Mafia Legacy

Chapter Thirteen- Luca

I had officially run out of things to do at the house and was trying to invent things to keep myself busy while Char was at work and the kids were at school. This morning, I had spent three hours alphabetizing the books in the library. That room was pretty much Charlotte's domain. She absolutely loved it with its floor to ceiling windows and overflowing bookshelves so high that she needed a ladder to reach them. I couldn't even remember the last time I had been in it, but it was my favorite room in our house because it made her so happy. She was my real life Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I had no idea how she'd feel about my organizing of it, but I was desperate here. Who knew it was such a chore to stay at home?

Today, Char was working at the studio and I decided to take her lunch and surprise her. She had finished up a really challenging court case last week and, with everything else going on, I figured she could use a little distraction. The door was locked when I got there, and I let myself in with the key. I loved visiting this place and seeing all that she and Jenni had done with it. When Char came back, I had given them back the reins, and they had run with my idea of making it a safe space for kids to hang out. It was always full of bright and smiling faces and had even been recognized by the city with several awards for their work with at risk youth. It was a special place for both of us—where Char got her start, where we met, the thing that connected me to her when she was gone — and its success was so fulfilling. I knew that without the woman behind it all, though, it never could have been possible.

I could hear music playing in the back and followed the sound of her softly singing along. Catching her in moments like these were some of my favorites because it was so authentic. She thought she was alone and every single guard she had was let down. She was 100% herself and that was my favorite person in the entire world. I peaked into the corner and caught a glimpse of her sitting in front of a giant canvas. Her brush moved across it like magic, splashing color and personality into the blank space. My heart immediately was full, watching her in her element. It wasn't often that she painted anymore, but when she could steal away a little time for it, it consumed her. I had seen her paint probably a thousand things in our lifetime, but each time, her talent still took my breath away.

"Wow." I smiled, coming into the room. "That's incredible."

Char jumped at first, but when she realized it was me, a warm smile blanketed her face. "Hey babe. I didn't know you were coming by." She stood up and gave me a hungry kiss.

"Don't let me interrupt you. I could watch you do this all day." I grinned, snaking my arm around her waist and pulling her in to me.

"This is nothing. I was just blowing off a little steam." She blushed, but then her expression soured. "That cop has been siting outside the studio all morning."

I clenched my jaw in rage. "Did he say anything to you?"

She shook her head. "He's just trying to intimidate me, Luca. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal. I'm tired of this hanging over our heads. If they're going to do something, they need to just do it or leave it alone." I glanced out the window, spotting the undercover car a few yards away. They had a lot of nerve coming here.

"Listen, Luca..." She glanced down at the floor. "I talked to one of my coworkers this morning, one that reports directly to the DA."

I let out a heavy sigh. "I thought we decided we were all going to stay away from this."

"I didn't contact her. She called me." Char pressed her lips into a thin line. "Apparently, some officers filed to get a search warrant for our house. When she saw the address, she knew it was me and she called me."

"A search warrant? What could they possibly be looking for? This was fourteen years ago." I threw my hands in the air. So much for taking our minds off of everything.