Page 16 of Mafia Heir's Broken Vows

Alessandro's phone buzzes, and he checks his watch. "We leave in ten minutes," he says, his tone clipped.

Laura steps back, her shoulders tense as she watches us head for the door. "Be careful, Sera."

"I will," I say again, my voice quieter this time. Alessandro steps in, his presence heavy and commanding, as he leads us straight back into his world.

SERAFINA

The black iron gates groan as they open, revealing Alessandro's vast estate bathed in the mist that rolls in with the cold gray skies. The sprawling mansion is up ahead, its white walls stark against the leafless trees surrounding it. It's beautiful in a cold, untouchable way—much like the man who owns it. The long driveway is flanked by hedges cut with perfect lines. Every inch of this place screams power and control. Both of which are issues Alessandro has, he likes power and always has to be in control.

I grip Leo's small hand tighter as we approach the house. He clings to his stuffed lion, eyes wide as he takes in the towering house. His steps slow, hesitant as he looks up at the two-story mansion.

"Mommy, is this our vacation?" Leo's voice is small and uncertain. He's never been into a mansion, or seen one, we've also never taken an actual vacation. I tried to keep his life simple, real—and live under the radar of assholes who have houses like this one.

I kneel beside him, brushing a hand through his mop of dark curls. "Just for a little while, we're going to stay here. It's a big house, it'll be fun."

But even as I say it, a knot twists in my stomach. I swear I am going to hell for lying to my kid. Fun isn't the word I'd use to describe anything about Alessandro D'Angelo. Behind us, he watches quietly, his eyes are unreadable. His silence is unsettling, as is the way he observes Leo, making me itch to bolt and flee.

His phone rings and he's distracted. He strides ahead, speaking quietly, issuing commands I can't hear. His voice is calm—he is a man used to being obeyed. Guards emerge from the shadows of the estate, moving into place so they can see us. I hope they don't scare Leo; he is not used to giant men in black uniforms wielding guns. This place is a fortress, which gives me some comfort. It is not home, and I don't want to stay here longer than I have to.

Leo wiggles his fingers where I am squeezing too tight. I let go and force a fake smile, but my heart is not smiling at all.

Inside,the house is even colder. Marble floors stretch endlessly beneath vaulted ceilings, and dark portraits line the walls—eyes watching, judging. There is crystal, glass and so many priceless things a little boy could break. Nothing about this home is childproof, and I wonder how long it will be before Leo gets into something he shouldn't. Alessandro leads us through the halls in silence until we reach the guest wing. Every step feels like we're sinking deeper into a cage we can't escape.

"This is your room," he says, opening a large double door. "Leo can stay with you. There are two beds."

I cross my arms, refusing to move. "You think locking us away in the back of your mansion is going to make me feel safe?"This is a prison, albeit a pretty, comfortable, luxurious one—but a cage is a cage.

"You're here because it's the safest place you can be right now. Not because I care about your comfort. It's not like I have you holed up in a dump. Would you like to stay in the maids' quarters, maybe?"

I lift my chin, unwilling to let him see that he is getting to me.

"Safe?" I scoff. "Nothing about you or this place feels safe." I hiss in a whisper, not wanting to frighten Leo.

His smirk is humorless. "Would you prefer Marco pay you two a visit?"

I hate how the thought makes my stomach turn. I hate that he's right.

I hate him.

"Fine. But don't expect me to be happy about it. I don't want to be here, and if my son wrecks the place—that's on you. This is not exactly a playground." I look around the room, even in here there are a million potential hazards for a small child.

He leans in slightly, voice dropping. "I can replace anything he breaks. I can't replace you?—"

He leaves us alone, and I unpack our few things into the closet. They fill an entire wall of the room, but our meager belongings only take up one small shelf. I don't intend to stay here long enough to take up space. Leo zooms around, opening doors, and drawers and exploring the enormous bathroom which is almost as big as my apartment was.

He could swim in the bathtub it's so big. "You want to take a bath?" I ask him, and his face lights up.

"In there?" he asks.

"In there, it'll be like swimming in your paddling pool! There're even bubbles." I turn on the water and pour in the bath bubbles; they're way too expensive to be kids bubbles, but I don'tgive a shit. It'll make him happy and distract him from all the changes, and chaos around him.

"Yes!" he does a mini fist pump in the air and starts stripping off his clothes. "Put more, lots of bubbles please, Mom," I add more watching the lush white foam growing into a cloud on top of the water. "This house is so big; it's like ten houses stuck all together." He jabbers on, talking too fast for me to understand it all, so I just nod and smile.

He has no idea the world he's in right now—he is so innocent, so sweet and young. Untouched by the ugly shit that lurks in fancy homes like this. The shiny exterior only hides the ugly insides.

Later,I find Alessandro in his study, staring out a floor-to-ceiling window. The room is all dark wood and leather, every inch oozes manliness and power. Shelves lined with books stand untouched, more for show than comfort. I doubt he reads, they're here to make him look like he's well-read and important. A half-empty glass of whiskey sits on his desk. He still drinks too much—some things don't change, I guess.

"We need to talk about Leo," I say, arms crossed. I have anxiety just at the thought of him being here, it's gnawing at me. Alessandro couldn't possibly understand.

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