Mafia Heir

Chapter 6

Charlotte

When Luca's driver dropped me off at my apartment, I walked up the stairs like a zombie. I was tired and hurting, and the only thing that sounded good to me was curling up in my bed and drowning my sorrows in cheap wine and rom-com movies. What the hell had happened in the last twenty-four hours. How was this my life? All of it seemed like an awful dream, and I knew I needed to sleep it off. After a nice, hot shower, that is.

The lobby of my apartments was pretty quiet for this time of evening, which was unusual for a building of its size. There were about three hundred units in the building and mine was on the twelfth floor. Wanting to avoid running into anyone and having to make small talk, I decided on the stairs. I was so exhausted that it felt like climbing Mt. Everest, and I was ready to collapse by the time I got to the top.

As I fumbled with my keys, my new phone buzzed. I felt silly when it startled me, but I was on edge about everything after the last twenty-four hours. My mother's face flashed on the screen. I knew she would be worried sick so instead of hitting ignore like I desperately wanted, I accepted the call. It took me a second to figure out as this phone was much higher tech than my previous one. It looked like I'd be spending my night figuring out all of its features.

"Hi mom." I said, letting myself into my apartment which felt uncharacteristically small after spending the day at Luca's mansion. It was hard to believe everything had seemed just as I left it. It felt like I had been living in an alternate universe today, so when everything was normal, it was a shock. Like I had fallen down the rabbit hole or something.

"Char, thank God! We've been trying to reach you all day. I'm just sick about the gallery. It's all over the news! You weren't there, were you?" Her voice sounded tired, and I knew she must have been terrified all day trying to get in touch with me. Guilt swept over me. I hadn't even considered news of the break in would be on the news.

"No, I wasn't there, mom." I lied. "I stayed with a friend last night. I'm so sorry I didn't call you. I didn't realize it was going to be all over the news and my phone was dead." Smashed actually. By the man who drugged me and kidnapped me.

"Well, of course, it would be all over the news! All those paintings stolen and those men... They were found dead! Thank goodness you weren't there, sweetheart, who knows what might have happened." Little did she know I was, and something did come very close to happening. Although I had Luca and his friends, or whoever they were, to thank for that.

"I know. I'm glad too, mom."

"How was the opening?" She asked, hushing Noah and my dad asking questions in the background. It had been almost two months since I had been back to Jamestown to see them, and with the way things were going, maybe a trip back home was exactly what I needed. A little time away might do me some good.

"The opening was great. I sold my first painting, first two actually." I grabbed the bottle of wine out of my refrigerator and poured myself a hefty glass. If ever there was a day I needed this, that day was today. I was such a mess of emotions.

"Sweetheart, that's wonderful! We are so proud of you! Josh, she sold two paintings last night! Yes two! Dad says hello and he's so happy for you." The excitement in my mom's voice made me smile.

"Thanks mom. Will you guys be around this weekend? I was thinking of driving up." I was already mentally planning my trip. My heart desperately needed a little pampering time and I knew my mother would give me just that. I hadn't talked to Jenni but if the gallery was a crime scene, I was sure we wouldn't be able to be open for a few days. This would be perfect timing.

"Of course, honey. We would love to see you. We don't have any plans at all this weekend, except Noah is starring in the school play Friday night! Could you make it for that?"