Caught in The Mafia’s Web

Chapter Eight

Aurora's POV

I didn’t back down. “I know exactly who I’m dealing with. And I know cowards when I see them—him included.”

Maxen let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "You're going to get yourself killed, you know that, right?”

"Then maybe you should tell your boss to try harder,” I blurted out.

His face twisted, and suddenly, he let out a frustrated shout, running his hands through his hair. “Are you seriously this stubborn, Aurora? Are you out of your damn mind?”

“Oh, so now I’m the crazy one, huh?” I shot back, my voice rising. “I didn’t ask to be here, Maxen! I didn’t ask to be kidnapped by some arrogant, controlling bastard who thinks he can just drag people wherever he wants!”

Maxen’s face darkened, and for a split second, I saw something unreadable flash in his eyes. But just as he opened his mouth to respond, a small, curious voice cut through the tense silence.

“Kidnapped? What is kidnapped?”

The words were tiny but clear as a bell.

Maxen and I were startled and slowly turned to see little Bianca standing there, holding a stuffed bear and looking up at us with wide, innocent eyes.

“Oh my goodness, Bianca!” I gasped, my heart dropping as I took in her soft, curious face.

Bianca tilted her head, looking between Maxen and me. “What is kidnapped?” she asked again, as if she was demanding an answer to something that just didn’t make sense.

I immediately pushed past Maxen, who stood there looking as shocked as I was, and knelt down to Bianca’s level, forcing a warm smile on my face. “Oh, sweetie, you must have misunderstood,” I said gently, trying to keep my voice light. “I didn’t say ‘kidnapped.’ I said… uh…” I wracked my brain, searching for a word—anything that sounded close enough but wasn’t the one I had actually said. “I said ‘knit-hat,’ you know, like the kind you wear in winter. It’s, uh… a little chilly, and I was just saying I should get one.”

Bianca’s eyes narrowed just slightly, as if she was figuring out a puzzle. “Knit-hat?” she repeated, clearly confused. “But that’s not what it sounded like.”

I glanced over her shoulder at Maxen, my eyes begging him to play along. He caught the look and, to my relief, quickly put on a forced smile, stepping up beside us.

“Si, bella, Aurora is right,” he said smoothly, switching to Italian. “You know, sometimes grown-ups talk fast and words get mixed up. You heard ‘knit-hat.’ Right, Aurora?”

“Yes, yes, exactly,” I said, my voice a little too bright as I nodded along. “It’s just… knit-hat. Not… that other word.”

Bianca squinted at me. Then, finally, she looked back at Maxen, who she clearly trusted more than me. “Zio Maxen,” she said, calling him “uncle” in her sweet Italian, “is it really true?”

Maxen gave her a soft smile, nodding. “Of course, Bianca. Would I lie to you?”

She seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded, apparently satisfied.

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders. But before I could say anything, Bianca reached out and grabbed my hand, looking up at me with a serious expression.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then another voice spoke up, stopping me cold.

“Aurora?”

My heart almost leapt out of my chest. The voice was calm but held a certain authority that made me feel like I had been caught doing something I shouldn’t.

I turned slowly, dread gathering in my stomach.

There, standing in the hallway, was Greg’s mother. Her dark eyes were fixed on me, unreadable. She had clearly been standing there for a while, long enough to have caught something.

“Signora Moretti,” I stammered, my voice suddenly weak.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over me, then shifting to Maxen, then down to Bianca, who was still holding my hand. Her expression didn’t change, but I could tell she was taking everything in, reading the situation in a way that only a seasoned woman like her could.

“Is everything all right here?” she asked, her voice as calm as ever but with an edge that made it clear she expected a truthful answer.

I swallowed, trying to keep my composure. “Yes, of course. We were just… talking about hats. Knit-hats,” I said, forcing a smile that probably looked as fake as it felt.

Greg’s mother raised an eyebrow. “Knit-hats,” she repeated, her tone filled with skepticism. She looked down at Bianca, who was watching her grandmother with the same curiosity she had shown me.

“Nonna,” Bianca said, tilting her head. “What does ‘kidnapped’ mean?”

A heavy silence fell over us, and I felt my face drain of colour, my heart racing. So much for my quick thinking.

I held my breath, praying that Greg’s mother wouldn’t react the way I feared she would. But instead, she let out a soft sigh, giving Bianca a patient smile.

“Oh, cara,” she said gently, kneeling down to Bianca’s level. “Kidnapped is… well, it’s something that happens in stories sometimes, like when a princess gets taken away by a dragon. But it’s not real. Not in our world.”

I could have kissed her for the quick save. She handled it with such calm, almost making it sound innocent, even though we all knew the truth was far from it.

Bianca looked a little more reassured, though I could tell she was still curious.

“Dragons don’t take people,” she said firmly, frowning as if trying to understand the logic. “They breathe fire.”

Greg’s mother nodded solemnly. “Yes, exactly. So you see, it’s not something we have to worry about. Now, why don’t you run along and go play with your new bear?”

Bianca looked at her grandmother, then back at me, and finally at Maxen, who gave her a quick nod, his expression softening.

“Okay,” she said after a moment, giving my hand a small squeeze before letting go. She skipped off down the hallway, completely unbothered, her bear dangling from one hand.

As soon as she was out of earshot, the atmosphere in the hallway shifted. Greg’s mother straightened, her gaze turning hard as she looked between me and Maxen.

“What exactly were you two talking about?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with unmistakable warning.

I opened my mouth, fumbling for an excuse, but Maxen beat me to it, stepping forward with his usual confidence.

“It was nothing, Signora,” he said smoothly, his tone calm but respectful. “Just… a misunderstanding. Bianca must have overheard something out of context.”

She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms, clearly not buying it. “A misunderstanding, huh?” Her gaze shifted to me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. “Aurora, what exactly did my granddaughter ‘misunderstand’?”

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. “It was… nothing, honestly. We were just… talking, and she happened to walk in.”

She frowned. “Talking,” she repeated, clearly unsatisfied. “Well, I would suggest you both be more mindful in the future. There are certain things Bianca does not need to hear, am I clear?”

I nodded quickly, feeling my cheeks flush. “Of course, Signora. I’m very sorry.”

Maxen gave a respectful nod, his tone even. “It won’t happen again.”

Greg’s mother studied us both for a long moment, her gaze piercing, as if trying to decide whether she believed us. Finally, she gave a small, reluctant nod.

“Good,” she said, her voice soft but firm. Then she turned, giving us one last pointed look before disappearing down the hallway.

As soon as she was gone, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. Maxen glanced at me, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Careful, Aurora,” he muttered, keeping his voice low. “You keep this up, and you’re going to end up with a lot more trouble than you bargained for.”

I shot him a glare, but I couldn’t deny the truth in his words. Still, I wasn’t about to let him have the last word.

“If your boss didn’t want this to happen, maybe he shouldn’t have dragged me here in the first place,” I snapped back.

Maxen just shook his head, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. “You should actually consider yourself lucky that he brought you here.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, footsteps approached from around the corner.

I remember his name was Larry, he walked up to us, looking irritated.

“Don needs you, pronto,” he said to Maxen, his voice rough.

Maxen nodded, his face tense. Without another word, he took a step back, looking at me with a silent warning, as if to say, “Watch what you say.” Then he turned to Larry, giving him a quick nod.

“Let's go,” he replied.