Mafia Love (Faithfully Yours)

Chapter 3

Amanda was always viewing Reese as an irritating thorn in her life. In the past week she’d had to integrate the little twerp into their lives, running around buying her clothes and getting her bedroom ready for her like Derek had instructed. How was she supposed to explain Reese’s existence to her friends, she’d have to admit that her life wasn’t as perfect as she’d led them to believe in the first place.

The thought that Derek had cheated on her and there was actual proof in the form of a child made her want to smash every single thing in the house but she couldn’t do that. She was prim and proper and had to act like the perfect wife because that’s what Derek needed. She watched Reese sitting by the kitchen table eating her cereal slowly. Everything about this girl grated on her nerves. She had never met the girl’s mother but she was willing to bet that Leona would incite the same response in terms of the disgust she felt.

She stood by the kitchen counter sipping on her coffee and trying to count to ten in her head to calm herself when her thoughts were interrupted.

“Mom, so is it fine?” Her fourteen years old son Kayden was asking her something. She smiled at him, the one thing that brought her happiness in her marriage besides the luxurious life she was afforded just by being married to Derek was her son.

“Is what fine?” She put her coffee mug on the counter and turned to look at him, he was going to be as tall and handsome as his father, he already towered over her at his age.

“Today is Finn’s birthday and I was invited. You know how dad gets about me going to the Salvatore estate. Can you speak to him?”

Derek walked into the big kitchen at that moment. “I will let you go only if you take your sister with you.” He said quietly as he sat down by the kitchen table.

“Come on dad, she wasn’t invited and I will be the only one that’s got to like babysit a twelve years old.” Kayden shook his head.

“It wasn’t a request son, that’s your task for today, you look after your sister.” His voice was almost thunderous as he said this. He looked at Reese who had been quiet the entire time with her head bowed as she ate her cereal. He didn’t really want her at the Salvatore estate but their helper Nancy wasn’t working today because it was a saturday and he definitely wasn’t going to leave Reese with Amanda who couldn’t hide her contempt for the little girl no matter how hard she tried.

Amanda looked at her husband and rolled her eyes. “I think that it is unfair, he’s right… she wasn’t invited. You want to have him get embarrassed?”

“Embarrassed by what? His own sister? And who do you suggest she stays here with…you? Or would you rather have me take her to work with me?”

Amanda grabbed her coffee mug and walked out of the kitchen.

Derek drove into the Salvator estate watching his daughter through the rear view mirror. She had lost that frightened look as she looked in wonder at the huge Manor and it’s beautiful gardens. He smiled to himself at the innocence in her face.

“Kayden I won’t tell you again that you need to take care of Reese and know where she is at all times..” he reminded his son sternly.

“Yes sir.” Kayden sighed at his misfortune.

“And you young lady, you don’t go disappearing by yourself. You hear me Reese?”

“Yes.” She nodded her head. It was at that moment he realised she didn’t know what to call him. Maybe he hadn’t done very well by frightening her the other day.

“It’s yes Daddy young lady.” He smiled at her but more to himself because he liked the idea of her calling him that.

“Yes Daddy.” She repeated after him and looked at him through the mirror almost smiling back at him.

He watched them get off and walk in. They were led by the house staff to where the party probably would be. Derek drove off to another entrance of the estate to go and check in with his boss.

“Don’t annoy me and you keep your mouth shut!” Kayden whispered to his sister so that no one could hear him but her.

“What if somebody asks me a question.” For some odd reason Reese felt bold enough to talk back to her brother, her mother had taught her not to allow other kids to bully her.

“Don’t be daft! Then you answer the question or else you will look like a retard.” He retorted.

“You’re a horrible person.” Reese said quietly and Kayden laughed out loud.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Reese looked at him, she was getting a little annoyed with everyone talking about her like she wasn’t there or at her like she was stupid and she really missed her mom.

“What? are you going to tell on me? Snitches get stitches!” He walked ahead and left her to walk by herself.

She balled her fists and carried on walking.

They were led to an exit that led into another part of the garden where there were decorations of a video game themed party, almost every video game that a teenager could think of. It was like an arcade in the garden with free standing console machines and play station areas as well as a go kart racing course.

Boys and girls who looked like they were a little older than her were laughing, playing and chatting. Reese walked around quietly looking at some of the games, she made sure to stay quiet and out of everyone’s way as she walked. At some point she looked towards where Kayden stood with some of his friends, he was so engrossed with the conversation not bothered that he had been told to watch her at all times.

