Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas)
The phone rang almost immediately and lifting it and seeing that it was Angelica calling him back, the coldness in his eyes eased away.
“Hello?” He asked, hope growing inside of him.
“Hi Daniel, I’m so sorry for missing your calls, I have my hands filled in here and I know that it’s too much, but could you come upstairs, please?” She begged him.
Hearing her plea, Daniel turned around and stared at the building, his brows drawn together. What in the name of trouble was she doing in here? He did not have a good idea about this, but in the end, he walked into the building.
…..
What Daniel first noticed was the bright vibrant colors and then the noises from disturbances aka children. While Daniel appreciated having a grandchild to carry on the legacy of his hard work, it didn’t mean he appreciated the company of a swarm of them. He liked them when they were all grown up, and could think and produce results.
Hence, Daniel looked like a stranger in a foreign country when he stepped into the spacious hall and it was chaos everywhere. The children were crying! Some were running helter scatter while the care providers chased after them. Some of them were kind enough to settle down and play with their toys. However, the ratio of the crying and unruly children was much higher than the “sensible ones”.
And it was in the middle of the chaos that she saw Angelica, she had two toddlers in her arms and they weren’t the best because they were crying at the top of their voices and she looked distressed. No wonder children were a pest to society.
Before Daniel even knew what was going on, his feet already took him to where she was.
“No wonder you missed my calls, it’s self-explanatory.” He said with a bit of criticism in his tone.
“Daniel!” Angelica said, “I’m so sorry!” She began to apologize while also dealing with the children in her arms. “I’m running low on staff currently and I should have canceled on the date. However, I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t want you or something.”
“You want me?” He grinned, exposing his white teeth. The strict appointment with the dentist finally paid off.
Angelica’s jaw dropped open when she realized the weight of her words and thanks to that distraction, one of the kids slipped from her arm and nearly fell if it hadn’t been for Daniel. His movements was swift and he caught the child on the arm before lifting the baby so he could take a good look at her.
“Jesus, thank you!” Angelica breathed in relief. It would have been claustrophobic if the child sustained injury. How would she relay the news to her parents?
“You’re welcome,” Daniel said without looking at her, all of his attention on the ugly thing that was now staring back at him, gripped with the shock of the fall. However, as if the switch was flipped, the child’s expression distorted and the next thing, she cried out at the top of her lungs.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Daniel pointed a finger in her face and boomed “Silence!”
The child stopped crying, looking startled and Angelica’s face palmed mentally. Daniel just provoked her, her cries would be worse now. But contrary to her thoughts, the baby didn’t cry rather she reached out and grabbed Daniel’s finger pointed to her.
“Hey, let go.” Daniel tried to pull her hand off but the little nuisance was stubborn and held onto it further. If anything, she smiled at his attempt to pull free.
“It’s not funny,” Daniel was serious and tried to pull free but the little devil clamp her tiny fingers around it and wouldn’t let go. She even had a laughing fit even though he has no idea about what was hilarious about his finger being held hostage by her.
And while this was going on, Angelica watched the drama with a smile on her face. Perhaps, he wasn’t so bad after all.
Realizing that the little devil was not going to let him be, Daniel stopped struggling and let her take his finger hostage. But that freedom lasted until the toddler started pulling his finger in the direction of her mouth
Noo…..
Trial Of The Gods
After the incident where the toddler nearly sucked on Daniel’s finger, Angelica made him wash his hands for hygiene’s sake since he was around children and anything could happen. He obeyed while the toddler who he had come to know as Pamela clung to him.
It was strange, while the adults ran as far away as they could from him out of fear, this toddler was active and attempted to climb all over his body as if he was a damn ladder. Didn’t they say children have keen senses and would cry whenever they’re close to an evil person? This baby must be a strange one if that was the case.
She was annoying and while he would love to tie her up so she could stay a place, he didn’t dare to expose such a thought in front of Angelica. Come on, people, he’s trying to woo a woman here and wanted to be on his best behavior.
Hence, Daniel had to endure Pamela’s disturbances because she had taken a strange liking to him and wouldn’t even go to Angelica without breaking out in shrieks.
“You know….” Angelica started, “If you were with a wife, I would say look out, you might be experiencing a child soon.”
“What?” Daniel frowned.
Both of them were seated at a table while the other children were supervised by the available staff. There was a kid’s cartoon playing on the television that gripped most of their attention and there wasn’t as much ruckus as earlier. Although some parents had arrived to take their kids during that time, there were still more left.
Angelica said to him, “There is a superstition that children are a blessing and when one of them weirdly clings onto a stranger, that means the person is expecting. But then, I guess the superstition is wrong considering you don’t have a wife. Bless her soul.” she made the sign of the cross
“You know about my wife?” Daniel asked, surprised. Well, he shouldn’t be. Anyone willing to go on a date with him should not expect flowers. She was wise to do her research.
…..
“I know you didn’t treat her well.” Angelica pointed out, her gaze holding his as if daring him to refute it.
“Those were hard times.” He said.
“That’s not an excuse, Daniel.”
“You don’t know the full story.”
“That still doesn’t excuse the crime. You should be in prison for domestic violence,”
Daniel hesitated when she spoke and he asked, “Why agree on the date with me then if you know that I am a monster that hits women?”
“You said I should hear your story, remember?” She told him.
Daniel looked around, “So I guess our date is taking place here?”
“Sorry,” Angelica gave him an apologetic look, “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen next time.”
“And there will be a next time. That sounds hopeful.” Daniel had a grin tugging at the corner of his lips at the prospect of another chance.
“Sure, another date.” Angelica thought of compensating him that way. She leaned closer, “So now tell me your story.”
Where was he going to begin? Daniel had no idea and now that he actually thought about it, his life story was lengthy. He might even bore her out.
“It all started…..” Daniel started from the beginning and that included telling Angelica about his childhood and discovering that he was a member of the Luciano family after his father cut ties with his grandfather.
He told her about his determination to take back his rightful place in the family and that his cowardly father had easily given up simply because he was scared of gore and death. He shouldn’t have taken away that choice from his children.
Daniel told her that his efforts were not appreciated and instead, he was always compared to his brother, Albine. He narrated his mistake that led to his brother being murdered by his vicious uncle.
From there, Natalie came into the picture and of course, everything was narrated from his point of view. Daniel told her about the sacrifices he made for Natalie and she did not return his affection. Perhaps, he was cursed or something since the people he loves, don’t love him back.
Throughout the story, Angelica listened with rapt attention and never for once cut in or judged him even when he acknowledged r*ping Penelope and leading to the birth of his son, Lukas. His greatest gift, at least until, he grew up and didn’t turn out the way he wanted him to be.