Chapter 15—Maria

Oh my God, tonight was going to be a repeat of last night.

I would be the last to complain about indulging on Dante, but I knew I had to break part of our contract tonight.

Sophia couldn’t look after Flynn for the whole night, because she was having problems with her boyfriend. She wanted to stay over at his place, and I didn’t trust Flynn with Vira.

After Dante left me this morning and she knew I was with him she’d changed up her tune. Not completely, but enough to not bitch at me because of the time I got home.

The time which was hours later than I said I’d be back.

Tonight I had to go after the bar closed. That was just after midnight. It was approaching that now and here Dante was trying to entice me for yet another round, after we’d been up here for the last four hours making last night look like nothing.

“Dante, I have to go.” I giggled trying to escape again. I grabbed my bra and managed to put it on, only to have him take it off.

So, I tried for my top which he grabbed.

“This is day two woman and you’re already in breach of contract when you don’t need to be,” he argued.

I was sitting on his lap, naked straddling him.

“Dante I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t have to.”

“Bull shit. You know we can both drive to Vira’s, get Flynn and ride on back to my place and live happily ever after.”

He said that just as simple as if he was talking about food. Dare I wish for a happily ever after with him.

I tried to slip off his lap again, but he caught me. “What the fuck was that look baby?”

I shook my head. I’d been listening this whole time to him talk and say all these amazing things to me. But that was all I could do, just listen. Listen and dream.

The truth was I had ruined it. This was what I could have had and it was nice to have it now, but it couldn’t be.

“Nothing.”

In all this I knew that I should have told him about Franco by now, but truthfully I was so embarrassed. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I had treated Dante terribly and it would be me telling him that I thought everyone was better for me to be with than him.

“That’s not a nothing face. There’s questions in your eyes.”

“Questions I shouldn’t ask.”

“It’s me, you can ask me anything, but just to let you know I’m serious about every word I say.”

“You’re sweet.”

He frowned. “Woman don’t let anybody hear you say that. I am no such thing, but if you think that it’s fine. I can maybe live with that, just as long as you don’t think Dante D’Angelo’s gone soft.”

I laughed.

“My lips are sealed.”

“Maria, let’s go get Flynn and drive back to my place and you don’t have to worry about Vira or Sophia or anyone.”

I reached up to touch his face. “Dante … I, you can’t just do that. I’ve just blown back into Chicago and you probably have a host of admirers who won’t like it very much that some woman and her kid is shacked up in your place.”

“My woman and my kid, and I may have admirers, but they went to the back of beyond the minute you walked back into my life.”

My God … either I was stupid or … something worse than stupid.

He wanted the both of us. Me and Flynn. I didn’t know any men who would just do that, or not look at me as damaged goods or something.

I guess I just needed some time. Some time to be able to talk to him about stuff and wrap my head around life in general.

“Dante, this could be crazy. There’s so much I …”

“There’s so much you need to tell me?” He filled in and quirked a brow. “Like why you came back to Chicago, and why you look like you’re in trouble. I’d really love to know too why you think you shouldn’t tell me if you’re in trouble. I can tell.”

My heart stilled and I tried to steady my breathing.

“Can you give me a few days? I just need some time.”

He sighed, took my hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.

“A few days, and if you still won’t talk I’m kidnapping you.”

I laughed. “If I go willingly is it kidnapping? That’s more like me just going with you.”

“Call it what the fuck ever you like, point is I’m taking you. Come on, I’ll drive you to Vira’s.”

“No, it’s just down the road. I’ll walk.”

“At this hour?”

“Dante please, I’m fine. I walk that road many times and I’ve been fine.”

He allowed me to slip off his lap now and watched me as I got ready.

“So, I have to wait a whole day to see you? I’ll be in town tomorrow for business.”

Business, that meant other work.

Luc used to say that too, like it was code.

I shrugged into my clothes and he did too.

“Is it dangerous business?” I knew I shouldn’t ask, but I felt I should know if it was something likely to get him hurt. I didn’t know how things worked these days, but to me danger could come at any time.

“No danger tomorrow.” He smiled and stared at me then reached for his guns he’d placed on the table beside us. I couldn’t help, but be a little uneasy.

I’d grown up around guns, and seen a total of three people being shot and killed. Two were Franco’s business partners, the other was the first person I’d ever seen to die that way, and it was a memory I wanted to forget.

He saw me looking at the guns and I tried to look away.

“Do they bother you?” he asked.

I shook my head, but when I looked at him I didn’t want to imagine that there could be any darkness in him. Not the kind I’d seen in Franco. He had been nice to me too, but then he changed.

“I just …”

“No mindless killing,” he said. “Those Berettas belonged to my father, prior to him they were my grandfather’s. The first time Pa showed me them he gave me the principle of no mindless killing. The Japanese characters engraved on the handles mean head and heart. It’s there to remind whoever carries them to think with both. No mindless killing. It’s the first rule of being part of the crew. We don’t do that. Kill or be killed and only to protect those you love and yourself. That’s all you need to know.”

