The Mafia's: Bodyguards Redemption

Six: Nightmare

Nightmare

Six: Ilaria

I don’t know how long it took before the sobs stopped. What I realized slowly was that I was sitting on the kitchen floor inside this old woman’s arms as she rocks me back and forth. For some reason she makes me feel warm and safe inside of her arms. Like nothing can touch me. I pull away knowing that she is in some way related to that strange stoic man that was here. I look around the kitchen noticing that he is gone. “Bathroom?” I say my voice sounding rough and scratchy. As the woman looks at me with a worried look. She nods her head as she uses the chair to help her stand up.

I follow her into the hallway to the little bathroom. I step inside, leaving the door open as I wash my face with cold water. Looking up into the mirror I see the deep black bags under my eyes as my face is flushed and swollen from crying. I shake my head as I dry my face with the hand towel. Running my hands through my hair trying to at least look like I’m not one of the living dead. I head back out to the kitchen as I hear pots and pans banging.

As I enter the kitchen, I hear the command. “Sit.” Coming from the elderly woman at the stove. “Now.” She says looking at me. “You can call me Rosa.” She points her finger at me as she turns back to the stove. “Now I have some Arancini left over from last night. Do you like Arancini with beef and peas?” She looks at me expectantly. I give her a small smile. “Yes, Rosa.” I say as she gives me a megawatt smile nodding her head. “Good, that is good.”

I watch her work as I sip on my cold tea. My mind kept going to the man with the dark almost black eyes. “Where did the man go?” I ask out of the blue as I look over at Rosa. She has stopped looking at me with two steaming plates as she looks at me. Then it was like the shock wore off as she smiles walking to the table. “You mean my son?” I nod my head not really believing her that he was her son. They look nothing alike. “He had to take care of something. He will be back soon.” I nod my head thanking her for the food. As she sits down, she looks at me frowning. Making her forehead crinkle with wrinkles.

“Tell me Ilaria how did you get yourself messed up with the Rossi family.” I drop the fork I had just picked up and stare at Rosa. I open and close my mouth with nothing coming out. She pats my hand. “You are safe here and whatever you tell me stays between the two of us. Whether you know it or not. You have a very powerful person in your corner right now.” I gulp wondering what and who she is talking about. No one cares about me or my daughter. Not even witness protection who didn’t want me to take her into the system with me. Especially when they found out that the Rossi’s didn’t know about her. They actually told me it would be too cumbersome to have her with me. Like a baby would take too much time to take care of.

Before I tell her the hell I have gone through. I look at her hard. “Who are you, Rosa?” I ask as she smiles at me for a moment. The smile reaching her eyes as if she is remembering a life before is something special. “I’m Sister Rosa from the Cafalu Cathedral” I gasp hearing the biggest church in Sicily. I smile as I nod my head. The feeling of home and safeness that comes off of her makes me believe every word that has come out of her mouth. Not to mention all the religious icons she has spread throughout her house.

“I met Alessio Rossi at a party where I was working at bartending. He was handsome and charming. When he found out that I am a hundred percent Italian he asked me out saying that his parents would definitely approve of me. I really didn’t like that comment but I found him handsome. He made my heart skip and made me feel so special.” I say as I take a bite and moan at the flavors bursting in my mouth. Rosa chuckles as she gives me a smile. After swallowing, I wipe my mouth off with the cloth napkin before speaking once more. I see Rosa noticing and smiling at my manners.

“Anyway.” I say as I lay my napkin back into my lap. “He wined and dined me. Treating me like a princess.” I zone out for a moment remembering how happy he made me in those three months. “I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I felt so loved and cherished that after three months, when he got down on his knees. Asked me to marry him I jumped at the chance to call him mine.” I say as my smile slowly left my face as the memories of what happened on our wedding night. “That is when my nightmare started.” I whispered out feeling the tears welling in my eyes once more.