The Don’s Venom

Chapter9

(Lily)

Marco was long gone when I returned to my room. I was about to go into my room when I heard Giana open the door to her bedroom. Her hair was tangled into a messy halo over her head, a stray tendril framing her small face.

Her fingers tugged at the hem of her pajamas top, her eyes wide and bright with mischief. “Lily. Can you read me a story? Uncle Marco had to leave.”

I glanced at the screen of my phone, noting that it was way past her bedtime, but her cute little pout was hard to refuse.

“Of course,” I replied, closing the door to my room and slipping into hers. “What story do you want?”

Giana chewed on her lip, her head tipped in contemplation. Finally, she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, “Can we read the one where the princess’s mother leaves and she visits the princess in form of flowers.”

My heart tightened at the little girl’s words. I didn’t know the story but it sounded really sad. Also, knowing Giana’s story-about her mother’s demise just made it even more emotional. I knew her mother’s absence was still raw and still too fresh for her young mind to understand.

I nodded, although it was hard for me to swallow the lump in my throat. “Sure, we can.”

I accepted the worn, leather-bound book that she grabbed from her bedside table and scanned the pages for the particular story she wanted. In what I hoped was a calm, soothing voice, I began reading.

Giana leaned over her pillow, her eyes on me as I read lines from the children book. The story, like all bedtime story, was short and simple.

“A princess who lived in a huge castle happily with both her parents suddenly woke up to find that her mother had disappeared. The princess waited, hoping that one day, her mother would return. But every year, her hope dimmed. As the princess got older, she goes to the last spot where she’d seen her mother to wait for her. As she waited, she felt some flowers dropping down on her,” I read, feeling Giana’s soft breath. I could feel the heaviness of the little girl’s thoughts.

“The princess recalled feeling the flowers dropping on her every year before that when she’d waited at the spot. The flowers were white, her mother’s favorite color. That was when the princess realized. Her mother didn’t abandon her. She always showed up, in the form of those beautiful flowers.”

As the story wound down, Giana’s small voice interrupted. “Lily… do you think my dad will disappear too? Like my mommy did?”

I froze, the question totally taking me off guard. I looked down at Giana whose eyes were wide with fear and vulnerability. Her face spoke of a quiet sadness and fear for her father, who she no doubt loved a lot.

I reached out and gently swept the tendril of hair behind her hair. “No, darling. Your daddy is not going anywhere. He’s going to be here to watch you grow up beautifully into the best young woman.”

Giana’s lip quivered as if weighing my words of reassurance. “But dad works with some bad men. Bad, scary looking men. What if they hurt him?”

My stomach twisted at the mention of the ‘bad men’. I knew of what she spoke- the dangerous men who lived on the edge of the law. Men like Kieran himself.

“Giana,” I managed, keeping my voice steady despite the unease I felt. “Your dad is strong and smart. He knows how to take care of himself and he has people around him who will keep him safe.”

“Like you keep me safe?” she asked.

“Yes. Exactly like that. So, you don’t need to worry. He’ll be fine.”

She hesitated then nodded. Just when I felt her breathing easing out as she began to doze off, she said, “Will my mommy visit in form of flowers? That’d be nice.”

Before I could respond, the sound of her soft snores signaled that she’d fallen asleep. I gently tucked her in and quietly slipped the door to her room shut as I returned to my own room, keeping my ears peeled. The weight of the conversation followed me as I sat in my own bedroom, unable to shake the uneasy feeling away.

My phone buzzed on the bedside table, a welcome distraction. I checked the screen and smiled as my sister’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hey sis.”

“Hey you,” I responded, sounding more tired than intended.

“You sound like a rightful mess. Is Mr. Jerk Gigante stressing you?”

I smiled. “Better not let his legion of armies hear you call him that.”

“I still find it hard to believe that your Kieran is the terror. It’s crazy. The world is indeed a small place. Because of all the houses and jobs, it had to be his.”

“I know,” I said with a loud exhale. “He apologized.”

“Really?”

“Really. But I don’t know. I swore I just needed to hear him say it, take it back. But when he apologized, it didn’t matter anymore. His apology didn’t mean anything to me anymore.”

Rose huffed. “I don’t know why you want to stay working for him then.”

“You don’t understand. Giana is… lovable and so bright. Her last bodyguard was a mole, if I leave, who knows who’ll be hired next?”

“And you care because?”

“She’s a good kid, Rose. And she just lost her mom.”

“So what now? You want to be a stand-in mom for your ex’s daughter? Your ex who broke your heart and made you give up on your dreams to prove a point?”

I sighed heavily. “Look Rose, I needed a job and now I got one. That’s it.”

Rose’s voice softened. “Just be careful, sis. That’s not the Kieran you dated. He’s a Don now. A cold-blooded killer. The terror.”

“I understand,” I muttered, my hands tightening around the phone. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good,” Rose said. “By the way, mom and dad called. They wanted to know how you’re doing. They miss you, Lily.”

I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. “I’ll talk to you later, Rose. Goodnight.”

As I hung up, I gazed out the window catching the shadows of Kieran’s men who stood guard outside the house. I knew it then, that I was now a part of Kieran’s dangerous world.