The Beautiful Years, Part 2 by Annie Rose Welch

The moment Scarlett Rose appeared in the window of her parents’ dance studio, twirling like a beautiful figurine in a music box, she became mine. Irrevocably.

She knew me better than I knew the lines of my own hands, though I had never confessed to her whose blood ran through my veins, the famiglia that I belonged to. My legacy created a savage beast that lurked beneath my skin, ready to battle for family and honor, but he only went to war for one—her.

There was one catch, an arrangement she didn’t know about. I sent her away so that she could follow her stars. But now, I was back to retrieve what had always belonged to me—my ballerina girl.