𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

I rub my eyes as I watch everyone dig into the meal prepared by the staff here.

We spent way too long downstairs watching movies and talking than we should have. Way too long.

Aria was up late after that still fixing and sorting files of the mafia with Giovanni and Ralph.

We all woke up around eleven this morning and it's currently twelve.

Tate tiredly hands Emilio to her mother and takes her seat in front of me.

Tate's parents haven't come down much through the three weeks. They checked on us then went right back up to the old libraries and old offices doing their everyday things like this was a normal thing. Well, it is. They have a Spanish mafia. They're used to this lifestyle.

They don't rule it since they gave it away to Tate's brother Alex, so I guess that's why they're so relaxed.

"Il mio bambino. Il mio mondo. Mio nipote"
{My baby. My world. My grandson.} Tate's mother Catalina sings in Spanish with joy as she feeds him his bottle.

Tate stuffs bacon into her mouth and moans at the taste. "I'm so hungry. "

Aria eyes her with a smirk. "We can tell, darling."

Tate ignores her comment and sips on her orange juice.

I look down at my plate with pancakes and fruits next to it. I pick off a grape and put it into my mouth and I feel my stomach turn.

Aria opens her mouth to say something to me but Carlo walks in with a half smile.

"Good morning, Mrs Fontana."

Tate smiles. "I told you to just call me Tate."

Carlo chuckles and brushes his new light grey hairs. "Of course, but Don has returned so it must return to formalities."

Tate almost chokes. "He's here!?"

Carlo nods. "They'll be here in-"

"It's good to be back." Cameron stretches his hands and pats Giovanni's back.

Antonio, Sebastian, and Christian follow after and I feel my heart begin to beat faster.

Salvatore folds his arms and greets everyone in the room including Aria who ignores him. He sighs and looks at her desperately.

Christian smirks and Tate gives him a dirty look pretending not to miss him when all she's done is call him since he left.

"Amore." He kisses Maya's forehead then Tate's.

I smile at the sight and then quickly when I feel an arm touch mine.

"Hey," Antonio whispers staring into my eyes.

"Hey," I whisper back. "I'm glad you're home."

He chuckles. "Yeah?"

"Mhm." I nod. "Not all that much. You give me the cold shoulder most of the time. I'm surprised you kept checking on me."

Antonio shakes his head and pulls away.

"See what I mean?"

Antonio stands straight and shoves Sebastian. "We have something to say don't we?"

Seb nods. "Uh yeah. So-" he pauses and rolls his eyes. "Can you take this to the bedroom or will you stop." He questions Christian who has his arm warped around his wife and kissing all over her neck.

Christian nods. "We will."

Tate gaps and covers his mouth. "Stop it. My parents are here. And Maya." He whispers the last part.

Catalina chuckles. "Don't mind us dear. I know what sex is."

Luckily, Maya was too engrossed in what she was watching on her iPad to be paying any attention to our adult conversation.

Christian points his hand toward Sebastian urging him to continue.

"Thank you so much. Thank you for giving us the time to speak without you turning this into a lovey-dovey shit." He sighs. "There's the ball coming up. The yearly spring one in two days' time."

Giovanni grins.

"And, we have a plan to get the Russians banned for a month so we can plan properly how we'll kill Fedorov. Will it cause chaos? Yes. But it's best if we get that done now and deal with any future problems when the time comes. Because this is a mafia, there's never not going to be a problem."

Cameron nods in agreement and steals a pancake from my plate and I smile up at him.

"It won't be easy. But all we need from you all is to just act normal. Have fun and let Antonio and I handle it. If Christian gets too involved or acts fast, they'll figure out plans. Cameron and Gio, I assume you already know your roles and if you don't, then tough shit." Sebastian takes his seat on a spare chair.

"Once this ball is over and we get them banned, we go on with our normal lives back in North," Christian announces.

Everyone nods their heads and continues eating their food.

I stand slowly. "I'm going to go back to bed."

"You haven't eaten anything." Tate looks at me with worried eyes.

"Not hungry. I'll just take the fruit to my room." I give my plate to Cameron so he can eat it and I make my way past everyone with a plate of fruit.

I blink away back my tears. Tears that I didn't even know where they were coming from but it was affecting me badly.

I cry when I'm in a bad mood and that's probably it.

I walk down the hallway, plant my head into the comfy sheets of the bed and groan.

Sleeping away all my feelings.