my hair, I glance at my brother. "No way! Tell me you are joking." I half-smile. I'm still confused; this is not easy for me. I might be a monster who tears up people and scares the shit out of them, but being the Capo was never my dream.

"You piece of shit, don't you know that I don't joke around?" Antonio stands up to match my level. He grabs my collar, but this time he is smiling, and this smile of his is a rare one. He pulls me in for a hug.

"I know you'll nail it," he whispers in my ear before pulling back.

"You know this is not easy for me. I haven't been able to take care of a dog until now, and you want me to look after a city. A fucking city, bro!"

"It is time, Rocco. This city needs you. If you don't want to do it for yourself, at least you can do it for Alaïa. Being a great uncle, you have to guide her on how to lead a life of success. Don't feel useless for not taking care of a dog because leaders look after lions, and you are the next Capo. You should look forward to how to chase cheetahs," Arielle says.

I look at my brother, who nods his head at me.

"You've mentioned Alaïa. You know I will do anything for her; she is an angel."

"It is time for you to search for your real angel, Rocco." Arielle winks at me.

"No way."

"Of course, you should. Eventually, you'll find yourself as a gentleman, and then you will realize what it feels like to have a family," my brother says.

"I don't know about my future, but I promise I will do anything for this little family of mine."

"I'm sure you'll be the best Capo of Chicago, Rocco," Antonio says.

"I'll try my best."

"You are the best." Arielle gives me a brotherly hug, and my little niece brings her hand forward to shift into my arms. This act of hers is very adorable; she is such a cute angel.

"Hey, love." I stroke her cheek with my free hand. Alaïa shifts comfortably onto my muscular hand; she fidgets her fingers through my shirt buttons, then she babbles something in her language. It feels amazing to hold her like this; for an instant, it makes me forget all my problems.

"I promise to protect you, little angel," I whisper before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Some minutes later, Arielle takes the baby away from me.

"Rocco, tomorrow we'll announce the new Capo position to the city. I will arrange a conference. Be ready for the big day of your life."

"I'll be ready by tomorrow morning," I nod my head with a half-smile.

"Are you staying over today? If you're not, I suggest you stay here tonight."

"As you wish, bro." Tomorrow is going to be a big day.