The Mafia's Stolen Daughter

13

Stefano Romano

I just got a call from one of my men, they found my daughter at the border of California state with two Russians: Zach and Natasha Petrov. They just so happen to work for the Russian Mafia.

Being part of the Italian Mafia has its perks but it also has it's downfalls. My daughter Valentina is still gone and we haven't been able to find her. The bracelet we gave her was deactivated awhile ago and we have no way of knowing what she looks like.

I remember that awful day as if it was just yesterday.

After taking picking up the copies of our new family photo, we all went home for dinner. Laura made risotto and we had dinner after putting Lorenzo and Marina to bed.

Valentina wouldn't stop crying so we put her in the high chair as we ate dinner.

"Puoi mettere Valentina nella sua culla? Pulirò qui," says Laura. (Can you put Valentina in her crib? I will clean up here)

"Si, piccola." (Yes baby)

I take Valentina to her crib, singing her a lullaby until she falls asleep. I kiss her on the forehead and went to our bedroom.

The next morning we woke up to no crying of our little baby. We went to her nursery and our baby was no where in sight.

We looked everywhere but Valentina was never found.

I take a break from my office and walk over to the living room and see my son Lorenzo and his friend Tyler.

"Yo Tony, have you seen Aubrey lately," Tyler asks Lorenzo.

"Nah, why do you care?" my son asks.

Apparently my son doesn't like this girl. "Who's the girl, Tyler?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Her name is Aubrey. Aubrey Valentina Simpson, sir."

"Aubrey, you said?"

"Ya. She is really kind and beautiful. She just moved her two months ago but then she disappeared. It was probably her stupid 'parents," the boy answers, saying the word 'parents' in air-quotes.

"Why do you say parents like that?"

"Well because they aren't her parents. She says it's complicated but they look nothing like her. And they're Russian or something, Sir," Tyler answers.

"Cazzo!" I yell. (F^ck)

"Honey what's wrong?" my wife, Laura, asks.

"What else do you know about this girl Tyler," I order.

"Well she has green eyes, looks a lot like Kacy and Isabella, and lives in the bad part of town. Now that I think of it she looks like you Mrs. Cartwright. Sorry, I'm getting off track. I think she is being abused Sir, and I wasn't sure so I was going to talk to Aubrey. But then she disappeared," he answers.

I swear under my breath, pulling out my phone to call my men.

"Ty, I think you should go," says Lorenzo.

The boy nods. "Okay Antonio, See you later Mrs. and Mr. Cartwright."

My wife smiles. "How many times do I have to tell you, call me Gabriella. "

The boys smiles in acknowledgment and leaves. He doesn't know about our world. Everyone calls us by our fake names but when we are alone we call each other our real ones.

My name is Stefano but I go by Daniel. My wife is Laura, she goes by Gabriella. Lorenzo and Marina are called Antonio and Isabella. Venice is called Kacy and Rosé is called Faith. My youngest is Luca but they call him Romeo. It's all quite confusing but it's the only way we can stay in America to look for Valentina without getting ourselves killed.

"Father, what's going on?" Lorenzo asks.

"I have reason to believe that Aubrey is your sister and she is leaving the state borders. The Russians have her and we are finally close to finding her once and for all," I say before I'm interrupted by a phone call.

"Boss. We lost them but they are heading North East. We are getting Matteo and André to a hospital. They shot at us but the girl is in the trunk," my second in command says through the phone.

"Okay, thank you Francesco."

I let the rest of the family know what is happening before going to my office, trying to activate Valentina's bracelet. I stopped trying 15 years ago, but that was before I had a good hacker on my side.

After a few hours of messing around with the system it starts beeping. It worked.

It actually worked.

"She's in New York!" I yell in happiness.

My daughter is coming home soon.