Chapter 9 - When she is a family girl.

"Everything went well. Adamo got a little community service and has to do a drug test each day for a month thereafter it will become weekly." Angela sat in on our meeting this morning.

"The children?" I question Gian.

"They were delivered safely. We didn't encounter any further problems. Angela solved the problems in England before I arrived." Sometimes things like this happen. The mother's nerves sprout sky high and suddenly she doesn't want to go through with the adoption anymore. Angela has a way of handling situations like that.

"Good. We have 28 more clients lined up. We fell behind on orders this past two weeks." I point to the 28 files stacked on top of each other laying on the table that separates us. "Gian I need your men to start looking for possible children, but don't act just look okay? We firstly need someone who can move the Gambino's shipment before we traffic. We don't need them playing kidnappers again. Achille, I want you to get in touch with that friend of yours from the Sinaloa drug cartel. You contract this out to him, but he answers to you. Negotiate a price. I don't want the shipments to touch down on Italy grounds." I order as I move my line of picture towards my brother.

"Consider it handled." He nods.

"Antonio." I inhale a deep breath. This has become more time consuming and it cost me capital.

"Everything is on track. The shooting was written down as an armed robbery gone bad. There are no signs of any more problems related to what happened. Furthermore, the Gambino's kept their word and licenses have been issued. The Casa resort will open as planned."

"About time," I admit a feeling of relieve stretches over me. "Have you gotten word of who the men were?"

"Some hoodlums connected to the Colombo's. They got word that you met with the Gambino's and they are afraid that they missed out on money. The one guy that got shot was actually a cop and didn't know anything about what was going on. There were two more cops, but they were working for the Colombo's. The rest all Colombo men. They made sure to put themselves on the radar. The authority closed the investigation blaming the Colombo family for robbery.

"Keep me updated. I want to be the first to know if they try something again. I don't need more weight dragging me down. If things start to get out of hand I will step in and meet with them, but until then I don't need to make more deals that don't benefit me." I am already funding the Gambino's narcotic shipments twice a month. "You can also go ahead and book me a room for the opening." I will be there for the opening so there won't be any rumors as well as to show the Colombo's and whichever other families that would like to intervene that I am planting roots in New York if they like it or not.

"Of course." Antonio nods. "The penthouse suite?"

"No. The first room on the left, first floor." My words seem to affect Achille who shifts in his seat. I know what he was thinking, but I actually liked the smaller room even if it was the same room we shared with Madelaine and Mia the night of the Casa shooting. "Tomasso, what do you have for me?" I ignore my brother's stupid expression and continue with the meeting.

"He doesn't know who the boss is. Apparently, someone drops the cocaine off at his building. I have men watching the building." I was a little disappointed. I thought that this time we were getting somewhere.

"Keep interrogating him," I order pushing myself away from the table and standing up. "Okay, guys. Keep up the good work." I end the meeting. "Angela," I call after my lawyer and friend to stay behind.

"Yes?" She questions as she turns on her heels to face me. Her long hair falling over her shoulders.

"What were you able to find out at the college?" I question filling three whiskey glasses. One for each of us and the other for Achille who stands at me right.

"You know you can enlist her like a normal parent." She laughs taking the glass from my hand when I move it towards her.

"I am not a normal parent am I?" Normal parents do not have to worry about extra security. Normal parents don't have dangerous people larking and normal parents learn to parent with babies. I was no normal parent.

"I guess not." She shrugs before taking a sip from her glass. "I looked at their finances and it seems that someone has their hands deep into the school's account for a while now. The school is actually doing great otherwise. The professors are exceptional and there is even a demand for more classes a day, but the school cannot afford it because of the one person who is trying to make themselves rich."

"Who?" My eyebrows pull together.

"Mario Zampa." The words come out flatly, her eyes staring directly at me. "The good news is that it is a private college and the owner is willing to sell. She says it is a sinking ship."

"You just get the sale through I will sort Mario out myself."

"You should go home. You can do it when the sale is through. You should spend time with your child. They grow up so fast." She smiles mockingly.

"Do not fuck with me." I tease playfully.

"We are meeting in three days to sign. You should be there. I'll text you." She gulps down the golden fluid and places the crystal on the table. "I need to run and you need to go home!" She shouts waving as she scoots for the door.

"Mother is coming over to cook dinner. She asked me to invite you and Mia too." I turn to face Achille.

"When are you going to tell her about Madelaine?"

"Why should I?"

