Saved by the Mafia (BOOK 1)

CHAPTER 22

Amber

I just told Maddox everything. Our feelings for eachother. The moments we've shared. When I saw him in the dungeon Some of my past.Our agreement. His nightmare. My nightmare. The fear. We are sitting on the floor side to side.

He looks at me while he sighs.

"Love is complicated at times. Life is hard in general. If you truly feel for him then you will have to learn to accept who he is. I understand you have been hurt so you have a reason to feel fear when facing any type of danger. But ask yourself child, is he really a threat to you? Before today has anything happened to make you fear him? It was a stressful day for both of you, of course you will both feel a little sensitive. Now, you fear him which is a result of your past but have you wondered how he feels? He almost never opens up to anyone and Amber, he has never opened his heart as he has to you. Sweetheart, it is hard but you must look past your own pain because I am sure he is suffering even worse right now. You feel frightened, he must feel absolutely shattered. He is not weak but I know he must feel quite vulnerable right now."

I know.

"I do think about him and I feel guilty but no matter how hard I try, my mind is back on survival mode."

"Then stop using your mind. Listen to your feelings. Your head is telling you to stay away because he represents danger. Yet, your heart is telling you to go look for him."

"How do you know exactly what to say Maddox?" He chuckles.

"Experience child." He sighs and I see his eyes hold love, longing and sadness.

"I know what it is to have problems with the person you love. I used to have a wonderful wife, may she rest in peace." He turns away from me and seem to be remembering a past far away.

"We met each other at a diner. I had gotten off from work and went to get some dinner. That night I met her, she was my waitress. The moment I saw her I just knew. She made me feel something I had never experienced before. I built up the courage to ask her out and she thankfully accepted. We dated for a few years and I eventually asked her to marry me. She made me happy, the best thing that had ever happened to me. We had two beautiful daughters as the years passed. Katelin and Catherine." He stops for a moment.

"One night I went out to the store to grab some groceries. As I walked out I saw some men killing another one. I didn't move and they saw me. I ran as fast as I could and I thought I had lost them so I went back home." His fists are clenched tightly.

"If I hadn't been so stupid maybe... they wouldn't have killed them." I see a tear fall from his eye.

"It's my fault." He grabs his head and begins speaking to himself.

"I'm so stupid." I grab his hands to stop him from hurting himself.

"The only ones who are responsable are the men who did it." He looks and me and gives me a thankful smile.

"I think you can guess what happened right?" He wipes his face.

"We went to sleep and in the middle of the night the door was bust open. Before I had a chance to do anything the men charged into my room and grabbed both my wife and I. They took us to the living room and brought us to our knees. They brought my daughters down as well. They shot all three of them in front of me." He stops once more.

"They were cruel men who only enjoyed others suffering. They took me and held me as a prisoner and had their fun torturing me. Eventually they forced me to deal drugs for them. I hadn't wanted to, I wanted them to just kill me. The only reason I accepted was because they threatened other peoples lives. Then, one day a young man came to help. Alessandro saved all the prisoner and myself. I had nowhere to go and the only choice was to give up or to try and make their death mean something. Alessandro helps many people and I decided staying with him was as close I could come to making the world a better place." I want to cry. I see the love he has for his wife and daughters, the complete opposite from my father.