CHAPTER EIGHT
Sawyer
Listening to Emerson tell me how he feels is making me feel better. I know exactly how I feel about him, but I was worried that I would scare him off if I told him.
“I want to be with you. I was worried about telling you that. But now I know that you feel the same things for me that I feel for you. And River loves you. So what I’m saying is I want to be with you. I just worry that you might change your mind about a ready-made family.”
“You need to know something about me. My da isn’t my biological da. He adopted me when I was three. Just because River isn’t my biological son, doesn’t mean he is not my son. I feel it in my heart. My da told me that same thing when I was little. That it didn’t matter that I wasn’t his blood. I was in his heart. And he’s never made me feel any different from my siblings. Not once. And that’s what River will feel.”
I launch myself at him and hug him. “Thank you,” I say as he laughs.
“Okay, now that we have that done, there’s more we need to talk about.”
“Okay…I’m listening.”
“The one thing my Zio Enea needed me to tell you is that no matter what I tell you, it has to stay in the family. If you have questions, you can always ask me. But it has to be around family only.”
“You’re making it sound like you’re the mob.” She laughs.
I look at her and smile.
“We are. My Zio Enea is the head of the Chicago Mafia. Before him, it was his father and his father before him. The only difference is that my zio is the first here in America. Before that, they were in Italy and Ireland.”
“Whoa. Wait. You’re serious? Your family is mafia? Are you mafia?”
“Well, we all are. Every one of us are part of the Chicago Mafia and the Cimaruta MC.”
“Wait, MC? I’ve heard of them too. They’re bad people.” I frown.
“All of the people you met last night, did any of them seem like bad people to you?”
I think about it for a minute. “No. But?—”
“There is no ‘but.’ The stories that people talk about are sometimes exaggerated. But I will be honest and say that they’ve both started changing their ways. About nine years ago, Zio Enea and Giacomo Bastianini came together to do more good for the town and the city of Chicago. Giacomo is the president of the MC and like my zio, he’s taken over from his papà. The Cimaruta originated in Italy and Ireland too.”
“Did they all know each other back in Italy and Ireland?”
“Some of them did. I know that my Antín Graínne and Caitríona Bastianini grew up together. But they lost touch and then reconnected here in Chicago.”
“How awesome is that, to know somebody for that long. And to be apart and just pick up again. I love that.”
“How are you with being part of my family? I know it’s a lot to take in, but they’re all good people. We love hard and protect every person that we love. No questions. You and River have that now. A family that loves you unconditionally. And no matter what happens to you, you have support. You can call any of our Lake Renegade family and someone will come to help.”
I can’t help the tears that are falling. Everything that Emerson’s saying is what I’ve wished for. I always hoped that my family would come to me and say they were sorry for abandoning me. But at some point I realized that it would never happen. Finding Emerson and his family has helped my heart feel whole. It feels like I’ve been with them for years and not days.
“Thank you. I wish I could think of better words to explain how grateful I am for you. And for your family. I told myself that River and I would always be okay by ourselves. But these last few days I’ve realized what we’ve been missing. The smile on his face is so much bigger and brighter when he’s with the family. So knowing we’re now part of the mafia and MC? It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I feel safer.”
Emerson pulls me to him and holds me.
“I’m sorry you went through so much as a child. My biological father was horrible too. He abused my mama, physically and mentally. I don’t remember a whole lot of it, but I do have a few memories. She took me and ran when I was three. We ended up here in Chicago and she got a job at the Mancini Grill. That’s where she met my da. From the moment they met, he protected us both. When my bio da showed up and threatened us?—”
“I’m thinking you’re going to tell me that he’s not around anymore.”
Emerson looks at me and nods. That thought scares me a little, but at the same time? I feel like that’s what should’ve been done.
“But knowing that he can never hurt my mama again? It’s okay with me. As good as the families are, they still take care of some problems the old school way.”
“Meaning they will kill if they have to?”
