Condemned By Pain

Prologue

“What are you reading, bunny?”

Mama climbs onto the bed slowly and reaches for my book. I hide it behind the pillow, giggling. She tickles my belly.

“Now you’re hiding from Mama?”

I laugh, squirming. “I’ll tell! I’ll tell!”

She releases me. I sit on the bed, holding my stomach.

“I was reading about how plane engines work.”

Her smile fades. “Why are you reading about planes again?” she asks softly.

I kneel and touch the bruise under her left eye. I know Papa gave it to her last night. She never talks about the beatings, but I see the marks every morning. Sometimes I even hear the sounds at night.

“I’m going to be a pilot, Mama. Then we’ll fly away from Naples. I’ll take you somewhere far from him.”

She cups my face. “Didn’t I tell you? I don’t want to leave. This is our home.”

I purse my lips and sit back.

“You only say that because you don’t want me to dream of anything except becoming a monster like Papa.”

Her face falls. “I don’t want you to be a monster. But you’re the next Don of the Camorra. Your father won’t let you dream of anything else. And then these dreams will only hurt.”

“I don’t want to be Don, Mama. I don’t want to kill people.”

She pulls me into a warm hug.

“We don’t have a choice, baby. You were unlucky to be born a De Falco.”

I pull away. “I’ll run away. Will you come with me?”

She chuckles, but the sound is hollow. “He’ll catch us before we reach the front door.”

“We can make a plan. When I go to school, you go shopping—then pick me up, and we run.”

“And what about our bodyguards?”

I frown. “Then let me make a better plan. Just tell me you’ll run with me.”

She chuckles, this time it brightens her face. “Deal. You make the plan. I’ll start hiding money so we don’t starve.”

“We’ll go to Antonio’s house once we escape.”

Her eyes go wide. “What are you saying?” she hisses.

I grin. “I know he loves you.”

She purses her lips in a pretend pout, but a smile breaks through. She tickles my belly, and I double over laughing.

“You little brat. Don’t ever say that in front of anyone.”

“I’m not stupid,” I gasp between laughs.

Just then, a loud commotion erupts in the mansion. My door slams open. My bodyguard, Iona, fills the frame.

“The Don has been killed.”