Mafia Queen

Chapter 10

Sophia's P.O.V

My heart skipped a beat at the thought that this woman knew my mother. Then she could tell me some stories of her.

"How?" I simply ask in a cold tone.

"We were best friends in high school," she patted the spot next to her and I made my way next to her sitting with my legs folded.

"She was this bright bubbly girl, a nerd too, she was being bullied by some mean girls. I beat them up and we became besties. She helped me with my homework and I taught her some self-defense. She got into a different college than me and we parted ways. One night she called me and said her boyfriend was having a rage fit downstairs, that he had been abusing her," her voice broke and tears were running down her face.

"I asked her where she was and when I got there he was gone. I took her in with me for three years. Teaching her how to fight and shoot guns. She wasn't the same bubbly, naive girl, she was tougher and closed off, but I could see right through her, she was heartbroken and scared. Then one day she met your father. It was the first time I saw her laugh with someone other than me," she looks at me and I see the sadness in her eyes.

"They got married, they had you and four years later Zuri. I was there for both births, I was always at you guys' house. You and Enzo played together all the time. The week your parents were killed I was out for a mission," she looked blankly at my wall most likely replaying the memory.

"I wanted to surprise her by coming back early, I got in that night and when I came to you guys' house, the door was busted down and there they lay, Sarah and Andrew, your parents. Pools of blood were around them. I ran upstairs searching for you girls but you weren't there, I cried my life out that night. I was sick for two whole days. I tried to find you, baby," she rests her warm hand on top of mine and reached her hand up to wipe a tear on her face.

"My hacker tried to find you but when nothing came up I thought you guys were dead. We searched for 8 years. I gave up. Then when I heard the name Sophia Russo something sparked in me. When I located you with Antonio I wanted to kill him. He was the same man that abused your mother. She told me his name but he fell off the face of the earth. He changed his name to his middle name," she explains.

She cries and apologizes that she wasn't there earlier and that she didn't reach out sooner. I comforted her for two hours, I gave her my mother's pillow and she hugged me. A motherly hug, something I craved for years.

That warmth and protectiveness only a mother can give.

I locked my door behind her and thought about everything.

Antonio abused my mother and me.

The woman downstairs was my mother's best friend.

My mother was just like me.

Broken.

I was sobbing on the floor as my body shook. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I broke down. I never cried about my parents' death. I put on a brave face for Zuri all the time but I can't anymore.

My outfit was now wrinkled and my eyes were puffy. I calmed down and just silently cried. My body ached for release from the torture my mind was putting it through. I decided to just take a bath.

I popped some Xanax that was in the cupboard while filling the tub just to calm me.

I stripped my clothes and relaxed in the water. My head went under and I just lay there thinking.

The was a knock on the door but I didn't want to get up. I was relaxing. The door opened and a muffled scream was heard. I felt my body being lifted out of the water and a robe being wrapped around my naked figure.