Deadly Possession - Chapter 11 (Patreon)

"Nico!" I can't help the smile that graces my face as Evelyn and her brother, Julian come running towards me. After that night Luca told me they were my responsibility. Even though I was an 18 year old. So I placed them at home with my mother to raise. After a long screaming lecture and a few slaps to the head she finally relented and took them in raising them as her own. And she had done a marvelous job.

"Did you bring me any candy?" Evelyn's pouty lip is enough to pull at my heart strings. She was now 11, it seems like forever ago she was so small and fiery. She wasn't small anymore, but she was still fiery.

"No, I'm sorry sweetheart. Been a little busy." She makes a face at me but before she can say a snarky comment my mother comes out of the kitchen a smile on her face.

"Nicolai! Mio bel ragazzo!" She comes to me pulling me into a tight embrace, placing kisses on either sides of my face.

"Hi mama," I say I can't help my smile as it grows larger. I loved this woman most in my life. She was everything to me. I'm brought out of my musings when she begins pulling on my shirt and poking at me.

"What is this? Aye, Nicolai are you not eating? You're so magro! Come, I am just making dinner you're just in time," she says walking away from me. 

I knew I was just in time. My mother was a very traditional woman. Dinner everyday at 6 sharp. Dinnertime was family time. It was a time we sat down, and discussed things. Our day, our problems, or just spoke to each other. My mother made sure we always ate breakfast and dinner together. If we weren't home for breakfast, she would have it waiting for us upon our return. She was the perfect woman. I hoped to find a woman like her when I decide to settle down. And I know now that Lissette would not be that woman.

"Evelyn, quit pestering him about sweets you know I made you cookies earlier!" she shouts behind her shoulder. Evelyn rolls her eyes and takes off behind my mother into the kitchen. I turn around to see Julian still standing quietly. He was a quiet boy. He never spoke to anyone but mama.

He spoke to Evelyn rarely and spoke to me rarely.

"Hey buddy," I say gently. He looks at me with wide eyes.

"Hi." He speaks so softly if you didn't know him you probably wouldn't hear him. We both walk in comforting silence into the dining room.

"So what brings you home Nico. I know it must be something important if you come here after you told me to go into hiding," she says. She knew me so well. I look at Evelyn and Julian. Evelyn has her face in her hands waiting for my answer and Julian's eyes are trained on his plate.

"Just... woman issu-"

"Oooooooooooo Nico has a girlfriend!"

"Evelyn! Essere tranquillo e mangiare il cibo!" My mother shouts across the table. Even Julian's head pops up in shock from the sudden volume change in the room. Evelyn narrows her eyes at mama and her lips thin as she purses them together. Still as fiery as the day we took her in.

"Continue." My mother swats at me hastily. She was just as excited as Evelyn. 

I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. And I tell her everything. From the agency to the spying to me deciding to save Lissette's life. It was a rule of this house. Dinner time was family time. Any and everything could be discussed at this time with no judgement. We were a family. My mother sits quietly as I explain to her everything down to Lissette's attitude towards me.

"I don't know mama. I know she hates me. And I don't have it in me to just snuff out her life. But if Romelo is right, and letting her go is a liability, then I may not have a choice."

"I think you should just get rid of her. She is a rude ugly woman if she thinks that she can treat you that way after you saved her life." I look at Evelyn in shock. She has her arms crossed and clear irritation is plastered across her face. She was very protective of her brothers. She even saw me as her brother. And anyone giving me a hard time she automatically didn't like them.

"Evelyn! You go do something productive. Dinner is done for you! Out!" My mother shoos her and she huffs getting up from the table leaving the room. Julian doesn't even speak as he silently exits as well.

I look up at my mother and she's watching me with those deep blue eyes filled with wisdom. Then she smiles. She reaches over placing her palm against my face.

"Aye figlio. You have had a hard life. You do things that no man can do and keep a clear conscience. And you always have a smile on your face. You do not let it consume you. You are special figlio. You care about others. Others lives. You have empathy. And that is something that men in this line of living usually lack."

She lets out a deep breath.

"You do what your heart tells you to do. What you believe is right. Romelo has never trusted women you know that. Especially given his past. And Luca is out of commission right now. So the decision is yours to make, and to keep an eye on so that there may be no consequences. You can't keep listening to others Nico."

"You've always stood up to Luca for what you truly believed in. So do now what you would do if he were awake."

