Reign of Pride Read online

  Reign Of Pride

  Dark Reign Book One

  A.G. Kirkham

  Copyright © 2020 by A.G. Kirkham

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Cover design by JS Designs Cover Art

  [email protected]

  www.facebook.com/jsdesignscoverart/

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Playlist

  Also by A.G. Kirkham

  Introduction

  Hello Mei Amori,

  * * *

  I have done my best to incorporate Nero and Felicia's story in the present, however, the past must be told to help you to understand the Famiglia. See it through, my loves, and ride the journey of Nero and Felicia.

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  A.G. Kirkham

  Chapter One

  How Did I get Here?

  Felicia

  * * *

  Two years ago, my life changed. Today it becomes official to the rest of the Famiglia, I am becoming engaged to Nero Moretti. My only objective was to save myself and Grazia and somehow, I find myself preparing for a party to formally announce our intended marriage.

  How did I get here? The day started as any other and was supposed to end on a happy note since it was the last day of school for the year.

  Two Years Prior…

  Sister Margaret, who’s got to be nearly seventy, drones on and on. In full habit, all we see is her face. Her eyes severe and her passion for numbers is ridiculous. She is plump and not very tall. Not the most exciting end to class but at this point I was clock watching waiting for the final bell to peal.

  I recall glancing around at the other girls. Other La Famiglia members. We’re all the same and

  have been since we started daycare together. Heck, I even know their bodyguards’ names.

  My dad is an underboss with the Pennsylvania branch of La Famiglia. I have overheard some of the other girls refer to my dad as ruthless and cruel. That’s not the dad I know. Mario Bianchi has always been fair with my brother and me. Emiliano, my baby brother, is only ten years old, and he is a real handful, yet Dad, although firm, has always been fair. He’s never once raised his hands to us; his fierce look of reproach is enough to make the hair on our necks stand up. Emiliano looks a lot like him. They both have chestnut brown hair and chocolate eyes, a firm jaw and, even now, I can tell my brother is going to be as tall as Dad, who, at six feet, looms over all of us. I am more like Mom; I have ink-black hair in droves, and it’s absolutely unmanageable. Mom insists that I keep it long which means it needs loads of conditioner and product to manage the curls without frizz. God help me when it rains. I mainly put it in a ponytail for school, keeping it out of my eyes and it makes for getting ready in the morning so much faster and more convenient. I also have my mom, Teresa’s, eyes. They’re a unique blue, sort of gray-blue. She is my height and we both have the same bone structure. I definitely have boobs and an ass. I work out every day and Mom laughs at me, “One day you will appreciate your curves and so will your husband.”

  I knew it was inevitable—Mom and Dad would find a suitable match for me soon after I turned eighteen, but I was secure in the idea that was two years away and, for now, I just wanted to be me. I held out hope because, although Mom and Dad were matched as well, they fell in love with one another. Dad never shows his feelings in public, but I see the stolen moments where he holds Mom’s hand, and the softening of his eyes when she smiles at him. The silly daydream that infiltrated my mind at that moment, perhaps was an omen to be fulfilled.

  My friend, Olivia, caught my attention by tapping my shoulder. I glanced back to see her indicate the time on the clock. Thank God the bell rang. Olivia and I are an odd pair. She is a tall, slender blonde with a perky nose and emerald eyes. Olivia is smart, spunky and fearless, traits I’ve always admired. Her dad is a dedicated soldier in La Famiglia and has been rewarded with many perks, one of which is having his daughter attend this school. The majority of these girls knew and embraced the power of our status, and although the nuns are our teachers, these girls found ways to flirt with the all-boys school not far from here. Magically, boys appeared from the outer wall during breaks. I thought they sensed the boys waiting for them as they beelined for the outer wall encasing the school. It blew my mind that the girls’ skirts shrink from knee length to just below their asses. Not my style and my dad would have lost his mind if I were ever caught with my skirt hiked up that high.

  I immediately ran to my locker and gathered my belongings as soon as I heard the bell and hefted my heavy backpack over my shoulder. I gave Olivia a quick hug goodbye and promised to connect with her later that night. As we all filed out the front entrance, a line of cars and guards awaited their charges. I walked out into the sunlight, seeing Lorenzo waiting for me by the Cadillac. He has been with me since I began my first school term here at Sacred Heart. His ever-so-severe facial expression greeted me. He takes his role seriously—as well he should. Especially since my dad is one step down from the don.

