Catching The Girl (FIRST BOOK COMPLETED)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

Eric burst out laughing. Nicole really was funny. Mafia? He chuckled.

 

“That was a good one!” Eric managed to catch his breath and say, then he cracked up again.

 

“Eric.” Nicole said calmly, her expression hadn’t changed.

 

“Oh, God! That was really funny, I didn’t know you had a sense of humour.” Eric said between chokes of laughter. He laughed louder and harder and almost lost balance.

 

“Eric. Stop.” Nicole tried to keep her temper in check but she just couldn’t take it and slapped Eric across the cheek.

 

“Wha- what was that for?” Eric asked, he immediately stopped laughing and his cheek grew red.

 

“I was not kidding.” Nicole said, gritting her teeth.

 

“Y-you weren’t?” Eric looked at her. He had guessed right. No! He couldn’t accept it.

 

“No Eric, I wasn’t. Why would I joke about something like that? I am part of the family. In fact, my father was the capofamiglia or the boss.”

 

“Like a G-g-godfather?” Eric wondered how he was able to speak. When he heard her say mafia, he had been convinced she was joking only because he was scared she might be telling the truth. Now, by one look at her he could tell that she was dead serious.

 

“The mafia is very different off screen, Eric. No one except the members of the family really know the truth. The mafia is nothing like what you know. Movie makers don’t care about what is real, they only care about the audience response and the money.” Nicole looked disgusted.

 

“Oh.” Eric didn’t know what to say.

 

“Ed was the sottocappo or the underboss, his right hand man. He became a second father to me when he took good care of me when I was smal. Not that my father didn’t. He was a very devoted and loving man when it came to his family. But he didn’t have much time for me, he was always busy.”

 

“So I’ve heard.” Eric muttered, immediately regretting it.

 

“By family, I meant, my mother, brother, Ed and I. The rest, well one thing was right in the movies, once you are inside the family, it is very hard to get out. Not unless you want to face... consequences.”

 

“I am sorry that movie makers have depicted your lives wrong for money.” Eric said, sounding stupid but sincere.

 

“It is okay.” Nicole must have read his expression as pity since she also said, "We are happy that they do not know how it actually is. That could ruin us all.”