POSSESSION

Prologue

Iglance in my rearview mirror at my son, Oliver. He’s buckled into his seat, mumbling to himself; he does this a lot, and I can’t seem to shake the concerns I have surrounding his lack of communication skills.

At three years old, he can barely string a sentence together. He has the best tutors and the most exceptional doctors money can buy, even a child psychiatrist, in case he’s suffering from some trauma caused by his mother’s departure. Still, nothing above a few stuttered words.

My father is constantly telling me how my brothers and I were talking before we were a year old and could hold a conversation by the time we were out of diapers.

The Mafia world is cruel, and as heir to our family, it pains me to know how he will be ridiculed the moment he steps foot into a mainstream school. I grind my teeth at the thought. There’s no way I’ll allow that; he will be homeschooled until he’s able to communicate better.

My heart sinks.

If he’s able to communicate better.

He babbles away, staring out the window, and when his dark eyes meet mine, he grins a toothy, excitable smile. “Papa!”

My heart swells with pride and a powerful need to protect him at any cost. I would do anything to protect my son. Anything.

“That’s right, Oliver, Papa. We’re going to Uncle Tommy’s house. Do you remember Uncle Tommy?”

Of course, he doesn’t remember Uncle Tommy. I’m surprised anyone in our family remembers him; he’s so fucking absent. My grip tightens on the steering wheel, pissed at how my brother’s life has turned out. While he gets to check out and spit out his pacifier like a goddamn baby, I have to hold the business together with the help of our youngest brother, Rocco, the only one I can rely on.

I turn into his estate with annoyance flooding my bloodstream, as if I have nothing better to do than check up on Tommy and his stepdaughter, Jade.

My gaze connects with Oliver’s in the rearview mirror. “You remember Jade, right? From Papa Vin’s house?”

“Jaaaaad.” He smiles back at me, his eyes lighting up.

“That’s right, buddy. Jade. We’re going to check up on her.” And see what the fuck is going on between her and Tommy.

Placing the car in park, I barely switch off the engine before security has my door open, allowing me to step out and straighten my jacket. My right-hand man, Kai, unbuckles Oliver, and he jumps out of the car to come and stand beside me. My hand itches to take his in mine, but I refrain from showing him the attention he craves and deserves, in favor of showing him how to be the man he is destined to become.

A strong, independent Mafia man who takes no shit and shows no weakness, even to the ones he loves most.

I stride toward my brother’s home with one purpose in mind: hurry the hell up and get the fuck back to work.