  At that moment, Grazia Moretti emerged from the school to stand beside me, searching out her driver. Grazia is a year older than I am and is the daughter of our capo. She is even more protected than I am which is almost next to impossible since my dad is extremely cautious. Her brother Nero, whom I have never formally met, is our next capo and is said to have been a made man from the time he was twelve. Up until this point, I have been at the same events as Nero but have never had the opportunity to speak with him. Usually Dad and the other men, including Nero, assemble together to have their discussions. His first kill occurred when there’d been an attempted kidnapping during his soccer game. Apparently, they’d thought it’d be easy to take down a twelve-year-old boy, but not Nero. When the kidnappers had killed his bodyguard, Nero had lost his mind and had thrown the knives he had on him as his father had taught him. He’d taken down three men that day and then ran to the closest safe house. The Famiglia had been extremely cautious since then and especially with Grazia, who is more vulnerable than her brother. Nero is, after all, the most sought-after husband for the daughters. Grazia is super pretty, almost angelic looking. She has a sweet smile and is respectful to everyone. Her name means grace and it totally suits her nature. She is slightly taller than me and has soft brown hair with highlights of red. She either has the best hairdresser or it is naturally beautiful. She has huge doe eyes, almost a golden color. I often thought I could really like her as a friend given the opportunity. Grazia always smiled and waved to me in the halls, giving me the occasional “hey”.

  I waved lightly and mumble a shy, “Hello.” Grazia reciprocated and I began my descent down the front steps of the school toward Lorenzo, thinking that I’ll—.

  Bang bang bang!

  The world fell apart after the shots rang out and Lorenzo dropped, clutching his arm. I stood frozen to the spot, as Lorenzo returned fire
from behind the open car door. His head whipped around to me and he screamed in full force, “Run, Felicia! Hide!”

  I ran at the fury unleashed by Lorenzo’s scream.

  Up the steps, almost passing Grazia.

  She was in shock, so I grabbed her forcibly by the hand and dragged her along with me. But she kept glancing back which was slowing us down.

  “Grazia, run!” I yelled.

  Immediately, she jerked her head toward me then began to run along side. My bag was too heavy, so I tossed it to the side. “Get rid of your bag,” I told Grazia and she threw hers away as well. I remember hearing the footsteps behind us getting closer, so I headed toward the door that leads to the lower level. I was trying to find a place to hide.

  I pushed Grazia through the door and followed. She was breathing hard, obviously not used to having to run for this long.

  “Come on,” I urged her. “We’re almost there.”

  The janitorial staff were working in the cafeteria. I was about to approach Joe, the supervisor, when a gunshot hit him in the chest, and he went down in front of my eyes.

  Grazia cried out “Oh, no! Joe!” Grazia stumbled.

  I led her out the other doors and into the gymnasium toward the doors that led to the back of the school. I kept thinking, if we could get there, we could hide out in the woods behind the building.

  The footsteps were getting louder and I knew they were closing in on us. I knew we weren’t going to make it out the door, especially since I was dragging Grazia and she was out of steam.

  When we hit the gym and I saw the storage room under the stage. I yanked it open and pulled Grazia in with me. I made my way through the crawlspace, moving bags of balls, nets, and other stuff behind us to hide us from their view in case they found our hiding spot. I clutched one of the bats—it’s always good to have a weapon, I thought.

  We huddled together, our knees drawn to or chest to make ourselves as small as possible. The sounds of what seemed a stampede rushed through the main room. Grazia squeaked beside me, trembling, and I covered her mouth with my hand.

  There were more gunshots echoing in the gym, along with moans and screams. Silent tears streamed down my cheeks because, if we got caught, we’d be lucky to be killed immediately. The other option was too horrid to consider, but consider it, I did. They’d rape us and torture us, then send us back to our families in pieces.

  Suddenly, all the noise stopped.

  I held my breath and gripped the bat harder. There were some murmurs and then the door was wrenched open, a glimmer of light shining in through the doorway.

  “Grazia?”

  Grazia started to cry. “Nero. We’re in here.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief, dropped the bat, then hugged my shoulders to stop myself from becoming hysterical. It was then that I noticed my thigh was red with my blood. I could see the equipment being moved out of the way as they came towards us. My vision became blurry. It was all too much. I dropped my head back to the wall and everything went dark.

  Present Day…

  Every day since, I think about the act of bravery that changed my life. The mirror reflection shows a woman, dressed and ready to make her entrance as Nero Moretti’s fiancé. Yet, I still feel like a girl running through the halls.

  Chapter Two

  The Good Girl Meets Bad Boy

  Felicia

  * * *

  I coat my lips with the peach coloured lipstick. This will be a change for Nero to see me dressed in the gown, heels, and makeup. I lick my lips in a nervous gesture, hence why I keep having to recoat them with lipstick. In a few moments, I am going to have to walk down those stairs and meet my future husband and greet the guests. My mind is dizzy with thoughts of reflection.

  Past Reflection…

  I recall waking in the hospital, my eyes felt heavy, my throat was dry, and that constant beeping was causing my head to ache. I lifted my lids but then shut them again. I remember the bright lights hurting my eyes.

