When The Mafia Cries

Home Alone

"So, what happened to Jacob after your mother caught you two?" Andre asked.

Gabriella and Andre were now seated on a bench within the garden, underneath the gleam of the full moon. They were side-by-side, just two people talking about their experiences with no animosity between them, and at that moment, they weren't rivals or enemies; they were two different people in the same both who were now starting to realise that maybe they weren't so different after all.

"The other man my mother brought along with her went into the shack and he started beating Jacob. I begged her to call her goon off but she didn't and from outside where I was, I could hear his grunts of pain until it stopped,"

"Was he beaten to death?" Andre asked.

"The guard came out and he told my mother that Jacob had been taught a lesson. He was badly hurt and was unconscious inside the shack. The guard's fists were covered in blood. My mother dragged me away and as we got farther from the shack, that's when I saw the smoke coming from it.

"One of the candles that were inside must have tipped over and started the fire. Jacob was still stuck in there and he was unconscious so he couldn't get out. I begged my mother to send the guard back to get him before it was too late but she refused...and that was the last time I ever saw him again."

After Gabriella told him what had happened to her, Andre felt sorry for her because he understood how it felt. The trauma he carried in his heart from being the son of a Mafia Lord was heavier than anything anyone else in a different situation could ever know and he understood Gabriella's decision to not be involved in it anymore.

"I get it. Believe me, I do. Sometimes..." Andre wasn't sure how to say it but he tried to regardless, "this world of guns and drugs can feel like hell but it doesn't always have to be that way."

Gabriella scoffed at what he said and turned to face him directly, "You still don't get it, do you? I'm done talking about this," she got up and was about to walk away but was stopped by Andre.

He grabbed her arm, got up from the bench and pulled her close to his body. Gabriella immediately felt that tingling sensation all over her body again and her knees began to feel like butter under the sun's heat.

"If you don't want to talk about this anymore, we can forget it for now," he pushed a stray strand of hair from her face so he could see her perfectly, "and instead talk about something else."

Gabriella understood what he was referring to; the few minutes they spent having s*x in the forest. This was the first time they were going to talk about it since it happened and Gabriella had been dreading it. She had no clue what to make of what they did or what it meant going forward and if she was being honest with herself, she really didn't want to know.

"I wanted to know if what happened between us..," Andre began to say but before he could finish, she cut him off.

"It was nothing and it meant nothing. We got carried away in the moment and there's no need to dwell on it. Let's just pretend like it never happened," she said.

Before Andre could respond, she pulled away from him and made her way back into the house. Andre didn't try to stop her this time; he just watched her walk away until she was inside and he was left alone with his thoughts.

Unlike Gabriella, he didn't want to pretend like it never happened, because it did happen and it meant something to him, or at least he felt it did. Andre was feeling things that he hadn't felt before for this woman and he wasn't sure what it was. He needed to talk to someone that he could open up to, someone he could let see his insecurities and vulnerabilities. There was only one person in the entire world that could help him with that.

So, he took out his phone and dialled a number. The line rang for a while until a woman picked up on the other end.

"Hello, Andreas. I must say that this is a wonderful surprise. It's been years since you last called me," she said.

"Hello, Layla. I need to talk to you about something," he said.

"Tell me then," she replied.

"I can't tell you on the phone; it's too personal. We have to meet in person so I need you to come here as soon as possible," he said with a commanding tone.

"Darling, I wish I could help you out but I'm in Greece right now and..."

"I don't care if you're on the moon, Layla. Just get here soon. This is important. You know I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't,"

The woman sighed softly and hesitated for a while before she responded, "Fine. I'll be on the first flight out tomorrow,"

*******

Gabriella woke up the next morning feeling better than she'd felt the entire time she'd been held up in Andre's home. Maybe it was because she opened up and talked about Jacob after so many years of trying to not think about him because of how much it hurt. With this new energy she had, her mind was back on escaping her situation, her mother, her clan and of course, Andreas Cimaro.

She looked over at the closet but this time, there wasn't a dress hanging on it. She got off the bed and went over to the window because she was hearing some noises coming from outside. After looking outside, she could see a few of the Red Cobra moving about, loading weapons and artilleries into trucks and she wondered what was going on.

"What are they doing?" She muttered to herself.

Then, it hit her! They must be loading up because they were planning to attack the King's Gold and kill her mother. It had to be why.

Gabriella wasn't sure how to feel about it. She hated her mother for what she did to Jacob and for many other things as well but, was she really going to do nothing to help her?

