In the Shadow of the Mob

Keep your mouth shut, Carl told himself, trying to act normal around his mom and his brother. The secret knowledge that his dad’s life might be in danger burned hotly in his brain, and as his dad disappeared down the front steps, Carl knew there was a serious possibility he would never see his father again.

Carl had been raised to keep secrets. If he didn’t, either his dad would land in jail, or his dad’s gruesome death would be plastered on the cover of the New York Daily News. That’s because Carl’s dad was a member of the Italian Mafia.

At first, living in the shadow of the mob didn’t seem so bad. Sure, Carl’s parents didn’t get along, and his extended family treated them all like outcasts. But Carl and his family had practically everything that money could buy . . . until his dad made a million-dollar mistake that would change their lives forever.

Of course, no one but God knew that the change would turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to them—even though the enemy had other plans.