Mila: The Godfather (Unholy Trinity Book 7)
Mila: The Godfather: Part 2 – Chapter 54

MILA

“Save all your dances for me.” — R

When I was ten, I went for months without talking to anyone who weren’t my sisters. Everyone in my household ignored me. That was per my father. “If she won’t speak, don’t speak to her,” he’d said. What no one understood was that I kept to myself and made myself invisible so my sisters wouldn’t get hurt. It’s not that I didn’t want to talk. It’s just that I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, too afraid of what the consequences would be.

Father was the one who instilled fear in me by not only using his fists but also humiliating me by pointing out my flaws to anyone who was willing to listen. So, I spent every waking moment hiding inside four walls since what waited for me outside the walls of my room was just too frightening and painful. For both me and my sisters.

I only got to wander outside the confines of my room when my parents were away, and even then, his guards were everywhere, and they were just as scary as him.

It’s not like I missed a lot. I really didn’t.

The Parisi mansion never felt like a home to me or my sisters. It felt more like a cage, one meant to not only keep us in but to degrade us. Make us feel less of a human and more like possessions.

It never felt like this.

Like Riagan’s home.

Warm, cozy, and I sure can feel the love and respect I have for him.

That is also new to me.

My father’s men followed him out of only fear, but I already can tell that Riagan’s men followed him out of loyalty.

The distant sound of Bruno’s barking steals my attention as I make my way down the stairs. After falling asleep in his arm last night while listening to the strong beat of his heart, I woke up alone this morning. Except for a flower—Riagan’s favorite— and a lone, yellow sticky note on his side of the bed. I couldn’t help but smile when I noticed he wrote down a fun fact about shrimps and where their heart is located. A fact I already knew, but I appreciate his effort. It made my heart happy to know that he tries to not only understand me but to enjoy the same things I do, even if we’re both so different from each other.

He also wrote that he was going to be out half of the day on business but that he would see me later today. I don’t know which business he was referring to. The killing bad guys business or his other business ventures. The legal ones.

I didn’t give that too much thought and decided to take his note and place it inside a music box that sat in the room’s vanity.

Something about his note felt familiar, but I couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Normally, not knowing something would bother me until I had the answer but not today.

Today, I smile more than I have in a long time and focus on the joyful feeling in my chest, wanting to savor it and not let go of it.

Back home, I always tried to look at the bright side of things when waking up in the morning. I had my sisters, I was healthy, so what if my happiness was fleeting, never lasting for long? Other people had real problems, right? Sickness and poverty.

Some are homeless, and I had a roof over my head, so I should be grateful, right?

I reminded myself of all the things I did have, and then I would smile.

I would smile even when it felt forced.

Even when smiling hurts.

Not today, no.

Today, I woke up in bed alone, and I still smiled from ear to ear and not once did it hurt. My smile wasn’t forced. It was a genuine one, like all my smiles since he came along.

To say that I was living in a fairy tale would’ve been too tame of a word.

I felt warm and protected, and, for the first time in an eon, happy. Well and truly, completely, and wholly happy.

It was an odd feeling.

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something to go wrong.

Except, it hadn’t.

I was happy.

It was like being in a different universe.

After waking up, I took a shower and went in search of some clothes. I was going to put on one of the sundresses Riagan packed for me from the beach house, but then I stepped into the walk-in closet and was struck by what was inside it.

One side was all his.

His clothes and shoes.

Then, there was the other side— one I assume was mine.

There were countless rows of shoes, from high heels to sneakers. Most of them were white without designs.

I smiled at that.

He remembers I enjoy painting them.

There was a section with baseball caps in every color.

No one has ever done something like this for me except for my sister, Kadra, but apart from her, no one has ever paid attention to my preferences and quirks.

He does, and he spoils me.

I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed all kinds of dresses, from elegant to boho styles.

All beautifully unique.

What made my heart skip a beat was how neat the closet was. No dirt and no mess.

And every single item in there was color coordinated.

I was once mocked for my aversion to germs and my OCD. Ridiculed.

Not here. Not with him.

So, after getting dressed in a simple floral pink puff sleeve dress, I headed downstairs in search of a familiar face.

Yesterday, I didn’t get to explore the rest of Riagan’s home, but I did notice it was massive.

My first impression of his place had been awe.

His place is not only massive but very beautiful, aside from those darn white walls.

I headed towards the kitchen. Giddy excitement had thrummed to life inside of me.

The kitchen is my favorite part of the house. It always has been. I am not disappointed when I replace a kitchen much like the ones I saw on the cooking channel with all those cooking gadgets.

“He did say I would replace you here first thing in the morning.” A too chirpy voice sounds from my right at the same time as two ladies—members of the staff — scurry out of the room after saying a quick hello. Maeve is seated at the counter with a laptop in front of her and a bowl of cereal.

“Hullo.” I wave my hand awkwardly while I move further inside the kitchen.

“Hi.” She smiles. “Are you hungry? The chef prepared you a plate. Let me reheat it for you. Take a seat.”

“I can do it.”

