Luna (Beware Of The Widows #5)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Mariana

Age Eight

“Matías! Stop throwing your toys at your brother!” Mama yells, stomping toward my younger brothers. “No, Juan Carlos, that doesn’t mean you can throw them back at Matías.”

I set down my dolls, watching as Mama steps toward them. My brothers are always fighting, but I stay far away from that. I’m not going to get into trouble like they do.

“Is everything okay, Gabriela?” Papa steps into the living room with a frown.

“Papa!” I jump to my feet and hurry over to him, grinning when he picks me up and lets me hug his neck.

Papa has been away for work for the last week, and I’ve missed him.

He nuzzles into my neck. “Hello, little moon. I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too.” I sigh, laying my head on his shoulder as he holds me.

A heavy sigh has me glancing over Papa’s shoulder to find my older brother, Fabian, rolling his eyes. “She’s too old for you to be toting her around like that.”

I stick my tongue out at him, and he makes a face. My brother scares me sometimes. I love him because he’s my big brother, but he doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with my brothers and me. He’s a lot older than us, already an adult, but I think he loves us.

He has to, right? Since we’re family?

He certainly doesn’t have patience with us, and he never wants to play. I stopped asking a long time ago.

“The boys are going at it again. Every time I turn my back, they’re fighting.”

Papa walks us over to Mama, pulling her into a hug, so I put an arm around her neck and hug her too. Hugs always make me feel better, so I’m sure this will make Mama happy.

She presses a kiss to my cheek before pulling away, nodding at Fabian. “It’s good to see both of you, although I’m surprised. Don’t you have a meeting you’re supposed to be going to?”

“We do. The jet is waiting for us, but I wanted to check on you and the kids.” He pauses, moving me to his hip. “Why don’t I take Mariana with me?”

“To an organized crime meeting? That seems like a great idea, Sergio.”

Papa chuckles, and I smile. I love the sound of his laughter.

“What’s organized crime, Papa?”

Mama throws her hands in the air. “See? You know what the principal said—she’s more than smart.”

“I am.” I nod. “That’s why I skipped two grades.”

“You’re the brightest moon there ever has been,” Papa agrees.

“And I think that’s why you should come to New York with us.

The Bianchi don has a daughter around Mariana’s age, and she’ll be with him.

My little moon needs to get to know others in our world.

It won’t be much longer before she understands my line of work. ”

I blink at Papa, not sure exactly what he’s talking about. I don’t really know what he does for work. I just know he’s the boss, and Fabian works for him.

“She’ll just be in the way,” Fabian interjects, and I stick my tongue out at him again.

I wasn’t sure about going on the jet without Mama, but now I want to go just because Fabian doesn’t want me to.

“I want to go, Papa.”

Mama sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “Are you sure, Mariana? It might be really boring.”

“I’ll bring my dolls and my book. I’d bring my homework, but I already finished it.” I go to what Fabian says is a fancy, overpriced school, where I have to wear a uniform. I like it, but classes were always too easy for me.

But now, I’m in fifth grade, and it’s not nearly as easy. I mean, it’s still easy, but sometimes it’s challenging. Mama said I was too young to skip any more grades, but I don’t mind. The kids in my class are nice enough, but they like to make fun of me because I’m so young.

I know it’s because they’re jealous that I’m smarter than them. Not that I would say that out loud—that would be mean, and I don’t want to be mean to people.

“It’ll be good for her.” Papa sets me down, and I already miss him holding me. At least I’ll get to go with him when he leaves this time. “Little moon, why don’t you ask Ana Maria to help you pack a bag? We’ll be staying overnight.”

I nod, already heading for the stairs to find our housekeeper. I find her cleaning up my brothers’ room, and I feel bad for her. They’re really messy.

As soon as I tell her what I need help with, she helps me pack my suitcase with some clothes, PJs, my favorite stuffed dog, and all the other things I’ll need.

It’s not until I follow Ana Maria downstairs that I realize I’m not sure if Papa said where we were going.

Oh, right! He said New York. We’ve flown from our home in Miami to there a lot. I like it there because there are so many tall buildings and people. It’s very different from Miami.

“I’m ready, Papa!” I announce as I jump off the last step and rush to where he and Fabian are talking. I come up short when Fabian glares at me.

I narrow my eyes, not liking the way he’s looking at me. I just know he’s about to say something mean, but I remember what Papa always tells me when someone is mean.

I lift my chin, hands landing on my hips as I return his glare. It doesn’t matter what he says because I’m rubber and he’s glue.

“Fabian,” Papa hisses, stepping between us. “You’re acting like a child. Mariana is just as much a part of this business as you are. You’re both my children, and just because you’re going to inherit it doesn’t mean she can’t be part of it.”

“She’s a girl.” He sounds disgusted, and I frown. Being a girl is awesome. He must be jealous. “They have no place in the cartel except as a bargaining chip or for an arranged marriage.”

Papa huffs. “I don’t know where you’ve learned these antiquated ideas, but that’s not the cartel I’m a part of. It is not the cartel El Jefe is building. Now, I’m done with this conversation. Take a car and go to the jet. Mariana and I will meet you there shortly.”

Fabian throws his hands in the air before stomping to the door.

“Papa?”

He turns to look at me with a sad smile. “Yes, little moon?”

“Why doesn’t Fabian like me?”

“Oh, Mari.” Papa kneels down and opens his arms. I’m not going to turn down a hug, so I go to him. “Fabian was my only child for seventeen years. He’s not used to sharing my love, and he misses his mama.”

I nod as I pull back. Fabian’s mama died back in Colombia before he and Papa moved to the US when he was fourteen. Then he met Mama and had me. Matías was born a year after me, and JC a year after him.

“Okay, Papa.” I’m not sure what that has to do with him not liking me, but I won’t ask any more questions. Mainly because it feels like Papa is lying to me, and he never lies to me. “Can we go now?”

“Let’s go say bye to Mama and your brothers, then we can go.”

I end up falling asleep on the jet while watching a movie. A driver meets us at the airport and drives us into the city. I stare at the buildings and people as we pass them.

We go into one of the biggest buildings and ride the elevator up to the top floor. As soon as we stop, I rush to the window to look out. Everything looks so small from this high up. We have tall buildings in Miami, but nothing like this.

“Little moon, I want to introduce you to someone.”

I spin around to face Papa, finding another man standing there with a little girl about my age.

“Hi! My name is Mariana Celine Vallejo Gomez, and I’m eight years old.” I hurry over and hold my hand out to the blonde girl as I grin at her.

She gives me a funny look before glancing up at the other man. When he gives her a nod, she smiles and shakes my hand. “Aurora Bianchi. I’m also eight, and this city is my dad’s.”

“I love it here,” I tell her, waving toward the window. “We’re up so high. I love Miami, but New York City is nothing like it. Can we be friends? I don’t have any of those, and Papa always says I need to make friends.”

Aurora considers me for a minute before nodding. “Yes, let’s be friends.”

“I brought my dolls and some books. Do you like to play with dolls? I’ll share with you.”

Papa and the man, who I think is Aurora’s dad, lead us to a room where a woman waits for us.

“Okay, little moon. Papa has to work. You can play with Aurora here until we’re done, okay?”

I nod. “Yes, Papa. We’re going to be best friends. Have fun with work!”

I turn back to my new friend and forget all about my Papa. I’ve always wanted a best friend. I really hope Aurora can be that for me.