Mafia Daddy’s Faithful Little by Mary Potter

CHAPTER TWO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raymond

It’s been a week since Maddy got into the Mafia.

I was genuinely happy for her. She was the first woman to ever get into the group after the removal of the founder. My happiness came more from the fact that she finally got to attain her dream and my quick initiation into the group wouldn’t be slap in the face anymore.

Three months ago, Ethan had talked about me joining the Ross Mafia. At first, it sounded like a good idea. My best friend was the head of the group. The Mafia would also aid my business, pushing my sock company to the world out there.

I have been making socks for the past three years now but only the people of Leevens bought from me. It was time to become more. A problem arose when, a month ago, my application was approved faster than that of my fiancée.

Maddy claimed it was because they didn’t want a woman in the group. I had to spend the next four weeks, trying to make her see that she would still be accepted into the group. Those old men couldn’t tell how much she adored and respected the Ross Mafia. If they could, they would have stamped her application as soon as she submitted it.

The second problem I had joining the Ross Mafia came from my mother. She couldn’t believe that I had betrayed my father. Mr. Greg Baxter was a man who clung to his ego. I couldn’t make choices if they were bound to bruise his pride.

However, there was no going back. I had made a choice and my father would have to live with it. Although I suspected the old man was coming back to Leevens town to give me a piece of his mind, I knew he would never have done that if Mr. Coast was still alive.

“What do you think about this, Ray?” Ethan was asking, holding up a sleek blue jacket so I could see.

I nodded, sure that anything we picked from the store would look perfect on my friend. We were shopping for his wedding and Ethan appeared really excited to be doing that. I didn’t want to ruin his mood by telling him my father was coming to town.

“Are you okay?” he said to me as he handed the jacket back to the store attendant, studying my face and probably expecting to get an answer from it.

I feigned a smile and hoped he would buy it. “I’m fine, Ethan.”

“You don’t look it,” Ethan insisted. “Are you having problems with Maddy? Aren’t you glad she is with us now?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. It’s okay, Ethan. My sad face shouldn’t ruin this shopping.”

He was about to say something again when the store owner arrived and asked that they meet in his office. His name was Jacob Lay, one of the wealthy friends of Ethan’s late father. Purchasing from this store was almost like purchasing from a place owned by the Coasts.

“Hey, Ray,” Ethan called me. “You wanna come along?”

My answer would have been in the affirmative if something had not caught my eyes outside the store. I hurried to the floor-ceiling window, trying to be sure I had seen it correctly. Of course, there she was, staring at me from the other side of the road.

“Ray?” Ethan was now beside me, staring out with me. “Is that…?”

“She is the one,” I breathed in frustration, not believing it was another day to deal with this woman. “It’s Naomi.”

“What’s she doing here?”

I had no idea. Naomi waved at me from where she stood, wearing a smile that annoyed the hell out of me. I had warned her to stay out of my life.

“Excuse me,” I said, heading out of the store.

Ethan stopped me before I could walk out, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, buddy. Be calm.”

“I need to know why the hell she is back in Leevens,” I told him. “And I’ll be calm.”

As I walked out of the shop and made for her, I wasn’t sure that I was going to stay calm. There was no reason for Naomi to be here. I had made sure of that. I visited her three times a week. What more did she want?

“Hey, Raymond,” the red-haired woman greeted as soon as I got to her.

“Are you stalking me?”

She seemed offended by my words. “And why would I do that?”

“Why are you here, Naomi? Someone might see you.”

Naomi’s smile vanished, replaced by a sad look that made me wonder if I had done something bad. What could have been my offense? What could have made Naomi travel through two cities to come to see me in Leevens? She could have called. I had given her my home number.

“He needs to see you more.”

I gritted my teeth. “I thought we talked about this. Maddy is getting suspicious. She has been asking about where I travel to every week. I need to stop seeing the two of you until she gets over the suspicion. You can always call me, Naomi. You have my number.”

“That’s not it, Ray.”

I frowned. “Then this is about what? Money? I pay you every month, Naomi. That’s enough for you and Derek.”

The lady shook her head, breaking into tears. I didn’t know what I had said that hurt her. Of course, she had asked that I pay her every month so our secret would stay hidden. It wasn’t as though I had said something that wasn’t true.

“You need to stop crying,” I growled at her. “You’re going to make a scene.”

“You’re too blind to see it, aren’t you? You can’t even sense it!”

“Naomi, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She wiped her tears and looked at me straight in the eyes. “I’m dying, Ray. I’ve only got six months to live.”

At that moment, I knew Naomi Dunham wasn’t shitting me.