Page 44 of Diary of a Mafia Princess

Dear Diary,

Breakfast today included eggs, fruit, and sexual assault.

Iwent downstairs for breakfast the next morning and found Virginia slaving away over a hot stove, multiple pans sizzling with an array of food, a blender making fresh juice, and the smell of toast curling in the air.

“Can I help?” I asked.

She jumped a mile and spun around, her eyes wide, hand clutching her heart. “Oh, child. You scared the living daylights out of me. Don’t sneak up on an old woman like that.”

I smiled at her apologetically, a fondness for her already deep-rooted in my heart because of who she was.

Dax’s mom.

I swallowed thickly. He looked like her. They had the same kind eyes, the kind you couldn’t help but fall in love with.

I’d fallen in love with Dax’s almost the moment I’d met him.

Now they were reflected back at me once more, it was impossible to ignore the warmth in my chest that kindled for this woman who’d raised him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Put me to work. What can I help with?”

She tried to wave me off, but I wouldn’t be swayed. I didn’t want to go sit in the formal dining room alone, or worse, with one of the Guerras or their goon squad.

If there was anywhere I wanted to be in this house, it was right here in this warm kitchen, with her.

My baby’s grandmother.

That choked me up, and Virginia noticed, even though she misunderstood why. “Hey now. None of that. If you really want to help that badly, you can. I imagine it gets a little boring for you, up there in your rooms with nothing much to do.”

I nodded, wiping my eyes. “It does. I’d really like to help.”

“You can take over the eggs then. Everyone will need a good breakfast.”

I took over and worked side by side with her. I wasn’t sure if I should bring it up or not because I wasn’t sure how much she knew. In the end, I couldn’t take it a moment longer. “Virginia? Did you know I know your son?”

She froze and then glanced at me. Her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

We couldn’t talk about Dax here.

My heart sank.

I just wanted to talk about him to someone. The way he’d looked at me yesterday was burned into my brain.

But Virginia had been right to warn me. There were footsteps just outside the kitchen, and people started up a conversation in the dining room. More and more voices joined, until Virginia took the spatula from my hand and shooed me in their direction.

“Go on. They’ll be expecting you to eat with them.”

I smiled at her grimly. “I’d rather eat here in the kitchen with you.”

She’d set aside a mug of coffee and some plain toast for herself.

But she shook her head. “Only the staff eat in here. You’re about to be the lady of the house. Mr. Guerra would never have it.”

I sighed, knowing she was right, but not wanting to walk out into that dining room where I’d be leered at by a group of men I didn’t know, nor had any desire to make small talk with.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, and I fought the urge to throw my arms around her. She wasn’t Dax. But she was the closest thing I had to him.

I pulled my hand away and forced my feet to walk into the dining room.

And instantly wanted to turn around and walk right back out of it.