Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mafia's Runaway And Pregnant: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

AsherThe meeting is arranged quickly. Calling Adriana was the first hurdle, because as soon as she heard from Camila, neither of them could talk between the shouting and crying. It took longer than expected for her to convince Jonah to escort her to my mansion.Evidently, he’s not as sold on seeing Camila in person as Adriana is. I suspect seeing her is a reminder that his way failed, and not because he was unable to protect her. It makes me respect him a lot less. But this isn’t about him.The meeting was supposed to start ten minutes ago. But for the last fifteen minutes, Adriana has clutched Camila in her arms, alternating between crying and chiding her.“I thought you were dead!” she sobs for what seems like the millionth time.Smiling indulgently, Camila pets her hair. She catches my eye, and I give her a look. We’re running short on time here. She fixes me with one of her own that tells me to relax. But it’s hard for me to do that.Especially because Jonah keeps tapping his pen

AsherDAYS LATERI’m torturing a lot of people these days.It’s not something I love, though violence has a special place in my heart, much as I’m loath to admit it. I was never so naive as to think that taking over the Bratva from Yannick would be a bloodless venture. But to have to create precise suffering for my enemies is different than a battle for my life.The upside is I’m quite good at it.“Did you think that betraying me would end well for you, Mikhail?” I walk around my former brigadier, where Mila has tied him to a chair. The ropes cut across his tan, long-sleeved shirt, digging into his stocky muscles. The constriction is enough to leave his limbs numb without doing permanent damage.I’d hoped we’d snag one of my defectors, but Mila surprised me by capturing one so quickly. She spotted him when he was ordering a hot dog from one of the many carts downtown and stalked him until he was out of view of anyone who’d care before she knocked him out and carted him back to my plac

CamilaIt’s nice to have the freedom to explore the gardens. Ever since being back, I’ve noticed there are fewer guards lurking around. Asher mentioned defectors. Perhaps that’s why it’s so barren now.Wandering the rows of lush roses that hang, ever resilient, against the onslaught of winter brings me solace. But a cage is still a cage, even if you can see the sky.What am I supposed to do?Asher has made his goal as clear as ever. It’s changed very little from what it started as. Yes, he wants Yannick dead. He also wants to dismantle his sordid business like he did years ago. Both are noble things, especially once I think about the poor women forced to work in the brothels. Are all of them marked with tattoos like Mila?Strolling around the curve of a water fountain, I notice the stream has been shut off to make sure the pipes don’t freeze. I wish it was still running at full force now. I’d have liked to sit on the edge of the smooth stone, listening to the bubbling water.I’ve alwa

CamilaThere’s a stranger in the house.I lean over the railing near the staircase to get a better look. Blonde hair down to her hips, a fur-lined ivory coat that doesn’t hide how thin she is. She’s shorter than me; I can tell because she’s standing next to Mila and barely reaches her shoulder. Small. That’s the word I’d use to describe her. Not only in stature, but also in how she presents herself.I’ve seen beaten dogs who shake less.“Come on, Madison,” Mila says, her tone gentler than normal. “Asher is upstairs.”She’s here to see Asher? Intrigued, I remain where I am on the stairs as the pair get closer. Mila sees me, her eyes going from wide to narrow. Madison, who has been pressing close to Mila like she’s a source of comfort, stops short at the sight of me. The young woman can’t be older than eighteen. Her face, unlike her thin body, has the roundness of youth.“Did you need something?” Mila asks me with an edge.Ignoring her, I smile kindly at Madison. “Hi there, I’m Camila.”

I don’t know what wakes me up. I only know that the darkness I’m staring at isn’t the familiar wall of my own eyelids. Everything shifts around me. Slowly, I recognize the ceiling, the walls, and the moonlight filtering through the gap in the drapes.Asher is breathing evenly beside me in the bed. It’s a comforting sound. I rock sideways to hug him, eager for his presence to lull me back to sleep. The slope of his nose and strong chin glow in the starlight through the window.And that’s when I see it.Someone else is standing over him.In the diffused light, Madison’s hair looks like cloud vapor. It drifts from side to side as she hovers over Asher with something clutched in her fist. Something sharp.Time is sluggish; it takes decades for me to draw enough air into my lungs.Madison strikes downward. I scream simultaneously.Asher’s eyes pop open. In a blur, he shoots his arm up, snatching Madison by her thin wrist just before she can touch him. Grunting, he twists his body, wrenchin