chapter 2

Present day

"Boss we found her."

"Perfect send me her location I'm on my way."

I found you and I'm coming to get you my love. We will be together soon.

"There's something you should know"

"What is it"

"Um..."

"We'll spit it out"

"She goes by Valentina Salvatore now and has a daughter named Ella Salvatore" he says

"How olds the daughter"

"I couldn't find much in her but she looked about 3 or 4" he said

"Ok" I say and hang up

Could the child be mine. Is that why she left. But what if it's someone else's, the thought of her with anyone else makes my blood boil.

I haven't been with anyone in 4 years even though she told me to move on I never could but I did try, I just could never go through with it. She is it for me I know that, I will love her forever , but no matter what happens I could never stop loving her.

I hope she has not ether. But if she had I can't fault her she did tell me to move on I'm just a horrible listener. I hope she's ok and healthy, I wonder what she's doing.

I pack my bag with about a weeks worth of clothes, computer, and some extra cash.I get on the plane and head to Italy. I'm going to get you soon.

I was woke by my daughter jumping on my bed. This was how we usually wake up.

"Mommy can I pretty please stay home with you and not go to preschool today?" She gave me the cutest face when asking that.

"Why don't you want to go today?"

"Because I want to be with my mommy" she says

"Fine but only today" since it was my day off from work I could stay home too.

The cash I had stolen was a lot more then I thought so we still have that and are still good with money and probably could be for a while but, I like the extra money and I work and make this money.

We go down stairs still in our pajamas.

"Do you want to make pancakes?"

"Yessss" Ella squeals.

I smile down at her. We gather all the ingredients and we start to mix up the batter. While Ella is mixing and adding the blueberries I turn on the stove and butter the pan.

"All mixed up mommy"

"Ok bring your stool and batter over." I tell her

I put the first pancake in the pan and let the first side cook.

"Who's my daddy?" I'm startled by her question she has kind of asked before but never this straight forward.

"Why do you ask?" I don't know how to answer her.

"We'll all the kids at school talk about there daddy's and I don't have one"

"Well your daddy is a wonderful man and I'm sure he loves you very much" I flip the pancake.

"Why isn't he here?"

"He will be eventually" I tell her because I'm sure he will find us if not now sometime In the future.

"Dose he love me?"

"Yes, very much" I tell her because I know kade would.

"Ok" she says and shrugs her shoulders.

And that's that, she stopped asking about her dad and started going on and on about why she loved the rainbow. I made all the pancakes and set them on the table.

"Ok eat up we want you to get big and strong"

"I'm going to be as big as daddy" she says flexing he " muscles" I just smile and laugh.

We ate most of the pancakes and put the extra in the fridge. We are now watching cartoons and she is telling me about all the different characters and there special powers.

She was adorable when she would go on rants about anything especially since she would stumble over words and make no sense most of the time.

I was getting involved in the cartoon when my phone dinged. I didn't have many friends so I thought it would be Casey from my work who was kind of my friend. But what I found was startling.

Unknown: I'm coming darling

Darling kade used to call me that. But what was the point in saying it like that. Maybe it was someone just trying to scare me. I hope it's kade I know I don't want Ella In that life but I miss him so much I just want to see his face to know he's ok.

I look back down at my daughter who is giggling at something the cartoon said. I started to settle back into my seat next to my daughter when I heard.

Knock, knock, knock.

I wasn't expecting anyone, what if it had something to do with that text. Was it kade had he really found us. Even though I though he did there was still doubt in my mind.

"Ella go up to your room" I told her turning off the TV.

"Ok" she look up at me questionably but did as I said.

I check around for where the weapons where just in case. I had a bat by the boot if needed. I walked towards the door and checked the peep whole. It's him.

____

It's him.

I took a beep breath I could do this. He won't hurt me, hopefully. I open the door.

"Would you like to come in" I say, his body has gotten buffer but his face is the same and his jaw is sharper he is still as handsome as he was before.

He looked shocked that I talked to him at all. "Yes" his deep voice says.

He walked in looking around the house. Probably judging how it was decorated. He was wearing black slacks and a black buttons up shirt. He had a suit case which told me this wasn't going to be a short visit.

