Bellissimo Fortuna (Beautiful Fortune) by Leigh Ann Lunsford Page A

father’s to use.” Something doesn’t feel right, so I take out my phone and call my godfather, my mom’s brother Luis, who happens to be the Consigliere of our family. “Luis, Marco, and another associate took Papa’s boat out for a job. Can you handle this?” I listen to him agree and hang up.
    I stand there in front of them, showing no weakness, and I notice Marco’s gaze keeps returning to Callie. It’s pissing me off, and when Luis gets there he has a few of our men with him. “Make sure it’s clean,” he orders and turns to me. I follow him a few feet away to have a conversation. “Bronson, bring it down a notch with them. I’ve called your dad, he said it was a misunderstanding, but don’t throw your muscle around with those two. They aren’t part of the familia yet, and it can get dangerous. I was at the meeting yesterday, I get there are underlying reasons, but let us handle it, Figlio.”
    “Frank wasn’t happy about the new arrangements?” I can tell by the press of his lips I’m correct. “What more does that man want? His daughter will be loved, provided for, and married to the son of the head of the organization. I don’t know what more he could ask for.”
    “Nothing seems to be enough for him, but I don’t believe this whole scenario,” he nods his head towards Frank’s cohorts. “But it isn’t your place, and you need to remember that.” He is putting me in my place, but in all fairness, he is right. I’m losing my cool and I need to step back.
    I get where he’s coming from. This isn’t my place, and I don’t want to be that person who oversteps boundaries, but when it comes to Callie, I will throw whatever weight I have to. I don’t buy this whole misunderstanding thing, and from what Luis said he doesn’t either, but I know I won’t get very far in questioning them. You never take your personal transport when dealing with family business. It muddies the waters and puts too much at risk. That is Mob 101 and by Frank ordering otherwise, he just showed his true colors. He is after something, and it isn’t sitting well with me. I just nod and turn around to go get Callie and get her out of here. I barely stop as I get to her, reaching for her hand and leading her away.
    “You okay?”
    “Nope. Don’t like the way he looks at you, and I don’t trust him.” I try to keep my tone even, I’m not mad at her and don’t want to take it out on her.
    “Bronson,” she says as she pulls on my hand to stop me. “Don’t get mixed up in this unless you’re going to follow in your dad’s footsteps. You know the rules, we are the children of bosses’, we don’t question the authority but are protected . . . but there’s always someone willing to overlook the rules.”
    “If I do . . . If I chose this life, would you still be by my side?”
    “I wouldn’t like it, but there’s nowhere else I would be.” I don’t want this for me, for her, and it’s not how I envisioned our future, but I will do whatever is needed to stay close to her and keep her safe. “There’s other options, you know that.”
    Is there? That seems to be the one question over and over. Is there really room for my dreams, my desires in this life I was born into? I shake it off and walk with her back to the car, feeling her hand in mine, almost like a lifeline binding me to her, connecting us and holding us together. “Let’s try and beat Bianca and Dakota back to the house.” I need a distraction and maybe going a couple rounds on a mindless video game with my best friend will help. Callie is a distraction, but she’s also the reason behind all of these feelings. I’ve always wanted to do right by her, now I have to.
    Her phone goes off, and I watch her face fall as she reads the text. “Who’s that?”
    “My dad.” Her voice is shaking, and her hand is clammy in mine.
    “What now?” Fuck, could people just leave us alone for once.
    “I think I’m gonna head home tonight.”
    “Did he