{ Tori's POV }

I park my car and walk up to the private jet where a handsome man is standing near by.

He offers to help me with my bags and I accept his offer. He takes all my suitcases for me and leads me onto the private jet. Everything is starting to sink in....and now I know somewhat about how my mother felt.

I look around and see a beautiful woman who looked to be around my mothers age, possibly a little older. She has dark wavy hair, hazel eyes, and she's about my skin tone. She is sitting in a chair that has a table in front of it and another chair on the other side. She sees me and her eyes widen a little. She composes herself then smiles and gestures to the chair across from her.

I go and sit down. I am thankful for the table keeping us at a distance because I personally don't want to be close to someone I don't know. It's already strange enough as is. I place my carry on bag in the floor near my feet, and try to relax as best as possible.

"Would you like something to drink?" She asks

"Do you have a coke?" I ask her

She smiled and says "Of course. It's my favorite. Marco would you mind getting us two colas."

The man who helped me with my bags just nodded and went where a door was and a few awkward silent minutes later he came out with three cokes. I would assume the third coke is for himself, so he must not be a butler of some kind. That's only my guess though.

"As you know I'm Elena Moretti, and over there is Marco Ricci. I wanted us to have a private conversation but I'm not allowed to go to the store by myself much less travel to New York. For the obvious reason of you being who you are I didn't want my husband to come much less a whole group of mafia men to scare you away. Marco was the compromise. He's the underboss now, but despite being more powerful than I am in the mafia world is in the dark about who you are and why we are really here. I'll leave it up to you on what you want to be told. It is your life after all.." Elena says with honesty

"So no one knows why you really came to New York?" I question wanting to know how she managed to pull that off in the mafia.

"They think I had a meeting with a fashion designer. I told them it would be a quick meeting about an upcoming event. I am known for traveling when it comes to shopping so there wasn't many questions asked. No one even knows you exist outside of me. I kept my promise to your mother.. and I will continue too if that is your wish." She tells me

"Thank you for that and for meeting with me. I appreciate everything you did to help my mother." I say wanting to be polite but I did actually mean it

"Of course. Now I have to ask how much do you actually know?" Elena asks

"Everything my mother knew." I answer

"And yet you still decided to call?" Elena questions more to herself than to me but I answer anyway.

"There wasn't much for me in New York, since she passed. I also knew I would regret it later if I didn't at least meet and talk with you." I reply

"Aren't you scared?" She questions raising an eyebrow at me while she observes me like I'm on trail and she's trying to spot me lying.

"No." I simply answer but it was honest

"You should be." She says almost like a warning

"I know." I reply

"Forgive me but I can't help but notice you don't seem to have your mothers personality. Am I wrong?" Elena asks seeming curious

"I have her curiosity but that's about it." I say

"Didn't curiosity kill a cat?" Elena asks with a smile

"Yeah that's what I've heard but I really hate cats so I don't really mind." I respond with a slight smirk.. which makes Elena lightly laugh.

"That's a fair point." Elena replies

"Will you tell me about yourself?" I ask her because I know I'll soon be asked a ton of personally questions and I would personally like to learn about everyone else as much as possible.

"Well I am Italian but I grew up in California that's why I don't have as strong of an accent. I fell in love with my husband Francesco at the age of sixteen. He ended up being the underboss at the time, and I soon ended up as the underbosses wife. Now my husband is an advisor so to speak to the Italian Mafia, and we're both the parents of the current Don ; our only son Luca, who is now twenty nine." Elena tells me

I give her a nod letting it all soak in.

"Lena, who is she? It's against the rules to tell outsides any information about us and who we are." Marco speaks disapprovingly with a warning tone

"Marco with all respect. I am not sworn in and if I am going to die or be locked up when we arrive back in Italy it won't be because I shared information about who the Don and underboss are. It won't be because I lied about why I came to New York. It'll be because I once helped a scared and helpless woman run away and hide the very existence of this young woman sitting in front of me. This young woman is far more important than any rule I've just broken."

I look at Marco who is now standing beside Elena starring at me. I take a sip of my drink and decide to speak up before this gets heated or to a level of which it doesn't need to go.

"I'm Tori Miller." I say

"come fa a sapere così tanto?" Marco asks in Italian I guess assuming I didn't know it. Luckily for my mom sending me to classes, which now I understand the reasoning behind.

"I know so much because my full name is Victoria Nicole Miller Ferrari." I answer him

Marco and Elena look at me in surprise.. but Elena seems more impressed than Marco because he just seems confused. I am assuming he doesn't get confused much considering he is the underboss because right now he looks pretty thrown off. I'm almost amused by the facial expression he's making. It's a little comical.

"You know Italian.." Elena says more like a statement than a question but I nod my head yes regardless and answer with "Yeah, my mother sent me to classes when I was younger. I never understood why she wanted me to learn Italian until now, I guess she figured it would come in handy. I'm assuming she know I would meet you one day or get involved somehow and she wanted me to be able to understand all the things she couldn't."