"Would you like some pancakes, we just made some"

"Yes, I'm famished from the flight"

"I'm sure" I don't know how I'm supposed to react.

I microwave the left overs and give them to kade.

"How much do you know?" I ask

"You've been here for 4 years, left for no real reason, and where spooted with a 4 year old looking girl, is there anything else Maria?"

"It's Valentina now, Would you like to meet her?" I ask I know she would love him right away, she has such a kind heart.

"Depends is she mine" he raises an eyebrow.

"That is the dumbest question ever, of course she is yours." I say in a duh tone.

"Then yes I would like meet her."

I walk up stairs to get Ella. I swing open her door and she stumbles out like she had her ear pressed against it.

"Do you want to meet him?" I say since we have thin walls and I know she can hear through them.

"Yes" she say sheepishly

I pick her up and set her on my hip. I don't know if I'm ready for this. But they both deserve to know each other.

I walk down the stairs and kade is turned around waiting for us. Ellas hiding her face in my shirt.

"This is Ella Maria Salvatore" I tell him.

"You took my last name" he looks shocked by that.

"We both did." I say

I whisper in Ellas ear to look up she dose and for the first time she's her dad in person.

"This is your dad kade Salvatore" I tell her

"Hi, where have you been" Ella says looking at him innocently.

He looks at me and says "I have been taking care of the bad guys before I come and get you."

"So you can stay with us now?"

"For as long as you want" he told her.

"So mommy won't be sad sad anymore, no more crying at night, and no more wishing she had help with me?"

I look down at my daughter how did she know about all that. "Honey mommy never cried about you, your my little angel." I say before kade could answer.

He answers anyway "mommy won't be sad anymore" he promises. I roll my eyes

"How about you and daddy watch some more cartoons and I will clean the kitchen"

Ella wiggles out of my arms and walks to the tv and turns on cartoons, then looking at her dad to come sit next to her.

He starts to walk away but not before he whispers in my ear "I like the sound of you calling me daddy"

I slapped him and shook my head. I went to the sink and cleaned up the dishes. We had a peaceful day watching cartoons, playing board games, and Ella and kade having father daughter bonding.

Ella was getting sleepy so I put her to bed and went back downstairs it was time me and kade talk.

I took out the wine bottle and asked kade if he wanted some, he said yes so I got 2 glasses.

"Ok we have to talk" I say first

"Yes we do" he doesn't look done talking so I don't say anything.

"What where you thinking leaving me, you took my child from me a child I didn't know about till a few hours ago. Why the hell did you leave, you could ha e gotten hurt or worse killed. I have been worried sick for the past 4 years about you and here you are all happy with MY DAUGHTER. Who keeps someone from there child!"

I hate this, his words are the reason I didn't want to talk.

"I'm so sorry, I left because I couldn't raise a child destined to be the leader of the mafia. I couldn't have my child turn into a monster, a killing machine. I had to keep you away your mafia is what made me run away. I was hoping that you would move on and have another child with someone so if you did find us she would have to take over the most important thing in you life YOUR MAFIA!" I was poised he was pissed.

"How could I ever move on from you! Your my everything. You could have told me I could have hidden you! Let me guess you've been with thousands of men!"

"I have been with no one since you" I said

He scoffs "like I believe that"

"Oh and I'm supposed to believe you."

"Your the love of my life how could anyone compare to you!"

"And your the love of mine!"

"Your the one that left me!"

"That was the hardest decision I ever made and it wasn't about me it was about our daughter!" That's the first time I ever said our out loud it was always my daughter.

"Why did you have to leave." His voice turned to begging like he thought I would vanish again.

"I can't have her in that world." I say looking down at the floor.

"So your not coming back with me" it wasn't a question he new the answer.

"I can't I barely survived your world I won't but our daughter through it."

"Then I'll stay with you" he stepped towards me and grabbed my hands. "I can hand off work to my second and do the minimal work, I will only go back if I am desperately needed."

"But people will still come after you" I whispered his hands cupped my face making me look at him.

"I'll take care of anyone who threatens you or Ella."

I didn't know what to say so I did the one thing I have wanted to do for 4 years, I kissed him.