From Son to Soldier (Vicci Crime Family Series Book 1) Page 3

  “Yes, sir.”

  For the next hour, I listened as my dad told me who my Nonno was, who all those people outside were, and why my last name was Eastwick and not Rizzuto.

  “So, my friends at school weren’t kidding when they said the head of the mafia lived by me?” My dad shook his head. “And he’s my grandfather, and you used to do bad things for him?”

  “It pains me to say yes, Jefferson. But until I met you and your mother, I was a very different man. The two of you showed me what it was like to be loved and how to live a normal life.” He laughed. “As normal as one could be, I guess.”

  “And Aunt Lillian’s dad was the Boss before your dad?”

  “Yes.”

  “And are your friends Gabriel and Lorenzo part of the mafia too?”

  My dad looked a little uncomfortable now. “Yes. But Jefferson, you’re not to talk about this with anyone outside of our family. Do you understand?”

  I acknowledged my understanding. “Should I be scared, worried, or the shit ton of other emotions I’m feeling right now?”

  My dad chuckled. “You can feel whatever feelings you want. But to answer one of your questions: scared, never. You should never be afraid because as long as there is a breath in me, Jefferson, I’ll protect you with my life.”

  Just like that, I had an aha moment. “Now, I understand why you always say with your life. You mean those words when you say them. Like literally; it’s not just a saying.”

  “Yes, son. I mean every word I say. If anyone tries to harm you or your mom, they’ll have to go through me first.”

  “Thanks for finally telling me, Dad. I wish I’d gotten to know Nonno better over the years. I just thought he didn’t like us ‘cause we barely saw him.”

  During the holidays, he never came around. We always spent time in Virginia with Grams and Gramps, Uncle Linc, and Aunt Lillian, Mrs. Vicci, and the rest of my mom’s side of the family. Now that I knew who my Nonno was, I understood. Mom’s side of the family consisted of senators and Wall Street tycoons. Not the best idea to toss a crime boss into the mix.

  “Maybe if the two of you had told me sooner, I’d’ve had the opportunity to really get to know him. After all, we moved here to be closer to him.”

  “Jefferson, please don’t be mad at your mom and me. We did what we thought was best at the time, and by the time we got here, my dad was so sick he didn’t want anyone to see him as weak, so he tried to keep as much of a distance as possible. The times he came to see us were days when he felt good. I only wish he’d had more of those days for our sake.” Dad looked at his watch. “I think it’s time we head back, or people may think we’ve run away.”

  I stood up and started to walk towards the door but stopped as I reached for the door handle.

  “Dad, do you think the reason Nonno lived longer than anyone thought he would was because he was a fighter, and then when Mom got pregnant, he was holding on to meet Serafina?”

  He rested his hand on my shoulder, just like he always did when he wanted to reassure me. “I think you might be right, Jefferson; it’s just too bad that Serafina wasn’t having any of it. I would have liked him to have met his granddaughter.”

  “If only Serafina had come when she was supposed to and not be so stubborn about it.”

  “If only,” my dad laughed.

  “You know, Dad, once Serafina starts to grow up, you might want to let the boys know who her Nonno was. It might save me from having to come to visit you in the pen.”

  We both laughed as we walked up the stairs and back outside.

  “You might be right there, son. God help me; they may start calling me Mietitore again.”

  “Mietitore?” I questioned.

  “The Reaper,” my dad answered.

  Chapter Seven

  Jefferson

  Later that afternoon, I was on my way to the tennis court with my racket in hand when I saw her sitting on one of the benches by the wishing well. The sun created an aura around her that surely promised that she was an angel. Just one glance, and POW, straight to my heart, her arrow flew, and I knew she was my angel.

  My shadow cast across her face as I stood in front of her. She blinked a few times to allow her eyes to adjust before she glanced up at my face, and our eyes met, forcing a smile to her face.

  “So, you’re Jefferson,” she giggled. “Or should I call you Peanut?”

  I’d never hated that name until this very moment. I was a pubescent teen with a little boy's nickname, and for the first time, I was embarrassed.

  “Do we know each other?”

  “Not officially. My father, Gabriel, and your father are very close. It’s nice to meet you finally.”

  She held out her hand, and I reached for it, forgetting I was already holding a racket in mine. Without thinking, I dropped it to the ground and clasped hers. A jolt of electricity ran up my arm, giving my heart a small zap, forcing it to beat faster.

  “And your name is?” I wanted to say Angel, but I knew that couldn’t have been her name, and I didn’t need to embarrass myself further.

  “I’m Giovanna. Giovanna Panzica. This place is fantastic. If I lived here, I’d spend every day just lounging right here in this spot. I love that there are so many flowers, and the smell of the grass…” She didn’t finish her sentence; instead, she took in a long deep breath. “It’s heaven.”

  Dumbfounded, I couldn’t hold back what I was sure was going to sound stupid. But I’d never lived anywhere that didn’t include grass and flowers.

  “Aren’t there flowers and grass where you live?”

  “Not like this. We’ve got a tiny area of grass out front, but everyone is stacked next to each other.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to come to visit anytime you want.”

