Page 67 of Gangster's Empire: Leeza & Havel

He knew exactly who she would be too. He’d seen her pass Zmatek on her way to work at a bookstore two blocks from where Leeza now lived. She was almost perfect. Tall and beautiful like Leeza, with long dark hair. She was plumper than Leeza, but he would take care of that. He would mould her into the perfect woman. She would become his new playmate until he could get his wife back.

She was riskier than the others. Not a prostitute, but he was tired of playing with street women. They were already defeated before he got to them. He wanted someone fresh, someone who would scream in terror, threaten and beg before he showed her the true meaning of suffering.

Because suffering was perfection. That’s what his mother taught him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“C’mon, we’re going out.”

Leeza looked at Havel in surprise from where she was folding laundry on the couch while watching an episode of The Kardashians. She enjoyed watching other people’s life drama unfold on screen. It made her feel slightly better about her own shitshow.

“Where are we going?” She folded a pair of Kris’s corduroy pants into the basket. He was going through a phase of only wanting certain fabrics to touch his skin. He despised denim and loved corduroy and soft cottons.

“Babi’s.”

Leeza smiled. “Sure, I’d like to see her.”

“Let’s take Kris. Make it a family visit.”

Leeza's smile grew bigger. She liked the sound of that and knew her son would too. Babi had a jar full of jellybeans that she kept on hand specifically for Kris.

The trip to Babi’s was short but dramatic given the sheer amount of bodyguards that accompanied Havel and Leeza. “I’m safer than the president of the United States,” she grumbled as Havel refused to let her leave the vehicle until his security team swept the house inside and out for threats. “Do you think Babi might have an Uzi under her bed?”

Havel chuckled, taking Leeza’s hand and helping her from the SUV. “She’s pretty fucking fierce when it comes to her family. I wouldn’t be surprised.” He waited as Leeza turned to unbuckle Kris from his seat.

“Language,” she reminded him with a smile. “You’re going to be a stepfather. It’s time to clean up those words.”

Havel gazed down at Kris, his softening expression turning Leeza’s heart to mush. Adam had never looked at his son with tenderness, but Havel had no problem showing his tender side with Kris.

Anne met them at the door, her gaze lingering on Havel as they approached. She tilted her jaw to dutifully accept a kiss on the cheek from her cousin. Her eyes stayed on him as she moved to Leeza, exchanging cheek kisses.

Havel frowned at his cousin’s behaviour as he slid his arm around Leeza’s waist and tugged her closer.

They entered the house and Havel gave his grandmother a big hug. “How are you, Babi?”

Anne cleared her throat, drawing his attention. “Her blood pressure has been high, and she’s been given these new pills she must take daily, along with her vitamins. Would you like to see where she keeps them?” Anne's hawk-eyed stare made Leeza shift uncomfortably.

“I brought Leeza here to see Babi,” Havel told his cousin.

Leeza felt better as Havel anchored her to his side. She trusted him completely. The man hadn’t had sex in years because he only wanted her, but she didn’t like the way Anne watched him.

It went beyond a harmless crush. Anne’s long glances held hints of obsession.

Babi took Leeza’s hand in hers. “I have something to show you.” She reached for her walker, leaning heavily against it as she made her way into the hallway. “It’s in my bedroom.”

“I’ll be right back, baby,” Leeza said to Kris, leaving him in the living room with Havel.

“I asked my grandson to bring you here so I could show you.”

Curiosity led Leeza down the hall as Babi pushed the door to her bedroom open. Laid out on her small bed was a gorgeous cream lace wedding gown.

Leeza felt a rush of emotions go through her; surprise at the gesture, pleasure at what it meant, and an aching sadness that she wasn’t doing this with her own mother. Babi made her way to the bed and stooped to reach for a lacy sleeve, lifting it and holding it out to Leeza.

Leeza took it and sat on the edge of the bed, too overwhelmed to say anything.

“Your mother can’t be here, child, and I cannot replace her.” Babi sank onto the bed beside Leeza, lifting the gown to flow over their laps.

“My mother…” Leeza drifted off. Her mother was terrible and deserved what she got, but still, Leeza struggled to imagine having a wedding without her.

---