Page 1 of Luna
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 Yorkwith 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.
