The Family Tree

The Mafia's Woman #4

Three years ago, almost all Italian families moved to another city. A chance for a new life. A new beginning. A development that thirty-year-old Marcello Ferrante has not yet embraced. He struggles to completely let go of his old familiar life. He misses that last bit that gives him the peace and confidence that it will be okay.

Until then he lives his life partly in the shadows. The people from the city know him as architect Marcello Ferrante, but in the world that the Italian family was part of for generations, he is still known as 'The Artist', and then it is not about his paintings. Or the tattoos he is setting.

During one of his 'assignments', he meets twenty-five-year-old Camilla Matthews.

Which in turn is looking for her place in the world. Not only is she looking for her mother's killer, but also for her biological father. In addition to that search, Camilla's work as an FBI agent, has made her obsessed with someone in particularl 'The Artist'.

Camilla is determined to find out who that is, and if he is the missing piece to the murder of her mother.

The two experience an exciting night in New York, where Marcello is there for one of his assignments and Camilla is there to see The Artist's last 'artwork'.

The attraction has never been stronger for both. But Camilla leaves, without a word.

Camilla moves to Cliffs, according to an informant, it is the place where her father last lived.

Not knowing that Marcello lives there and not knowing that the man she ends up in bed with more than once is her other obsession.

Read along in this fourth book in the Mafia series. Is Camilla enough for Marcello to leave the world behind? Can Camilla find her killer and what other secrets will she discover?

Will both find love and acceptance over who they truly are?

September 5 is the start of publishing The Mafia’s Woman.

A little tease of the story:

Camilla:

It was as if my heart stopped when I saw him. My body immediately remembered his touch. That night he looked like I could eat him and I did, but now. I shake my head to push the thoughts away, to no avail. I saw him coming out of a car, in dress pants, a buttondown. His hair styled, longer than I can remember. My fingers immediately tingle and want to stroke through his black hair, pulling on it to keep him where I want him.

And then the ice-cold bucket of water came over me. Not one, not two, but five children came out of the car and a beautiful woman.

It took them a while, but eventually, he walked into the building with his wife and their five children. My blood is boiling.

He just has a wife and kids while he was with me all night. How can he be like that?!

I shake my head again and I focus on the ceremony. Everyone has to find a place in the main hall and one by one they are called forward.

I only have to make one announcement and when it's my turn, I know exactly where he is. I ignore that he's in the audience. What are the chances of all the men in America, that I share a night with him and that he shows up here?

……

When I get to the main hall, someone grabs my elbow and I don't have to look around to see who it is. My body remembers the touch. He pulls me back into the hallway and when I stand in front of him I see his brown eyes.

"you're here." He whispers. I hold up my hand.

"Don't be afraid. I won't say anything to your family. It's not up to me to disrupt your whole family." I snap.

"What are you talking about?" he asks and I see the frown on his face.

"Oh please." I sigh and roll my eyes. "I'm not stupid, I saw you with your family. I should shoot you in the balls for what you're doing to your wife, but I'm not here to disrupt your life. Leave me alone and we're both safe."

I don't wait for an answer, I pull myself free and walk to the main hall. Valerio and Jenna walk in.

"Oh there you are, we just wanted to come and get you." Jenna laughs. I follow the two of them outside to the car. I look back and see Marcello coming out of the building. Our eyes find each other. He smirks and shakes his head. I look away from him. i***t.

.

.

……****......

.

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Marcello:

I smirk when I see her get in the car with Valerio and Jenna. The fire burned in her eyes when she spoke to me about my alleged family. She saw me with Valentina, my sister, and her children and thought that was my life.

She just didn't give me a chance to tell her how far from the truth that is.

"Is that her?" Giovanni is standing next to me. He follows my gaze to Valerio's car.

"Go away," I answer and he starts laughing.

I told Giovanni about my adventure in NY. Not the details and not that I think she might be the one, but about how scary it was that we clicked so well. And also how I woke up in an empty room. She left me without a word.

I get in the car with Ricco, my brother, who still has a spot available, with only two children in the back.

"You have to stay away from that chick!" I hear Ricco say and he takes Vivian's hand.

In the rear-view mirror, he looks at me.

"Why?" I ask him.

"Seriously Marce! With what you do and her work. That's asking for trouble." He shakes his head.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm an architect and for the kick I set tattoos."

……

I got Chris next to me on one side and Ricco on the other. Right across from me is Cam, next to Jenna.

"Oh Cam, this is Marcello." Jenna starts and I shake my head.

"We’ve met," I answer. I see Ricco and Chris fall silent and my eyes drill straight into Camilla's.

She blushes and scrapes her throat. "Yes, in New York a few weeks ago."

Jenna's mouth falls open and closed again. I smirk and take a sip of the water.

"Where?" asks Ricco.

"In Stefano's club," I answer.

"Well, look at that." Jenna laughs awkwardly and she turns to Camilla. Valentina comes to sit on the other side of Camilla and Vincenzo sits down next to her.

"Tell me you didn't do her," Ricco whispers.

"I thought a gentleman never kisses and tells?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"This is asking for trouble." He answers.

"Stay out of this," I answer.

……

The plane lands and as soon as we get the signal that the belt can be taken off, I am already at the door. The door opens for me and I walk down the stairs. The big black car is already ready.

Luca arranged a car during our flight, so we can go straight to my house.

Luca follows me down the stairs and I stop when the rear door of the car opens.

I rub my face. I really don't want to do this.

"Ricco, I don't have time for this," I answer sternly.

"I know that, that's why I came, keep going because we have a lot to arrange." He answers.

He moves restlessly back and forth on his legs, from his heel to his toes. I look up at him and I see that he is serious.

"Stefano called." He answers and with that he answers the question that is in my head, but that I would never ask.

"Well, are we going to get your girl or not?" Chris sticks his head out of the open door and I shake my head laughing.

"Woman," I answer. "Not a girl."

I push Chris back so I can get in.