FAMILY RULES (Mafia Rules #2)

Throwing back the now lukewarm tea in one gulp, I empty my cup before standing from the chair, and walking past the kitchen island. Apparently, I’m not allowed to use the kitchen stools anymore for I might fall from the two and a half foot high stool and hurt myself all because the skirt of my dress got tangled with the legs of the stool I was sitting on last week, causing me to trip and bump my hip a little against the island. I didn’t even try to argue that I’m not that accident prone, I should just be glad it didn’t get me banned from the kitchen again. Just as I’m about to place the cup in the sink, Laura appears from somewhere and relieves me of it. “Let me help you Ms. Lola,” she says. I don’t try to tell her it is just a cup and I can rinse and put it away myself. It’ll just fall on deaf ears like every other complaint I've made in the past month. Also because Maria will give them a hard time when discovered, and she always finds out somehow, if I didn't know better I'd

Niko is standing in front of the closed door. In a charcoal suit, matching shirt, and an equally black tie. He looks like the dark and dangerous I’d dubbed him when I snuck out of my boarding school and ran into him a year ago. Unaware that I was to marry him. He knew exactly who I was of course Then he’d been perfectly dark. He still is. And like the first time I saw him, my heart skipped a beat. “You’re here” Niko pushes away from the door, coming around the table until he is standing in front of me his gaze fixed on me. “You look beautiful, baby” I go up to him, as he leans down to press a swift kiss to my lips. “Thank you” Finally, his eyes take in the candles and flower arrangements then narrows on me with slight suspicion. “This is different” he repeats. My fingers smooth up the soft material of his suit jacket before coming to link together behind his neck “What do you mean by different?” I laughed playfully “Get that look off your face Niko, can’t a girl decide to

Once again, I can't help but wonder why my cousin has to secure his place, as the only living male son of Manuel Cancio, which makes him boss in Chicago, simple and short. I was absent when Niko took over, but from what I heard there was some tension as is to be expected when there is a change in power, also another reason my mama concluded with Niko to send me away, excluding the fact that I was young, just fifteen, but I dont think it was this bad. They’re only able to this this because my cousin is young and level-headed, compared to Niko, I don’t even see Thomas allowing this kind of insubordination. “They are asking too much, two for the price of one” and by one, I mean one ally. Weddings in the family are a sure way to gain support and allies, If Katherina were to join the Rizzo family, then Carlos should join with another family, what utter nonsense for them to suggest this. It is a wrong political move, even I who is just learning about family politics will advise my cou

“The women are upset that you’ve declined all their invitations to tea in the past month” I haven’t gotten any invitations. Why do I feel this is Niko's doing? A sigh leaves me. “You know why I can’t go out” I cradle my swollen belly with one hand, leaning on the arm of my chair. Already he was frustrated with me this morning at breakfast, I’d finally summoned the courage to speak of my cousin's plight to him. “I know better than you the situation of this in Chicago” was his reply. I had frowned at him but he remained unvarying in his decision to stay out of it. I don’t know how my aunt thought I would be able to do anything. Last night my aunt suggested that my cousin Katherina come for a visit. After asking if Niko’s cousin Vincent has a pending arrangement. I saw where that was leading, of course, in the case that somehow my cousin could try to catch the eyes of Vincent Salvatore, or God forbid find herself in Vincent’s bed and force Niko’s hand. Katherina is Chicag

When I wake up on Sunday morning, the bed is empty beside me. I know Niko is not at church, he wouldn’t go without me and as we are keeping the pregnancy quiet, we haven’t been for months. So these days, only Tommy and Vincent attend mass every Sunday morning. Releasing a sleepy oud yawn, I stretch a hand towards the nightstand for my phone. Where the hel- I squint one eye open to narrow on its position then move my fingers further to the right grabbing my phone. I swipe through my contact with half closed eyes before hitting the call button. It rings twice before connecting. “Where are you?” There is a beat of silence “In my office, two doors from you” his voice grows increasingly sharp “Are you hurt?” I blink once, twice doing a mental check, “No, I’m fine. Just woke up and wondered where you were” Then I hung up tossed my phone on the side and went back to sleep.That afternoon I sit in the living room and stretch my hands above my body for the fifth time.Gosh, my back. I m