Bellissimo Lotta (Beautiful Struggle): Companion Novel to Bellissimo Fortuna (The Family Trilogy Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

through, and Bronson and I are off to Florida State. We have a plan and nothing will deter me from its path. Most people don’t understand the draw of becoming a DEA agent, but it’s all I’ve dreamed of since I was seven years old. Drugs aren’t rampant in the town we live in, but I’ve seen their damage. Drive downtown in most cities, and you can see the destruction left in their wake. They draw you in, make you feel invincible, and then leave you with nothing.
    Bronson assures me our plan is still on track, but with or without him, this is my future.
     
    Bianca: You have plans tonight?
    Me: Yep, your brother and I were supposed to work out, maybe play some hoops. What’s up? Need something?
    Bianca: What are you offering?
    Me: Bianca, not happening.
     
    I hate shooting her down all the time, but the only time she lets me know she is interested is when she’s playing this game with me.
     
    Bianca: Shit has hit the fan. Let’s all go to the movies.
    Me: You okay?
    Bianca: I will be. I just need to see you. You ground me.
    Me: I can come over there.
    Bianca: No, just agree to the movie plan when Bronson calls.
     
    I barely finish reading the text when my phone rings. It’s her brother. I listen to him, catching the stress in his voice.
    “Just meet me at the court. See you in five.” Something has set him off, and I think the culprit is a fiery redhead by the name of Callie Locati.
    I see him sitting as I approach the benches. The tight set of his jaw assures me I was spot on . . . he has something fucking with his mind.
    “What’s up?”
    “Just play.” His voice is harsh. I watch him take controlled breaths, his nostrils flare, and he searches the scenery for something to hit. The sharp look in his eyes is the same that he brings to our sparring session. He cracks his knuckles, and I know he’s hanging by a thread.
    “Talk to me, man.”
    “That fucking man is abusing her. Has been for years. She and Bianca have been hiding the truth from me.” His breaths are coming out short. Speaking those words rips him apart.
    “What?”
    “Callie’s dad. He’s sick. He fucking promised her to a man trying to get into the business. She’s sixteen years old.”
    “I’m lost here.” I do my best to stay out of the ins and outs and steer clear of the Bronson and Callie tornado. Looks like that funnel cloud is making landfall.
    “He fills her head with the most vile shit. I had to go to my dad, and tonight he’s informing them she’s promised to me.”
    “What the fuck? We just turned eighteen.” Promised to him? Is this the 1800’s where arranged marriages are still customary?
    The look he gives me makes me feel like I’m incinerating on the court. “I’ve loved that girl since she was six. I’ve always tried to look out for her, and if you could have heard the shit she was repeating today. If you could have seen the pain etched on her face . . . it’s bad.”
    “I get that, Bronson. I do . But what do you mean she is promised to you?”
    “It’s hard to explain if you didn’t grow up in the life. Basically, because my dad is the Boss, he can speak for me, and from this day on, she’s mine.”
    “Do you mean forever?”
    “Yes.”
    “Man, are you sure? That’s some crazy shit.”
    “Dakota,” his tone is ominous. He’s warning me against something, but I’m unsure of what.
    “What, Bronson? I’m just speaking the truth.”
    “Your truth, not mine, and not Callie’s. You don’t understand, and that’s fine, but you aren’t going to sit here and question me, and if you’re trying to put doubts in my head, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I have no doubt that she’s my future. She’s been my world for a long ass time, and I’ve just been biding my time until we were older. Fate stepped in and made the choice for us. The only regret I have is the pain she’s endured that I wasn’t able to stop.”
    He’s so confident, so sure of his choice. I may not understand it, but he