  Giovanna’s smile grew broader. “I might just take you up on that, kid.”

  “Kid. I’m seventeen, almost eighteen. I’m not a kid. How old are you?”

  “I’ll be eighteen in a few months and graduating from high school. But compared to your seventeen, I’m like thirty-five.”

  She looked around the property briefly and then directed her attention back to me.

  “Why are you not with the family?”

  A howl I hadn’t meant to release flew from between my lips. “You mean the family I didn’t even know I had until today?” Giovanna looked at me, puzzled. “I had no idea who my Nonno was. I mean, I knew him, but I had no idea he was the head of a crime family.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “Not a single iota. I didn’t even know my aunt’s dad was the head before my Nonno.”

  “Wow,” Giovanna said softly. “My dad said you were different, but this is not what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  The apples of her cheeks turned a little pinker as she cast her eyes downward, breaking our connection.

  “I thought maybe you were a French fry short of a happy meal.”

  “What?”

  “You know, like special.”

  “You mean not as advanced emotionally or mentally,” I responded, less politely this time.

  Giovanna raised her eyes once again to meet mine, instantly noticing my displeasure with her choice of words. “I’ve offended you.”

  “I’m not offended.”

  “You’re a liar,” she replied fiercely. “Just tell me if I’ve upset you. Don’t be fake about shit. If you don’t stand your ground, this family will walk all over you, and if you’re going to be my friend, then you need to stop sugar-coating your answers because I can’t stand that crap.”

  I could see the fire building in her. This girl was passionate, I could tell. She was never going to let anyone disrespect her, and that excited me that much more.

  “My cousin is a special needs child, and family means everything to me, so yes, I was offended. I won’t be friends with anyone who thinks a child should be categorized based on their emotional status.”

  “So, do I get to be your f
riend? I hadn’t meant any disrespect to anyone in your family.”

  “I don’t know yet. I guess we’ll have to spend some time together for me to figure out if I want to be your friend or not.”

  Giovanna laughed aloud. “Well, hopefully, I can win you over with this little secret.” She leaned forward and placed her hand beside her mouth “Not everyone here is related by blood, but that doesn’t stop them from getting in your business and telling you how to act. They are still considered family. My dad’s friend Lorenzo, he’s always giving me crap about how I dress and who I hang out with. Even though he’s pretty much an uncle in a sense, we have no blood relation to each other.”

  Finally, reaching down, I picked up my racket. “I sort of know Lorenzo. When I was a kid, he saved my dad's life. Well, he and your dad did.”

  Giovanna quietly listened as I explained how a gunman had broken into our home and shot Angelo when he tried to save us. There wasn’t much of my childhood that I remembered from that age, but I did remember that night like it happened yesterday. It’d been a nightmare that came back from time to time to haunt me.

  Chapter Eight

  Jefferson

  It had been six months since the day I met Giovanna, and there wasn’t a day we hadn’t found time to either chat or see each other. The first time I snuck across the river by ferry to see Giovanna, I was nervous. It felt like someone was watching me the whole trip, and when I told Dad about it that night, he came unglued.

  “You can’t just run around like you have no care in the world, boy. This town isn’t like our home in Virginia. Things aren’t as safe here, especially for you.”

  “Why just me? Giovanna, Lefty, and Switch all come and go as they please, and their parents don’t seem to mind. Why is it safe for them but not me?”

  “Because they’ve grown up in this life and know how to handle themselves. A luxury you’ve not had to worry about because I’ve made sure you are protected. You wouldn’t know what to do if someone came for you. ”

  “Then teach me, Dad. Show me what I need to know to live in this world you are so certain I need not be a part of.”

  “Abbastanza, I will not have you mixed up with this. And you shouldn’t be hanging around Lefty and Switch. They are not good influences. From now on, if you want to see Gabriel’s daughter, you ask Fat Sal to drive you. Am I clear?”

  I rolled my eyes at my dad. “You treat me like I’m a child, and I’m not. I’ll be graduating this year and heading to college.”

  “Answer me, boy. Am I clear?” my dad demanded my response.

  “Clear,” I snapped back.

  The funny thing about Fat Sal was that he wasn’t fat at all. He was about six feet tall and on a rainy day weighed probably around 170 pounds. So now, he drove me to her, and when I was at her place, we did homework together and then watched TV. But when he brought her here, which was more often lately, we spent time in the garden by the wishing well or swimming in our pool. But now, I wanted more than a friendship. I wanted her to be my girlfriend. But I was afraid to ruin everything we’d built if I asked and if she didn’t feel the same way.

  Giovanna sat on the bench in front of the wishing well again. It was the first place she’d head to whenever she came over. Today, I felt bold. Enough so to ask the question I’d wanted to ask for some time now.

  “I’ve wanted to ask you something for the last month, but I’ve put it off because I was afraid it would change things between us.”

  The corners of Giovanna’s mouth turned up. “You want me to be your girlfriend, don’t you?”

  I looked at her quizzically. “How did you know?”

