Heart of the Mafia King

Thank You

{Maisie’s POV}

[Reader discretion is advised! This chapter contains scenes about child loss, and domestic abuse.]

“Pancakes huh? Didn’t take you for the cooking type.” I said, turning towards Angelo, I watched him, he was so stoic almost always, and seeing him in his home, surrounded by his family, and knowing that he cooks for them, apparently very well. It was strange, the feeling that began bubbling up in my stomach. I found myself wanting to stay, wanting to have breakfast with them all.

“I like to cook for my family, if you want to stay, we have extra rooms. It’s up to you.” He said, smiling back at me.

“Well, how could I say no.. you’re all being so kind and inviting.” I laughed, turning back towards Margo, who now was looping her arm with mine and leading me upstairs. We walked up the grand staircase and down a hallway that was to the right.

Suddenly, little hands gripped the back of my leg holding on tight. “Mama, mama!” A tiny, soft voice spoke. I turned to see a little girl in a pair of unicorn pajamas. She had to be around two, she had brown eyes with gold flecks, like Angelo’s, and black hair that reached around her shoulders.

I smiled down at her, bending down and picking her up. “I think you have the wrong woman little girl, I’m not your mama!” I giggled. “But you are absolutely adorable!”

She smiled at me, placing her hands on both of my cheeks and laughing. “Pretty!” She said, her little hands making their way into my hair. “Pretty hair!”

I giggled. “I think your hair is pretty!”

Margo laughed beside me. “I’m sorry, she’s supposed to be in bed, she must have made a run for it! Anna honey, you need to go to sleep!” She said, tickling the little girl in my arms.

“Story mama! I want a story!” She said, one hand still firmly in my hair.

I laughed as she twirled it around, noticing how fascinated she was with my curls. She’d lift it up in her hand, bouncing them and giggling as they bounced up and down. “What kind of story?” I asked, smiling at her. “I know one about a pirate, and a princess.”

Her eyes widened, and her smile grew big. “Mama, mama, can she tell me the story! Please!” She asked, turning to Margo.

“She may be tired, but if she wants to, it’s fine with me!” Margo said.

“Alright, but you have to promise that once you hear the story, you go to sleep, okay?” I asked, holding up my pinky in front of her.

She giggled, and locked her pinky with mine. “Okay, I promise!” She said, wiggling out of my grip, I sat her down on the ground, and she turned grabbing my hand and leading me down the other side of the hall.

I could hear giggled coming from behind me, and I heard Marco speaking. “Anna is usually a nightmare at bedtime! What was that? How was she able to get her to go to bed willingly?”

Margo giggled, and began to follow behind us. “I don’t know, but I’m taking notes!”

Anna, the little girl, led me to her room, and I could see another child sleeping in a bed on the other side of the room. She walked me to a glider, and patted the seat. “Sit here!” She said, laughing.

I sat down, and she crawled into my lap, I told her the story of a princess that ran away from home, wanting to leave behind her responsibilities, and instead become a pirate. She disguised herself as a man, boarding a ship, working hard and earning the respect of the crew, including the captain. One day, their ship is boarded by another pirate crew, and she tackles the enemy captain off the ship, becoming lost at sea, but ending the fight between the two pirate crews.

The pirate crew that she had been with for months, scoured the waters, finally finding her, and finding that she was a woman. They praised her for her bravery, and her courage, all chiming that she should be the new captain. The captain agreed, standing down from his post, and allowing her to be the new leader of the pirate crew. They became the most fierce pirates in the world, everyone singing the praises of the Pirate Princess.

Once the story was over, I looked down, smiling at her, she was asleep in my arms. I snickered, carefully standing up and carrying her to her bed. I tucked her blankets around her, and turned walking from the room. Margo was waiting in the doorway, a smile across her face. “How did you do that? I’ve had the hardest time getting her to sleep. Aurelio is so easy to put down at night, but Anna normally roams the halls and tries to get her uncles to play with her when we stay the night here. Or at home she tries to get her fathers to play all night. It’s exhausting!” She says, catching me off guard. I assumed I must have heard her wrong, so I just shook it off.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve always loved kids, always wanted one of my own. Now, I’m happy I didn’t have one with my ex husband.” I said, looking back into the room.

“You were married?” She asked, turning to me as if surprised.

I nodded, asking myself why it was so easy to talk to her, it felt as though I’d known her forever. “I loved him.. I really did, but he turned into a monster. You can’t love a monster.. not while loving yourself. So you pick one.. and I picked the wrong one for a long time. I lost so much with my marriage to him.. my innocence.. my joy.. I’ll never be able to gain those things back..” I said, staring back into the room where the children were sleeping peacefully. “I-I got pregnant once.. when he found out..” I took in a sharp breath, tears pricking in my eyes. “It doesn’t matter now.. I got away from him.. I’m safe now..” I said, turning to her.

She had tears streaming down her face, she grabbed me pulling me into a hug. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

Tears began to stream down my cheeks before I even knew what was happening. “I-I..” I whimpered, unable to speak.

“I know..” she said, and honestly, it felt like she did know. She knew how much talking about this pained me, she knew how much I needed to vent. She knew that I lost my baby because of him, and she knew that what I really needed right now, was a hug.

I nodded, hugging her back. “Thank you..”