"He will be coming over tonight. He wants to see you and Rosa." Xavier explained and stroked her arm gently, as if telling her not to worry.
Looking puzzled, she blurted out. "But I'm scared."
"No tesoro. You don't have to be." Xavier took a seat beside her and soothed her.
"You should be. I mean I'm a hitman but I'm still scared shitless sometimes when I see him." Killian embellished and Xavier could tell Megan's whole body went rigid.
"Will you shut the fuck up?" He turned to Killian and growled. He eyed him as though his bullshit meter was ticking in the red zone.
Killian raised his hands in the air in a surrender posture and bowed apologetically, his eyes held a glint of humour. "I was just kidding Megan. Babbo is a cute grizzly bear. You will love him."
"Yes you will love him." Xavier repeated after him and gave her a half smile.
"Or not." Killian added, provoking Xavier. He loved doing that to him ever since they were little.
"Fucking hell! Timeout! Get out of here you little shit!" Incensed, Xavier bellowed and stormed towards Killian, ready to kill him.
"Fuck! I'm sorry! I was just kidding." Killian fleed immediately, out of their sight.
Xavier sighed and swirled to check on his little tesoro. Megan, listening aghast to his brother's prankish disclosure, was ashen faced. She was paralysed to her spot.
"Tesoro breathe." He rushed to her side when he could tell she was having trouble breathing.
Fucking Killian.
He was going to kill him later.
"Is he going to hurt us?" She asked, her face was dead serious worried. Her timorous voice startled him.
"Of course not. Babbo loves all of us. He wants to see his granddaughter. He will love you like Chiara loved you when she first saw you too. We're all family tesoro." Xavier reassured her.
What the hell happened to her? Xavier pondered.
She seemed so different now. She was a feisty little woman two years ago. She was ballsy and spontaneous. Yes she was scared of him at first when she had found out about his identity but she got over it quickly. Her confident and intrepid behaviour had him hooked.
But now, she was fearful and unassertive. The light in her eyes were gone. She was not the same woman who had stood in front of the Trevi Fountain with desire and hope coursed inside her.
Did he do this to her?
Was it him?
"Bella nothing will happen. I will always protect you and Rosa." He promised and wrapped his arms around her. The look on her face had made him want to hug her and ease her fear.
Megan could feel the dull ache throbbing in her chest when he said that. As if it was an obligation for him to protect them.
******
"You look beautiful Megan. Papa said he can't wait to meet you!" Chiara said earnestly and admired Megan through the cheval mirror.
Donned in a white lace overlay backless pleated maxi dress, Megan did look beautiful. Tanned skin that is honeyed perfect and a sweet dimpled smile, it added a sweetness to her aura.
Megan pulled Chiara to the side of the bed and the women sat down.
"Can you tell me more about your father? Xavier didn't say anything and I'm assuming he didn't want to or he wasn't ready." Megan shrugged.
Chiara sighed, scolding Xavier innerly for being slow-witted.
"I know it's ironic and you might not believe me but papa is a good man Megan. Not just to me but also to the people who worked for him. Xavier's and Killian's fathers worked for him too. Before Xavier, the Italian mafia was bigger and invincible. Xavier's father, Riccardo was papa's underboss and Killian's father, Niccolo was the third in command. Something like Rico and Antonio now. My father had planned to step down because my mother was in a severe depression. So he wanted Riccardo to be the next boss and Niccolo to be underboss."
Chiara paused for a short moment to let Megan digest the information, not sure if it was a good idea to tell her all these but she was a family now. She deserved to know too. Megan nodded affirmatively, motioning her to continue.
"Before the initiation ritual could take place, Riccardo and Niccolo were murdered by one of the mobsters who had turned against my father. Not just them, their whole family were killed too, including Xavier's sister. Xavier and Killian survived somehow but they barely made it. They were only fifteen at that time."
Megan gasped and covered her mouth at the revelation. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Her heart was crying for Xavier. She could not imagine the sorrow and despair he had gone through for the loss of his family. Her heart was aching for him. She wanted to leave the room and embrace him, telling him she was here for him now. But her visceral doubt had stopped her. After all, she was merely the mother of his child, nothing more.
Chiara then continued to explain.
"When their families died, everything just went to rack and ruin. Papa was devastated. He lost two of his friends in a day. So he adopted Xavier and Killian after the tragedy. That's how I met them too. Before, papa always made sure I was not involved in his world so I never had the chance to meet any of his friends. Ever since then, we became a family."
"Did you ever grow up wishing you were born in a normal family?" Megan asked, her question startling Chiara. She then added, "I mean... I'm worried about Rosa. I'm not sure if this will be good for her. Oh Chiara! You have no idea how worried I am for her life."
