Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Gianluca
It’s been seven months since we lost Faith and I’m still learning how to be a papà.
Luckily, I have the best support system.
Each and every one of my family members have stepped up to help me.
Trying to explain to a two and a half year old why his mama isn’t around anymore is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
Some days he won’t talk to any of us, and some days he just screams for her.
But then there are the days that he just wants to sit with me and read the book that Faith was reading to him the last day he saw her.
We recovered the suitcases, duffle bag and purse that Faith had with her.
And I plan to keep as much as I can for Gianluca.
I don’t know how much he’ll remember as he grows up.
But I’m determined to make sure he never forgets her.
We also got the DNA test back, and of course he’s mine.
So I’ve put in the paperwork to get my name put on his birth certificate.
Mirabelle Marini is a social worker and she’s been helping me, along with my cugino, Lorenzo, who’s a lawyer.
It’s a good thing that Yakov isn’t on any of his legal papers.
It’s made this process that much easier.
I’m also waiting for the day he figures out that Giancarlo’s with me.
Faith said she never told him. But if he digs into her past, he’ll figure out that we were together right before they met.
And he might come looking for answers. But we’ll be ready for him.
We also found out that he is part of the Koslov Bratva. We’ve been dealing with them for the last couple of years. They’re a pain in the ass and they just seem to keep popping up. Every time we think we’re done with them, another comes around.
Giancarlo spends a lot of time with Giovanna and her kids.
She has two boys of her own, Rowan is three and Lorcán is nine months old.
Sebastiano has two babies as well, Sansone is two and Kaia is six months.
So there are lots of cousins for him to play with.
I think that’s helped Giancarlo settle in a lot easier.
Or at least I hope it has. At least he laughs a lot more now.
And he calls me ‘papà.’ I never thought that hearing that word would make me so happy.
But it does. Every time I come home from a game, he’s right there saying, ‘hi Papà, I missed you.’
Today is the first time he’s going to see me play live. My family makes sure he watches me on TV, but I wasn’t ready for him to be at the ballpark. It’s going to be a lot for him when people realize he’s my son.
“Are you excited to see Papà play?” I ask him as I get my things together.
“Yes! I wuv baseball. Can we pway togedder?” He giggles as he holds the ball I gave him.
“Yes, we can. How about we all play on my next day off? We can play with your cousins.”
“Yay!”
I gather the rest of my stuff and we head downstairs.
“So I’ll let security know you’re all going to be there. I’ll be able to come say hi before warmups,” I say to my mamà as I kiss her cheek.
We laugh as we watch Giancarlo run around yelling about baseball.
“I think he’s getting better. We talk about Faith every day.”
“I wish I could explain to him why she’s gone.”
“I know, mijo. But you’re a good papá and that’s what matters now.”
“I feel like I’m drowning sometimes, Mamá.”
“You’ll find your way, and when you do, things will be better. Right now it’s still new, give yourself time.”
“It’s been seven months, Mamá. Shouldn’t I be better at this by now?”
“Again, no. Being a parent isn’t easy. Most of us have time to at least try to prepare, you didn’t. You just do your best, and we’ll all be here to pick you up when you need it.”
“Gracias, Mamá. Te amo.”
“Te amo.” She smiles as she hugs me.
“Okay, I gotta go. I’ll see you all when you get to the field.”
“Drive safe.”
I go over to Giancarlo and pick him up.
“Listen to Abuela and Nonno. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Otay, Papà,” he says as he hugs me.
I kiss his face as he giggles. I love his little face.
Gabriela
Our family is in a war with the Koslov Bratva out of Russia. I don’t understand why they’re here trying to claim territory in Spain. Why can’t they just stay in Russia? We have our own problems here without them.
The longer I argue with my papá, the angrier I get.
Just because I’m the youngest in the family, it doesn’t mean I can’t fight alongside everyone else.
Especially my dumbass brothers. I have five older brothers and they all treat me like I’m still a baby.
I know I’ll never be the head of our family, that’s going to be álvaro’s position because he’s the oldest. In fact, because I’m the youngest, I’d never take over. Even if I was a boy.
“Why are you sending me away?” I frown at my papá.
“Because you’re my baby, my only daughter, and I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t lose me, Papá. I can fight just like all of my hermanos.”
“I know you can, mija. But I don’t want you to.”
I continue to grumble for as long as my papá will listen. Which isn’t very long. He’s finally walked away as I’m grumbling. Rude. Then he turns back around.
“You leave tonight, so if you want to take anything with you, you should pack now. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing.”
“Wait, you said I’d leave next week.”
“That was before we got another threat in. I need you safe, mija. Please.”
“But why only me? What about Mamá? Why does she get to stay?”
My papá sighs at me. “Because they’re threatening your life. No one else’s.”
“I don’t understand. Why me?”
“I don’t know, Gabriela. This is why I’m sending you to Lake Renegade. Rosaura Guerrero’s family is a close ally to ours. And I trust her and her husband’s family. They will keep you safe for us.”
“Please, Papá. Don’t send me away. I promise I’ll do anything you say, I’ll stay inside. You can homeschool me. Just don’t send me away.”
I’m so afraid that I’ll lose my family if they send me to Lake Renegade.
“What if one of you gets hurt and I’m not here?” I start sobbing.
My papá holds me tight.
“Mija, te amo. You won’t lose any of us. But you have to let me keep you safe. As soon as it’s over, you’ll come home. I promise.”
I want to keep fighting my papá, but I know it’s not going to do any good. I also know that he wouldn’t send me away if he wasn’t scared for my safety. But I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose any of them. I love my family so much. I go up to my room and start packing. My mamá comes in and hugs me.
“We love you so much. You need to be safe and smart while you’re in Lake Renegade.”
“What about you, Mamá? What if something happens to you? Or papá? Or any of you? I can’t live without all of you.”
“I know, mija. But you trust us to take care of everything here so that you can come home.”
“I can be safe here, mamá. I don’t have to go away to be safe.”
“This family is the worst family we’ve ever had to deal with. You’ll like Rosaura, I’ve never met her family, but I knew her growing up and we talk a few times a year. Her family moved to Lake Renegade for a few years. Then her parents and siblings moved back to Valencia.”
“But she stayed in Lake Renegade?”
“Si. She was promised to a boy there, Leonardo Mancini. And she fell in love. They have triplets, Salvatore is the Sheriff, Fiorella is a fashion designer and Gianluca is a baseball player.”
“That’s crazy that she was okay staying there. I can’t imagine living without all of you.”
“Well, she fell in love and love really does mean everything. I love your papá and I would go anywhere with him. You’ll feel that way when you fall in love.”
“I don’t know about that, mamá.”
I finish packing and hug my mamá again.
“Te amo, mamá.”
“Te amo, mija. You call me when you get settled. This will all be over before you know it.”
I hug my brothers one by one. No matter how much I grumble about them, I love them so much. They’re my protectors and I can see how hard this is on them too.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” álvaro says as he hugs me.
“Be good. And listen to Rosaura.” Elvio smiles and hugs me.
Félix hugs me and I hear him sniffle.
Last to hug me is my twin brothers, José and Juan. “We love you, Gabriela. Stay safe and we’ll see you soon.”
I wipe my tears as I wave at all of them. My papá and his second in command, Julio are taking me to the airport. The Mancini’s have sent their jet for me. I still don’t want to go.
My papá walks me onto the plane.
“I’ll see you soon, mija. Please listen to Rosaura. She’ll take good care of you.”
“I will papá. Te amo.”
“Te amo.” He says as he hugs me one last time.
I wave at him through the window one last time. Please let them all be safe.