Daddy’s Little Secret: A Mafia Affair

Carmen’s POV… 

As I stepped off the plane and onto the familiar platform, a mix of emotions swirled in my chest like a vortex. Four years had passed since I'd last set foot in New York City, the big city where my heart had been shattered into a million pieces. 

Now, as I breathed in the crisp autumn air, memories flooded my mind. Laughter, tears, and whispers of forever echoed through the streets, a promise that had been broken. 

His face materialized in my thoughts – chiseled features, piercing blue eyes, and that devastating smile. Alessandro, I can still remember his last words to me, the pain felt like it happened yesterday and my pulse quickened, and I felt the familiar ache in my chest. 

What if I saw him again? What if he'd moved on, and found someone new to love? The thought twisted like a knife. I took a deep breath and shouldered my bag, it’s time to face the past.

I placed a smile on my face when my eyes caught our family driver and beside him was Domenico, I hadn’t seen him in four years, and the moment his eyes met mine a smile appeared on his face and I headed toward him, I evolved him in a hug, his familiar musty cologne filled my nostrils, some things just don’t change. 

“Missed me that much.” Dom asked.

“Surely not more than you have missed me.” I smiled, pulling away, I gave a nod to the driver before we settled inside the car, Dom quickly pressed a button and a board appeared; making sure we could not see the driver. 

“How are you feeling, being back after four years, your mama is over the moon, she has been cooking all day and your papa went out to get you a welcome home gift.” 

“I should have known they would do something like that, I didn’t think I would be away from home that long but after everything that happened I could not stay here.” 

“You won’t see him Carmen; I haven’t seen him since the day you left,” Dom said, and I nodded, anytime Dom called me I always tried not to talk about Alessandro; I always tried not to bring him up, because it ended up reopening old wounds. 

“I hope so, enough about he tell me everything that has been going on, Mama is still mad at me that I never came back for any holidays, she is going to ask a lot of questions about college.” I smiled, I have missed my mom’s chirpy smiling, the way she loved to listen to me speak. 

Being the only child has its perks, but it was boring sometimes; I was alone most of the time and on the days they would leave home for a party, I wouldn’t have anyone but myself; sometimes I didn’t call Dom to stay with me because I would rather not bother him. 

“You are going to answer every one of them, you know she still asks about Kia,” Dom said, hearing his name sent chills down my spine; he is a mistake I made after Sandro left me, it’s a part of my life I wish I could forget. 

“You didn’t tell her anything about it.” I asked, my voice cracking over the pounding in my chest, I felt a wave of adrenaline flowing through my body, my heart felt like a heavyweight crushed it, and my eyes bore into Dom’s, anxiously waiting for him to speak. 

“I didn’t but Carmen, they have to know what he did; and if your papa ever finds out you never told him, he will be hurt.” Dom said, his voice laced with concern, his hands held mine softly, even though we were away from each other, he always made sure to call and check up on me. 

“Papa is never going to find out, I don’t want him to and if Mom asks about Kia, you tell her we broke up a long time ago, and he got transferred.” I whispered. 

“But Carmen-No Dom, we have talked about this, it’s a part of my life that I want to forget and if you care about me, you won’t bring it up; it’s bad enough that I am here, in the same city with Sandro; I don’t want to worry about Kia, please.” I whispered, my voice laced with concern, my heart pounding against my rip-cage, a breath escaped my lips as I tried to control my breathing. 

“Fine, I won’t do anything but if he tries anything this time, you won’t stop me, you won’t stop your Papa,” Don demanded, he hated Kia for everything he had done to me; he hated him for every pain and suffering he had caused me. 

“He won’t come for me again,” I whispered, Dom gave me a nod, leaned in, and wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me closer to him. 

In a few moments, the car came to a halt, and a breath escaped my lips when I walked out, I stood in front of the family estate; it still looked as beautiful as it was, the same white and brown color; the guards were stationed all around the house as Dom and I made our way in.

 The first thing that hit me was my mother’s melodious voice that filled the house; nothing had changed since I left; since I decided to attend college far away from home and never come for any holidays because I kept dodging any contact with the city. 

I missed being here, I headed further into the house, and my eyes caught my Mom in the kitchen, when she saw me, she dropped the spoon and rushed toward me, her eyes filled with tears as she inspected my body.

 “You have lost a lot of weight Carmen; you haven’t been eating.” She said with teary eyes. 

“I’m fine Mama; I promise.” I smiled; I leaned in to hug her, she held me tightly, she felt at home, and her embrace was warm, gentle, and welcoming.

 I used my fingertips to wipe the tears that fell against her cheek, I don’t like it when she cries; I don’t like it when she is sad because of me; I can remember all the times she asked me to come back home, and yet, I didn’t. 

“I’m here mama, I won’t leave again.” I smiled. 

“I won’t let you leave, if you will be going anywhere then your mama will come with you.” She said, and a chuckle escaped my lips. “Did you come alone?.”

“No, Dom is here, he is in the living room.” I smiled, mama looked back at me with a smile on her face. 

“Go get changed, I made a lot of your favorites, papa will come soon, and we have a having a guest.” She smiled; my eyebrows furrowed confused, I never thought she would invite someone to join us tonight. 

“Who is coming, mama?” I asked Mama, my heart pounding against my chest.

 “Sandro.” She said, and I froze, my heart plummeting like a stone. I gave her a fake smile so she wouldn’t suspect a thing.

 I felt my heart racing rapidly as I walked out of the room; Alessandro will be here tonight, memories of our laughter, our pain resurfaced, the past and the present collides leaving me breathless.

Carmen’s POV….

“You told me he won’t be here.” I said to Dom, who looked confused; after my mom told me Alessandro would be joining us tonight, I headed to the living room, I dragged Dom to my room so we could talk. 

I could not believe it, one thought crossed my mind, did he know I was back, I didn’t think I wanted to see him, I didn’t want to feel weak, I didn’t think I would have to face him this soon, my heart still ached for him, I never loved anyone after him, not even Kia, Kia was just a rebound that ended up badly. 

I looked back at Dom, my fingers found their place between my teeth as I chewed it, it was a bad habit, one I got from my father. 

“Who will be here?.” Don asked, he wasn’t there when Mom said it, I almost forgot he never walked into the kitchen with me. 

“Alessandro, he is coming tonight.” I whispered; my heart beating faster against my chest; I paced around the room anxiously; I can still remember his face. 

I hate that I can