HIS CLAIM

55

Nestor sat in front of me on the coffee table, letting out a sigh.

“What did that mean?” I asked him quietly.

“May her soul rest in peace.” I gave a small nod, grateful for their words.

“She was an amazing woman. She may have hidden many things from you but she wanted you to live a normal and quiet life. And she did a good job raising you.” I agreed with him.

She was an amazing woman and even more amazing as a mother, grateful for everything she had ever done for me.

“Were the two of you close?” I asked.

“If there was one woman I would happily take a bullet for, it would be her.” Nestor said, making me smile with him.

“You look better now.” I looked at him confused.

“I was at the funeral when I found out.”

“You were? How?” I asked in shock. At the funeral, I wasn’t really in the right state of mind and didn’t care much about my surroundings, but one thing I did notice was the place filled with both my father’s and Nicholas’s men.

“I have my ways.” He explained and I didn’t question it any further. My gaze landed on Mr. Vasiliev’s back as he still continued to look out of the window.

“I don’t understand… I remember him saying he cared about her but why would they try and kill each other?”

“They had a rather… complicated relationship. He’s a stubborn man and she’s an even more stubborn woman. They drove each other crazy all the time but still loved each other.” Nestor explained and I just let all the information sink in, still in shock my mother had been in a relationship with Mr. Vasiliev.

"Last time I saw her, she tried to kill me.” Mr. Vasiliev spoke, making me look at him but his back was still facing us.

“Then she disappeared. She loved to do that to me and she was good at it. Always going by different names to make sure I wouldn’t be able to find her.” He turned around and made his way back to the couch, pouring himself a drink before he talked again.

“Eventually, I stopped caring and left her alone to live  whatever life she wanted. A couple of years later, she appeared in front of me again, making me now realize how she was able to always find me.” He gave a look to Nestor who just shrugged him off.

“At some point, I found out she married Giotano Volante. An Italian. That pissed me off. But I was more pissed at myself for letting her go and it resulted in her getting married.” He downed his drink with a somber look on his face.

Hearing this from him and remembering what my mother had said when Arianna and Tessa  were over for a sleepover, made my heart ache for both of them. My mother never truly loved my father. Maybe that was why she decided enough was enough and left with me.

“I think it’s safe to say she never stopped loving you. She wouldn’t have kept the picture and all those letters if she did.” I spoke softly to him. He looked at me, giving a small smirk at my words.

“She kept the letters?” I nodded and he shook his head a little in amusement. I had never imagined Mr. Vasiliev, a Russian Mafia Boss, would be so transparent with his feelings, especially to someone he didn’t know. He was visibly thinking  back to the time he and my mother were together, unlocking memories and feelings.

“Tell me what happened. How did she die?” His eyes went cold in a second and turned to look at Nestor, who was now sitting next to me on the couch. It didn’t look like Nestor knew what happened either and so I decided to tell what I could remember, intentionally leaving some parts out.