La Principessa della Mafia

Chapter 10: Weird pt. 2

Leonardo's POV

After Aniyah had said what had happened with her cutting and everything on the day of the ball I was hurt. Hurt that she didn't trust me enough to tell me. Hurt that she cut to feel relief. I was hurt.

And when she ran away after saying people shouldn't care about her I felt a stab to the heart. She doesn't feel that she's worth dying for. She doesn't think that she needs to live her life. I feel like I failed as a parent.

After the shock ran off I wiped my eyes and ran up the stairs to Aniyah's room. I found her in the corner of her room crying with her head between her legs. I sat beside her and pulled her into me. She looked startled but soon relaxed into me.

"You know... the day I found out I was having a daughter was the best and worst day of my life. The best because I would finally have a princess, my principessa. The worst because I knew you would be a handful and become the most beautiful woman I'll know. I knew you would have all the boys waiting for you. When I held you for the first time, I couldn't help but feel pride. You were so cute and little that I was afraid I'd break you. That day I cried and promised to protect you," I said, turning to look at her. She had tears running down her face silently. Her face showed no emotion but in her eyes, you could see a tinge of sadness.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry that I was never there for you. I should have been. You've been through hell and I was never there to help you with any of it. For that I'm sorry. I know I wasn't there but I wanted to be. I want to be there now. I along with your brothers. Please just give us a chance to be there. Give us a chance to treat you like the princess you are. Please bambina."

Aniyah's POV

I looked over at him to see him looking at me with pleading eyes. I sighed. I have two options: keep being guarded and spend the rest of the time I have left with them with a grudge. Or I can finally have a family that will be there for me. It's a hard decision for me. But, I want to know what it feels like to have a father's love. Someone I can vent to when I'm having a bad day, someone who will be overprotective, and someone that will help me with my demons. I want to feel that.

"I'll give it a chance."

He looked down at me and smiled then hugged me. I stiffened for a while then hugged him back. I'm not really used to physical contact but I'm becoming a little better.

"Now. Let's talk about earlier. I know that you feel that people shouldn't fight for you. But we love you. We will do whatever it takes to protect you. If you ever feel like you felt earlier come to me and I'll help you. I don't want you cutting because it not only hurts you but all of us," Leonardo said.

I nodded to his words. He stood up and brought me up with him. He picked me up and sat me on the bed. I looked at him expectantly.

"Now. Let's get to the good part. What was that with the mafia families and Vladimir, young lady?" he asked, trying to sound intimidating.

I laughed a bit but explained how I pretty much grew up with the mafia kids and how their parents treated me as their own. I then explained how everyone thought Vladimir liked me and told him how Vladimir asked me to dance. I left out the part of Vladimir confessing and me the same. After talking and getting to know each other more I got a text. The text was saying how Daxton and my friends were going to be moving to a house about 10 minutes away from here. I told Leonardo and headed to bed.

~

I woke up three hours later breathing heavily and sweaty. I didn't want to be by myself for some reason. I left my room with my blanket and headed to the room across from mine. I went over to the bed and carefully got under the cover to not wake the sleeping demon up.