"Grazie mama." We finish eating and I even take some to go. I don't know what I would do without this woman in my life. She had an answer for everything. She was the reason I could do what I do and not let it affect me. I watched her when my father took his life. I saw her break, and I saw her put herself and our family back together. She was strong. Doing what I do allowed me to provide for her and more. I could never repay her for everything she's done for me. So I would have to do everything I could to come even close.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night." My mother pouts as she walks me to the front door. I can't help but laugh.

"I'm a grown man mama."

She scoffs at me.

"That didn't stop you from getting dinner and advice." She had me there. I give her a kiss on the top of her head. Evelyn and Julian come rounding the corner.

"Awww you're leaving already?" Evelyn pouts as well.

"Yes, sweety I'm sorry. I have things to do." She gives me a hug squeezing me hard around the waist.

"Don't wait so long to come back and see us again. Ok Nico?" She once again pulls at my heart strings. I rub her hair lightly.

"Ok, Sweetheart," I whisper. After Evelyn and my mother leave the room, Julian walks up to me.

"I think you should let her go." He says. I'm caught off guard.

"What?"

"I said, I think you should let her go." He watches me carefully before continuing.

"And watch her. If she proves she can't be trusted, then you'll have your answer." He says. A small smile crosses my face. He was listening the whole time. He was a smart kid. Quiet and calculating. That would have come in handy if his father hadn't tried to betray us. Now I wanted nothing but for these kids to grow up and have a normal life. A life apart from the mob.

"You know, I think that's a fantastic idea," I say. 

Julian smiles back at me, before giving me a hug and seeing me off out the door. If there was one thing that I realized on this visit, it was that family was everything to me. If I had to choose between taking the life of an innocent and saving my family, I would choose my family. Every time. And Luca was my family. Romelo was my family. Lissette was not. She didn't want to be either. So now it was a matter of her decisions.

~

Lissette

"I'm letting you go."

My heart stops. The room is silent. Just from those four words. Those four words brings so much emotion to my body. I can feel tears beginning to well up.

"What?" Nicolai takes a seat across from me on the couch.

"I said, I'm letting you go," he repeats. His voice isn't it's usual happy tone. It was dead.

"Why?" I ask. Now he looks at me. His eyes taking on a hard edge.

"Why does it matter? Isn't that what you wanted?" he snaps. I flinch.

"I'm letting you go on one condition though." He leans forward.

"You cannot speak a word of any of this to anyone. You cannot interfere with us ever again. Do you understand, Lissette?" he asks. His eyes are serious. I nod my head.

"Good. I'll take you to a new location, give you the necessary things to start life over. A new chance. A clean slate." I couldn't believe my ears. He was setting me free. He was letting me go and give me things to make that possible.

He stands from the couch heading towards the door.

"Let's go." 

~

The drive was about 2 hours to wherever he was taking me. We finally arrive in front of a nice apartment complex. He reaches in the glove box and grabs a set of keys handing them to me.

"This is yours. The years rent is paid." He reaches around me grabbing a black bag and handing it to me.

"Passport, license, money, clothes. Everything you'll need to start life anew." He doesn't really look at me as he shoves everything at me.

"Thank you," I whisper. I turn to open the door when Nicolai grabs ahold of my arm. I look back at him, his ocean gaze burning me to the core. I had never seen him so serious in my life.

"Remember Lissette. You said you would leave us alone," he says warningly. I nod my head, eager to get out of the car. He finally lets me go and I walk towards my new apartment.

This changed everything. I knew Nicolai wasn't like them. He had a good heart even though he did bad things. This made the situation more delicate. With the clock running out and Luca healing each day, I had to work fast and stealthily to complete my task. Nicolai may be out of my target now, but Luca was still very much there. Nicolai had no idea what he just did.

I knew where they lived. I knew where Luca was. And now that he had let me go, he wouldn't be suspecting me. He gave me the perfect opening to take down his precious Capo. I wasn't stupid. If he paid the rent on this apartment he probably had it bugged. So after I stay here tonight, I'm moving. There was no way in hell I was living somewhere he provided for me.

Things had never been easier than they were getting now. Nicolai may be warm hearted and understanding, but Luca was still a cold hearted bastard that needed to be out of the picture. For good.

I wasn't going to be a pathetic, weak woman anymore. I was going to make a difference. An actual difference. My vendetta had never been more clear.