CHAPTER 8
MAISY
I stir in bed to the faint sounds of hurried whispers and footsteps coming from down the hall. Something’s wrong. I know it before I’m even fully awake.
The door creaks open, and there they are.
Orion steps in first, tall, too somber for my liking, fully dressed in his impeccable three-piece suit.
But that’s nothing new, as he’s always up early.
Behind him, Logan’s also dressed up in a three-piece suit.
Now I know something’s up. Logan would usually be in his white coat, ready for a shift at the hospital.
I glance at Kai behind them and he, too, is not his usual self, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt.
This means he’s staying in and working. Which is not that common for him.
Suddenly, my heart’s racing.
“Get up,” Orion orders.
“What’s going on?”
Logan steps forward, his tone gentler but no less resolute. “The kids are packed, Maisy. You need to get ready. We’re taking you to the airport.”
The words hit like a punch in the stomach. I blink at them, my mind scrambling to process their words. “Airport? What are you talking about?”
“You’re going to Chicago,” Kai says, his voice clipped. “You’ll all be safe there.”
Safe . There’s that word again. It ignites something sharp and furious in my chest. “No,” I say, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing up. “Absolutely not.”
Orion’s jaw tightens. “This isn’t up for discussion.”
“You don’t get to make that decision for me.” I ball my hands into fists but don’t raise them. Never at them.
“Actually, we do,” Kai cuts in. “We’re not gonna just sit here and let him come for you, or the kids. You’re leaving, Maisy. End of story.”
Hot and unrelenting anger surges through me. “I’m not some pawn you can move around on a board! If he’s coming, I’m staying. I’ll fight.”
“You’re a mother now,” Logan reminds me, like I don’t already know. “Your job is to protect our kids, not play the hero.”
“And your job,” I shoot back, pointing a finger at him, “is to let me decide how I protect them.”
Orion steps closer. “We’re not doing this. Get dressed. Pack light. We’re leaving in thirty minutes.”
“ Noo! ” The word tears from me like a battle cry. I shove past them, but Kai’s hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” He grips me tight as I glare at him.
I yank my arm free. “You think this is hard? Try being the one who has to run while the people she loves fight her battles.”
Kai looks away, his jaw clenched, and for a moment, I think I’ve gotten through to him. But then Orion steps between us, his gaze cutting into mine like a blade.
“We don’t have time for this,” he says. “Go get ready.”
The finality in his tone leaves no room for argument. I turn on my heel and storm toward the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. My chest heaves with anger, frustration, and something deeper—something that feels a lot like fear. Like when I was running. Like…like the beginning. Uncertainty .
I press my palms against the cool marble of the sink, staring at my reflection. I can’t do this. I can’t just leave.
Grabbing my cell from the counter, I dial Angelina’s number. She answers on the second ring.
“Maisy?” Her voice is groggy, confused. I haven’t checked the time; it must be early for her. “What’s going on?”
“I need a huge favor,” I say quickly, my voice low. “I need you to get Celina and meet me at JFK in a half hour.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Listen to me very carefully, Angelina. I trust you with the lives of all my children, so you and Celina better come through for me. You hear me?”
“W-Where are we taking them?”
“Tell your husband you’re going on a girls’ vacation with Celina. And say nothing else.”
“Maisy, that’s—”
She hesitates, but I cut her off. I don’t have time for explanations. “Can you do it?”
“Yes,” she says. “We’ll be there. Are you okay?”
“No,” I admit, my voice trembling, “but I will be. I just…I need my children as far away from here as possible.”
I won’t let my children be part of any mafia war, let alone mine.
I hang up and set the cell down, my hands shaking. For a moment, I just stand there, the reality of the situation crashing down around me. They’re trying to protect me, I know that. But they’re wrong. Running won’t solve anything. Whoever wants to take me out, they’ll have to face me first.
A knock jolts me from my thoughts.
“Maisy.” Logan’s voice comes from the other side of the door. “We need to leave.”
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Give me a minute.”
“We don’t have a minute,” comes Orion’s voice, sharper this time.
I open the door, chin raised in defiance. They’re all standing there, their expressions a mix of frustration and pain. Without a word, I cross to my closet and extract a knee-length black dress. I slip it on without bothering to change my underwear. Apparently, there’s no time for a shower.
