All Chapters of To Have and To Hold: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

IsabellaI stared straight ahead, seeing the reflection of my family as the elevator whisked us up to the capo dei capi’s apartment in the Kansas City skyline. This was a formal event. My father and little brother were both wearing suits, and my sister, Noemi, Mom, and I were all wearing dresses. Nothing but the best for the kingpin of the Kansas City Famiglia.Biting my lip, I felt my stomach twist with nerves. Tension rippled through the air even thicker than it had in the SUV on the way to this first-birthday celebration—a momentous milestone for the capo’s daughter.As our family drove across town, Papà reminded us of his rules—no socializing with members of the Roríguez cartel. It wasn’t the first time we’d heard his lecture. If I recalled correctly, the first time was before Mom, Noemi, and I flew to California for Catalina’s wedding shower. Papà’s bodyguards were present for our protection and to spy on our interactions.The world of the famiglia had been turned upside down sin

EmilianoEven though Isabella avoided me for the rest of the party, I did my best to keep my eyes on her. She was easy to spot with her long golden hair. Whenever our gazes would meet, she would look away. Of the throng of girls, the only one who would make eye contact with me was the middle sister from Salvatore’s family. I learned from Cat that her name was Aria, and she was sixteen. Definitely off-limits. Besides, there was something about Isabella.Yes, her hair was beautiful, but her sister had the same color hair. I didn’t feel a pull toward her sister. There shouldn’t be a pull toward Isabella. She was of age, but that still meant young. I’d be thirty at my next birthday.Maybe it was watching Jano and Rei settle down that made me want to do the same. Knowing the dislike Dario’s uncles had for the alliance, I’d be better off to talk to Jano about a daughter of one of his lieutenants. Rei oversaw many soldiers in Northern California.With my back against the wall and my arms cro

EmilianoSilas opened the door to el Patrόn’s home, allowing me entry. “Buenos días,” I greeted. Silas was the final guard at the last point of entry. Since Aléjandro ascended to the top position in the cartel, his home was even more guarded than before.“Señor Ruiz, el jefe esta en su oficina.”With a nod, I headed toward Aléjandro’s office. As I approached, I heard voices. It didn’t take me long to realize Mia, Aléjandro’s wife, was also present.“Em,” she said, turning to me as I entered. “Maybe you could add your two cents to our discussion.”Aléjandro Roríguez was seated behind his desk. If one were to enter this home, they’d surely mistake Silas for el Patrόn, the man in charge of Aléjandro and his family’s safety. He was always dressed in a suit, often a three-piece suit. On the other hand, the true leader was behind his desk with a five-o’clock shadow, despite it being morning, and wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and by the one foot on his desk, black boots.Mia was also

EmilianoJano sat at his desk swearing in two languages, his stare transfixed on the video on his screen. Much was grainy and pixelated. From reports from soldiers on the street, a gun fight broke out at Pacific Beach last night. Two people were killed and three wounded. None of them cartel or bratva soldiers. It was the innocent who paid the highest price.The press blamed the entire incident on the cartel despite the street camera footage showing that our soldiers were fired upon first. My cousin, Nick, also a soldier growing in stature among the Roríguez cartel, stood behind Jano, pointing out specifics. I sat across the office at my laptop. With access to the cartel’s larger computer network, I had access to other cameras, from those of residents’ doorbells to commercial-grade security systems.This was the hacking el Patrόn wanted me to do. My job wasn’t to find evidence to change the mind of the police. They’d never be convinced that we didn’t start it. This diligent search had

IsabellaIt wasn’t until I was out on the patio in the sunshine that the time difference between San Diego and Kansas City hit me. I’d left early this morning from Missouri, and while it was now late afternoon here, if I was to make it past dinner without falling asleep, I decided I needed rest.I met Mia at the top of the staircase. “Did you want to discuss more about the apartments?”“It can wait for Liliana. I wanted to be sure you understood the rules around here.”I rolled my eyes. “I’ve lived my entire life with rules.”“These aren’t so strict. If you want to leave the house for things other than work—well for work too—it’s not a problem. You just need to tell Horace, and he can drive you. Do you have his phone number?”“Yes, we exchanged numbers. Right now, I think I want to lie down. Being out in the sun made me tired.”Mia smiled and tilted her head. “Isabella, I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming out here to help. I think when you meet Liliana, you’ll understa