"She never told you about your father.." Elena says as if she's just figured it out

"No. When I was younger she tried to avoid it. I tended to leave the topic alone for the most part after seeing her get worked up after I asked. I was always curious but I didn't want to push too hard. Now I kind of understand where she was coming from considering everything, and looking back she prepared me for this day in many ways.. I just didn't see it until now. In her letter she explained that she had planned to tell me everything once she was sure I could take care of myself.. but then she got sick. I think she wanted what time she had left to be just us making good memories. I don't think I can honestly blame her for that. I had a moment of anger when I was reading everything but now I understand why she did what she did. The world itself is dangerous enough..much less the added danger of your world. If she didn't want it for herself then I know she would've never wanted it for me. She protected me at all costs. That's what good mothers do. They just do the best that they can." I say voicing my thoughts



"It is dangerous and you're right. What I don't understand is how you aren't scared?" Elena asks

"I know I probably should be but I'm not." I reply

Marco just analyzes me more (like he has been the whole time). "You don't look like him .." He finally says

"I wouldn't know being I've never seen him.. but I do know that I look almost exactly like my mother only a little tanner, and with my fathers hair color. Assuming he hasn't gone gray since my mother last saw him." I tell Marco and he nods in understanding

"Listen Marco, I know there are rules and codes but I'd like to leave with the two of you now and go to Italy. I'd like to meet my biological father.. but I don't want to get to Italy and walk in to a whole new life without something more to start off on. I only know what my mother knew. Which wasn't a whole lot I'm assuming. If I don't know what the rules are.. how can I know if I am breaking them or not?" I explain where I am at and question him

"You deserve to know. Although I don't think we have to worry about anyone laying a hand on you. They'll show you grace if you happen to break rules, they aren't monsters. After all you already know the main secret, and you are blood to the origin line of the Italian Mafia. Almost making you a princess in our world, I think it's safe to prep you some more.. however with Marco being the underboss he gets to decide." Elena says

"A secret mafia princess." Marco mumbles

I laugh and shake my head. "I'm definitely not a princess." I respond

"Just wait. You'll see princess." Marco says then he turns to Elena and says "You can update her. I'll tell the pilot he can take us back to Italy now. She can know a little more about what she's walking into. After all I don't want her to freak out and run away after we get there. I'll take responsibility for it later, if I need to."



Marco walks away to go tell the pilot to get ready and fly back to Italy.



Elena starts updating me "My husband Francesco, your uncle Riccardo who is your aunt Angelina's husband, and your father Valente are now all advisors. Or at least that's their job in the Italian Mafia now.. but they still get their hands dirty from time to time. The old men just won't retire.. but that's how it normally is in the mafia world. The men keep active until they die of natural causes or they are killed. At least that's most cases. It's sad but true. I think it's because to them your mafia is a family and it's beaten into them to never turn their back on it."

I find that interesting. I even can admire their commitment and loyalty.



"Valente didn't have any heirs to pass down the role of being Don to.. well outside of you who he didn't know existed. Not to mention you are a woman, and sometimes that tends to be a problem in the mafia world. It's rare if a woman is sworn in much less the boss so I don't even know if it would have been considered if he knew of your existence. Your aunt Angelina wasn't able to have kids, so any blood relation was out of the question. Valente passed it to Luca, my son, who he has always treated like his nephew despite being of no blood relation. Marco is the underboss now, he took my husbands place...and he has been in mafia family since he was a kid. There are two other main people in the house you should probably know and that is Lorenzo Conti and Diego De Luca. They've also been in it since they were kids, they all grew up with Luca.. and they play big roles in the mafia." Elena continues to explain

She takes a pause before continuing on "Francesco, Riccardo, and your father can seem cold hearted and in some ways they are but they are older generation mafia men who were taught by their own fathers, who were taught by their fathers. It's all they've ever known...but they will protect their family with their lives which will include you."

She then starts explaining the main mafia men now "My son Luca, is the Don as I've mentioned and he also might seem cold hearted but he's a good leader.. and it might take sometime before he trusts you but he's hard on everyone. Marco who you have already met is probably the politest out of all of them but he also has a colder side because all mafia men do, well at least the ones who stay alive the longest. They have to be cold in order to survive. Lorenzo is the funniest one out of the family, his humor is something that keeps us going in some pretty dark moments. Lastly Diego, he doesn't hardly ever talk to anyone.. He's just always been that way but he's the best in hand to hand combat that there is."

"Okay....anything else I should know?" I ask

"I'm going to tell you like I told your mother this life isn't for the faint of heart. If you can't take it...." Elena starts but Marco cuts her off

"If you can't take it and it becomes too much for you, then I'll help get you out." Marco walks in and tells me with nothing but pure honesty

Elena looks at him surprised and he just says "They shouldn't expect her to stay there forever. If she doesn't want to stay, then I'll help her leave. She's still an innocent.. but once she crosses that line there's no going back and it'll be on her."

