collateral chaos

Sixteen

Bella's eyes widen. She stands up and calls to Sadie, "Sadie?"

She turns around as they reach the elevator, "Yes, cara mia?"

"We need to have a talk," She says, "Later."

Sadie sees the look of fear in Bella's eyes. She nods. The kids sense the tension between their moms, but to be honest they're still shaken up by the attack that they put that on the back burner for later.

After having ice cream and some other snacks, it's time for the children to go to bed. Bella talks to Sadie while the children are brushing their teeth.

"Luca knows."

Sadie turns, "Knows what?"

"That you're the leader," She replies, "He told me."

"Shit," The redhead mutters.

"I know. It's time to come clean. It won't take long for Thea to figure it out either," Bella adds. Sadie nods in agreement.

"I'll take the children to school tomorrow, talk to them then," Sadie states.

"Not Matteo. He's too young," Her girlfriend counters.

"Don't you think I should just tell them all? No keeping secrets?" Sadie asks.

"I don't know, babe. Matteo won't understand."

"But he'll know and it won't come as a betrayal later," Sadie points out. Bella grabs her girlfriend's bicep.

"Alright, but make sure they understand in simple terms," She replies. Sadie kisses the top of her head.

"I will, my love."

Sadie puts the kids to bed before joining Bella and Giovanni in their room downstairs. Sadie sits on the bed and begins undoing her shirt. Bella comes up from behind and begins rubbing her hands down the redhead's chest.

"Tonight was a complete disaster," Sadie sighs. Bella leans down and kisses the redhead's collarbone.

"Not one you couldn't handle," She replies.

"Yeah, except now we have a bigger problem," The mafia boss admits. Bella sits back and Sadie turns to her.

"What kind of problem?"

Sadie collects her thoughts, trying not to freak Bella out. But it's too late, Bella is already worried, "I was planning on making an alliance tonight... but he wanted too much money for any jobs we do together."

"Yeah, I got that part. But who is he and why does he matter? Didn't you shoot him?" Bella asks. Sadie takes her girlfriend's hands into her own.

"Yeah, I did. That's the problem. I shot Mikhail Ruslan," Sadie states, "The leader of the Russian Mafia."

Bella's eyes widen and her jaw falls open. She squeezes Sadie's hands in her own. She doesn't speak. It takes her a full ten seconds to really register what Sadie has said.

Sure, Sadie has alliances with other gangs, but they are smaller, less powerful than Sadie's. But another mafia going up against Sadie's? That's a new challenge Sadie hasn't tried before. In fact, in all of its reign, the Italian Mafia has never tried to ally with another mafia.

"Sadie Elizabeth," Bella starts. Sadie winces at her middle name coming into play, "You did not just kill the leader of the Russian Mafia."

Sadie sighs, "But I did."

Bella stands up. She begins pacing, "Holy shit. Holy shit! What... what does this even mean? I mean, are we safe? Are the kids safe? Are you safe?"