“I know you can.” Maeve says while nodding.

When I realize she’s not going to let me serve myself, I take a seat next to her chair and watch as she heats up the plate and then places it in front of me. It smells mouthwatering.

Sausage and cheese breakfast egg muffins.

Yum.

One of my top three breakfast dishes.

“Thank you, Maeve.” I whisper to her.

“You’re welcome, Mila.” she says sweetly, taking her seat.

I replace myself feeling grateful that she goes back to whatever she was doing on her computer before I walked in. Finding common ground with strangers is a challenge that has proven to be not only difficult but, at times, stressful. Somehow, with this girl, it doesn’t feel that way.

She’s comfortable in silence, just like me.

After I’m done eating, I get up from my seat and take my plate to the sink. When I open the faucet, Maeve speaks. “There’s people for that, love.”

“I know.” I clean my plate anyway. “But I have two hands, and they work perfectly fine.” After the words slip out of my mind, I realize that my bluntness may come off as rude.

Maeve laughs. “I can see why he can’t get enough of you.”

She means Riagan.

My cheeks reddened, and those excited flutters at just the mention of his name were still going crazy in my belly.

“Have you known him for long?” I ask while grabbing a napkin to dry my hands and walking towards the counter.

“Ten years.” Maeve says with a shrug.

That’s a long time.

Enough time to form lifetime bonds.

“Did you guys —” I don’t get to finish my sentence because she interrupts me.

“What? Date? Fuck? God, no. No offense, but the boss is not my type at all.”

I asked what’s been on my mind since meeting her, and now I feel silly. Does she think of me as a jealous fool? Looking away from her, I speak again. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s a valid question.” She pauses. “His father, Cathan. He… he saved u—”

“Sunshine.” The booming voice of an intruder startles us both, and interrupts what she was going to say to me next.

A familiar voice. Gus.

Gus with a slight accent.

An Irish one.

He was good at hiding it all these years. The sneak.

Turning away from Maeve, I stare at Gus or Bain, as that’s his legal name not the fake one he went by for years while he was undercover working on behalf of Riagan. “Sunshine…” he says softer now while his eyes look remorseful.

“Ah, I’ll give you both some privacy.” Maeve looks between us, noticing the change in the room and decides to leave. “Be nice, ass-face.” Maeve says over her shoulder at my friend as she exists the kitchen.

“I’m always fucking nice to my favorite girl.” Bain says cheekily.

Once Maeve is out of the kitchen, I focus my gaze on my friend, who is standing a few short feet from me, looking strong and healthy and a whole lot worried.

I could give him a hard time, but I chose not to.

Life is too short to hold grudges, that I learned.

Moving towards him, I hug him. I squeeze him tight, then I lean back and punch his arm, but it does absolutely nothing. He doesn’t even flinch. “I deserve that.”

“You do.” I snap. “You lied and friends don’t lie to each other.”

He grimaces. “Had no choice, princess. You were and still are my duty.”

I understand duty.

I also understand he couldn’t tell me who he was and what he was doing all those years by my side. He’s loyal to his boss, and that is commendable.

Huggins him once again, I whisper. “I’m glad you’re safe, Bain.” I call him by his name. I kind of prefer it to Augustus. He never looked like an Augustus to me, anyway.

“It’s so fucking good to see you, kid. So fucking good.” He breathes out.

I feel the same.

I knew he was safe. Riagan said he was, but a part of me still felt guilty that he was in danger because of me. That he could’ve been seriously hurt, or even worse, killed because he was with me that day. A tear slips while he holds me close.

“Hey, no crying. You know how crying women make me fucking nervous.” He shudders, making me laugh.

Looking up at him, I smile through my blurry eyes. He’s safe, and even though he lied, he is still my friend.

“I want to know everything.” I narrow my eyes on him under the rim of my cap. “And leave nothing out.” I want to know how he came to work for my father and how he managed to fool my sister. More than that… I want to know why Riagan planted one of his loyal men in my family. “Friends don’t have secrets, remember?”

If he had any intention of keeping the details to himself, that ends the moment his eyes soften. I’ve witnessed the things he could do with his bare hands, yet he has never, not once, made me fear for my life or made me feel threatened.

He never crossed boundaries and always made sure I was okay, even when I was still living in the hell of my family’s making.

Nodding, Bain gives me his pinky finger, something we do because he knows my aversion to unwanted touch. Gripping his thick finger, I let him stir me away from the kitchen and into the back area of the mansion.

I hesitantly wave to the first guard I see. It’s a habit of mine. I used to do it a lot when I was younger on the rare occasions I could leave my room. The only difference is that where none of the men who worked for my father acknowledged my existence, the tall and muscular man standing guard at the back door that leads to the outside area gives me a subtle nod with a small smile on his face.

Wow.

These people are not like any of the criminals I’ve met before.

These polite criminals.

Who would’ve thought it?

“Mrs. Sullivan.”

“Oh,” My cheeks redden. “That’s not necessarily. Mila is fine.”

“If I want to live long enough to see my grand babies, I better not, ma’am.”