Reese found a stand alone console machine that seemed a little neglected so she stood by it and started to fiddle with it, ten minutes later she had figured out how the game worked. It was a super mario game, the highest score was by someone called Finn. She kept playing, determined to beat the high score. Even though she kept losing, her score kept going higher and higher so she kept trying. Not before long she managed to beat the high score, the console machine startled her by ringing out loud announcing that she had beat the highest score. A few of the kids started to circle her.

“Yo Finn, this little girl beat your high score.” A boy walked up to the machine then turned around to snicker at another boy who was walking towards them.

The boy towered over Reese, his stormy blue eyes regarding her like what she had just done was insolence and impossible. “I don’t think I know who you are, are you even on the guest list?” His voice had authority as he stood right in front of her. His chocolate brown curls almost falling into his face. This was the birthday boy.

Reese scanned behind him looking for Kayden who seemed to just stand there quietly sneering at her.

“What’s wrong with you can’t you speak?” Finn asked. “Girls are supposed to suck at video games anyways.” He added.

“It wasn’t that hard to beat your high score.” Reese said casually. Everyone around them gasped and made funny sounds like she had just said something wrong.

Finn didn’t like the idea of being showed up by a girl, his father was always teaching him that he had to deal with his enemies and competition ruthlessly and this girl was just that. If he didn’t deal with her then his friends would think that he was weak. He moved forward and shoved Reese quite hard. She fell on to the grass and her eyes teared up.

“For someone with a big mouth you are being a big baby… are you gonna cry for your mommy?” He joked and the kids around him laughed.

Reese was going to cry until he said that, she slowly got up from the grass, she had had quite enough of everything and just wanted to go back home to her mom but that wasn’t going to happen. Derek had told her she had to be tougher because the world was tough, she balled up her fists and looked up at Finn. “You are a bully and a sore loser.” She yelled at him.

“And what are you going to do about it?” Finn laughed. All the other kids seemed to laugh with him like he was their leader and they had to do everything he did. This reminded Reese of what Kayden had said to her earlier on and she couldn’t really report him because snitches got stitches.

Reese lunged forward at Finn and started to attack him with her balled fists, he didn’t expect it coming so he crossed his arms and staggered backwards.

“I’m not going to cry for my mommy.” Reese screamed at him. Finally Kayden came forward and grabbed Reese from the back, pulling her away from Finn.

“Are you stupid?!” He yelled at her.

“Let go off me!” Reese writhed from his strong grasp. She suddenly started to feel scared and panicked. The events from the other night started to play in her head. She screeched for Kayden to let go of her but he kept on holding on to her tightly.

A grown up appeared from the crowd of kids that was now looking shocked and confused at what was happening.

“Finn Salvatore! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Finn’s grandmother looked at him. “She’s just a little girl.”

“Kayden bring her into the house she is having a panic attack.” The old woman ordered. “The rest of you carry on as you were.”

Finn followed from behind, he was more curious about this girl who had had the gall to fight back. Usually his friends were too scared to even answer back at him.

“Put her on the couch.” Finn’s grandmother instructed. Kayden was a little freaked out now, his father had told him to watch her, he would not be happy with him. Reese was hyperventilating.

“What’s her name?” Caterina looked at her grandson who shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s Reese, her name is Reese.” Kayden answered quickly.

Caterina gestured for Kayden to let go of the writhing child who was in tears and struggling to take in a breath of air. She sat next to her and calmly spoke to her slowly soothing her back. “Reese sweetheart you are safe, no one is going to hurt you here. Can you count for me?” She said.

She continued to speak to her and instruct her until Reese calmed down. “There there little one, feeling better now?”

Reese nodded and looked at her surroundings with a frown. “You had a panic attack sweetheart.” Caterina told her looking at the child’s striking beautiful green eyes. She gestured for one of the helpers to come forward. “Bring a glass of cold sweet lemonade for her, it will help her feel better.” She took out her handkerchief and offered it to Reese to wipe her face.

Reese turned looked at Finn who was also looking at her. “You owe me an apology.” She said quietly, her green eyes starring tenaciously into his.

Finn was stunned at the words which made Caterina smile. She was impressed with the girl’s bravery.

“I don’t owe you anything.” He growled at her.

“Actually Finn you do.” Caterina instructed. “You are a man, men don’t fight and hit women and you shoved her didn’t you?” She gave her grandson a serious look.