“How long should I pack for?” I ask as I carefully start adding clothes to the open suitcase that’s been placed on the bed. I need to know exactly how long I’m supposed to be away.
They go quiet for a moment. Then, from somewhere behind me, I hear Orion. “At least a month.”
I turn to object, ready to yell at him, but he gestures coldly at me by raising his hand. “That’s enough clothes. Let’s go.”
Outside the house, Emilio stands beside the family car.
The trunk is open and I see the double stroller, together with the kids’ luggage, already packed and stacked neatly.
Sasha is here too, holding Ava in one arm and wrangling with Damien with the other.
Her calm efficiency should reassure me, but it doesn’t. All this just looks sad.
I’m not ready to leave. They are pushing me out.
Orion, Logan, and Kai stand near the door; I’m certain they hate all of this, but they have this visceral need to protect me and the kids, no matter what. I can’t go against them. They’ve made up their minds, and nothing I say or do will change that.
Once again, I state my feelings loud and clear. “I don’t want to go.”
“Maisy,” Logan says softly, “this is what’s best for you and for our kids.”
“And what about you?” I raise my voice. “What happens to you while I’m gone?”
“Don’t worry about us, baby girl. We’ve got this,” Kai says, steady and sure, but it doesn’t ease the weight in my chest. I know what’s at stake if things go south.
“What if you all die? Then what? I’ll be all alone, just like when I came into this world.” My eyes flood with tears. “I don’t want to go,” I repeat.
I look to Orion, the one who always seems to have the answer, who always knows what to say to keep me grounded. But he just stares straight ahead with no emotion. “You’re getting in that car. Whether you want to or not.”
The tears sting; I can’t stop them. I blink rapidly, unwilling to let them fall, but it’s useless. My throat burns, my chest aches, and the fight in me that’s always been so instinctive feels like it’s slipping through my fingers.
“Why?” My voice cracks. “Why do you get to decide? Why do you think you can protect me better by sending me away?”
“Because we know what’s coming,” Orion says, his gaze meeting mine with a hardness that makes me flinch. “And if you’re here, Maisy, you’re gonna be in the middle of it.”
From inside the house, I hear the rest of the children’s laughter getting louder, and before I can respond, they’re all outside.
Mila is holding Grace’s hand, their matching curls bouncing as they run.
Maxim trails behind, dragging a small backpack, while Luca chatters excitedly to Leila about some imaginary adventure they’re about to go on.
“Mommy, why are you crying?” Mila’s eyes are wide with concern as she reaches for my hand.
I crouch down, quickly brushing away the tears as I force a smile. “I’m just…going to miss you all so much.”
“But we’re going together!” Damien pipes up, his little face lighting up as he grabs Mila’s other hand. “We’re going on an adventure, right, Mommy?”
“Right,” I whisper, though the word feels like a betrayal. “An adventure.”
The kids are ushered around by Sasha, who gives me a small, knowing smile as she passes me. She doesn’t say anything—she doesn’t need to. She’s been with us long enough to understand what this is, even if the kids don’t.
Emilio steps forward, opening the car door and making my stomach churn.
He’s acting as if today is just like any other day.
The kids climb in one by one, their giggles and chatter a stark contrast to the heaviness in my heart.
Each of them has their own seat in the family car, with safety protocols in place.
When it’s my turn to climb in, I hesitate, gripping the doorframe as though it might anchor me to the ground.
Orion steps closer. “Maisy, don’t make this harder than it already is.”
I turn to him, the tears spilling over now. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“It does,” Logan says. “Maisy, please. Just go. For them.”
The lump in my throat makes it hard to speak.
I glance back at the kids, and at Sasha, who’s already buckling Grace into her seat.
They’re my everything. My reason for fighting, and for surviving.
And no matter how much it tears me apart, no matter how much I want to scream and fight and run back into the house, right now, I can’t do anything.
I climb into the car, my hands trembling as I settle into my seat. Emilio closes the door behind me with a stoic expression on his face. I glance out the window, my gaze locking onto Orion, Logan, and Kai. They’re standing together, their faces drawn and somber.
“Mommy, are you okay?” Maxim asks, his small hand reaching for mine.
I nod, forcing another smile as I squeeze his hand tightly. “I’m okay, sweetheart. Just tired.”
He seems satisfied with the answer, leaning his head against my arm as he chats with Luca about what movies they’ll watch on the plane.