Chiara reached out and caressed Megan's hands that was shivering on her thighs.
"Megan... I don't know how to make you feel better but I can assure you Xavier will do whatever it takes to protect you and Rosa, in his own way. Maybe when I was younger, I had thought about wanting to be born in a normal family too. But papa loves me and he tried to give me everything he could. I'm sure Xavier is no exception. Rosa will understand this when she grows up one day. You need to understand these men do things differently because they are different. They have seen too much in this cruel world and you need to give Xavier some time to get used to the idea of having you around too. Don't push him away Megan."
Megan nodded knowingly.
"Now we have spent too much time talking. I'm sure papa has arrived. Let's go." She tapped Megan's hands and the women left the room, joining the others in the hall.
******
"Papa I miss you so much!" Chiara squealed when her eyes landed on Adalberto. She pranced towards her father and embraced him.
Megan shifted her gaze from Chiara to the old man. The map of wrinkles on his face told of the most incredible journey. His forehead told of worries past and worries present. Although he looked savage and worldly cold, his genuine smile when he saw Chiara never failed to melt Megan's heart. When they pulled away from the embrace, Adalberto's eyes turned to Megan and she stiffened.
Adalberto opened his arms, motioning her to give him a welcome hug too. "I don't bite piccolo(little one)." He reassured her and she accepted it without a second thought. Somehow, she felt a sense of familiarity to Adalberto. And she realised Killian was right. He did feel like a grizzly bear hugging her now.
"Babbo..." Xavier interrupted and cradled Rosa in his arms. "This is Rosa."
"Oddio(oh my god)! This piccolo looks like just you!" Adalberto exclaimed when Xavier placed her in his arms and Rosa giggled while looking at the old man in awe. All of a sudden, her little fingers went to his tousled hair and she pulled them.
Megan gasped. "Rosa no!" She hit Rosa's hand lightly, as if telling her she was a bad girl.
Adalberto laughed heartily. "It's fine Megan. She's a curious piccolo. Beautiful too."
Megan gave him an abashed smile and glanced casually at Xavier. He shrugged lazily and placed a hand on her waist. They felt like a real family now but her inmost feelings were telling her something was missing. Something important.
"Boss do you have a minute?" Rico said, his face was unreadable. Megan stared at them furtively and heard Rico whispering into Xavier's ears. "There's something you need to know."
Xavier nodded and turned to Megan and the rest of them. "I'll be back in a while. You all can start dinner without me."
He took a quick glance at Killian, his eyes telling him to follow him to the study room as well. The men left the room, leaving the women and Adalberto with a little toddler.
Megan bit her lower lip, uneasiness swept over her. She sprouted the first excuse that came to her mind. "I left Rosa's binky in the nursery. I'll be back in a minute."
She scampered down the hallway, to Xavier's study room.
******
"Boss, Masashi said he saw Vincenzo in Kobe." Rico informed.
Masashi Yoshinawa was the boss of the Japanese yakuza. Yoshinawa-gumi (Yoshinawa group) was the largest Yakuza family, accounting for 50 percent of all Yakuza in Japan. Masashi was a friend of Xavier's and two years ago, he had killed Masashi's father, Kaito Yoshinawa. Kaito was a savagely violent man, even towards his own family. He killed innocent people, including his own wife. Something that the mafia would never do. Masashi was too weak to go against him. Thus, two years ago he came to Xavier for help and the rest was history.
"I thought you killed that bastard?" Xavier turned to look at Killian and asked, giving him a dubious look.
"I did. It was a headshot. He could not have survived that." Killian shook his head, absolutely veracious. "You know my work. I make no mistake Xavier."
"Are you sure Masashi saw him?" Xavier asked Rico again.
"No doubt. Masashi's man snapped a photo of him on the streets. I already sent it to your phone."
Xavier grabbed his phone on the table and tapped on the photo, zooming in.
"Fuck! It is him." He tossed his phone on the table, his face twisted in rage. Killian craned his neck forward and took a peek at his phone.
"Fucking hell. What is he? Walking dead now? I put a bullet to his fucking head. That's impossible." Stressed, Killian ran his fingers through his hair.
Xavier dismissed his uneasy thoughts at his brother's accented voice.
"I don't care if he's a fucking walking dead or what. If he's really alive, then kill him again." He ordered Killian.
Author's Note—
I hope you like this chapter! <3
Do vote and comment! Let me know what do you think! I have so much in my mind and I'm so excited for you to find out where this story is going. It's gonna be one hell of a ride for sure <3