Page 2 of Innocent Bratva Hostage

After what felt like an eternity, I found it buried beneath a stack of books I always carried. My mom’s number flashed on my screen, and a smile spread across my face. “I’m sorry, it’s my mom. Just give me a second.”

Hazel nodded. “Sure.”

I answered the phone. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, baby.” Mom’s voice was high-pitched and tinged with excitement. “How are you doing today?”

I leaned back in my chair, pinning my gaze on nothing in particular and imagining Mom’s wide smile where she was. “I’m good. I’m out for lunch with Hazel.”

“How is Hazel? I loved it when you used to bring that girl home for dinner,” Mom said. “Is she okay?”

“She’s good, too. We were talking about how much I miss you and Dad.”

I could practically feel Mom’s smile drop over the phone.

“Honey,” she started, her tone dropping, “have you spoken to your dad lately?”

“Um….” Mom would be mad if I told her Dad was over at my place the previous night, but I couldn’t lie to her about it. She’d be even more upset if she found out I hid his visit. “Well…Mom, promise me you won’t be mad.”

She paused. “You know I can’t promise until I hear what you have to say.”

“Right.” My mother would never fall for that. Those tricks hadn’t worked when I was younger, and they weren’t going to work now. “Dad was at my place yesterday, but before you get angry at him, he only came because I asked him to.”

There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line. I knew Mom must be furious. I could imagine her breathing heavily, steam billowing from her ears.

“Mom, are you there?”

“Baby, you know why I told you to stay away from your father,” Mom finally answered. Her voice was low, almost a whisper. She was a lot calmer about the situation than I expected.

“I know.” I stirred my coffee to keep myself from getting too emotional. I knew my mother still loved my dad very much, but at some point, she had to make a choice between staying with the man she loved and keeping us safe. She chose the latter. “I just missed him.”

“Honey, I miss your father, too. I really do.” She sniffled, and I wondered if she was crying. She did that sometimes. I would find her in her room, sobbing, with a picture of my dad in her arms. Anyone would think he was dead. “But your father chose his job and those people over us. He refused to leave, even when he knew it was dangerous and we could get hurt.”

“Mom—”

“You have to promise me, Giselle,” she said, cutting me off. “Promise me you’ll keep your distance from him.”

My chest constricted, and my throat tightened. I loved my mother so much, but what she was asking for was impossible.

I didn’t care if my father was a thug or even the worst man to walk this planet. I loved him, and I wanted to be around him as much as I could. “I can’t make that promise, Mom.”

“Giselle—”

“I know what you’re scared of, but you should know Dad would never do anything to hurt me or put me in danger. He wouldn’t come if someone was following him or something.”

“You don’t get it. It’s not your father I’m worried about.” She inhaled, still sniffling. “It’s those people he works with. Theycan’t be trusted. I’m afraid they’ll come for you or him or me if he makes a single mistake.”

I didn’t care if they came for me. I didn’t give a shit if my life was hanging by a thread; I would still choose my father every single time. It was enough that I didn’t have him around most of my childhood, but I wasn’t going to turn him away now.

“Mom.” My voice cracked, and a part of my soul was bleeding because I knew she was right to feel that way, but I couldn’t make that promise to her. “Dad will be fine. I’ll be fine, too. You don’t have to worry. Just take care of yourself, okay?”

She was sobbing quietly, and it broke my heart to hear her whimpering over the phone. “I’m sorry for being too emotional. I love you, Gigi.”

“I love you, too, Mom. I’ll call you again when I’m home, okay?”

“Okay.”

She hung up.

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