3. The Man Mountain.

Giovanna

I opened my eyes slowly when i felt my mattress dip and smiled at the most wonderful sight ever. The face of my baby boy who was taking my face in his tiny soft hands.

"Morning Mama." he whispered as I glanced at the clock, the blury numbers glowed in this still dull room. Morning my ass I thought as i moved over and lifted the duvet for my son to climb under with me.

"It's too early baby." I groaned.

"I'm hungry Mama. A delicious smell woke me." he added.

" What smell?" I asked biting at his ludicrous statement.

"I don't know but it woke me." he replied.

"What did it smell like?" I giggled feeding into his vivid fantasy. "was it pancakes?" I asked guessing his favourite breakfast item.

"No Mama." he replied furrowing his little brows in concentration. "It wasn't food I don't think." he muttered.

"Then what?" I gave up now the ealry hour lulling me to end this and go back to sleep.

"It felt like I had smelt it before'" he whispered. "like it was safe Mama." He added.

"Safe?" I repeated.

"Yes Mama the good wolf is going to come for us soon Mama I feel it." He added and I instantly swallowed the lump in my throat. My story and my desperate wishes had made my son wish for this imaginary person to swoop in and change our world. I cuddled him aginst my chest hiding the stray tear that fell from my long lashes. A moment ago we were being silly and now there were tears. Luca longed for the safe feeling he was trying to manifest and so did I. I wasn't going to wait around for someone else to make us safe I would start to do it on my own and I would die trying. I would get Luca to where he was safe and far away from the Angelito family even if I had to give him away.

"Mama he whispered sensing my unease.

"yes baby." I said

"want to play football?" he asked his little mind jumping on to his next desire. My baby loved sports and football.

"Lets lay here a little while before we get dressed and have breakfast. Then I will play football with you before I go to work." I assured him steading my voice.

When the clock hit six am we were dressed and full after breakfast and were now out on the big green by the side of the house. I liked it here as it was lined by a small wood that gave the illusion were werent locked behind high walls and gaurd. Here I could pretend my son and I were normal and I had taken him to the park to play like a normal mother. I had always loved the trees I used to hide there thinking if I couldn't see the house they couldn't see me.

My sister felt the same we used to hide a packet of tabacco in a tree bark hole and smoked like we were bad asses before dragging ourselves back to my father's gaze. I missed my sister so much only she knew what it was like to be a sheltered Mafia Princess. When I fell pregnant with Luca it almost destroyed her promised marriage match to a younger brother of the Don in the Mexico Mafia.

My dad was so mad as he had to lower the terms of her marriage contract because of me. She was delighted I had ruined it and thought it was very funny but my father fixed the contract and took my sister from me.

She was a shadow of herself, broken now the light of mischeif in her eyes gone. She had believed her husband kind and quiet but when she had spoken out of place once and his brother had broken her jaw and her husband didn't defend her. He warned her to keep her mouth shut and to stay well behaved around his brother and she knew he would never stand up for her. She was a possession , a bought assest and connection to the Angelito Mafia and the baby she carried now was their insurance a mixed powerful bloodline. My sister shut down, stopped dreaming and began to act like my mother. When I called her now she no longer whispered wishes to leave or warnings. She spoke about dinners she was planning, how her husband like her hair, how her husband like her to laugh at his jokes. I no longer knew what my sister liked. She and I shared a love of reading so I sent her a book, when I asked her had she enjoyed it she told me with a sadness in her voice. As a mafia wife she hadn't time to be filling her head with silly fairytales. I knew then her fate was sealed and the girl I smoked in the trees with was gone, beaten down by the men meant to protect and love us.

"Mama." Luca whined as I realised I still held the ball.

"Sorry Baby." I called as I shook myslef from my self pity and tossed it gently to him the metre distance we stood appart. He caught it and tossed it back.

We played on for awhile before he took a stumble and stood up taking one look at this muddy hands he began to cry.

"Look Mama, I'm dirty." he sobbed. I ran to him and glanced up to see Sam also striding across the grass. Sam was the Queen of perfect timing but I suspected she loomed nearby in case my father appeared to scold me for playing with my own son.

"It's just mud Baby." I cooed as he cried.

"Grandpapa says I must never get dirty." He replied and I supressed the anger that bubbled inside. I knew this too, it was ingrained in me too as a small child. I must be clean and spotless at all times. Totaly presentable to the imaginary eye that may fall on me. Perfect presentation to the mafia title at all times.

"He will never know hush." Sam soothed she also knew Luca had a right to be upset he felt he had broken a rule. A small child expected to act like a grown up. Sam pulled out wet wipes and got to work on the mud. I sighed this was Sam was so much better at this than me. She was ever prepared for everything. Once cleaned up I hoisted Lucan onto my hip.

"Have you seen the Man Mountain yet?" she whispered to me smirking.

"what Mamn mountian?" I asked still annoyed my son was reduced to a sobbing mess because he was scared of my fahter findinig out he got muddy.

"The hunk your father brought home as his new gaurd?" She explained.

"No I haven't " I sighed vaguely remembering my mother babbling about it yesterday but i had feigned illness and avoided the encounter. Sometimes these guests were there to inspect me and my assests as a mafia wife and last night I hadn't felt like being leered over like a prize heffier.

"Well he is watching us." She smirked as she used her head to indicate towards the trees. I discreetly turned and locked eyes with a tall muscular figure standing in the shadow of the tree line. A tingle ran down my spine and my heart jolted. Shaking off the weird feeling I had I turned back to Sam.

"strange" I muttered.

"He seems really nice." She added as we began to walk towards the house so I could change and head to the officer before my father sent out a search party.