I am Emily Rose

Chapter 13: A night with mom

Elanor's P.O.V

The minute I received that phone call from Emily, I knew that something had happened between her and Riccardo Bernardi. One of my biggest fears was seeing her involved with one of "them", those monsters that take lives as they please and not think of families being left behind.

The drive from Bernardi's mansion is silent. As I pull into my driveway, I turn off the ignition and turn to Emily. She looks lost and confused. I never wanted this for my daughter.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Mom... can we just go inside and make some hot chocolate first?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Hot chocolate with marshmallows?"

"Sounds good."

That put a small smile on her face. We go inside the house and I put the kettle on while Emily goes upstairs to freshen up. I top the two cups of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows just the way she likes it and put some cookies on a plate. I set everything up in the living room and make it nice and cozy. Maybe we can watch a movie together to take her mind off of things.

Emily's P.O.V

I walk into the living room and find mom waiting for me with our hot chocolate and cookies. She brought blankets and pillows for us too. Looks like a slumber party. I know she's trying.... I'm just confused and heartbroken right now. I really thought that I had found someone special, and I was ready to give him my heart.

"Come, sit down, sweetheart. I made your favorite."

"You remembered... Thanks mom."

"I am your mother, after all. So... Anything you want to talk about? It's just us girls here..."

"Ugh! Mom....Riccardo... Riccardo is involved with some bad people and.."

"Oh, honey. Tell me what he said."

"We were, um, getting intimate, and he said something that triggered something that I dreamed about. That made me stop what was happening and when I asked him... Well, that's when he told me that he's a mafia Don."

I can't believe that I'm talking about my s*x life with my mother. I know that she's going to freak out.

"Emily, do you remember when I told you about saving yourself for your husband?"

Here we go...

"Mom..."

"Just listen to what I have to say... Well, my mother told me the same thing. Obviously, I didn't listen and fell for your father. We had s*x before I really knew him well, and I fell pregnant."

"Really? You never told me that."

"It's not something that I wanted you to know. Given your situation, I feel that I need to tell you now."

I can see that it's not something that she likes to talk about. There is hesitation in her eyes and she's trying to be brave. I sit quietly and listen to her story.

"Right, well, there was no question in my mind about keeping you. He wanted to marry me and I said yes. We were married a month later, before I started to show, as he didn't want anyone to know."

She takes a sip of her drink and gets comfortable on the sofa.

"Your father was a good man, Emily... Up until after you were born. I then received a threatening letter that was hand-delivered to our home by some strange-looking gangster boy. In the envelope with the letter were pictures..."

She swallows hard and a tear escapes her eye.

"Mom, you don't have to..."

"No, no, let me get this out."

"Ok, go ahead."

"There were pictures of your father with another woman. They were having s*x. The letter was a warning to leave him as soon as possible, or else we would both be murdered."

What? I'm even more confused.

"Turns out, your father was involved with the Cosa Nostra Don's daughter. She wanted him to marry her and would get rid of anyone who stood in her way. When I confronted him about it, he went crazy. He said that I was whoring around and needed an excuse to leave him. He warned me that if I ever left him, he would kill you and I both."

"Oh my God, mom. I can't believe this."

Tears sting the back of my eyes and I can understand how she must have felt. Being threatened if she stayed and being threatened if she left.

"What did you do?"

"Emily, you have to know that it was one of the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make... I had to fake our deaths, my dear child. Yours and mine."

What. The. Fuck

Riccardo's P.O.V

I'm sitting in my office with a glass of brandy in my hand. I have tons of paperwork to go through and sign off, but my mind is elsewhere. I need to talk to her, to make her understand. I also need to give her time. f**k! We don't have time to waste. Aldo found out from one of his spies that someone had been keeping tabs on her. I have a gut feeling who that might be. The same person is responsible for burning down her apartment building. I need to protect what's mine at any cost.

I grab my phone from my desk and dialed Aldo.

"Send two men to watch over her through the night. I will let you know in the morning what our next step will be."

"Yes, boss."

With that, I kill the call. I'll give her tonight and tonight only to herself. Tomorrow she will come home willingly or not.

Third Person P.O.V

The time is ticking slowly on my watch. I'm waiting for the phone call giving the all clear. I will have my wife and daughter at my disposal by the end of the evening. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket...

"Juan?"

"Capo, we have a problem."

"Juan, Juan, Juan... You know that I don't believe in problems, my boy. Only solutions."

"Yes Capo, but there are guards around the house."

"Really? So get rid of them. What's the problem?"

"Yes Capo."

I end the call. This is it, dead or alive.