Chapter 7

NICOLE

    Yesterday had been such a blast. Our tour, the bonding, tasting of different dish; it was so exquisite and beautiful.

I wished our day wouldn't end.

I saw an entirely different side of Raphael on the water taxi.

 

  He wanted to know all the Disney fairytales he had missed growing up. It was like I was telling a child a story. His eyes always seem to glint up and sparkle with life with each story I told him.

I truly loved that.

I was so tired when we arrive back home. The moment my body touched the soft sheets of our bed, I totally slept off.

    I'm sure Raphael must have cuddled me because I woke up in his arms. He slept so soundly.

He looked extremely beautiful. His features were all relaxed, his chest gradually heaved, his long hair was ruffled up and some strands covered his forehead. His eyelashes were truly so long and under those eyelashes peaked beautiful glaciers that held various promises and desires for both of us.

This man was truly beautiful.

I had woken up earlier than him and made sure to prepare breakfast specially for him.

I prepared an easy Nigerian dish of fried rice. I had given Sofia a list  containing the ingredients before I went out with Raphael yesterday.

  And she did me justice by getting every single thing I wanted. The look on Raphael's face when I served it to him was priceless.

I made enough with the help of Sofia who was so eager to learn it and it turned out to be a good thing because Lorenzo, Marco, Luca and Thomas came over.

  I presume they all dropped by very often. I felt flattered having everyone compliment my food.

It made me feel good of myself.

The sun was gradually setting and to say the least, today went smoothly up until now. Raphael had taken a day off to spend with me, we had strolled round his mansion and garden, cuddled, I even got him to watch Beauty and the Beast. It seemed like he really liked that fairy tale more.

But now Raphael just looked so worried and uneasy. I truly had no idea the news he got that made him look so tensed up.

  Worried lines drew on his forehead and he was always running his hands through his hair, breathing all sorts of profanities in Italian. I had tried to inquire what the problem was but he would always shun it off, saying nothing was wrong.

I definitely knew something was up because suddenly everybody in the mansion were on their toes; Aurora looked so distressed and the kitchen was buzzing with activities.

  Aurora gave commands to each staff and assigned them various duties all over the house.

What was going on?

Everybody was acting so tensed up.

It was as if they were preparing for the arrival of somebody very important.

  Somebody whose mere presence ignited fears in their minds.

"Raphael.."I called out to my distressed husband who sat in the library, studying some documents.

He looked up, his glaciers locking with my dark brown eyes as I loomed by the doorway.

He gave me a warm smile and nodded his head but I could see beyond that smile. Something was amiss.

Raphael was being eaten up by something and he didn't want to share it with me.

  I entered and went over to him. Pulling out a chair and sitting by his side, I ran my hands through his dark raven locks.

"What are you studying Raph?"I softly asked.

"Just some documents. Court documents. I have a client who is charged with attempted rape"he replied.

I gasped and he let out a laugh.

I had almost forgotten Raph was a criminal lawyer.

"Really? This is serious did your client do it?"I asked with curious eyes.

He shook his head. I gave him curious brows, "Are you lying?"

"Hell no"He sniggered.

"He was mentally unstable at that period. And now his ex girlfriend is charging him with attempted rape, when medical reports clearly showed that the young man had the brain of a child that period. He could only feel two emotions, happiness and sadness. Nothing else"

"Why will his ex be doing that to him?"I asked, astonished.

He shrugged his shoulders. "She is angry. After he got fine, he broke up with her. She doesn't deserve him to be honest. From his story, he said he found out she cheated on him during the period he was mentally unstable and he broke up. Now she is angry and trying to damage the young man's life" he completed with a sigh.

I was absolutely stunned.

The things women do for love. This wasn't even love any more, she is just clearly bittered and obsessed.

  "Raph is that what is getting you tensed?"I asked again.

He gazed at me and stole a short kiss from my lips.

  My face got flushed and I tried to fight my blush. One thing I was grateful for was that he was very touchy. Though we hadn't consummated our marriage yet but I wasn't touch starved.

"That's not it my dear wife"He exhaled deeply. "My grandfather is coming today"

  Wow. I would get to meet another member of his family. My eyes sparkled with excitement but then it trailed to his and I met his eyes cold and worried again.

What was the matter?

"Raph why are you looking so tensed? Don't you want your grand father to visit us? It's Jordan's grandfather too right?"