"Ben..." Achille sighs. "She knows more than you might like to think." I knew this. My mother wasn't foolish and she probably knew much more than I wanted her to know about my business, but I always promise her that I don't do anything to purposely hurt innocent people. How could I tell her that I kidnapped Mia and Madelaine and adopted Madelaine against her will? "She carries your last name. Madre will find out about it sooner or later." He taps the bottom of his glass against mine.

"I will figure something out."

"Madre." Once again my mother surprises me in my own home. She was early. I greet her as I enter the kitchen where all three women sat at the table drinking coffee and sharing a variety of cookies from the bakery in town.

"I just wanted to come by and see what you needed in the house when I found Mia going through your cupboards on a search for a little sugar, which of course you ran out of so I told them to get dressed and took them out for grocery shopping." My mother informs me after greeting my brother.

"I am capable to pay for my own groceries." I snare. I hated it when she would do things like this. She never ignores our arrangements as I told her I will send someone to pick her up now she just drops in.

"I am sure you can, but when will you take the time to go out and buy some?" She takes a cookie and dips it into her coffee. "Besides you can't just keep these two bellezze locked up forever." She withdraws the cookie from her mug and bites into it. She wants me to know that she is aware of our living arrangements.

"I am a busy man, Madre. If I spend my time shopping there won't be a house they would be kept in."

"I know, so let us help?" She urges. The kindness in her eyes making my heart soft again. "Firstly, Madelaine needs to be in school. I can speak to aunt Gabriella..."

"Madre do not mention any of this to her." I warn my voice coming out harder than anticipated, but the last thing I needed was for my mother getting involved. "Madelaine will start school on Monday." I add so she will drop the subject. I have everything covered.

"Really?" Madelaine's face bears a very wide smile. Excitement danced in her light blue eyes. Eyes that almost closed for good last week, I remind myself.

"Yes," I assure her. "There are a few minor details I need to sort out, but you will be enrolled by Monday."

"Sit down, brother." Achille pipes in with a mouth stuffed with cookies. He already sat at the other end of the table when Mia places a cup of coffee in front of him before placing the other cup on the end of the table where I was standing so I pulled the chair out taking a seat to join them. "Tomorrow you can worry about business. Spend some time with your family, we are all family now" He grins.

"We are?" My mother clears her throat after I thanked Mia for the coffee. I could see the hope in my mother's eyes. It was as clear as day that she thought Mia and I were settling down as her eyes moved between the two of us. She always nagged me about getting married and starting a family but wasn't something I considered, ever. I didn't have time for a nagging woman; I already had one whom I called Madre. I could not make time for another one. My house was the only place where I could speak freely, most of the time. I would not be able to live with a woman and child and keep my secrets from them.

I watched closely at my mother's expression as Achille tells her a story about how we rescued Madelaine from the streets in New York and how the only way to bring her home was to adopt her. He was good at lying, but I was glad. No one needed to know what she has already been through. My mother did not look disappointed. Instead, she immediately threw her arms open telling Madelaine to come hug her Nonna. Tears streamed down my mother's face, happy tears for a change. She always wanted a daughter and now she has a granddaughter.

I left the table to go take a shower leaving Achille and Madelaine to answer all Madre's questions. They started this shit they can answer to it.

I couldn't help but feel relieved about the truth coming out about all of this, or at least mostly the truth. My mother now had something to keep her busy so she won't be so busy getting into my business, but I will probably see more of her now that Madelaine is living here.

A faint knock on my door rip me from my thoughts standing in front of my dresser covered only my bottom half by a towel. "Come in." My voice was rasp.

"Oh... I am sorry." Mia's soft voice invades my room.

"It is fine, come in." I watch her as she enters from behind the door and the again close it behind her. Her body was a straight line as she stood in front of the door, her legs pushed against each other. She wasn't sorry I mentally smile.

"What is it you want?" I question her as I close the drawer and turn towards her, the muscles in her thighs pulling together tighter. She was wearing a short white dress covered with black spots, her hair dangled over her shoulders.

"I want to talk to you about something?" She whispers just loud enough for me to hear not moving an inch.

"Then you better start talking and speak up would you?"

"You said that if I wanted to I could go home?" Her voice was still a whisper as she takes a step towards me. "You said you will take me home if it was what I wanted." Her voice grew louder as she nears me, her confidence building. Was she still scared of me?

"I know what I said." I take a leap towards her so that our bodies are inches apart. "You decided to stay." I remind her of putting my forefinger underneath her chin and lifting her head so that she can look me in the eyes as she tells me that she wants to leave. Her body shivers underneath my touch, but her eyes remain the same empty green they mostly are.

