Cinderella and His Mafia Leaders✅

Prologue/Chapter One (Edited/Added To)

Jefferson Slater was a believer in the soul marks, it was how he came to meet his wife of five years and it was how he was blessed with a little boy who was barely two now. But what he never expected was to witness as his son's soul mark faded to a soft birthmark as the little toddler before his son caressed his face. He never expected to watch as his son found his soulmate, and this soon.

"Why is he so cute.?" The toddler spoke, looking up at Jefferson's wife who held their son, Nova. "He's like a baby fox."

Jefferson shot a look at his best friend, work partner, and father of the toddler who had just touched his son, Andrew Brekker. "Our sons...they're soulmates."

Andrew reached over, clapping Jefferson on the back. "Not surprised, though I'm happy Wolfe has someone like Nova. They will become a good pair in the future."

"I agree." Jefferson laughed softly, watching as the two boys started playing. This was the first time the two of them had met and to say it was starting off well was an understatement. "But I must admit something that will become an issue in their future. Nova has..."

But before Jefferson could finish, the other was speaking. "If this is about the soul marks, then I already know. Look." Andrew pointed at both boys, their soul marks on display. "Wolfe is the same, I only pray that it will be the same person as Nova's."

Jefferson nodded.

"I have a confession of my own." Andrew sighed heavily. "You know our line of business, and I know that you're wanting to step out of it in order to protect your family and to keep them from harm's way. I accept you leaving and you will always be under our protection but your news comes at an unpleasant time, I have to take my own family away. I'm not sure for how long but it will be for a few years."

Jefferson's wife, Kelly, looked up. "But our boys just found one another. Isn't there a way for us to keep our boys together?"

Andrew sighed heavily. "I know Kels, and the only thing I can offer is taking you all with us but stepping out of the Mafia like Jefferson is wanting means staying behind. The only other option to keep the boys together is taking Nova with us."

Kelly looked as if she were considering what the other had just said, but then she shook her head. "As much as I would like our boys to be together, I wouldn't be able to part with my baby boy. Isn't there another way?"

"I'm afraid not, letting you know our location would compromise your family and mine." Andrew said.

Jefferson added with a sigh. "It would also defeat the purpose of leaving."

"I know." Andrew sighed heavily. "We'll have to find each other again when it's safe, but for now we'll let the boys spend this last month together. We leave at the end of the month, it will give me enough time to find our safehouse and your replacement."

Jefferson slumped in his chair. "I hate to do this to them."

"As do I."

***

That following year, Nova had barely turned three when he and Jefferson were dressed in black to attend Kelly's funeral. The woman had been diagnosed with brain cancer a month after the Brekker's left, and she barely lasted the year. Now the father and son were sitting in the front row, Jefferson holding to Nova like his life depended on it.

The Brekker's had sent someone to deliver a condolences letter but no one attended the funeral as Jefferson had expected. This wasn't how he had expected his life to go after leaving the mafia, he had hoped for living out a normal life where he and Kelly spoiled Nova to the fullest but now he wasn't sure what to do.