"You know what Valente will do to you if you help her escape.." Elena warns like she's trying to send a code to him like I can't understand what she is saying. It isn't rocket science. It is the bloody mafia that we're talking about for gods sake.

"I know the risk but he can't force her.." Marco replies to Elena

"Let's all hold on for a second.. I appreciate what both of you are saying but neither of you are dying to get me out of something I'm willingly walking myself into. If I can get myself into it then I will manage to find a way out of it if I need too." I tell them

Marco and Elena both look at me seemingly proudly and nod.

"Then you need to know everything. There are four top Mafias right now, that is going off of who has the most money, guns, members, etc. We the Italians happen to be at the very top of the list. Then the Russian Mafia, the British Mafia, and the Mexican Mafia all in that order. The Russians are most known for sex trafficking, none of the other mafia's including ours are known for that as of now but it's always changing. The Mexicans are most known for drugs, and now just because of the cartel, their mafia makes and produces experiment drugs and everything you know and don't know about. The British are most known for weapons, they make extreme spy ware and unique combat weapons." Marco explains

"And the Italians?" I ask curiously with very little caution.

"We are known for being the most violent, being the most passionate, and having the most money. We do more legal business. Now I'm not going to lie to you, we still sell drugs and weapons here and there but we never sex traffic and we haven't since your grandfather was the Don. The only reason we are at the top is because of your father and Luca and their leading. No one wants to mess with us because they know once they do they're dead. We kill and torture and in those moments we seem heartless but we are doing it for the family. Our family. Which will soon be your family." Marco tells me

"Thanks for not sugarcoating it." I tell him which makes him respond with a nod.

"There are more people in our mafia but the ones I named are just the ones who live full time in the main house, which is where you will be staying when we arrive. Now as I've mention I haven't told anyone about you and we won't until we get back to the house then me and you will have a lot of explaining to do..to some very angry mafia men. I'm going to go to bed and you two should probably try and get some rest also. We are going to have a long day tomorrow." Elena says

"See you when we land." Marco tells her

"Get a good nights rest." I tell her

"You too." Elena replies back to me with a smile and then she heads to a sliding door off to the side that I am assuming hides a bedroom behind it. After Elena is out of sight I turn back to face Marco.

"This jet has a private bedroom seriously?! That's ridiculously convenient.. but sill a little ridiculous nonetheless." I say

Marco smiles and looks like he's going to laugh but instead all he says is "Enzo, is going to love you."

"Who?" I ask

"Lorenzo. Luca, Diego, and myself call him Enzo." Marco says

I nod and then I get up and walk over to the sofa and lay down.

"Any other nicknames I should know about?" I ask Marco



Marco looks at me for a second clearly in deep thought but he anwsers.

"Well we gave nicknames to everyone when we were younger. Elena is Lena, Francesco is Cisco, Valente is V, Angelina is Angel, and Riccardo is Ric."

"Good to know." I reply

"What do prefer to go by? Victoria or Tori?" Marco asks

"Mostly Tori, not many people even know my real name is Victoria." I answer

"I'm sure Enzo will give you plenty of nicknames." Marco says

"Oh I'd hate to have to give him some in exchange." I say jokingly

"For what it's worth I think you are going to fit in just fine." Marco tells me

"I don't know it could be a total train wreck." I say with a slight shrug

"Enzo calls it entertainment." Marco says as he sips his drink

"What a weird psycho." I mumble but Marco still hears it and let's us a deep laugh

"Don't worry all will end up how it's suppose to." Marco tells me with his Italian accent coming out more.

"I'm not worried. I'm actually pretty relaxed.." I reply

Marco doesn't seem convinced.

"Listen I rarely freak out and when I do you'll know. " I say with honesty

Marco just raises an eyebrow. He's more than likely wondering what that means but I hope he never finds out. I hope none of them do.

"We should really get some rest before we land." Marco says changing the topic

"You don't even look comfortable much less like you could rest." I tell him almost wanting to laugh as I realize how small that chair looks compared to him

"Don't worry about me I've gone days without sleeping. Just get some rest. I'll wake you up when we land." Marco says

"I won't be able to get any kind of rest when I know you look like you are being tortured by an innocent chair. This sofa is big enough just get on the other end." I tell him

And he just raises an eyebrow at me.

"Don't even think I'm making a move on you. Get it out of your head right now. That isn't who I am." I say

"Ok. Ok." Marco says raising his hands up as he stand up as in to mock surrender but he's smiling like he finds me completely amusing.

He lays down at the other end of my feet and soon enough I'm asleep dreaming of picking flowers in a beautiful garden with my mother.



A little peace before I walk myself into chaos.