Chapter Two

She knew the outcome of this story, it had happened so many times before over the many years she had been at this little cottage and while these stupid feuds between the Mafia Families existed it would happen again in the future. She looked down at the beautiful baby boy and was surprised to see him watching her solemnly with his milky blue eyes as if he knew what his life held for him and he was not afraid. She crossed herself and shook her head,

‘Caro Dio, mi sto spaventando un neonato, che ridicolo’ [Dear God, I am getting spooked by a new born, how ridiculous]                                                                                                                                             This little boy was special because she  had cared for his father in the same way, Alessandro had always been her favourite, a sunny child with a ready smile who won the hearts of all who met him. He rarely cried and as long as she spoke to him he would smile up at her adoringly and when he went to school he soon made friends and was a nautral leader. The other cxhildren soon discovered he had a quick brain and hated bullies, when the older children picked on the new ones he stepped in and was not afraid to use his small fists if he needed to. He did not need to do that often, he was so clever he could talk his way out of most things and would make the bullies laugh with his charm and crazy antics. His Grandmother watched him grow in confidence and learn from his mistakes, he never made the same mistake twice and his teachers adored him as much as his friends did.

She had not been surprised to receive Alessandro's letter telling her all about the pretty young woman, Gabriella, who had just dropped off their son. He had been so happy, so very much in love, it had never crossed his mind that her being from a rival ‘family’ and their deadly enemies to boot, would cause them so much trouble. She sighed heavily as she went into the kitchen to prepare a bottle for the newborn and saw sitting on the well scrubbed table the shiny invite to their wedding, Alessandro had naively thought by arranging for them to be married in a Catholic church and by a Priest it would make their families change their mind and accept them as a couple. It backfired spectacularly, instead of accepting her they were furious saying he had been trapped by the whore because she was pregnant. The trouble with that statement was it was actually true, she had been in the early stages of pregnancy with the newborn in the crib. This was why they had arranged the wedding not wanting their son to be born outside of marriage, it was still frowned upon in old fashioned Catholic Sicily. He had been ordered to get the marriage annulled but by then his new wife was showing with their baby and it was impossible to do. His family went after her , criticising everything she did, insulting her at every opportunity, bullying her into doing things she did not want to do, her life was a living hell. The only thing keeping both of them going was their love for each other that never waivered and when he discovered their plot to snatch his son straight after his birth and give him to his childless oldest sister he finally snapped and they made their plans to eun away and start afresh in another country. He could not believe his siblinigs would be so cruel, he had felt sorry for his sister she was unable to have children due to a childhood  illness that had involved removing her womb. When he approached her in secret she hadd scoffed at him saying it was his own fault for marrying that enemy bitch and the child would be far better off with her to be brought up as one of their family. Her final words had destroyed him,                                                                                                                                                 ‘If you do as you are told and get rid of her after the birth I will let you be a part of his life as one of his Uncles. You are young and will have plenty of time to marry again to one of our own and have lots of children.’                                                                                                                                                         He has walked away in disgust and they had intensfied their plans to run away, they had hoped to go much sooner than they did but her Grandmother became seriouosly ill and she had to stay to attend the funeral. They had run that night, not knowing the stress had already put Gabriella in early labourthey had been so close to escaping, only a few miles from the border and safety when their son had made it clear he wanted to be born in the same country as his parents.      

Romero Lucian never saw either of his parents again, the two families hunted them down like animals and cornered them together, when they asked about the child the couple had lied and said he was stillborn and theyhad buried him in the mountains away from their toxic families. This had enraged both fathers and the couple  had died in each other arms from the bullets of their guns. The two men had then ordered their remaining sons to bury them quickly with nothing marking their grave so they were rolled into the earth still gripping each other together forever in eternity.                                                                              Romero would learn of them from his Grandmothers knee and he knew she told him the truth, his Nonno would never lie to him she would spank himi  when he tried to lie so  he always told the truth just like her.He was happy growing up with the old lady in the little cottage, they did not have much but they did have a lot of love, she showered him with it but she knew it would not last the Mafia would knew of him and they would come for him eventually only death freed you from their clutches.