“She was being insolent” Finn complained.

“Do you even know what that word means? What would your mother say to that! I won’t ask you again to apologise Finn.”

“I am sorry, men don’t hit women.” He said to Reese lowering his head. He looked sad for a moment.

“Girls can be better video game players you know.” Reese wasn’t going to let this go. “I beat your high score fair and square.”

Caterina couldn’t help but laugh. “So this is what the little tiff is about? Really Finn?” She looked at her grandson who’s face coloured as he looked at his feet. He looked back up at Reese and regarded her then at his grandmother

“Can Kayden and I go back outside now?” He asked.

“Yes you can but I’m going to have your father talk to you about what happened outside.” Caterina said. She needed her grandson to understand that he had done something wrong and needed to be corrected. Ever since his mother had passed away a little over six months ago, Finn was acting out and his attitude was not getting better. His father had to do something about it.

She gestured that they could leave and she turned to Reese to give her her full attention. “Don’t you want to go back out there?” She asked her.

Reese shook her head. “Is it okay if I sit here and just read my book.” She asked politely.

“Of course, what book are you reading?” Caterina smiled at her.

“The wizard of Oz, it’s my favourite.” She answered as the helper came back in with a tray in her hands.

“You know that was really brave of you, fighting someone bigger than you and standing up for what you believe in. Girls can be just as good as boys at a lot of things.” Caterina said and smiled at her. She couldn’t help but be drawn to the little girl.

“My mommy tells me that too all the time.” Reese regarded what she had just said then she sighed and her brow furrowed at the thought of her mom.

Caterina watched the girl who seemed like she was lost in thought for a moment. She wondered where her thoughts had just taken her.

Outside the house Finn was still annoyed. “How do you know that girl?” He asked his best friend.

“She is my half sister.” Kayden looked embarrassed about the situation. “I didn’t have a choice but to bring her with, my dad called your grandmother and asked if it would be fine.” He sighed.

Finn didn’t answer him, he was more worried about what his father would have to say about his outburst.

Later on that evening as Reese prepared for bed Amanda walked into her bedroom after she had a re account of what had happened at the party from Kayden. She was irritated that her son had had to go through that much less watch the little twerp. She hated Reese with every thing in her, she would always be the bane of her and her son’s existence.

“You just couldn’t help yourself could you! I knew that pretentious little helpless mouse act of yours was just that! A facade!” She hissed at Reese who was startled by her stepmother. She had just finished braiding her hair like her mom taught her and was getting up from the chair in front of the dresser.

Reese kept quiet, she didn’t want any trouble at all.

“Oh I hear you were all talk at the party, all of a sudden cat’s got your tongue? You will speak when you are spoken to you hear me!” Amanda looked at Reese with so much contempt.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Reese said quietly.

“Your entire existence is what’s wrong in this house!” She snapped. “You need to be punished for embarrassing us at the party.”

“If you hit me daddy will be mad, I’ll tell him.” The thought of being hit terrified her so she decided to use the one thing she knew her stepmother was scared of. She had noticed how Derek’s words always made her go quiet. She prayed it would work this time as well.

“Oh so it’s daddy now?” She retorted.

Amanda was seething mad but she knew Derek would definitely come down on her quite hard if he found out. “You can’t use that excuse forever, he won’t always be there to protect you.” She sneered at Reese before walking out of her room. What Amanda didn’t know was that Derek had come home quite earlier than she had anticipated and had been standing just outside the passage listening just before she stomped out of the room. He was proud that Reese had stood up for herself but he was even more worried that she would have a hard time in the house now that she had challenged Amanda. She had been right, he wouldn’t always be there in the house to protect her.

The fact that Caterina Salvatore was also taking an interest in his daughter worried him. She had asked questions about Reese and requested to see more of her at the estate in the future and Derek definitely didn’t want that.

He had backed away from the passage just before Amanda stomped out of the room, he walked back to the passage and knocked on Reese’s door before he opened the it.

She was sitting on the bed looking a little frustrated. This is not what he wanted for her at all, to spend her life in constant frustration as she lived here. He went to sit next to her but she seemed to shrink a little further away from him.

“Reese? I am sorry that I scare you. I’m your father, I’d never hurt you.” He said to her, she seemed to relax as she looked at him. It was almost like with no words spoken at all there was some sort of trust that was established between the two of them.

“Like me, you are a person of very few words aren’t you?” He smiled at her. “Finn’s grandmother told me what happened today, good on you for standing up for yourself and good for standing up to Amanda.” He sighed.