  “She’ll be fine, Teresa. The doctors assure me of that,” my dad’s voice was the first I heard.

  “My baby girl,” my mom sobbed.

  I wanted to make her feel better and stop crying, so, while my voice croaked, I managed to get out one word, “Mom.”

  It took me a minute or so before I could fully focus on their faces. Mom’s face was tear stained. She had been crying even though she put on a brave smile. Dad held my hand firmly and sighed.

  “Grazia?” I chocked out.

  “She’s fine, my dove. You saved her. And yourself,” Dad told me quietly.

  “Good,” I whispered. “I want to go home.’

  Mom kissed my forehead. “Soon, sweetie.”

  “I am going to go grab a doctor and see how quickly we can get you out of here,” Dad said before heading toward the door.

  When I heard him talk to one of his men, I remembered Lorenzo. I jerked into a sitting position. “Dad! Is Lorenzo okay?”

  He walked back stand at the end of the bed. “Lorenzo is currently in ICU. He’s getting the best of care. I am seeing to it. His family is here with him and they are being safely guarded as well.”

  Tears formed in my eyes. ICU? That meant he was not out of the woods yet. I thought of his poor family losing their minds. His two boys were six and eight years old. His wife would be lost without him. A tear tracked down my cheek. “I want to see him. He gave us time to run. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know if we would’ve made it.”

  Mom enveloped me in her arms as I cried. Dad looked like he wanted to do the same thing, but his men entered the room and there was no way he would show any sign of weakness in front of them. Instead, he straightened his shoulders and said, “Once the doctor gives us the okay, I will take you to him.” He turned and left room, his men falling in behind him.

  I cried for quite some time and Mom let me. Maybe it was all the pent-up emotion, the fear of what could have happened to us, the adrenaline of trying to save each other, the death of Joe, the janitor, and, of course, Lorenzo. It was all too much; I cried for a very long time.

  True to his word, Dad took me to see Lorenzo as soon as I got the go ahead. The doctor explained that I was a lucky girl and my injury was minor. He put in some stitches and expressed his concern over my mental state of mind after such a scene. I recalled he offered therapy which I quickly turned down. La Famiglia handles their problems internally. We stand strong and show no fear. I thanked him for his assistance and told him I’m ready to go home. He reluctantly signed the release papers and we made our way to see Lorenzo.

  I was wheeled into the waiting room for families with patients in ICU. The site of Lorenzo’s wife, Diana, along with Davide and Cristiano, his boys, sitting on a sofa incited new tears that I held in check.

  “I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “He did his job. Once he hears you’re well, it will boost his spirits,” Diana replied.

  Dad pushed my wheelchair to Lorenzo’s room and toward his bed. I stood beside it with Dad and I touched his hand. All the tubes and wires affected me. I had heard that, even if a patient is unconscious, they could still hear us, so I gave it a try.

  “Lorenzo, it’s me, Felicia. Thank you for giving us time to run. Thank you for fighting to protect us. We wouldn’t have made it without you. I need you to come back to us now. I want you to get well because I won’t have another bodyguard. I need you; your wife and boys need you. Please Lorenzo, open your eyes.”

  Dad hugged me and kissed my temple.

  “Come, bella. Let’s get you home. I will make sure that we are informed of his progress.”

  Fresh tears blurred my vision. I turned my head to bury my face in Dad’s chest to hide my fresh tears welding.

  Diana gasped. “He moved his hand!”

  Dad ran to the door and called in the doctor.

  A while later, we were blessed to see Lorenzo with his wife and children gathered around him. At the sight of my father, Lorenzo trie
d to rise into a sitting position, like a good soldier.

  Dad raised his hand to stop him. “I think you’ve done enough for one day, Lorenzo. Take the rest of the day off.”

  Lorenzo smiled weakly.

  Mom looked Lorenzo in the eyes. “I cannot thank you enough…” She quickly erupted into tears.

  “My job,” Lorenzo croaked.

  I walked up next to his bed and I touched his hand. I wanted to say Thank you, but the words were clogged in my throat.

  He covered my hand with his. “It’s my job.”

  I understood. It might have been what he was supposed to do, but we were all happy it had ended well.

  Present Day…

  It brings a smile to my lips now to know that Lorenzo is here to celebrate with our families tonight, along with his boys and his pregnant wife. Here to celebrate the union of Nero and Felicia.

  Chapter Three

  Not The Reward I’d Hoped for

  Felicia

  * * *

  Two years prior…

  It felt good to get back into the pool to swim. I hadn’t realized how tense my muscles had been until this morning, so I pushed myself to do laps and set about conditioning my body to get back to normal. Emiliano entertained me and we ended up playing ball in the water. I loved watching him laugh. He had the most addictive laugh.