The Lucarelli queen

Chapter 16

A couple of times I tried to beg my sister to let me talk to Haley as I know they had stayed in touch but she wouldn't let me and also wouldn't say a thing about how she was doing. It really angered me at first but then made me realize that by talking to her I would continue to hurt her and I don't want to do that. I miss her still every day, hoping she would come through my office doors and tell me to end this bullshit that was happening, but she never did.

I was siting in my office looking at the gold band around my finger that symbolized that I was a married man. Sadly to the wrong person. Every document that came in regarding signing mafia over to me I would look at it first hoping it was the last one and one day I would sign back my freedom and go to look for Haley but the contracts kept coming and coming and the days kept going.

Every Christmas my family organizes a masquerade ball for all our allies to join and celebrate as one big mafia family. It was happening this year too and I had taken it upon me to plan it, at least it put some distance between me and Natasha and keep me form my demons that kept creeping up on me.

''Hey Rick'' I hear my sister say from the door frame of my office.

''How's the planning going?'' She proceeds to ask me while entering my office.

''It's alright, want to take a look?'' I show her the plan I had made.

''Wow impressive, I didn't know you had it in you'' she tells me giving me a genuine smile.

"I can do anything to keep me away from that crazy woman" I growl at the thought of Natasha. I can't wait to have her out of my house and take that stupid ring off of her finger.

"Can you add Melanie to the guest list? I invited her so I would have company" my sister asks me nicely, wanting to invite our cousin to the masquerade ball.

"Sure" I reply having no problem her being in our ball as she was family too.

"Great" my sisters says and gives me a kiss on the cheek and then goes to leave my office and mouths to me 'the devil is coming' and I roll my eyes knowing who she was talking about.

"Rick, baby, where are you?" I hear Natasha's scream from the other side of the hall and I let out a deep breath trying to hold in my anger.

"Oh there you are" she says as notices me in my office.

"What do you want Natasha?" I ask her with no emotion in my voice.

"Can you give me some couple thousands so I can go shopping with my friends" she begs giving me puppy eyes that had no effect on me.

"Take it" I give her a check of the amount she asked and sigh in relief as she leaves me alone.

She only ever looks for me to get my money, which I don't mind, because it's better that than her trying to seduce me and sleep with me. Which she once tried but didn't succeed and from that time she hasn't tried again, luckily.

I go to the ball's guest list which already had over 250 guests and add 'Melanie Hernandez'. She was my mother's sisters daughter who was 18 years old and was really close to us until moved away to Germany.

Luckily Natasha was going to her family for the Christmas and I won't be seeing her face for at least a week. Which I can't wait for.

Haley's POV:

We all were still at my parents house, playing some board games my dad had found in the basement. Enjoying each other's company.

It was getting dark out and there was a snow storm coming our way so I decided to leave early to make it in time home before the snow storm.

"Guys, I think I'm gonna go home before the storm comes" I tell them and they all agree wanting me to get home safe. I hug everyone goodbye and leave to go to my car.

I drive home listening to radio which was playing Christmas songs. I arrive at my house and go inside my cat greeting me. I lift her up and cuddle her and then place her back down.

I go get some fire wood and go to light my fireplace as I felt it was one of those days that I wanted to feel warm and cozy. I put away some leftovers my mom had given me from the lunch today. And I feed my cat before taking my big blanket and siting down on the couch turning on my TV and watching some romantic Christmas movie.

I was halfway through the movie when my phone started to ring and I get up to take the call. It was Bella, she was FaceTiming me. I pick up her call.

"Hey babe" she says excitedly over the phone jumping in her bed morning sun beaming in her face.

"Hi, what's gotten you so excited?" I ask her seeing her overly excited as normally.

"Oh nothing much, just having a good day" she says.

"How was your day?" She proceeds to ask me.

"My day was good, I was with my family again and we ate lunch and played some board games and I got home only like 2 hours ago, we have a huge snow storm coming on to us" I tell her letting her in on our weather forecast.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you something" Bella sits up in the bed.

I let out a "Mhm" while looking at my TV not paying too much attention.

"I'm inviting you to our annual Christmas masquerade ball" she tells me excitedly and I look at her with a confused look.

"You want me to come to Italy for a ball?" I ask her raising my eyebrows.

"It's not just any ball, we have it every year and the whole mafia family comes together and celebrated another year passing" she explains to me.

"Hmm... I don't know if that's a good idea" I tell her in all seriousness.

"Why not?" She asks confused.

"I would have to see your brother and his wife you know, and I'm sure she wouldn't like me being there" I tell her truly what I was thinking.

"She's not gonna be there because she's going home to her family for the holidays and even if she wasn't she couldn't care less about you being here because she doesn't know who you are and second of all she only likes my brother for his money" she explains to me again.

"Come on I need a friend there, and I haven't seen you in so long, and it's a masquerade ball so if you won't want my brother to know you're there he wouldn't because you will have a mask" She tells me all the reasons why I should come.

"And how are you gonna get me in without him knowing?" I ask her wanting to know how much she wanted me to come.

"I told him to add our cousin Melanie to the list, only Melanie isn't coming but you are!" She says thinking she is really clever. I slightly laugh at her plan as it was cute.

"And where are you gonna keep me until the ball comes?" I ask her again.

"I don't know, in the basement?" She says jokingly.

"Probably at a hotel or something" she then says.

I think to myself of the idea of going. I do miss her and I miss Ricardo and maybe seeing him won't be that bad, he doesn't have to know that I am there, plus seeing him move on with his life maybe will make me move on with mine.

"So what do you say" my thought being interrupted by Bella.

"Fine, I'l come" I give in and she screams in excitement and jumps up and down on her bed like a little kid making me laugh.

We continue to discuss all the arrangements for me to get to Italy and things about the ball and other stuff until it hits 1am here in Colorado and I decide to end the conversation and go to sleep.