One Step Closer (Erotic Romance) Book 1 (The DeLuca Brothers) by Lucinda DuBois Page A

a superhero. After his father had died, he'd known it for
certain. After all, only a superhero could raise the five DeLuca boys and stay
sane. They were all strong-willed, stubborn and intense, a dangerous
combination to have under one roof.
    He
was the oldest, the protective older brother who was the only one allowed to
torment his younger siblings and the only one other than their mother who was
allowed to boss them around, even if they didn't like it. And, for the most
part, they'd listened. He helped them get ready for school, had walked with the
younger ones to and from the bus stop. Even though he'd lost his faith in his
religion, every Sunday, he made sure his brothers were ready for mass. He went
through the motions of catechism because he knew how much it meant to his
mother, and when his brothers came to him with their own doubts about the
Church, he never steered them away. As far as he knew, all four still attended
mass regularly.
    Despite
his extra responsibilities, he'd set the bar both academically and socially –
honors classes, valedictorian, captain of the football team, star quarterback,
senior class president and prom king. His grades and athletic ability had
earned him a full ride to NYU and he'd used it to get an MBA and make the
contacts who helped him start his adventure business. His career path had also
been something to which his brothers could aspire. When he'd started his 'plan
your own adventure' business, only his mother had thought he'd make anything of
it. Now, it was a global company that made him worth half a billion dollars.
The only reason he hadn't moved his mother to a million-dollar home was that
she refused to go. Part of that, Frank was sure, was that all of her memories
of his father were in this house. They'd married when she was just seventeen.
She'd never expected to be a widow before thirty.
    Of
his four brothers, two had at least attempted to follow in their brother's
footsteps to make their adult lives be something of which they and their mother
could be proud. One was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do. And
then there was Anthony.
    Two
years younger than Frank, Anthony had generally resented his older brother's
authority after their father had died and, as he became a teenager, had turned
to other members of the DeLuca family for guidance. With his short jet-black
hair, dark brown eyes, and rugged good looks, he was the spitting image of his
father. He was the same height as Frank, but wider. His bulk had made him a
prime candidate for an enforcer with a known crime family.
    The
crime connection was a major source of contention for the middle DeLuca child
and his older brother. At thirty-one, Vincent was among the youngest Special
Agents in the NYC branch of the FBI. He seemed to strive to distinguish himself
from his brothers by keeping his blue-black hair nice and neat, though not as
short as Anthony's. While he had the light brown eyes of his father's side of
the family, his features were much more fine like his mother's. He was the
shortest of the brothers at just under six feet tall, but had an authoritative
air that garnered him respect. Out of all of his brothers, Vincent was the one
to whom Frank was the closest, and they hadn't spoken in nearly eighteen
months.
    Two
years younger than Vincent was the DeLuca's most eligible bachelor, Sergio. As
the pediatrician assigned to the emergency room at Mount Sinai Medical Center,
he made a decent living but wasn't wealthy. However, the prestige that came
with the job made up for the extra he would've made elsewhere. Add in wavy
ebony hair and chocolate brown eyes, a tall, lean frame and rugged good looks,
and Sergio was constantly fending off passes from single – and some not so much
– moms as well as offers from Maria's friends who wanted him to meet their
single relatives. Frank seriously doubted if that particular brother would ever
settle down.
    Then
there was the baby of the family. Salvatore, called Sal