Mafia Connections

Thirty Eight

Viktor's POV

"Where is she?" I ask as I burst through the door.

Seven hours since I spoke to her. A lot can happen in that time frame. Alexander looks grim as he walks towards me. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and his hands are covered in blood.

"She locked herself in the poolhouse about four hours ago. Rose and Gus are in their bedroom. Oliver took the kids down to the town to get them out of the house" He explains.

I sigh "Has she eaten?" I always worry about her. The last few years I managed to get her eating three meals a day again but when she got upset I struggled to get her to cooperate.

He shakes his head "We had breakfast while we were out and I left some stuff outside the door but she hadn't touched it last time I checked"

I turn to Artie "Help him. I'll go get her"

What actually happened, I would get from her. But only if she was ready to share.

The pool house was quite small but was furnished with a sofa bed and a few basic things like a TV and computer.

I knock on the door gently. Peering through the glass panel on the door but I still can't see her.

"Princesa?" I shout through. I see the pile of blankets on the couch stir and a smile appears on my face. "Come on. Let me in!"

Her movements are stiff as she walks over. The blanket is over her head and covering her face as she holds it around her shoulders. She unlocks the door and I step over the plate of food at the door to get in. I'll get her to eat that in a minute.

She walks away from me and sits back down on the couch. I sit beside her and carefully move the blanket off her head. She doesn't move to stop me. She doesn't even react.

"Hey" I say as she doesn't even seem to notice me "Want to tell me what happened?"

She tenses up "Don't talk to me like that. I'm not fourteen anymore. I can handle this"

I frown "What are you talking about?"

"Everyone. They act like I'm still a child. They either saw or heard about what happened when Elliott died and just expect me to be like that again. But I can do this. I'm fine" she says.

Her stare is unfocused and roughly in the direction of the TV that's not turned on. I reach out for her hand but she pulls away "I can do this!" She shouts. She's focusing now. On me.

She looks terrified. She looks like what she's so scared of being. A child.

Her bottom lip quivers and her eyes fill with water "I.. I can do this" she stutters.

And then she breaks down. She rests her head on my knee and starts sobbing.

What happened to her? What broke my princesa?

Whatever it is, or who it is. They're going to pay.

"They're dead Viktor. Angie. Rob. Isaac. They're all dead" She cries "Matthew is an orphan. And it's my fault"

I scowl "How? You weren't even in the house?"

She sits up and puts her head on my shoulder instead. "I should have left them. At least in prison they were alive"

I take her face in my hands and rub her wet cheeks with my thumbs. "No. You are not blaming yourself for that" I look into her eyes and frown "It's not that is it? Something else is wrong"

She gulps "Rya was in the house. Isaac died protecting her. I couldn't even thank him for making sure that I sure my baby girl again"

"Did she get hurt?" I ask.

She shakes her head "Do you think that we've messed up? She's three years old and she was a foot away from somebody being shot in the head"

I smile "That's what happened with me. Do you think I'm messed up?"

She doesn't smile but I see that it cheers her up slightly.

She knows me well enough to know about the issue I have with food. She bites her lip "I tried eating it. I really did. I just can't keep it down. Even the thought of food right now makes me feel sick"

I sigh and look into her eyes again "Why are you lying?"

She frowns "I'm not"

"You are. That food out there hasn't been touched" I frown "So why did you lie?"

She looks down "Because I don't want you worrying about me"

"I was worrying about you when you were crying down the phone" I say.

"I'm sorry!" She shouts "I deal with things differently than everyone else! I just need some time of being calm"

I sigh "You have an hour. Then I'll be back and I'll bring dinner with me. You will eat it"

I stand up and walk back out. I'm not sure why I was annoyed with her. She was upset. So why was I mad?