  “Jefferson, you’re about as subtle as a lead pipe against the head. Whenever we are together, you always sit right next to me even though there are other places for you to sit. I can feel your body heat rise the longer we are next to one another, which tells me you’re aroused, and we’ve spent almost every day together for god knows how long, and you get sad when we have to say good night.”

  Unconsciously, I moved to place distance between the two of us. She’d had an idea all along but never let on that she knew. Now, I wondered if it was because she hadn’t felt the same, or was she just waiting for me to ask the question?

  “Well, I guess I’m not as sly as I thought I was. I’m kind of embarrassed that you’ve suspected.” I glanced at the concrete in front of us. I couldn’t look her in the eyes for fear I’d see pity when I finally got the courage to ask.

  Giovanna reached over and placed her hand on my leg. “I’d like to say you were good at masking your feelings, but I can read people. My father taught me how to tell if people were genuine or not. Amongst other things.”

  She scooted closer, closing the distance between us. I didn’t’ immediately look at her; Giovanna placed both of her hands on either side of my face. She was forcing me to look at her when all I wanted was to avoid seeing pity when she told me no. But that is not what I saw; she wasn’t feeling sorry for me at all. Giovanna’s eyes burned with desire.

  “Ask me, Jefferson, and I’ll say yes. Being with you proves there is a different way of life for me. One I want to be a part of.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Ask me, and I’ll explain everything.”

  I leaned forward, placing my lips against hers, offering a small taste of what the future could hold. “Will you be my girlfriend, Giovanna Panzica?”

  Her lips crushed against mine, delivering a kiss filled with desire and want. When the kiss was over, Giovanna solidified what I’d already determined.

  “Yes, Jefferson. I’d like that very much.”

  Chapter Nine

  Giovanna

  Jefferson’s arm rested across my shoulder as we sat looking at the concrete well before us. This was my happy spot, the place where I could be just me, the real me.

  “What is it about this spot that you like so much?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, it’s the first place you head to when you’re here. We rarely sit in the house, and my mom has a whole area full of loungers and chairs closer to the house, but it's here you head to. Why?”

  I thought about his question. I knew why I loved this spot, but how to explain it to him was a whole other story. Jefferson didn’t press me to speak; he just sat patiently waiting.

  “You’re going to think I’m weird if I tell you.”

  “No, I won’t. I promise.”

  “Because I wish for things, and where else do go when you want a wish fulfilled? I toss a penny in there”—I pointed to the opening—“and make my wish. Maybe someday, they’ll all come true.”

  Jefferson stood and walked over to the wishing well. He turned to me briefly before leaning over and looking in. It wasn’t like the well was real or that deep. It only went down three feet, but I didn’t care. It was symbolic to me.

  “Giovanna, there must be hundreds of pennies in here.”

  He was right, almost five hundred to be exact. Some days I’d have more than one wish, and other days I’d wish for the same thing multiple times.

  “Almost five bucks.”

  His head leaned to the side, and his brows drew together. “What do you wish for?”

  “Sometimes, I wish my life were different. Other times, I wish I had a normal mother, one who didn’t do drugs and neglect me. Most of the time, I pray that I didn’t belong to this family, and people would treat me like I was normal. That’s why I love being here. Things are different. Normal.”

  “Giovanna, my life is anything but traditional,” Jefferson said as he walked back to me. “My dad, as much as he’d like to believe he isn’t, is still part of the Vicci family.” He sat and lifted me onto his lap. “Maybe not in the day-to-day sense, but there’s still a tie that keeps him tethered. My aunt is the Vicci crime family, and there isn’t a day my dad doesn’t worry that someone will come after my mom, my sister, or me.” His arms wrapped around me tightly. “Looks can be deceiving.”

>   I thought about what he’d just said, but even still, his life was conventional compared to mine. “You don’t get it. My dad is gone all hours of the night, involved in ‘family’ business. When he’s gone, my mom disappears for hours and then shows up, wasted out of her mind.”

  Tears began to build in the corner of my eyes. Don’t cry. Never let them see your weakness, my dad's words echoed in my mind.

  “I even overheard Mr. Bresciani tell my dad last week that if my mom didn’t get her shit together, he’d take matters into his own hands.”

  A shiver ran up my spine because I knew what that meant. When the head of the family takes matters into his own hands, people die, and as much as I despised my mom, it didn’t mean I wanted her dead.

  “You live with two people who love each other equally. They treat you and your sister like normal kids. You have home-cooked meals and sit and watch the television together. I can only dream of what that would be like.”

  Jefferson’s muscular arms squeezed tighter around me, and I laid my head against his shoulder. In his arms, everything felt different. Safe. If only one of my dreams could come true, it would be never to have to lose the feelings I feel when I’m around him.

  Jefferson pressed his lips to my forehead. “Giovanna, I’m never letting you go.”

  Chapter Ten

  Jefferson

  I couldn’t imagine what my life would be like without seeing my mom every day. She’s always been there to support me every step of the way. In that sense, I’ve been blessed. I probably wouldn’t be here today if I had a mother like Giovanna’s. My heart condition, more than likely, would have never been diagnosed.