Mafia Betrayal

Chapter Fourteen

Charlotte

I tried to keep myself busy in the kitchen to take my mind off what I'd just seen, but it was hard to focus on anything else. Layla and I ate alone, and I was hoping to get upstairs and go to sleep before having to face Luca. I wasn't sure I could ever face him again, especially without seeing that picture in my mind. Layla sat at the table playing with her doll while I cleaned up dinner.

"Hi angel."

The blood in my veins turned to ice at the sound of his voice. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as he came into the kitchen and sat down at the table next to Layla. I glanced away the second he tried to meet my eyes.

Thank God, he was alone.

"Hi daddy! Look what mommy got me today." She held her goggles up proudly. Swimming was pretty much the only thing on her mind, and the only way I could get her to be good for the rest of our shopping was to bribe her with pink princess goggles.

"Wow!" Luca admired, knowing exactly the reaction she wanted. He was already getting to know her so well. "Those are really cool! Are you going to try them out tomorrow?"

She nodded excitedly.

"Are you ready for bed, sweetie?" I asked, ignoring Luca's presence. It was nearly impossible to do, though, when I felt his watchful eyes burning into me with every move I made. My cheeks flushed with anxiety.

"I'm not tired!" Layla protested, picking up on the slight break in my resolve. I swear she had some kind of sixth sense about that kind of thing. She always seemed to throw her tantrums when she knew I had already had enough.

"Layla, listen to mom. You won't be able to swim tomorrow if you're tired." Luca looked at her sternly. His support surprised me and, had it been another time, I may have been thankful for it. Right now, all I could think about was getting as far away from him as possible.

"Okay, daddy. Will you come tuck me in too?" Layla insisted, and I prayed he had other things to do. Didn't she know I was trying to get away from her father?

Luca agreed, promising to be up in a few minutes. Layla and I went upstairs, and she was surprisingly compliant, climbing into bed. It only took one book for her to yawn and rub her tired eyes, signaling it was time to turn out the light.

"I love you, momma." She smiled up at me and I kissed her tiny forehead.

"I love you too, baby."

"Goodnight, daddy! I love you!" She turned to the door, where Luca stood leaning against the doorway watching us. I had no idea how long he'd been there watching us.

"I love you too, Layla." It was coming easily to him now. The first few times she said it, I noticed he hesitated, unsure of how he should respond to her. If I wasn't so flustered with him currently, I might find it endearing.

I kissed Layla one more time on the top of her head and flicked the lights off. Hoping to continue avoiding Luca at all costs, I rushed into the bedroom we were sharing, shutting the door behind me.

I wasn't surprised in the slightest when I heard it open behind me, but it was worth a shot.

"Can we talk?" He said with much more softness in his voice than I had expected. Talking hadn't really been our strong suit lately. It either ended with him threatening violence or me running from his office after watching another woman give him head. None of those sounded appealing to me right now.

What scared me most though that out of all of those options, the one that bothered me most was the last—the thought of him with another woman.

I turned to face him but didn't answer, not trusting what might come out of my mouth.