The Mafia Rose

Chapter 9

Ivan's POV

I tried... I tried so fucking hard to make this stupid lasagne, and what happened, it smashed before my eyes. All day I had been preparing this, from the shopping to putting up with a scary old lady barking orders at me on how to make it and now it's on the floor.

"What have you done you  stupid boy."

I'm the stupid one? If she had told me the dish was hot it wouldn't be on the floor right now.

"I'm sorry but I didn't know the dish would be hot, if you had just told me..."

"Don't you blame this on me boy, a good man admits his mistake not blame others!"

God, I wasn't trying to blame you women.

"I'm sorry, will you just help me clean this up please."

She walked off mumbling to herself, probably cursing me. I didn't mean to do it, I have basically just ruined my night with Sofia, something I would never want to do.

"Here you put the broken glass in the bag and I'll clean up the food."

I could tell Rita (Sofia's nonna) was angry with me, her face was like Sofia's that night in the club, it must be an Italian thing. We was busy cleaning up the remnants off lasagne off the kitchen tiles, I didn't notice Sofia standing in the doorway.

"Well who decided to become a domestic goddess then?"

She can laugh all she wants, this was all for her.

"Laugh all you want but your the one with no dinner now."

I can't laugh either because I haven't got no dinner, everybody is going into Firenze for a meal to give me and Sofia some space, but now all we've got is ice cream.

She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Just spending the evening with you is enough for me and I saw the ice cream you brought earlier... Nutella isn't?"

I can't get nothing past this family!

"Yeah but the main is on the floor."

She gave me a small peck on my lips, her lips taste so sweet.

"I don't care after today I'm just happy to spend the night with you."

We spend the evening eating ice cream and drinking wine. Sofia loved Nutella thank god, and judging by the empty container it was her favourite.

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

After the amount of wine I've had I don't think I could walk in a straight line.

"Okay sure why not."

Legs don't fail me now.

We went down to the vineyards, the rows of grapes went on and on, I don't think I have ever seen so many grapes in one place.

"My dad makes his own wine by the way."

Classic Luca, using his Italian heritage to cover up his crimes. My father was no better, he had a huge vodka business back in Russia, nobody would dare question him about anything.

"I forgot to thank you earlier by the way."

Why did she have to ruin a perfect evening by bringing that idiot up, my blood boiled at the thought of him, the way he forced himself on her, I wanted to kill him.

"Look Sofia, I'm not very good with emotions and shit but I really like you and I would never let anybody hurt you."

I found it hard to open up my emotions and especially to the women I'm falling in love with. She stopped and looked at me, god I hope I didn't say nothing wrong.

"I really like you to Ivan."

That was all I needed.

Rachael's POV

These last few days with Luca have brought back feeling I never wanted to feel again. I did love him anyway but the passion behind that love came flooding back, he just had to look at me and I wanted to faint.

I just needed to see Ben, I had been deprived of love his love for a few days, I just needed him. I was on my way back to my house having just landed in the U.K., I felt guilty for my feeling things towards Luca but the way he acted was just like the old times were.

The whole journey in the car was just consumed with thoughts of him, I couldn't get him out of my head and I've got to go back to him once I've explained everything to Ben.

The car stopped outside my house, Luca had arranged all the transport so I was on a plane flying to New York in the next few hours.

I walked up the stone pathway to the house, I loved the house but it would never be like Italy was to me, I think it is because of all the memories I have there. I noticed a different car in the driveway, it wasn't an unusual thing Ben had different people round all the time.

I dumped my handbag on the kitchen table, Ben wasn't  insight.

"Honey, I'm home."

Where the hell is he?

I made my way up the stairs, maybe he is in the bedroom.

"What are you doing in bed and who's car is that out there?"

He looked red and flustered, if I didn't know him better I would have thought there was someone up here.

"Are you feeling alright you look really red?"

He wasn't answering me, something was going on. My attention was taken by a crash in the bathroom.

"Don't go in there."

He has basically just hung himself now. I opened to do to find my best friends Louise standing butt naked in the corner.

"You bitch, how could you do this to me?"

I ran in and grabbed her by her hair, Ben came running in to stop me, I turned and knocked him to the floor. Nobody makes a fool out of me behind my back. I dragged her down the stairs and threw her out the front door, she just kept screaming and shouting at me.

"I don't know why your so upset, your always going back to that godfather in Italy."

She was right about that, no man could compare to Luca but to have an affair behind your best friends back with her husband was over stepping the mark.

I slammed to door and marched up the stairs to that weasel.

"Why did you do it then?"

I hasn't crying or even emotional, I was angry, fuming in fact.

"You never give me any attention, your always having to sort out something for them lot even though their in a different country, you can't do stuff for me but as soon as one of them ring you you'll drop everything."

I saw red, he was disrespecting my family, the family I loved and cherished with all my heart. He had crossed the line and there was going to be no way back.

"I don't care anymore Ben, you doing this has just made me realise I don't love you, I love Luca and a man like you could never compare to him, I want a divorce, I don't want anything of yours so make it a quick one then you can get back to your little scank."

I packed all the things what were mine, leaving everything else to him. I didn't want nothing of his, I wanted to cut all ties so I could get back to my old life.

My life with Luca.