Today is the funeral and wake of the two men with didn’t make it during the fire. The thought of it takes me back to that night, did I think to ask if anyone was injured, I think I might have but when I saw Niko, I was overcome with relief. But there was. Two men. Willy, a made man in his early twenties and the breadwinner to his single mom and two younger sisters. He had died on the scene. Andrew, married with a son, had been in the intensive care unit for days with third-degree burns, before passing away. I’d heard from Maria that there were three others injured but not as badly as the other men who died. When she mentioned it this morning, I told Niko I wanted to go. After this, I intend to visit the injured in the hospital, and every family involved in the accident. I wear a knee-length black dress, pull my hair back in a low ponytail, and sit at the back of the car with Niko as we drive to the funeral home after leaving the cemetery where the two men have been laid to re
Things are calm for the next two weeks, well, heated between Niko and I but cool everywhere else. Just this morning, as he kissed me goodbye after breakfast his lips lingered on mine. “When can I come inside you again?” Not sure why but my cheeks had heated as I told him “Soon”.I had to reschedule my appointment with Andera as the funeral fell on the same day the week before and she has some patients she’s had to monitor closely so we keep putting it off. Eva and Matteo also put aside their misunderstandings and are back together. Matteo haven accepted that as long as they are together, he'll be okay with that.From my recent call with Mama, all is well in Chicago, even father is behaving himself she said, I didn't know what tbrought about the change, didn’t want to dig too deep into it. My mother is content and no one is in immediate danger. That is enough for me.My babies are growing and happy. My marriage is great.All is well in my world. “I think I’m ready to do it” Vaness
“Here you go,” Niko says holding out an old brown book.Like the mafia rules, there’s nothing written on it, no title, or author's name. not even an abstract design. Just a plain book. At least this one seems to be just an old journal not like the other one Niko described to be bound in human flesh, yuck. The original Mafia rules, not the copy I read but still.I still sniff at it a little. Only smelled old woodsy smell and nothing gross like rotten flesh or skin.And so I flip it open. I blink once, twice at the words written on the first page. “What is this?” I flip through the book seeing more of the same gibberish writing. “Niko…” I hold the book out to him flopping down on the couch beside him.Looking away from his computer, he takes it from me, his eyes smiling as he pops it open between two fingers and reads the words out loud. “Le regole della famiglia.” “It’s written in Italian?” I blink at him. “Yes,” he hands it over going back to his work.“Ah! Come on” I groaned, I s
Later that night, I follow Niko into the closet my hands at my hips “I don’t understand why I can’t know about your businesses, you know everything about my business” Granted that’s because I supply him with an update almost most nights when I tell him about my day, I also message him during the day when I’m frustrated about something and he listens to me when I need to rant. I remove one earring, then the other, leaving gold hoops on my vanity. He turns to me amused “I’m an investor” I give him a displeased look in the mirror as I unclasp my necklace and then kick off my shoes. Niko joins me in front of the mirror, he moves my hair over one shoulder, then drags down the zipper of my dress slowly, in his eyes is that look he has when he’s debating whether to tell me something when the dress loosens around my chest I think he’s going to brush me off as he usually does when I mention the family business, but he finally says “And it also gives you possible deniability” I remove my h
He stands just by the door, the fingers of one hand still wrapped around the doorknob, eyebrows pinched, and a scowl of annoyance on his lips. I look at him from head to toe, he looks real, dark green eyes looking at me without blinking, tousled black hair, and a tight black shirt stretches over his wide chest, he looks bigger, having put on more muscle, dark jeans, and a pair of black boots laced halfway on his feet. Pushing up from the floor I stumble in his direction, blinking a few times to clear my vision, my hand his reaching towards his chest frowning, this must be a hallucination from snacking my head on the floor, I've never hallucinated in my life but there is a first time for everything, expect my fingers do not go through him, I poke him again in the center of his chest, he is very solid, I look up to find him looking down at the finger I have on his chest. "Did you hurt yourself just now?" I jump on him, “It’s really you! You’re alive?” It comes out like a question but
“I started working last summer, just before the twins arrived” “What?” The look on his face tells me exactly how ridiculous he thinks that is. “Yeah…”“Still making trouble I see?" Miguel shakes his head "I thought being a mama now you would tone it down a little, should have known better” “I’m not that bad,” I say laughing“Yes Lola, you are” I laughed again. Walking down the hall I see Tommy coming towards us his eyes glued to his phone “Tommy!" I yelled "Look who’s back” I pointed at Miguel beside me. Tommy's brows go up, disappearing into the hair that’s fallen over his forehead a grin appearing on his face. “Bro! What’s up?” They clasp hands and do a bro hug thing, Tommy slapping Miguel twice on the back. “We thought you died motherfucker” “Thought I might too for a sec there” Miguel returns and they chuckle the image is so heartwarming. These two have always been close, it was one of the things that baffled me when Miguel disappeared, Tommy seemed so unbothered. But looki
"To Miguel!” “Cheers!” I say loudly with the others clicking my glass with Niko and then Eva. I lean over the table to click my glass with the man of the hour. All the guys were also surprised to see him, apparently only Niko suspected where he was all this time. Tommy thought he was on an assignment and knew not to ask questions. Because doing so could blow his cover. I’m just happy he’s back, a part of me that has always worried about him is at peace now. Nothing, absolutely nothing can bring me down now. “Thank you, everyone,” Miguel says. “Another strong man added to our ranks, well done son, now if only someone would decide to make me a proud grandfather sometime before I die, possibly soon” Matteo tips his glass in his son’s direction. I swallow a laugh. “Not this again” Vincent grumbles throwing back his wine in one glup. “At almost thirty I already had you and you’re not even considering settling down, just look at Niko, he’s two ahead of you” My brows go up, still
Vanessa has always been her own person, though I would like to make her my sister and bring her into the family, she can be rather… well, wild. Now that I think about it, she thought Niko handling our son was the ‘sexiest thing ever’ Vincent and Niko are somewhat similar, physically. Niko is more quiet and cold, while Vincent is brooding and a bit of an asshole if you’re the kind to get offended easily. But that doesn’t make him less attractive in the least, I think if you like them bad, he's right up your alley. After her comment the other day about wanting to fuck someone, this could catch two birds with one net. It’s excellent. And their names match, Vincent and Vanessa, just like Dominiko and Delores. If that isn’t a sign I don’t know what is- “Not a chance” his refusal immediate, cdidnt even let me bask in the glow of my excellent matchmaking. I straightened confused “Why not, don’t you like her? She is the most gorgeous woman I know, with a great fashion sense, you are be