tiny & vicious || h.s ✔️

~15~

After my shower I walked into the joint wardrobe. The closet was massive with a white rustic counter in the middle and a beautiful comfy Italian leather couch to the right underneath a massive window. I beamed in delight at the new clothes hanging. A woman from the Rodolfa Mafia, named Angelina sent us a brand-new wardrobe as a thank you for rescuing her associates.

My caramel hand ruffled through the hangers in search for a new outfit before I found exactly what I wanted. I pulled on my outfit, feeling extra confident in my new style. Over the years my style had changed from mafia bad bitch to a more laid-back urban street style. Don't get me wrong I still love black clothing but adding more colours and depth to my wardrobe was a necessity after stepping into my new role as queen and mum. I gazed into the floor-length mirror, admiring my clothes.

 I wore camo and tie dye mixed pants with a simple black tank top. The top was low but still modest enough. I left my long wavy hair out and changed my piercings. I put in a gold nose ring and a long gold necklace which delved into the crease between my boobs. My earrings and bracelets were pure gold and I accompanied the outfit with a small black purse and black boots.

Once I was ready, I walked out of the closet and into my bedroom. Harry was in the shower while I decided to go check on the kids, remembering my promise to Gemma. I ran into Theo in the hallway and bent down to his level. "What are you doing, Theo," I asked. Theo wiped his eyes and gazed at me. "You look nice, Auntie Aria" I smiled and thanked him. "Where's my mum," He asked. I swooned over his cuteness and held out my hand as I got up. "She's just catching up on some rest Baby. Why don't you go have a shower and I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast?" Theo nodded. I could tell he was still tired but the soot and dirt on his skin made my heart hurt. I lead him to the bathroom and then went into their room to check on Blair. Blair was dressing in the closet. I watched her leap from one railing to the next.

 She finally noticed me after a few minutes. Her face lit up as she spoke. "Mama look at all these new clothes" She marvelled and continued to browse through them. I chuckled. We were so alike. Blair finally picked out some clothes and got dressed. She chose a dark blue off the shoulder top, blue patterned pants, a black necklace with a tiny gold piece on the end, and black lofas. 

I screamed on the inside at her cuteness. My baby had style. I gave her a small cuddle and she turned around in my arms. "You look really pretty Mama", "You look prettier Baby" She smiled and thanked me cheekily. I pecked her on the cheek and held her hand, leading her downstairs. As we entered the kitchen, Anne was already preparing breakfast.

"Hi girls. What would you like for breakfast." Anne was an absolute angel. She peered at us with kindness and love. I watched as the tiny wrinkles beside her eyes crinkled when Blair replied that she wanted pancakes. "And you, Aria?" She turned to me. "Oh, I love pancakes too. I'll just have what Blair is eating." I smiled back and she nodded, gathering the ingredients. I watched Anne turn around hastily and make her way around the kitchen. She was stressed I could tell. It's been weeks since she's cooked or had a sense of normality. I sighed, picking Blair up and placing her on the counter. I went over to Anne and put a warm hand on her shoulder. She flinched and turned around. It was then that I noticed the heavy bags under her eyes and the slight bruising. The sight made anger boil in my stomach, but I suppressed it around Blair. "Why don't you go take a shower and have a rest. I will feed the kids." I took the spatula out of her hands and she looked like she wanted to object but stopped by the look in my eye. She glanced at Blair and then sighed. "Ok. Thank you so much, Aria." She replied simply and then left the kitchen. When I heard her soft feet patter up the stairs, I turned to Blair. "Wanna help?" I smiled. A smile formed on her face and she nodded going to get the eggs.

Together we whipped up a huge batch of pancakes, leaving some in the fridge for Anne, Gemma and Luke to eat when they woke up. Theo came down, finally clean and cosy. He wore jeans and a white t-shirt. I set a plate for him and Blair and turned around to start cleaning. I knew the moment Harry entered because the atmosphere warmed. The kids started to giggle, and my heart fluttered. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist from behind and kissed my cheek while smelling my hair. "Hello, my gorgeous wife. Any pancakes left for me?" He wondered. I chuckled and handed him a plate I had already set aside. He thanked me with a kiss on the cheek and sat in front of the kids. I joined them. One by one the boys and Jordyn came down and enjoyed the pancakes with us. Once the entire group was here, I spoke up.

"Everyone." They all stopped eating and peered at me. "Our associate in the Rudolfa Mafia, Angelina will be coming to visit us at 3 pm today. I want the kids in their rooms when she gets here. We are estimating to stay here for as long as we can. That can be up to a few months until we do some damage control in the kingdom. In general, enjoy your time here with us all as a family but be armed and alert. The Rudolfa Mafia has promised us protection but these are still unfamiliar grounds." My tone was serious and calculated. Each member nodded in agreement and continued eating once I was finished. I could see Blair crossing her arms angrily and I motioned to Harry so that he could watch her. Before we could leave, Blair burst.

"Why do I have to stay in my room! I am a member of this gang too" She raised her voice. I looked at her with stern eyes, telling her to quiet down. She resisted against my stare but eventually caved. "Blair do not have that tone with your mother." Harry stepped in. She frowned, knowing she was in trouble. Harry and I softened our eyes once we could see she had calmed down. "Blair you alike everyone here is a valued and loved member of this family." I paused and continued to talk in a soft voice. Harry left my side and sat beside her and brushed through her hair to calm her down. She peered at me. "But as a gang, you are not old enough to be involved in our meetings." We all could see the anger levels rising but I continued to talk softly. "We love you sweetheart, but we all want what is best for you and Theo. Taking lives is not something you should be doing when you are 9. Enjoy your childhoods. Embrace the advantages of this lifestyle." I told her. I saw the wheels in her brain turning. Harry chimed in. "Look around you sweetheart. We are in Italy. Tell me what child gets to say they stayed in an expensive Italian mansion when they were 9." Harry said. We all nodded in agreement. She smiled and we finally saw her calm down.

Louis also spoke, "We are all so lucky to be here. We are all safe. Treasure that." The boys and I agreed. Zayn reached over and ruffled her, and Theo's hair and they laughed. Jordyn and Liam smiled at them and Niall tickled their feet. It was noon now and I couldn't be happier. My family was safe and happy. Our children were thriving and we as a gang were finally back on our feet.