Page 49 of Mafia Don's Secret Twins

But I’m their fucking dad.

And I’m going to get Marisol back. I belong one place in this world.

With her.

So I need to fucking make it happen.

9

MARISOL

“Marisol.My love. What the hell have you done?”

Behind closed doors with my mother, I finally let myself fall apart.

The question is harsh, but as soon as the tears start to flow out of my face, my mom makes a soothing sound. She comes over to pat me on the back, and I fall into her embrace. “It’s okay,” she murmurs in Spanish. “It’s okay, my love. Tell me everything.”

I pull back. I reply in Spanish, the language she taught me as a kid. It fits between us… our special, secret code. Spanish and Portuguese are similar enough, and I’m fluent in both, as well as English, but it still feels like some kind of secret code when my mom and I use it to talk to each other.

It feels safe.

“The girls are safe. They’re in the states, at their father’s home.”

Her eyebrows skyrocket, and she swears softly. “Does he know?”

“He does now. But Gia… she’s…” I stop.

She’s not my sister-in-law. Saying that is just plain silly, even if it’s wishful thinking. Gia would be an excellent sister-in-law.

“She’s the friend who helped me escape the first time,” I add lamely. “And she’s married to his brother.”

My mom doesn’t need to know more. We’ve kept it this way, so that she doesn’t have too many questions, and she can maintain some kind of plausible deniability when it comes to things about the girls.

We try, as hard as we can, to make sure that the girls are safe. Protected.

And that my dad can’t find them as easily as he can us.

“They’re safe,” I finish, despite the fact that my mom’s eyebrows are pinching together with skepticism.

“And you trust these people because…”

“There were a whole crowd of babies and kids there, Mamá,” I clarify quietly. “They’re not going to let anyone in that they don’t want to.”

“And the security?”

“So tight, you couldn’t slip a credit card under it.”

She huffs. “And yet your father’s hound was able to find you just fine.”

“I volunteered. I told the girls that when you were able, you’d send for them. Then I walked out onto the road and he was waiting for me.”

She nods. “And their father?”

I look away.

My mom sighs, pulling me close. “Oh, my sweet girl. Tell me what happened.”

“I just… I thought it wouldn’t matter, really. That seeing him wouldn’t be a problem because it was just so long ago, you know?”

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