The Mafia Contract Series

WINTER

I wake from a fitful sleep to find Jasmine watching over me with concern. Almost immediately, my thoughts turn to Frankie, and I sit up with an alarmed cry.

Jasmine looks worried and says sadly, “I’m so sorry, Winter. Alessandro is with the others, working out a plan.”

“A plan?” My voice shakes and she nods. “Malik has some information he was briefing them on. I’m not sure what it involved because I came to sit with you.”

I don’t even hesitate and head straight for the door, wrenching it open and running down the corridor, Jasmine hot on my heels. “Winter wait!”

I don’t hear her and just head straight for the kitchen because I need to know that my baby is alive.

As soon as I crash through the door, Alessandro is by my side and I fall into his arms and sob, “Please, tell me my baby is alive.”

I hear the emotion in his voice as he pulls away and stares deep into my eyes. “Malik has some information that points to a woman leaving just after you with a young baby.”

My eyes widen in hope and just seeing the emotion in his eyes makes the tears flow rapidly down my face unchecked.

“Frankie?” I whisper, not really daring to hope it was him and Alessandro nods, his voice breaking a little as he whispers, “It’s complicated, but we must trust Malik to bring our son home.”

My head jerks to Malik, who is watching with glittering emotion in his usual expressionless eyes, and I say falteringly, “Malik.”

He nods and says smoothly, “I leave in an hour.”

“I want to come.”

I hate that he shakes his head, appearing upset, and Angelo moves to my side and says in his deep, authoritative voice, “Let Malik do his job, Winter.”

“No, I want to go!” I almost scream at him, and he says angrily, “Don’t you think I know how you feel? When you were taken from us, I wanted to tear Massimo apart with my bare hands. I thought it would be easy to storm into his home and drag you away from him and if I had given into my emotion, none of us would be here now, Frankie included.”All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

His words hit me hard across the face and the pain in his eyes mirrors my own as I sob, “But I’m his mother and my place is with my baby.”

Angelo pulls me roughly into his arms and whispers, “We will bring him back to you. Trust Malik and trust me. The best thing you can do is wait, no matter how hard that will be, and as soon as Malik has Frankie, you and Alessandro will be the first people he sees.”

Wrenching away from my twin, I stumble across the room to Malik and, staring into his eyes, whisper, “Bring him back to me, Malik. Be the demon you are and don’t leave anything to chance. Frankie is our family, and he needs to be here.”

Malik nods and, leaning in, whispers, “I will not fail you, Winter. You have my word.”

As he pulls back, I shiver at the gleam in his eye that tells me whoever has my baby had better start running because being on the end of Malik’s leash will make for an extremely painful walk on the wild side.

We watch Malik leave, wasting no time in organizing his trip and as I sit in the kitchen staring into a mug of coffee, Charlotte drops into the seat beside me and says tentatively, “I’m so sorry, Winter, it’s as if I’m responsible somehow.”

Looking up, I register her tear-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes and yet despite it all, she is the image of sweet innocence, much like her mother was. Thinking of the terrible fate that awaited her if Massimo had his wish, if anything, I’m proud to have prevented that from happening and to her surprise, along with mine, I pull her close and whisper, “I can never hate you. Your father was mad with grief and his mind was twisted and he lost touch with reality a long time ago. Don’t you dare mourn for something that would have destroyed you in the end and know you are better off not knowing what he had planned for your future.”

She sobs on my shoulder as I hold her like a baby and whispers, “You are as strong as they said you were. I’m so happy they brought you home.”

As we cling together, I experience nothing but love for Ivan’s wife. She is innocent in all this. She had her part to play in bringing me home, and I could never hate her just because of who her father is.

As we pull back, I note Louisa’s concerned expression across the table, and I smile tentatively. “So, here we are, a club of our own, I guess.”

Louisa nods. “Club Mafia Wives, I’m guessing.”

Jasmine grins. “God help us.”

We all look up and note our men talking in hushed whispers by the glass doors leading into the garden and Jasmine sighs. “We must stick together.”

Louisa nods vigorously. “It won’t be easy.”

Charlotte brushes a tear from her eye and stares at Ivan with undisguised longing. “They’re rather hot, though.”

It has the desired effect and as we all share a look, it’s one of solidarity because we are no longer outnumbered. We have a purpose, and it appears that the wives of Club Mafia will play a very important role in the future that begins when I get my son back.

After what feels like hours, Alessandro heads to my side and I fall against him, loving how his arm wraps around me in protective love, keeping me safe.

The others drifted off to their respective husbands and I whisper, “I’m sorry, Alessandro.”

He plays with my hair, twisting it through his fingers and letting it fall.

“I hate that I couldn’t remember Frankie. What sort of mother does that make me?”

“You are the best mother he could wish for, baby.” His low growl reassures me a little as he says with husky emotion, “You survived to bring him back to me. You suffered unimaginable horror just to keep him safe, and you endured the greatest hardship because of him.”

“Will everything be ok?” I am so anxious about that, and he grips my face hard between his hands and stares fiercely into my eyes. “Malik will bring him back to us. I don’t doubt that for a second, and then when we are a family, I will make you my wife.”

“But your grandfather…”

“Will accept it. You see baby, my grandfather places family above everything and when he learns I have a son, all deals are off. You and Frankie are my family, and that will never change. I’m not my grandfather. I don’t want anyone else-ever. It’s all about you, Winter, it always has been, and now that includes our son. We have a chance at a fresh start that I never believed was possible and I will fight to the death to protect you both along with the many brothers and sisters I have planned for Frankie.”

“Many?” I stare at him in shock, and he grins wickedly, “You better believe it, baby because I intend to create many mirror images of us both and I will love every second of it.”

His lips claim mine in a sweet, deep, soul shattering kiss and despite the ache in both our hearts, at least we are together. A vital piece of us is missing but we have faith in Malik to bring our son back to us and so, as we drift off to bed, I want to spend the entire time Frankie is away, wrapped in Alessandro’s protective arms.