ARELLA (A Mafia Story)

Twenty-Nine

Freya

The second the front door opens I know Damon and my boys are home safe. I can hear them taking off their clothes and shoes, leaving them in the foyer to be burned.

I jump off the couch and rush to where they are. The instant I see Damon, I jump into his arms. He presses me to his chest while I wrap my legs around his waist.

He smells like sweat and blood. Not caring about any of that, I press my lips to his. Grunting, Damon holds me under my ass and leans into my kiss.

When I pull back, I see his face contorted in a wince. "As much as I love holding you, beautiful, I'm in pain."

Shit. I forgot about his chest. Jumping out of his arms, I look towards my sons. Andrea has two black eyes and Gianni's covered in blood. They look like they've been fighting some damn wolves instead of human beings.

"Are you okay?" I walk to Andrea first, cupping his cheeks to get a better look at his face.

"I'm okay, Mama. They got a couple good hits in, but only one of us is hanging by chains right now." He shrugs, brushing aside my concern.

"Go into the freezer and grab the peas. After your shower, ice your face. Okay? It'll help the swelling. You're far too beautiful to let those bastards mess up your face." His cheeks turn bright red at my words.

These boys can't take a compliment from their Mama. Laughing, I turn to check on Davide. My usual sweet boy is caked in blood. It sticks to his shirt, arms, face, and pants. I don't even want to talk about his shoes.

"Don't take one step further into this house. You're going to get blood everywhere. Strip down to just your boxers and leave your clothes there. Including your shoes, Davide." I tell him.

He groans and looks down at the shoes in question. They're one of his favorites. Why he would wear his favorite shoes to go murder somebody is beyond me. That's a mistake on his part.

"Strip, all of you. Finish taking off your clothes so I can burn them." Just because the police are on our payroll, doesn't mean that we can get away with murder.

With enough evidence even the mightiest can fall. The last thing I need is the police on our ass. Not all officers can be bought. Some are really in it for the justice.

While the guys strip, I head upstairs to check on Arella. She's been asleep in our bed with Cerberus since I left the room. That's not how I find her, though.

I find her on the bed, playing with the dog. He's smartly keeping her from the edge of the bed and play wrestling with her. These two should be asleep. Clicking my tongue, I grab Arella and set her on my hip.

"Daddy and brother's are home. Do you want to go see them?" I ask, already knowing that she'll want to see Damon.

The baby shrieks with excitement and claps her hands before pointing to the door. Tickling her side, I whistle for Cerberus to follow, and head back downstairs.

Damon's eyes light up when he sees our daughter. Chest now bare, he reaches over and takes her into his arms. I see a flash of his reddened and raw knuckles. Rolling my eyes at the sight, I scoop up the guys clothes and start our fireplace, tossing them in to burn.