Page 44 of Luciano (Belles & Mobsters 1)

Chapter Fourteen

Grace

Icouldn’t believe I let Luciano ravish me in the hallway. I was so mad at myself.

After I went to grab a new pair of panties, I went in the direction of Matteo’s playroom. Being around him always grounded me. He was my reminder to get through this. It was all for him.

Opening the door softly in case he was napping, I was surprised to find Luciano’s father sitting on the couch, building a wooden train set with Matteo. They both had wide smiles on their faces, speaking Italian. Neither one of them heard me come in.

“What are my two favorite men doing?” I asked, startling them both. Matteo stood up and ran to me, hugging my legs. I lowered down onto my knee and wrapped my arms around him.

“We are building the biggest train tracks,” Luciano’s father announced. “Want to help us?”

“Sure, I’d love to.” I pressed a kiss on my son’s forehead. “What do you say, Matteo?”

He eagerly pulled me along, and I sat in between the two of them. Matteo immediately handed me parts, putting me to work.

“You are doing such a good job, Matteo,” Nonno commended him. Thankfully, he switched to English so I could understand their conversation too. “We’ll have to make sure we have the right piece for the mountain. Davvero?”Right?

“How was the playground today?” I questioned Nonno as we all worked on our trail pieces.

“It was good. Matteo said he never saw such a big playground. We shall have one installed on the grounds tomorrow.”

I smiled at him. I wanted to tell him there was no need since we wouldn’t be staying long, but I hated to kill the old man’s enthusiasm and happiness. So I kept quiet.

We all worked on building the train tracks, all the while my thoughts raced through my mind. This annulment better go through quickly. I would be stupid to think I could resist Luciano on a long-term basis. Yes, I hated him, but my mind and body seemed to be at war here, and I was worried my body was winning. It didn’t bode well for my self-respect.

I remembered a phrase my mother used to always tell me.It is a thin line between love and hate, Grace. Don’t ever mix up the two.

I wished she was still here, and I could ask her for advice. I missed her so much. Being back here, so close to my family that took so much from me, was a blessing and curse. Since Ella and I went on the run, I have pushed all the memories away. I made myself not remember my mom, dad, my uncle, nor my grandparents. And of course, Luciano. The sad part was that he wasn’t even the worst villain in my life.

My uncle and grandmother were the worst villains of them all.

Truth was, I was scared out of my damned mind. And it wasn’t because of Luciano. That man showed me firsthand that he wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet into my brain, and yet, I was scared of the alternative with my uncle even more. I thanked all the saints for having a boy.

“Gracy,” Nonno’s hand was on mine, pulling me back to the scene at hand. “Are you okay?”

I forced a smile on. “Yes, of course.”

Matteo crawled into my lap and placed his hands on my cheeks. “Are you crying?” Nonno asked me at the same time.

My fingers reached for my face and realized it was wet. “I think my eyes hurt. Probably jetlag.”

Nonno didn’t believe me, but he let it go. I turned my lips into Matteo’s chubby hands and kissed his palms. “I’m okay, baby.”

My son’s hazel eyes watched me, reminding me so much of his father. I kissed his forehead tenderly. Truthfully, all the heartache Luciano brought onto me was worth it. Because I had my son. He was my life.

Just like I was my parent’s life. They protected me with all they had. And my uncle destroyed it all. Maybe it was time I made my uncle and grandmother pay. When Luciano pretty much seduced me and then kidnapped me all those years ago, I was an inexperienced, naive, and a scared young girl. He scooped me up and, unknowingly, became my savior. Until that very moment, I had nobody to save me from the horrible fate. Gabriella and I were powerless against the agreement our ancestors made.

I wasn’t so naive and inexperienced anymore, but I was still scared.Fear is healthy, I heard.

We played for an hour, before I finally stood up. “Okay, Matteo. We’ll eat dinner, take a bath, and then bedtime.”

Matteo started pouting, but he was tired. I knew it wouldn’t take long before he reached an over-exhausted point. And Ella and I had some business to take care of tonight.

“Nonno,” my voice was hesitant. “I need to take care of something tonight. Will you keep an eye on Matteo please?”

His clear eyes watched me, and there was no way that he didn’t pick up on something. He was too smart not to see there was something going on.

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