Before she could make a decision, the last of the trucks drove out of the estate and it went back to being quiet. Gabriella was conflicted and she slowly walked back to the bed and slumped into it, confused about everything that was happening to her -- especially about what she was beginning to feel for Andreas.

About a few minutes after she had taken her bath and changed into a nice dress, Gabriella went over to the door of the room and knocked on it. The locks clicked open and Alphonso was standing on the other side.

"Good morning, Miss Gabriella," he greeted.

"Good morning, Alphonso. Can you take me to your boss? I need to talk to him about something," she asked.

"That won't be possible, Miss. The boss has gone out and he won't be back until tomorrow morning," he replied.

"Where did he go?" She asked

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you that. He instructed me to watch over you and provide you with anything you may need," the guard checked his watch, "You must be hungry. Let me escort you to the breakfast table," he gestured.

Indeed, she was hungry so she walked in front of him until they reached the indoor dining area. The table was already set and there were several food items on it. Gabriella took a seat and helped herself and while she ate, she began to notice the majesty of the interior of the mansion. The home she grew up in was vintage as well and had a rich history but, there was something different and organic about the decor of the Cimaros' estate that intrigued her.

The head maid, Martha, suddenly walked into the dining area and approached Gabriella.

"I trust the meal is to your liking, Miss?" She asked cordially.

"Yes. Everything is wonderful... You're Martha, aren't you?" She asked.

"I am," the older woman replied.

"I remember you from the other day when you told Andreas about the guard that harassed the maid. You must have been terrified when he shot that guard in cold blood," Gabriella said, trying to form a bond with the maid so she could have an ally on the inside.

"The guard got what was coming to him. I knew very well what the master would do to him before I reported it," Martha replied sharply.

"Wait! You knew he would kill him?" Gabriella asked with a raised brow.

"That's right!"

Gabriella decided to dig a little deeper and try to get the maid on her side. Alphonso was by the door but he wasn't close enough to hear her conversation with Martha so she gestured at the woman to come closer.

"Aren't you worried that one day, he'll do the same to you or the other girls if any of you step out of line? Why would you want to stay here and work for a murderer when he could kill you at any time? Don't you want to get away from him?" She whispered.

The look on Martha's face instantly changed and she looked offended. She took a jug of orange juice and grabbed a glass as well. She moved closer to Gabriella and poured her a cup. As she bent over to hand it to her, she made it clear where her loyalties lie.

"The master is a good man. He may be cruel to his enemies and ruthless against his opposition but he is kind to those who are loyal to him. He would never hurt me or any of the maids that work for him as long as we are loyal. I know what you're trying to do, and if you'll take an older woman's advice, I implore you to stop. You wouldn't want to invoke his wrath," she warned.

Martha placed the juice in front of Gabriella and adjusted her uniform.

"Enjoy the rest of your meal, Miss Gabriella," she said before walking away.

It began to dawn on Gabriella that perhaps finding an ally would be harder than she thought.

As the day went by, Gabriella spent all that time walking around the estate as a kind of tour of her prison. Unfortunately, she wasn't alone as Alphonso remained glued to her wherever she went so she couldn't run off. The day quickly went by and before she knew it, it was already sundown.

Inside her room, as she prepared to go to bed, Gabriella began to think about Andreas again and what happened between them in the forest. She remembered how good it felt to have him inside of her and how tender his hands felt on her skin and just the thought of it got her so hot, she could feel it all over her body. She had told Andre that it meant nothing to her and she did mean it, so why couldn't she forget about it? Why was it the only thing she could think about apart from escaping?

Gabriella decided to go to bed since that was the only way she could stop thinking about him. She was still very much afraid of him but she couldn't help but feel sad and angry that she hadn't seen him all day. She was kind of offended that he didn't come to see her today but she didn't understand why.

"Why do you care if he didn't see you today? Get a grip on yourself, Gabriella. You can't be thinking about this man like this. Remember what your goal is," she scolded herself while on the bed.

It took her almost forever to fall asleep that evening but she eventually did but unlike the previous night, it wasn't as pleasant.

.

.

.

The sun crept into her room as the new day dawned and just as the rays touched her face, she heard the sound of a car engine approaching the house. Gabriella opened her eyes and dashed to her feet. She made her way to the window and looked outside, hoping that the vehicle that was entering had Andre in it.

Why she was hoping that - she wasn't sure. She just couldn't go another entire day without seeing him.

The car entered the estate and parked right in front of the mansion. The doors opened but much to Gabriella's disappointment, it wasn't Andre who stepped out of it. It was a woman - a tall, curvy and incredibly beautiful woman in a tight white dress.

"Who the hell is this?" Gabriella asked herself as a wave of annoyance overcame her.