Mafia Casanova - M. Robinson Page 0,56
it.
Memories of our childhood made itself known. The boy I had grown up with. The one who’d protected me. Confided in me. Stood by my side. He was in every year of my life. I’d never imagined he’d turn into this monster, this demon, this violent man who put his hands on me while holding a gun over my heart.
Had he always been this way?
Was he trying to seek revenge for always being second to Romeo?
Hurt me?
Embarrass me?
Break me until there was nothing left for him to ruin?
I thought about all of this in a matter of seconds, minutes, hours…
I didn’t know. It all tumbled together, forming one big cluster of what-ifs, and where did we go from here?
Should I leave him?
Raise Naz in a broken family?
He didn’t deserve that. He was a good boy, the best boy; he needed his mother and father together. I wouldn’t raise him to believe love didn’t exist. I’d seen what divorce could do to children, experienced it with friends. They weren’t the same. Something inside of them changed, and I wouldn’t do that to Naz.
He was a victim in all this.
My mind spun.
I wanted to scream.
To run.
To hide from the truth staring me right in the face.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything…
When we heard, “Mama!”
My petrified stare flew to my boy.
“Mama!” he yelled again, running into the living room in his pajamas.
I didn’t hesitate for one second; I hurried over to him and picked him up. Not looking back once, I hauled ass out of the house into the garage.
Placing Naz into the passenger seat of my SUV, I ordered, “Naz, get into your booster seat for me, please.”
“Mama, what happening?”
“Nothing, baby. Just please get into your seat and buckle up as fast as you can,” I pleaded, trying to make my voice sound calm when I was freaking out. I opened the garage as Tristian stormed out.
“Eden!” Tristian banged on the window, bringing both our attention over to him.
His eyes went from me to the lock on the door. Instinctively, my hand hit the lock before he could open the door.
“Eden! Unlock the door!”
“Mama! What happening?” Naz asked, his voice sounding like mine.
“Baby, please put your seatbelt on.”
“Eden!” Tristian banged on the window; he was going to break it.
With a shaky hand, I turned on the ignition. Throwing my car into reverse, I got the hell out of there.
Tristian didn’t back down, continuing to bang on the window until I heard a sickening cracking sound.
“Don’t do this! I’m sorry! Eden, I’m sorry!”
“Mama! I scared, Mama! I scared!”
“It’s okay. I’m here, Naz. We’re almost out of the driveaway.”
Why did it have to be so damn long?
“Eden! Stop the car and open the fucking door!”
“Mama!”
With each bang of Tristian’s fist against the window, it mimicked my rapid thoughts, my shuddering core, my crushed heart and soul. He chased us down the driveway; it was hard to speed out of there, the design of our driveaway was too narrow, and I couldn’t hit the gas as much as I wished I could. Until I was finally able to throw the gearshift into drive and hightail it down the street.
Leaving behind Tristian.
Our home.
The one I had made us out of so much hope and possibilities.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“Every villain is a hero in his own mind.” —Tom Hiddleston
Eden
Only when I had driven a few blocks with no sign of Tristian following me did I dare to take a deep breath. Did he even realize what he’d done? Did he understand what had just happened? I shook my head. Even if he ever did, it would be too late. I wouldn’t be able to trust him again.
Not when Naz’s life could be at stake.
I drove to the first place I could think of, and in less than ten minutes, I was pulling into my parents’ driveway, seeking refuge in the house I had grown up in.
Naz was crying; I couldn’t stop him from crying. I wanted to break down myself. Quickly, I unstrapped him from his booster seat and ran awkwardly toward the front door, clutching him against my chest. I still had a key because, in the words of my father, “This will always be your home.”
“Dad! You here? Dad!” I screamed, unable to control my voice. “Dad!”
“Eden, what’s going on?” he questioned, darting into the foyer from his office.
He took one look at me and grabbed Naz out of my arms, immediately calming him.
Great. Now I was a bad mother too.
I stood there in a