The Search

Chapter 25.

Day 6

Nikolai

I sit on one side of Jade with James on my other side.  Colten, Ollie and Sophie sit on the bleachers seat in front of us. 

As the game begins Alex and his team already get a couple baskets. I think it's the first time I've seen James eyes sparkle with glee.

James hesitantly leans closer to my side, "so what's happening?" He asks.

I chuckle and begin to explain the game, and as Alex takes a three pointer shot James hoots before he can stop himself.

I smirk smugly, "who knew." I scoff, "toughest mafia man in the family is rooting for his nephew."

His jaw clenches, "yeah, I guess I am."

When the first game is done, won by Alex's team of course there's is a slight break in between so we head to a restaurant. Courtesy of the rich mafia people of course, it's somewhere fancy.

"Papa." Jade stops after seeing what he chose, "I don't think it's wise to go to somewhere so expensive dressed like this and with a fussy baby,"

"It will be fine princess." She cringes at the old nickname, "I dare them to say anything."

She groans, "you can't just go around saying shit like that anymore, your in Canada, don't try to kill any Canadians please."

"Enough with the attitude Jade." He comments as we go in.

She looks away with a glare and I grab her hand holding her back a bit while everyone sits down at the table the hostess brought us to.

"Are you okay?." I look at an awake Lexi strapped close to her chest.

She nods and her head falls forehead onto my chest, she sighs deeply.  "We need to make a stop at the grocery store after this."

"Okay," I nod, "do we need anything specifically?"

"Oh yeah." She grins, "I'm thinking we need most of the store." I look down at her in confusion. 

I pull out her chair for her pushing it in once she's seated. When I sit down it's quiet and I only stare at my water glass thinking. 

"This is why I hate being by them sometimes." She murmurs. My eyebrows furrow, of course and again as always, I'm confused. "They change, they go back to snotty ass people who think they are better then everyone, I don't know how many times I've been embarrassed because they cause a fuss with food and our maids."

"I'm guessing they are haughty and disrespectful to waiters." She nods and I frown down at my menu. Jade and I got a lot of treatment like that when we both worked at the diner. We know more than anyone at that table how much it can bring a person to the fucking ground.

Sophie looks at the menu with a frown, "aren't these prices a little expensive, we could have gotten something from the taco truck across the street and I would have been happy."

Alessio leans back in his chair, "don't worry about it, doesn't make a dent in the account."

Sophie doesn't react she just looks at Jade and I with her eyebrows raised.  Yeah Sophie, we know. 

The drinks come out and then the meals, and we're having conversations with our kids when a waiter accidentally gets a plate mixed up. It's Alex's food put in front of Alessio.

"Papa." Jade warns in her mom voice sending chills through me, she's fucking scary when she's mad.

"Jade-" he begins but I cut him off talking to the waiter.

"That's actually my sons, over there." I point, "everything is fine just a mix up." I console and he fixes it easily.

Alessio angrily looks down at his plate, "bring your anger to a zero." Jade commands, "you don't disrespect people in my city, sì?"

He reluctantly nods and begins eating and I sigh rubbing my forehead. That could have been a fucking disaster.

—————-

The second, third and fourth games came and went quickly and Alex's team ended up winning gold.

His uncles and Nonno were standing proud as we waited outside and when he came out Alessio did something I would never have expected. He embraced Alex in a huge hug, it was awkward on Alex's ends but he didn't seem to care.

Jade and I hugged him afterword and when we got into the car Alex was the first to break the silence, "what the fuck was that?"