"A Don's Desire" honeyXkitten

A Loss and A Gain

There's a slight ray of sunshine peeking through the curtains down the hall. The house seems darker than usual and there's hardly any noise except for the sound of Alexandria mopping in the kitchen.

"Good morning Alexandria." I say to her as I step only on the spots of the floor she hasn't mopped yet. I grab the glass of orange juice she has ready for me on the island and take a sip. The feeling of the pulp runs down my throat and leaves a tangy aftertaste on my tongue.

"Buongiorno (Good Morning). Are you doing okay today?" She stops mopping to engage in conversation.

"I'm okay. I feel a little under the weather if I'm honest." I take my pointer finger and graze the top of the glass as I admire the cleanliness of the kitchen. The granite countertops shine against the dark wood cabinets.

"Drink up then. Vitamin C will help your immune system." She goes back to mopping in what I notice a specific pattern.

"How are you doing these days?" I ask as I notice the darkness under her eyes. She brushes a few strands of hair that is in her face into her loose bun that sits on top of her head. She turns to me and rests her hand on the tip of the mop.

"I'm doing as well as you are." A faint painful smile reflects on her face and her eyes drop to the floor. "If you need me, I'm here. I just want you to remember that." Her words soften my heart, as I know she cares. She is very familiar with mine and Honey's relationship and a lot of what it entails. How we were raised, you don't speak about your personal life: good or bad. You handle things behind closed doors, as you are not to cause a scene.

"How are your brothers?" I ask in curiosity, as I can see something is worrying her.

Alexandria has four brothers that have worked for the Giuliani family as long as she has: Antonio (the oldest), Marco, R.J., and Ralphie (the youngest). Due to their tenure and loyalty to the Giuliani family, they each manage different sections of our territory now. They ensure no other drug shipments come through our turf, as Honey does not share anything that is his.

She rapidly blinks in what appears as nervousness and begins to respond when Tony walks in.

"Are you getting paid to socialize or clean?" He says as he steps onto what she just mopped.

"Tony- don't be a dick." I say to him without hesitation. She glances at me and tries to hide her small smile.

"Excuse me, Kitten." He says with sarcasm. "The Don will be in shortly, but he has a visitor here." Tony extends his arm toward the archway that leads into the main living area.

"Padre!" I squeal in excitement as this tall handsome older man approaches me.

Padre is Honey's father. He used to be the Don over the Giuliani family, so he is still very much involved in the family business. He has salt and pepper hair that is neatly combed back and always dresses in attractive clothing such as trendy blazers with matching trousers. He has always been kind to me and treated me with upmost respect- the way I always envisioned a man treating a woman.

"My love! How are you?" He leans in for a kiss on the cheek. The smell of his cologne is heavenly. "This is for you." He brings his other arm from behind his back and offers me a beautiful red rose. The petals are soft and delicate.

"Oh for me?" I act surprised and gently pull the stem from his hand, bringing the petals to my nose to smell it's sweet scent.

"Of course you! Who else?" He smiles. His smile suddenly fades. "Who is this man?" He asks sternly, resting his palms on the countertop of the island looking around me. I glance back to see the bodyguard standing in the corner. He steps forward until he's alongside of me. I'm startled as I'm not sure how long he has been here. It couldn't have been long right? Alexandria would have said something.