Chapter 5 5

Our bodyguards scattered in the Vatore mansion at situated positions guarding the Italian mafia with their life. As a child I lost count after the hundred one getting to accept the fact this is my life. But they became family to me, to us. Poppa provided for all their families in different countries due to security threats on them. Our empire was to the envy of all Europe, hundred of men stayed in the mansion and thousand more outside the mansion all working under the Vatore name. Under the Vatore protection.

I watch as Lucien curls bounce as poppa teach him how to shoot his target while momma and I sat watching them. Poppa flits his head towards us giving a roguish grin before throwing a wink at us. Catching a deep blush creep on mum's face I giggle.

"Momma will I ever get to have what you and poppa has?" Her eyes smiling meets my big doe innocent hazels in curiosity.

"What is it baby?"

"Poppa looks at you like his everything so I wonder if I will ever experience that." Giving a slight shrug. She smiles. Momma has the prettiest smile I have ever known, her smile not only reflects on her lips but her face, her body. I always love watching her smile as a little girl.

"Of course you will baby. You know why? Because there is a man out there who will love you unconditionally with everything he got and cannot do without you. You will be the air he breathes because no one survives without his air." Brushing my curls out of my face, she places butterfly kisses to my hair.

"Was poppa always your air?" Her smile disappears causing a frown on my face.

"Oh no." It pique my eleven year old interest. I wanted to hear more, to know the perfect love story.

"Really?" I gasp letting out a chuckle which she smiles nodding affirmative.

"Si. I was looking at someone else who didn't treat momma right because he mocks her love for him."

"So poppa wasn't your first love?" Looking at poppa who showed Lucien the tricks about hitting his target, she looks down at me.

"He was. He is. I thought I love the other but it was nothing compared to your father. Your poppa is special to me." I wish to have that. Every princess needs a prince and at that age, I wanted my own prince.

"What happened to the other person?"

"He tried coming back but I am already deeply in love with your father so he left out of devastation." Good.

"Did he come back?"

"Yes he did but he knows I belong to your father. Only your father; but you have to promise me not to let anyone fool you. You are a Vatore heir, one day you and your brother will run the mafia when we are gone. I want you to be bold, strong, powerful and kindhearted." Her voice held this edge to it.

"Yes momma." I promise. She pulls me in as I lay on her watching poppa and Lucien but then the silence wasn't a comfortable one. I knew something perturb her mind, it came like a sense of danger.

"I fear for the future my child." As a kid, I was an observant and attentive one. At such age when traitors are brought into the mansion which rarely happens, poppa made me fish out the lies and if I'm lucky I get to assert my power and trainings on them. I was a daddy girl.

"Why momma?"

"Can you do momma a favor?" Sitting us up I look into her eyes clouded with fear. It didn't sit well for me.

"Do not trust anyone, one day the sleeping dog will suffice and you have to be prepared to defend yourself and the family name." I nod sucking my lips in.

"Do you regret him not loving you back?"

"No, because I have your father who is the love of my life and I have my little prince and my beautiful princess." Her smile force mine out before she tickles me causing a loud boisterous laugh to fall out of my lips.

"And what are my girls up to?" I stretch my arms out for him to save me from the tickle monster, which he chuckles plucking me out of momma's arms.

"Poppa."

"My beautiful princess." His brown eyes looks at me in adoration. "Men will worship at your feet and you know the best part?" Tilting my head, I ask.

"What poppa?"

"I will be there to threaten possibly kill them because no one deserves your heart." We both burst out laughing which didn't entertain mum at all who hit his arms while trying to clean Lucien who kept whining about him being a man.

It all came flooding down the memory lane like a tsunami. The broken pieces now fits perfectly in place at instances I missed had me realizing what all this is all about. The massacre of my family, chasing me from country to country. I look at the man I once called my god father. My father's best friend.

"Why?" My heart hurts so bad remembering the moments I had with this man who was like a family to us.

"Selfish reasons. Jealousy. Envy. Pride. Hurt. The list is endless but it all sums up to your mother."

"You killed my family!" I scream tears rolling down my face.

"If your mother wasn't such a whore none of this would have happened. It would have been me she love not your father. Me!" His bellow echoes bouncing off the wall causing me to flinch. This wasn't the man I got to know as my god father, my uncle. He looks crazed.

"Sadly I thought I killed the entire generation of Vatore's only to find out one precious little princess escaped that night. It was your birthday right? If I can recall, it was your twelve birthday party. Everyone was happy, dancing because their princess gets closer to becoming a woman. I actually didn't expect to see your face on a CCTV video a year after the death of your family. So I made it an aim to haunt you down." I got short of words looking at him in hate.

"I must say, you did a good job hiding, eight years is it? And look what popped out of the pollen, a very ripe flower. A replica of her mother; so I decided if I couldn't have her then I'm sure you will do. Young, fresh, ready to be popped in womanhood." Anger blazed in my eyes seething in disgust.

"I will never be yours you sick bastard. He will find you and will kill you." Fuck, I need to get out of this hellhole.

"Ahh yes. The Russian mafia head, Vladimir Ivanov. It was fun playing with his head all these years." What? What do he mean by that statement?

"What did you do?"

"Oh you will soon find out." He grins sinisterly walking towards the door, in reflex I pick up a cutting knife from the tray throwing at him which he dodge but not quick enough to escape the blow on his jaw. He staggers in surprise which I didn't let him recover throwing more punches. He growls throwing me back in anger when I cut him on his lips. Grinning, I slide picking up the knife lying on the floor coming back for him. Anger, hurt and pained I made it a mission to kill this man who took my family from me.

Finally getting him at a vulnerable state with the knife on his throat he smiles, eyes looking at me in lust. A cold shiver ran down my spine and not the good type Elijah gives me. This is ominous.

"Tell me what you did to Elijah or I will kill you!" Putting pressure on his throat, he laughs.

"Now you wouldn't want to do that or you can say bye bye to mummy dearest. Forever." My eyes couldn't dilate any further than it just did.

Mum?