Savage Crown II

I. One

Natalia (present day)

"Look Mama! Look what Aunt Nora taught me!" Zoey smiled as she ran and twirled her bright red ribbon around her gracefully in her brand new pointe shoes. "That's great, sweetheart! I'm proud of you!" I smiled proudly as I looked up from the new catalog of school uniforms I was browsing for her. The soft breeze was blowing through the trees where Zoey was practicing her ballet with Nora. She'd watch Nora do a ballet routine, and then Zoey would repeat the dance back to her so effortlessly and perfectly. Practicing on the rooftop garden was her favorite thing to do lately. My baby was four years old and extremely smart for her age. I sighed as I watched her practice. Sometimes I wished she could stay like this forever, as time seemed to only fly by the older she got.

"Alright little one! Let's take a break!" Nora said as she swooped her into her arms and walked over to the picnic table to sit down with her. Zoey didn't want to sit down and hopped off Nora's lap and began to practice twirling her ribbon again. "Zo amor (love), we need to take a break, or else you'll be too tired for your recital tonight!" Zoey turned around and gave me a smile, "okay, Mama!"

She ran towards me jumping on the lounge chair as she crawled her way up into my arms. Her cheeks splattered with soft pink blush from the sun, as she looked up at me poking me cheek right below my left eye, "Mama, why do I have blue eyes and you have brown eyes?"

"Are my daddy's eyes blue?" She asked with her eyes looking up at me and all I could see where the same eyes her father has. My heart ached a bit hearing her wonder about her father more and more now that she was growing.  Zoey takes after  her father Callum and his Irish side  so much that people would look at us funny seeing me carrying a beautiful baby with fair skin, brown hair and blue eyes, when I her mother had brown eyes and toasted almond skin and dark brown hair. Some would even think she was Nora's since Nora had blue eyes. I gave her a small smile, " yes Zo, you have daddy's eyes"

She smiled and laughed, "I knew it mama!"

"Now run along Zo, Have grandma Rosie run you a bath" Nora said, "we have to get you ready for tonight"

Mama  had been staying with us for a week after wanting to come and spend time with us. We had all sorts of  extra precautions we took to shake anyone off whether it be from an enemy's sight or Callum's men if he was still searching for me after I left him, so it was hard to come visit us. Not to mention the long flights from Chicago to Auckland, New Zealand were long and tiresome making anyone think twice before flying out here. So when anyone would come to visit us they'd stay for a week or so.

"You heading back home when my mom leaves Nora?" I asked looking over at her.

"And let you get to spend all that QT with Zoey? Nahh" she smiled. Nora never once left my side after that catastrophic night four years ago. She would go home and visit Uncle Alek and Aunt Elena and the twins once a month, and come back right away. Zoey had stolen my heart and captivated Nora's too. My daughter had that effect on everyone she's met, even my oldest brother Gio was won over  by her and he's the one I was beginning to think didn't have a heart because of how ruthless he'd gotten.

"I'll  go after Zo's birthday in August" Nora responded as she yanked the catalog from my hands to see.

"That's not until next year Nora! She just turned four two months ago!"

"Then next year it is!"Nora laughed.

I got up from the chair  and walked over to the edge of the balcony that overlooked the city watching the sunset remembering my life back home, how I missed my family so much and embarrassingly even Callum. I wiped away a tear as Nora walked up beside me. "Do you ever think about him Nat?"

"A lot more than I'd like." Giving a pained smile, "Zoey looks so much like him, it's hard not to forget him." 

Zoey's father  had used me and was plotting to kill me as soon as I gave him an heir. I fled that same night I found out. It wasn't  until after I fled that I learned I was pregnant with Zoey.  But once it was discovered I made that decision to leave my family's dark life permanently and put all of that in my past and that included him. My daughter's needs and safety are more important to me more than anything now, so there is no more room for anything else in my heart.

"do you think he stopped searching for you?"  Nora asked.

"I don't know?" I shrugged as I wiped more tears from my eyes, "part of his plan was for me to give him an heir, if he found out his first born was a girl I wonder what he'd do? You know how outdated the firstborn rules are about girls  in the mafia world. But if that day ever came where our paths crossed again...I would do everything and anything to make sure Zoey is safe."

"Even if it meant going back to the way of life you left behind Nat?"

"Even that Nora...But I do hope my world remains this way full of coloring books, toys, and crayons and watching Zoey grow safely and away from all the violence" 

I left behind that life the moment I knew I was pregnant. Switching out my guns and knives for bottles and diapers. Instead of daily combat training it was quickly filled up with expecting mommy and me classes and yoga. Everything I could do to prepare for her arrival, and then when she finally came, my world changed for the better. I was now a full time mother and I loved every second of it. When I left Chicago my roles and duties were handed off to Julian the third eldest of my brothers leaving me with no more work in the criminal underworld just how I wanted it.

Zoey was the center of my universe. It was just me, her and Nora. Here she was safe and well provided for. I was happy where I was as long as she was with me.