The Balotelli-Bale Series Book #3: The Italian Belle

Chapter 47: Our Family Part 2

Marianna's POV
"Papi, you're food is getting cold."

He can't get enough of Nicko. They have been playing together for most of the day and now even Nicko is tired and sleepy but daddy doesn't want to let him sleep.

"You were sixteen when you got pregnant." I was wondering when we will get here.

"Yes."

"Sixteen."

"Si papi. I was also sixteen when a lot of other things happened like me getting engaged with your approval." Let's just even the playing field in case he starts a fight.

"You read your mother's letter. I had no choice. So let's not go there. But let's talk about his father. Is he the one who stole you away from the house?"

Sometimes I wish it was Chris. He's different from Nate. Court is so fortunate to have a man like him. I also envy Freya. Francis is an exceptional man as well. Nate is a grey character who can either make a formidable villain or s hero if he wants to.

"No it wasn't him."

"When did you meet him then?

"Does it matter?"

"Yes because when you ran away, everything got out of control. It was a mistake on your part."

I took Nicko from his arms. "I'll put him to sleep. Excuse me."

Julio moved over for Nicko. He fell asleep as soon as I lay him down. "I'll watch him." Julio assured me.

"Thank you." I covered both of them.

I wonder what it will be like if Nicko is to have a little brother or sister. I don't want him to grow up alone. Maybe I should wait to see if I'll get pregnant.

"What happened to the bed?"

Wayne and I broke the bed in the heat of things. I almost started laughing but I held back.

"It was old."

"I'm sorry. I'm still trying to understand what went horribly wrong. When they released me, you were gone. They never said much. Were you pregnant then?"

"I was almost there. Daddy, nothing good would have come out of that wedding. If they wanted one of us dead they wouldn't have stopped at that."

"So where did you go? Who took you? Were you with the Bales all this time?"

"Nate's father took me. He made a deal with the godfather. I don't know of the details but he brought me to New York. I have been here all along."

"With him?"

I took my father's hand so that we can sit down. "Alexander was murdered. Before that happened, he told me to run away if anything happens to him. I ended up alone and it's been so until recently when Helena and I found each other."

"You've been alone all this time? In this... this place?" I brought him to the apartment when he asked to see where I was living before the Bales took us in. He does not like this place. "While I was in a beautiful Tuscan mansion you were here, in this room smaller than your mother's closet raising a child? Where was the father?"

I can't exactly tell him where Nate was and still is an emotional mess. I can't tell him that he knew I may be pregnant but he still didn't find me.

"He didn't know."

He let out a frustrated sigh. When Gio is seething in rage, he tends to mutter to himself. I know he's blaming himself. I know he feels responsible for every tear I have shed. He takes failure to heart and he won't easily forgive himself.