Uneasy Is the Head

By Hazel B. West

After his sister is taken by traffickers, Leone Paccioretti has made it his mission to figure out a way to protect the children of New York City. And how does he plan to achieve that? By joining the local mafia, Rosa Nera, so he can be closer to the corrupt upper echelons of society. When the current Capo recruits him into his ranks, Leone finds himself going from an orphan on the streets, to a member of one of the most powerful organizations in the country. The only question is, will he be able to achieve his dreams of making the city a safer place, or will his sacrifices all be for nothing in the end?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hazel B. West
• Release date: Aug 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005247973

Hazel B. West

I spend a good bit of my time writing historical fiction about brave men and women who have graced the pages of history, trying to bring more light to their legacies so readers of all ages will enjoy them.My favorite things/hobbies: Writing obviously, listening to and playing Irish and Scottish folk music, practicing with all eras and types of historical weaponry, GOOD COFFEE, reading of course, dark (dark) chocolate, sketching/painting, hats and boots, collecting little old-fashioned things of all kinds, buying books, and don't forget dressing in period clothing!My favorite kinds of books: Good adventure (sometimes with a little romance), Epic historical series, anything having to do with brotherhood or camaraderie--I'll read anything if it has a strong brotherly bond between two or more guys, time travel novels as long as they are traveling back in time (and not in their own lifetime), good steampunk novels (heavy on the clankers and none of the weird things), military adventure, historical fiction that's either well-written or has unique twists, meaningful or bittersweet war novels, occasionally a good funny book especially ones that are spoofs off old stories or fairy tales, and classics--always the classics!

Book preview

UNEASY IS THE HEAD

A Sweet Vendetta Blues Story

By Hazel B. West

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, without prior permission of the author.

All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious; any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental

Cover art copyright©2022

This ebook was formatted by Once More Unto the Page Formatting

omutpformatting.wordpress.com

New York, New York, 2203

Every city had its own voice, and Leone Paccioretti was as familiar with New York’s as he was with his own.

The people walking down the streets at all hours of the day, the subway stations, the birds, the impatient car horns, they all created their own symphony. What had always fascinated him most about the city was that it never stopped. Not for rain, not for snow, not for emergencies or holidays.

And perhaps that was part of the problem. Because no one ever stopped to think about the underlying darkness the city held. The homeless they passed every day, children freezing on the street in the winter. They never stopped to notice how a child could be begging on a corner one day and the next, never to be seen again.

No, that was Leone’s burden. He was the one who noticed and sometimes he felt that he was the only one who cared.

The streets were packed right now. Choked with people getting off of work. But Leone slipped through the crowds easily enough, used to the ebb and flow. He spotted Luca at the corner and hurried to meet him.

How’d it go? he asked.

Luca shrugged one shoulder. Well enough. We got paid for the work right after the job so there’s plenty for food tonight.

Leone felt a little relief at that. Good. Let’s go pick up some stuff before we head back then.

They crossed the street to the convenience store and picked up enough for everyone, carrying the bags back to their current hideout.

Luca sighed as he looked around at the abandoned warehouse, kicking aside some stray rebar. This place isn’t safe for the little ones.

I know it’s not ideal, but it will be better come winter than where we were before, Leone replied. Besides, Mrs. Flannagan says she’ll take Emily and Arthur when she has the room.

She’s already full up, Luca grunted. And nothing’s probably going to change there.

Leone pressed his lips into a worried line, but he knew Luca was right. Mrs. Flannagan did what she could, but the fact was that there were not enough orphanages in the city, and she was struggling as it was to find resources for the kids she did have under her roof. If it wasn’t for the donations she got to alleviate the small pittance given to her by the city, then there would be even more kids out starving on the street than there already were.

A city always had orphans and wayward souls, it was a fact of life. Whether they were runaways from broken homes, cast outs, or, like in Leone’s case, had their parents die suddenly and no one to take care of them. Sometimes, kids simply disappeared into the streets rather than be put into the system and Leone couldn’t blame them. He’d seen plenty of kids who had been runaways from orphanages or foster homes who had been treated worse there than by the parents they had been taken away from.

We’re back! he called once they got into the main room of the warehouse.

Heads began to peek out and figures scrambled over.

We brought food, Luca added, holding up the bags.

Several happy squeals came from the younger kids.

Samantha, why don’t you divide everything equally? Leone suggested to one of the older girls.

She nodded and took the bags from Luca, heading toward their makeshift table of boards and crates to start setting out the food.

Leone looked around, counting heads, before he noticed two were missing.

Where are Sean and Saoirse? he asked.

Everyone stopped and