"No Bella.  He isn't. He is my mum's father. Not my dad's father. He was the one that brought my dad into this mafia. He is really dangerous my love.  The reason he is coming is because I stopped some of his um let me say orders in the mafia. And now he is coming to pay his dear grandson a visit. Everybody kisses his ass including my father and

my step brother, fucking cowards. I hate every single one of them"Raphael spat with fist clenching.

  I rubbed his wrist as if soothing his agitation and watching him finally relax. "It's fine Raph. Don't get worked up ok. I trust you will handle everything properly"

He gave me a smile and patted his thighs for me to come sit on him.

I stood up from my seat and sat on his thighs.

  "Tell me the story of Pocahontas again il mio amore" Raphael cooly said.

I chuckled and nodded.

I had told him this story a couple of times just like beauty and the beast.

"Pocahontas is a story of a young daughter of the native American Indian powhatan chief. It's actually based on the real life story of a native American woman named  Matoaka..."

I began my narration of the Disney movie for the umpteenth time with Raphael nuzzling and sucking the nape of my neck.

* * * * * *

  I studied Raphael with anxious eyes, as we all awaited the arrival of his grandfather.

Thomas, Lorenzo, Marco, Luca and Leila were all present. Everybody sat in the living room, discussing in low tones about Raphael's grand father.

  I suddenly found myself feeling so anxious and nervous. Whoever this man was he was surely not one to be messed with.

Aurora had prepared a whole banquet and gave several instructions to the workers on how they should behave.

  Everybody was on their edges, anxiously and eagerly awaiting His arrival.

  The huge doors made a sonorous sound as they were pushed open.

Five bulky men entered inside, each armed.

  My eyes widened and I almost choked on the air.

Raphael held my hands as we all stood up immedately.

From their midst, an older looking man came out.

He was of average height. He had pepper coloured hair and a stubble beard to match his advanced age.

An expensive cigarette was placed in betwen his cinnamon coloured lips.

  He clearly wasn't an ugly man but older.

"Raphael child!"He exclaimed as he came over to us, a smirk forming on his lips.

The aura of authority this man had was intense.

  Just his arrival got everyone tensed and worried. What manner of human could he be?

"Welcome nonno- grandfather" Raphael replied, his tone empty, lacking warmth or empathy.

"You are having guts aren't you? Andando contro i miei ordini huh- going against my orders huh?" His grandfather said with a false chuckle.

I could already feel tension rising.

Raphael closed his eyes for a brief second and opened them. "I only do what's best for my mafia"

He let out a harsh cackle.

His eyes then darted towards me and he stopped laughing.

"Who is she?"

I wanted to reply but I remembered Raphael told me not to say anything to him. I gave him a courteous smile whilst Raphael did the talking.

"She's my wife"

"What!?"He flared up immedately.

I gulped and tightened my hold on Raphael.

"Where did you get her from?"He spat. Oh God. This wasn't good.

"What do you mean by that papa? Address her properly please. I travelled to Africa and got married" Raphael explained. From his tone, it was obvious he was getting pissed off.

"Sei matto? Senza il mio consenso! Chi ti ha dato il diritto?!- are you insane? Without my consent! Who gave you the right?!" He boomed in Italian, his nostrils flaring up in anger.

I had no idea what he was saying but it clearly wasn't a good thing.

"È la mia vita non la tua-it is my life not yours. Don't tell me what to do with my life papa"Raphael retorted back with matching anger.

"Learn how to talk to the godfather properly Raphael"a masculine voice cut through the conversation.

We both whipped our heads towards the direction of the voice.

  A young tall man walked inside elegantly, hands tucked in his pockets with a sly grin on his face.

His hair was as long as Raphael's if not more. His tanned skin matched perfectly with his Auburn hair. His jawline was sharp and his lips carried a shade of light pinky hues.

He was pretty handsome. I noticed he had a cobra shaped tattoo by the side of his neck. It felt so cringy.

"How glad of you to join us"Raphael said with his tongue in cheek.

"Don't talk to grandfather in that tone"The young man repeated, this time his voice carrying a menacing tone.

"Or else what?"Raphael replied unfazed and unmoved.

This was bad. It hadn't even been up to twenty minutes since his grand father had arrived and tensions were already rising.

I watched the young man bring out a gun from his back pocket and cocked it immedately.

"Or else this"