Okay…

“Smart thinking, Pauly.” Bain says to the man before sliding the glass door that leads to the patio open and stepping aside so I can go first.

“I do not understand. Why won’t he call me by my name, and why is he worried he won’t live long enough to see his grandchildren?” I frown. It makes no sense to me.

“The boss is a psycho.”

“That is not nice, Bain.” I whip around, glaring at him. “Especially when he is not here to defend himself.” I say, as a matter of fact.

Calling people names behind their backs is rude and… unkind.

I look up at Bain and replace him smiling. “I call him that out of love, sunshine, just like he calls me cunt face. Motherfucker. A pain in the ass and a waste of—” Holding my hand up, I stop him.

“I get it now. You’re all insane.”

Bain chuckles. “Well, look at that… you made a joke.” I did? I wasn’t trying to be funny. I just said the first thing that came to mind after he went on a long rant of obscenities. “The men won’t address you by anything other than Mrs. O’Sullivan because that’s who you are to them now. This city’s godfather’s wife.” Bain says as he closes the sliding door behind him. “Also, the boss ordered them to treat you with respect or he’ll drown them in the back pool.” He adds.

“Oh…” I murmur softly.

“You’ll get used to our brand of crazy, but know this, sunshine.” He steps forward, looking down at me. “There’s nowhere safer than here with us. Me? Those men guarding every corner of this place? The boss? We would all put our lives in the line of fire for you.”

“Why?” I ask in awe of such devotion. I knew Bain would always be there for me. He proved it time and time again in the past, back in Detroit, but there’s something about him here that feels more intense. Perhaps, it’s because, here, he can be himself. He’s in his territory with his people.

Bain gently turns me around, away from him, until I’m looking forward. His touch doesn’t bring me discomfort. “Because you’re his heart.” When I’m fully turned, I come face to face with a view that robs me of air. I’ve witnessed a Caribbean sunset, the birth of a dozen baby turtles, dolphins dancing in the sea, and so much more, yet this one right here makes my heart stop with its sheer beauty.

A few feet away from us—ten feet, at most— a huge willow tree stands in the middle of the garden with a swing on it. Fairy lights adorn the leaves and the rope on the swing, and I wonder how it would look at night. All lit up, bringing the tree to life.

Beaming, I clap my hands under my chin, almost jumping in place eager, to see it up close.

Willow trees and magical gardens.

“How does he do it every time?” I slowly make my way towards the tree with Bain following behind.

“Do what?”

“Surprise me.” I reach the swing and quickly take a seat.

The air feels warm, and the sun is shining bright.

The perfect weather.

The perfect morning.

The perfect view.

That’s one word I’ve not tossed around lightly and look at me now. Lately, everything seems perfect to me.

“A man in love does that, or that’s what I’ve been told.”

Looking over my shoulder at my friend, I ask. “Do you think he loves me?”

“I don’t think so…” My heart stops, and not in a good way. But in a way that feels painful, but then Bain speaks again. “I know so.”

“How?” I whisper, feeling vulnerable. “How do you know?”

“Cause that motherfucker has been a moody and heartless son of a bitch for as long as I’ve known him, and then one night, he approached me, and he didn’t seem as cold or as detached from life. I thought he was having a midlife crisis or some shit until he gave me an assignment.” I listen carefully. “He asked me to not only take care of a girl that was part of a family he despised, but to make her laugh and to always be kind. He asked me that shit, can you believe that? I sure as fuck didn’t. Not from the man that would take his gun out if you as much as looked at him wrong.” Bain takes a long pause, then adds. “He always wanted what was best for you and sunshine, even I know that’s love.”

I take a second to process his words and let them sink into my heart.

Love.

What an odd and beautiful feeling.

I was just a girl when I first met him, and he was a man. One that was hard to forget. Apparently, he felt the same way because with just one meeting, he felt the need to protect me the only way he could.

I think about love and how it’s obvious to spot the little things the other person does.

I noticed he hasn’t touched one single cigarette since the islands.

He did that for… me?

“Bain.”

“Yes, sunshine?”

“Thank you.”

“What for?”

“For protecting me all these years and for being my friend.”

“You don’t ever have to thank me, kid.” He stands behind me and pushes the swing slowly. “It has always and will always be my fucking pleasure.”

I smile at that while holding tightly to the ropes.

There’s a ping sound behind me.

His phone.

“Go take a shower and get all dolled up, sunshine?” He says, halting the swing.

Planting my feet on the grass, I turn to face Bain. “Why?” I ask.

A grin takes over his face before he says. “The boss has a surprise for you.”

A surprise?

My body buzzes with excitement.

Surprises didn’t mean much to me before, but now it’s all different.

He is different.

Before heading back to the mansion, I look back at the enormous tree and wonder how. How did he know? I dreamt of a place like this one for myself. A place where I could escape to when the world got too loud.

The tree.

The swing.

All of it.

Not one person knew.

Not even my sisters.

All my heart’s wishes were written on letters.

Letters I sent to one person and one person only.

But it couldn’t be, could it?