chapter 19- h i d i n g



I flip the page to the other side to see if there is anymore writing but it only just shows the one I read right now. My mother kinda did sound like a badass, but I wasn't over the moon about killing my own father, even if he didn't really know who I was.

"I can't believe this..." I mutter while putting the note on the table, rubbing my head in frustration while Mateo seems to be deep in thought, but still rubbing my back which is definitely helping with the cramps.

"We need to tell Gio about this, he has to send some men to protect the house, it's not safe right now," Mateo comments, and I turn around to face him while his hands adjust at my sides, bringing his head up so he can meet my gaze.

"I know...but we can't stay hiding forever, we have to do something about Igor, you read it yourself and I personally don't want more people getting their futures taken because I'm busy running away," I lean into Mateo while he moves his hand, stroking my hair softly.

"I wouldn't think you were running away."

"Then what would you think of it as?" I look up to him and he has those same emotions in his eyes, and he's smiling down at me as if I'm the only thing in the world. The only thing in his world.

"Protecting yourself. You're quite strong Maliyah, the most beautiful, strongest girl I've ever met. It's kinda crazy because I've met a lot of girls," I hit him in the stomach playfully and he lets out a laugh. "Relax, none of them compare to you. Trust me," He leans in, and pushes a strand behind my ear, and allows his hand to linger there.

"I like this," I say as Mateo gets closer, noses almost touching.

"Like what?" He says softly as his breath moves along my face, slowly teasing my lips.

"I like where we're at now, it's...different, much different than when we first met," He laughs, bringing his gaze back to mine, "It's just...perfect."

"It could always be perfect, it should always be perfect, it is always perfect with you." I laugh as he leans in again, his lips making contact with mine. It was slow and rhythmic, not as rough as it is when we have sex but it's more...passionate like he's trying to show me something, the same thing that's clear in his eyes but yet now I can feel it, I just can't understand it.

Just as Mateo was about to go in deeper, a noise came from the hallway, and we both pulled back quickly, looking confused but I jumped down from the chair and got two guns from the cabinet below. I threw one over to Mateo and we walked down carefully trying to see any intruders.

Sienna and Diego come out of their room. I shush them with my finger and they nod, immediately taking light of the situation. I walk closer to where the noise had come from and the laughs immediately switch on with nothing but a piece of paper wrapped around a broken window sitting on the floor.

"So my beauty sleep got disturbed because of a piece of rock that wanted to play dress-up? This is ridiculous, babe come back to bed," Diego turned around to go to his bedroom but Sienna dragged him back giving him a stern look.

I bent down to pick the rock and I unwrapped it, reading out aloud the writing from it.

It's so nice to finally know that my daughter now knows who I am, but I'm not here to play the loving father act, give me my fucking money or you will lose everyone you care about, as well finding yourself drowning in your own blood. I give you a week.

Love, I.

"Well he sounds nice," Diego comments and everyone gives him a blank stare, "What? I think it's nice to appreciate people sometimes, jeez." He rolls his eyes and Sienna looks back at me and the paper in my hand.

"So what now?" She asks and I look to Mateo who nods.

"We're going to call Gio first, I have some more things from the file I got earlier today, and by the looks of it, they're pretty much usable. Then from there, we'll know how to go."

"Alright, time for another meeting then," We nodded and Sienna ran upstairs towards Luca and Sebastian's room while I, Mateo, and Diego pound on Val's door before dragging her out of the room and to the office.

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"Have I told you how much I really hate you right now Maliyah?" Val yawns while I sit on the chair next to her waiting for Gio to appear on the television.

"I second that, interrupted my fourth round of sex, I was so close to--"

"I'm scarred enough as it is! I do not need a reminder of what my poor eyes had to see," Sienna interrupts Luca, and Sebastian's face turns a bright red.

The sound of the line connecting fills the room and the chatter dies down with the lights dimming a bit so we can see Gio properly and by the looks of it he also looks like he's been disrupted from a good night's sleep.

"This better be good, I was having quite a good sleep." Gio yawns and lazily stares into the camera looking at us.

"I second that," Val snorts and I hit her arm lightly causing her to let out a groan.

"We have a lot of things to fill you on, and we're very much closer to the culprit than we think," Sienna comments and she looks at me waiting for me to give her the go-ahead to explain everything to Gio.

"Why didn't any of you tell me Lorenzo was part of this?" Gio is now wide awake and he seems very much alert from when we first called him.

"We weren't--"

"I wasn't sure," I interrupted Val, "I saw him take off the rope but I wasn't sure if it was him, it's not their fault." I almost never take the blame for anyone, if you make a mistake, you own up to it. But they're like family now and I can't exactly imagine wanting them to get called out because of something I should've pushed further so they could see.

"Do you have any clue where Lorenzo could be now?" Gio asks and we all look around the table looking for someone to speak up.

"Not at all, after the explosion he just disappeared, it wouldn't make sense for him to come back anyway," Mateo explains and Gio nods, obviously going into deep thought.

"He's given us a week Gio, and Igor doesn't seem like the type of person to just wait around, he'll probably be here before Mal's birthday so we need a plan. Right now." Diego comments and I internally laugh at the smartness that is pouring out of him right now.

"Alright then, here's what we'll do. Tomorrow, I'll send over some men to protect the house and you are all not permitted to leave unless there happens to be an attack and it is necessary to leave, none of you are safe as it is," We all nod and he continues, "Three days before Mal's birthday you all have to be on guard, hold your guns when you walk to the kitchen or the bathroom when you sleep to make sure to strap it to yourself. Lock your windows and doors and make sure you're sleeping in someone else's room, especially you Halton," I nod at him.

"But what if I accidentally shoot myself while I'm sleeping?" Diego comments and the surprise of him saying something smart is just thrown over the road.

"Then I'll make sure no one laughs at your funeral," Gio retorts, and every burst out laughing while he lowers himself in his seat and sulks. "But I'm serious, no one leaves to go out of the house and no one enters. When you sleep at night, you stay in your rooms, nothing less nothing more."

"So is that it? We just wait?" Gio nods.

"When it's time for us to fight, we will fight, mostly to protect Halton, but also our Mafia." Everyone agrees and Gio says his goodbyes while everyone else leaves the room and I sit by myself trying to wrap my head around everything.

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- y'all I'm so sorry I haven't been updating frequently but here!!!

-poor melly ;)

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-ta ta for now

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