Reese still didn’t know what to say to this man who supposedly was her father, she had so many questions in her head though but she didn’t think she was permitted to ask them.

“Reese I’m going to do something but I don’t want you to think that it’s because you did anything wrong. It’s not safe for you to be here in this house, especially if I’m not here so I’m going to send you away to boarding school okay?” He said almost as if he was asking for her permission.

She nodded slowly still looking at him.

“But I want you to know something, I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you and mommy.” There was a lump in his throat as he said this. “I won’t ever let anybody hurt you again okay?”

Reese’s eyes teared up as she nodded her head. He held up his arms and she willingly went to him. He hugged his daughter for the first time in a long time. They stayed like that for quite some time before he tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. “I love you.” He whispered quietly to her.

“Daddy.” She said, the word sounded a little foreign to her but she liked how she felt when she said it.

“Yes?” He turned to look at her.

“I’ll do well at school I promise.” She smiled at him which made him smile.

(Salvatore Manor)

“I don’t see what the big deal is anyway, she’s just a nobody and she is annoying.” Finn was standing in front of his grandmother and father.

“Your best friend’s sister is a nobody?” Caterina was shocked at the words that were coming out of her grandson’s mouth and even more upset that her son seemed like he didn’t want to be bothered about the situation.

“Kayden doesn’t like her.” Finn insisted that he didn’t see a problem with this afternoon’s incident as he shrugged his shoulders.

Silas Salvatore got up and walked towards his son. “Is that how you speak to my mother when I am not around.” Finn froze, his father could be very scary.

“Uhmm, I’m sorry grandma.” He turned to his grandmother.

“Being Ruthless doesn’t mean that you go bullying smaller and helpless people just because you can. That tells me that you have some sort of inferiority complex and you don’t have control over your own emotions.” Silas’ voice was stern and resonant as he spoke.

“Yes father.” Finn said quietly looking at his father.

“She’s right, you are a sore loser because she beat you fair and square, to add on to your lesson I think you should spend time in the cold basement and learn how to control your anger…your emotions because your enemies will use that against you. You don’t come out until I say you can come out.” He said coldly.

“Yes Father.” Finn looked down at his feet, he didn’t like the basement.

“Alfred, take him to the basement.” Silas ordered his butler who came out of nowhere and led Finn out of the study.

Caterina waited for them to leave then turned to her son.

“How long do you plan to raise that boy like he is some sort of robot that you just input instructions into? He is a boy who is still grieving the loss of his mother, you have not given him the chance to do that!”

“Mother he is not a boy he is almost a man! A man who is going to have to take over when I’m gone and it doesn’t do me good to baby him like you think I should!”

“I don’t know where I went wrong with you because I raised you with all the love that a mother could give!” She sighed.

“I had to grow up and run an empire, being soft and empathetic doesn’t get anyone anywhere. You wanted me to correct his behaviour and I did just that, he was wrong and now he knows.”

“What you mean is being soft and empathetic earned you love and now that she’s gone you think it was a waste! You need to grieve Mia’s death too son.” Caterina tried to get through to her son.

“Enough mother! She’s gone, what good does it do.” It was more of a statement than a question.

Silas walked towards the door of his study and held it opens to show his mother that he wanted to be left alone. She walked out quietly because she knew she would get nowhere with him.

It was two o’clock in the morning when Alfred was finally given the instruction to fetch Finn out of the basement. He led him to his room and instructed him to take a hot shower while he prepared his warm blankets.

As Finn showered he thought about the girl’s words, he had been a sore loser and he had let what his friends would think influence how he had acted. He couldn’t get angry at his father for punishing him. He had to learn to control his emotions or else he would never become a great leader like his father.

He had to become a better leader, he had to prove to his father that he could run the Salvatore empire one day and he would do just that.

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Hello my Lovelies, I hope that you are all well. I apologise for the late chapter, editing took a little more time than I anticipated. I hope you enjoy it. I am going to try and update three times a week instead of twice because I know that waiting so long for updates can be so frustrating! I have been at the receiving end too lol.

Don’t forget to tell me your thoughts about the chapter. I love hearing from you and don’t forget to heart/follow the story and follow me as a reader.

Thank you so much for the well wishes.

Oh yes, please let me know what you think of the name of the story, there are discussions about changing it to Mafia Love instead of Mob Love. Tell me your thoughts please.

Enjoy!