It was everything and more. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Don’t be scared of me, I would never hurt you.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“Come back to me tomorrow night.”

“I will. I promise.”

He planted a kiss on my forehead and I finished getting ready.

Leaving was hard.

I managed to do it though with my legs shaking and my soul bustling with anticipation.

So many emotions swirled in my mind and I was torn between everything.

Mostly I just felt that maybe I should just accept the break life was handing me.

Maybe this was my second chance to fix my life and give Flynn a better one.

It sure beat the plans I had lined up for us next.

Running away from Franco, moving to God knows where and having to start all over again. It was no real way to live.

I walked back to Vira’s, my head spinning and body buzzing like I was on some kind of drug. It was chemistry and emotion overload.

I never saw the dark shadowy figure following me until I accidentally walked too far down the road.

I should have turned down the road before and realizing my mistake I quickly whirled around. It was then that I saw the person and my turning around threw them off.

I didn’t see their face, but knew it was a tall lanky man wearing a trench coat. He slipped into the alleyway of the street ahead before I could get a good look.

It happened so fast. Too fast.

So fast I could have questioned the occurrence on whether or not I really saw what I thought I saw. But I’d been around danger long enough to know when I was being followed and when I should take heed of a threat.

I practically ran to Vira’s house. I got inside, moved to the curtain and carefully pulled it back so I could look outside.

My heart leapt into my throat when I saw him standing by the park. He was looking around. He looked around and then walked away.

Jesus …

Who’d want to follow me?

Foolish question.

What if it was someone Franco sent?

God what if he’d sent someone here and they found me. That man, he could be from him.

What if he was?

Damn it … what if I was just acting crazy and paranoid because I was on the run?

I wanted to believe the paranoid part more, because I really didn’t want to run to anywhere else. Not now, not when I had this thing with Dante.

I knew there was so much I would have to tell him eventually just as I promised.

I didn’t want to run now. I didn’t have the strength.

Vira stomped out of the kitchen with her pink fluffy dressing gown tied in a big bow in front of her. She scowled when she saw me.

“What’s wrong with you?” she huffed.

“Nothing.” I shook my head.

“Better not be. I don’t want any trouble.” She frowned, turned on her heels and walked away.

Trouble …

I didn’t want trouble either.

***

I was hoping to move the little we had into the apartment at lunch time, but I didn’t want to spend any longer than I needed to here.

Sophia came back with her boyfriend early the next morning and I figured it was a chance to have someone to watch Flynn while I took the stuff to the apartment. She’d offered to take Flynn to the park and look after him.

I left straight away and got to the apartment just after nine to find the fucking place still had mice and rats.

Damn it, the only reason we delayed moving was because the landlady promised to take care of that. The place was filthy with rat shit everywhere.

It was so bad I had to start cleaning. There were some bottles of bleach, cleaning sponges and disinfectant in the kitchen cupboards so I used those. I couldn’t allow Flynn to come here and get sick. I got sick once when Vira had mice and it was horrible. I was sick for the whole week, vomiting and completely unable to keep any food down It was just after midday when I finished cleaning. I was putting back all the bleach bottles when I got a phone call.

First, I froze up when I saw the no caller ID come up, because this could be one of those incidents where it could be Franco.

What if it was?

I allowed the phone to ring out to voicemail. When a message pinged through, I answered that. I called the mailbox and waited with anxiety filling my soul with every second that passed until the person spoke.

“Hello this is Officer Damson from the Chicago State Police, we’ve just picked up your cousin and her boyfriend for possession and we have your son. Can you either call us back or come down to the station when you get this message?”

“Oh my God, no.” I gasped as my chest tightened.

Before the messaged finished I was already out the door. I couldn’t even remember if I locked it.

This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t.

The police had Flynn. What the fuck was Sophia doing? Possession.

Fucking shit that was worse than bad.

I hailed a taxi and got to the station.

I rushed right up to the reception desk and asked for Officer Damson. When she came out I saw her take one look at me and I knew I just landed myself in more shit.

“Hi officer Damson, I’m Maria Ferrara, you have my son. I was moving our things into our new home.” I was babbling. Just talking and not giving her the chance to speak.

“Miss Ferrara, I’m afraid I’ve had to call child services.” She told me in a matter of fact manner.

“What? No, why? My cousin was watching him.”

“When things like this happen, we have to look into where the child is staying and make sure their safety comes first. I’m very concerned at what I found. You’ve been living next to a brothel with a bunch of drug addicts. It makes me wonder what you, yourself are like.”

I was shaking my head. “No, I’m a good mother, please. I just want my baby.”

“You’re going to have to make arrangements with child services for that. Here is the number.” She handed me a business card and I could have died.

With my hands shaking uncontrollably I took it.

I took it not quite believing what it was. Not quite believing what was happening.

I’d just lost my son.

I’d just lost Flynn.

Feeling hopeless I did the only thing I could.

Run to Dante.