"I can't stay here." She breathes closing her eyes letting my touch consume her as I move my wrist up and cup her face with my hand. "I wanted to stay for Madelaine, but she is fine now." She pushes her cheek against the palm of my hand. She wanted to be closer and before I could think things through like I usually would my body betrayed me and with a swift lift from my other arm she was in the air wrapping her legs around my waist. Her breathing labored.

"I don't understand?" I squint my eyes keeping them locked on hers as I move her towards my bed, her arms wrapped around my shoulders as she keeps herself steady.

"I don't fit in here." She gasps as she pulls herself tighter against me her soft wet cheek brushing against my stubble.

"I think you fit perfectly." I correct her. She made me mad with her constant jabbing, at times I wanted to sell her to the next man I meet with and sometimes I just wanted to put a bullet in her, but most times I wanted her in the position she is now. Vulnerably wrapped around me so I can do to her whatever the fuck I wanted. When she wasn't talking too much or pointing a gun to me I wanted nothing more than her to smile, but god her smile made me weak. I hated that she was my weakness and that was why I couldn't be with her.

"I don't mean like this." At her words, I pulled her away from me and threw her onto the bed making her almost hop from the bed, but she quickly recovers. "I still need to talk to you." She mutters anger lacing her voice. She was starting to fire up.

"You had your chance." I utter as I turn my back on her hiding my betraying body from her. I walk back to the dresser and grab a dress shirt from the drawer.

"I am not your family." She remarks as I button up my shirt and head into the bathroom to put on my pants. The hell she is not. She knows more about my business than she needed to. She was the one who went snooping around and discovering all the things she shouldn't know. She made herself a hostage in my home. I didn't treat her like a hostage I treated her like family. "You told me that I am not your girlfriend and that you didn't know what to do to me so send me home." She almost shouts from the room. I told her that she wouldn't want to be my girlfriend. I don't have girlfriends. "I talked to my dad today..."

"You did what?" She wanted me to pay attention now I am paying attention, I stomp over into my bedroom. Her eyes immediately met mine and a smile crossed her face. I am playing her game now.

"He is my family." She states like it was an obvious thing, which it was, but she didn't run this past me. She shouldn't be making any calls. She knows this.

"What did you say to him?" I question her.

"It is what he said to me that you should be worried about." She declares. I told Luigi to be sure to keep my name far away from all the payments he made to settle Mia's father's debts, as well as the hospital debts and further transactions. If my name came up he is a fucking dead man.

"Let me guess? The police are looking for me?" I mock her. This is was one of those times that I just wanted to shoot her.

"No. The police can't help me. I tried that once." Her smile grows bigger, but I ignore her as I start covering my feet with socks. "Clearly I underestimated you at first." She sneers. She was getting cocky.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I roar as I slip my feet into my shoes.

"You killed the police remember?"

I let my shoe drop to the floor and turn my body towards her as she still lies defenselessly on the bed. "That was you?" I grab onto her shoulders as I pin her to the bed which made her laugh. This was funny to her. She was the one that called the police the night at the hotel. That explains the Columbo men. Her father did borrow money from them after all and they were probably tapping her phone.

"I didn't want my father to get involved in this shit." She declared after her fit of laughter disappear. "I had a handle on that loan shark my father borrowed from. He told me that they were paid off." Anger radiated from her body. She was mad that her father's debts were paid? "I had enough of all you people treating me like a child." She tries to wiggle her way out from beneath me, but my hold on her is stronger. "I want you to let me go home so that I can go explain to them why they should give back your money."

"I don't want the money back." I release her to put on my other shoe. This was what she was worried about? Paying back my money? "How did you find out anyway?"

"I had my suspicion, but you just confirmed it. Please my father doesn't know about you. He thinks that I made the payment. I don't want him to get involved with a real Mafioso." She starts wining. I didn't know which of her personalities I liked better. The one where she thinks she is in control and I want to feed her lead or this helpless, distressed woman who can't shut up.

"A real Mafioso?" I question her chuckling as I throw her words back at her. God for such a smart mouth she said some pretty stupid things sometimes. "Then what do you call the Colombo's?"

"Who is the Colombo's?" She doesn't know anything and I wasn't planning on telling her. She thinks she is so fucking smart. She is an idiot and would have to let herself get killed if I didn't intervene. "Get ready we are going out for dinner." I stood up and left the room to tell Madre, Madelaine, and Achille.