Mafia Legacy

Chapter Twelve- Charlotte

"True. But maybe Char can find out what they know, see what they've got and then we can at least not get caught blind." Marco countered.

"I'm not making any decisions on this right now. I need to think." Luca said, obviously overwhelmed and on the edge.

Angelo and Marco both nodded as if they understood. "I need to get going to pick up the kids, anyway. Let's talk later." He stood up and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "Bye Char."

"And I need to get to the theater so I can spy on our kids from the back row without them seeing." Marco joked, trying to lighten the mood. He got a small laugh from Luca.

"I'll call you later." Luca said as Marco and Angelo left.

Luca and I were alone standing int he kitchen, both searching for the right thing to say. Finally, he spoke first.

"Baby, you know that I think you're a badass and totally capable of being a part of all of this, right?" Luca slipped his arm around me, kissing the top of my head.

I did, but that's why I was so confused. "Then why won't you let me help?"

"Because I won't rope you into this. If it does go south and something happens, I won't put you in any kind of position to be involved, Charlotte. I can't. You understand that, right?"

"Luca, stop. Nothing is going to happen." I said, biting my lip gingerly. I hated hearing him alt his way.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't. But if it does, then we have to be prepared. Our family is going to need you. Our children are going to need you." He explained, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"They're going to need you too, Luca. Why didn't you think about that when you got involved with this?" Tears pooled in my eyes. Hearing the slightest bit of doubt in his voice was terrifying to me. It made it so much more real.

"I'm so sorry, Charlotte." He said. "I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you then and I'm sorry that this is happening now, but I swear to you, I will fight it with everything I have."

"Let me help you, then." I begged. "Going to speak with them doesn't involve me any more than I already am."

"But sharing whatever information they tell you with us does." He said.

"I don't care. Don't you get that?" I threw my arms in the air. "I knew from the moment I married you something like this could happen. I was involved with this the second you kissed me for the first time all those years ago, because I can't live without you. Nothing changes now."

Luca rubbed his forehead. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Okay." I was happy with this small concession. If he had half a brain, he'd realize that he needed me to do this.

Cole came down and the three of us had dinner. Afterwards, he and Luca went out into the backyard to fish and I skyped with my mom. Over the last few weeks, we spoke only briefly because I wasn't ready to get into all of this with her, but right now, I just needed her guidance and comfort.

"Hi mom." I tried to muster up a smile, but she could see right through it.

"Hi baby." She frowned. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "I'm fine. It's just been a stressful few weeks."

"With work or what?" She asked, her face full of concern.

"Well, actually..."

I launched into the full story, filling my mom in on everything that had gone on, from Layla dating the cop to Luca being involved in a murder investigation. She just listened as I vented, letting out all of my thoughts and feelings and frustrations.

"Oh sweetheart, I am so sorry. I can't imagine what you and Luca are going through." She said once I had explained everything.

"I'm just frustrated. Mostly that Luca kept it from me for all these years."

"But even if you knew, Char, there is no guarantee it would have changed what is happening now." She said, defending him.

"Yeah, I know that, but all I've ever asked was for him to be honest with me, mom. I didn't ask him to leave, I didn't push him to. I didn't give him any kind of ultimatum. He's the one who told me he was ready to be done and walk away, and then he kept working and he hid it from me."

Once Layla and I came back to New York, I knew I had to accept Luca as he was. I had to accept everything about him, and that included the potential danger of being with him. I had come to terms with it, and knew that I could never try to pressure him to leave or change the way he was. I had fallen in love with all of Luca. I couldn't pick and choose the pieces. That was what hurt the worst about this for me. That I had conceded so much, and was supportive of him in his business, but that hadn't been enough for him to tell me the truth.

"I know. And you have every right to be upset about that, but don't let it cloud the rest of your mind. Luca always tried to protect you, Charlotte. And sometimes his methods aren't the best, but he's always got your best interest in mind. I know he thought he was doing the right thing." She continued.

"I'm sure he did at the time. He always thinks he's doing the right thing." I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Sweetheart, I know that his dishonesty hurts you, but you have to remember that was several years ago now. It's the past, and we both know if he could change it, he would. He's come a long way and all you can do now is support him through this. He needs you now more than ever."

"I know." I wiped a tear off of my cheek. "I know I need to move past that part. It's just hard." It was harder than I wanted to admit. I wanted to believe that Luca hadn't hidden other things from me over the years and that he was honest with me, but it cast a shadow on so much now. I hated that I was feeling the way, and I had tried so hard to push it back, but it still crept into my mind at the worst possible times.

"You guys will get through this, Char. You always do."

She was right, we usually did, but we'd never faced a mountain quite like this before. If Luca went to prison for murder, what would that mean for us?