"Nonna, ma che fai qui?" I say surprised to see my grandma Olivia in front of my club, especially at this late hour. (Grandma, what are you doing here?).

She never visited my clubs before, she never asked and she never liked hearing about it. I didn't even realize she knew the address.

"Perché sei qui, Nonna? È tardi e fa freddo," I keep talking taking off my suit jacket and throwing it over her bony shoulders. (Why are you here, Grandma? It's late and chilly).

"Avresti dovuto chiamarmi se avevi bisogno di qualcosa," I continue rattling doing the best I can to avoid her scolding eyes. (You should have called me if you needed anything).

"Per favore, dimmi che non porti ragazze piccole nei tuoi club," she bluntly says and I look into her eyes for the first time. (Please tell me you don't bring small girls to your clubs).

"Nonna, di che cazzo stai parlando?! I lash back at her but that fires back like thunder in a stormy night. (Grandma, what the fuck are you talking about?).

"Watch your language, Raffaello Giacomo Capozzi!"

I laugh at her cuteness but that doesn't tame the anger she has.

"Perdonami, Nonna," I soften my voice pulling her in a hug and planting a kiss on the crown of her head, for which I have to bend my head and flex my knees.

She is an elegant, petite woman, slim but feisty still, and unfortunately, she has become smaller every day in the past years.

She's the only family I have left after Grandpapa passed away and I care for her more than I care for myself.

I turn her around and we take the way to the back of my club, the second entrance to the facility. I don't want her to cross the entire club while we go to my office, it's not a place for Nonna.

I'm guessing she must have something important to talk about since she has come all the way here, so late in the evening.

"Sit here, Nonna," I show her the armchair facing the two-seat sofa once we are inside, and she quietly sits, slowly, leaning the weight of her body on one hand holding my forearm, and placing her purse on the floor.

"Grazie, caro," she says grateful for finally sitting down. (Thank you, dear).

"Do you want something to drink, Nonna?" I ask her while walking towards the bar and filling a glass for myself.

"No, caro. I know you'll be busy here so I won't stay for long," she says, placing gracefully her hands on the lap and locking her eyes with mine in an intense stare which makes me suspect some not very good news.

"Tutto bene, Nonna?" I ask in an awkwardly shivering tone. (Everything alright, Grandma?).

The silence she chooses takes my anxiety to a whole new level, drying my throat while my legs are uncontrollably shaking so I throw the booze down my throat hoping it will work.

"A... si, Io... sì, naturalmente. Ultimamente sono andata dal mio dottore e..." she starts but stumbles middleway, my anxiety being walked over by a rage which I'm very aware I have to control.

I stand up from the sofa and kneel on one leg in front of her, grabbing her elegant hands with mine, tenderly, encouraging her to go on but words stubbornly refuse to form.

"Nonna, whatever it is, we'll solve it. I can bring you any doctor you want, any motherfucker brilliant doctor on the planet and we'll solve this," I tell her and my voice shatters when tears fill her beautiful amber eyes, spreading a sweet smile on her lips.

"I only have three months left, caro," she replies as if she knows already that my plan won't work. (dear).

"Che?! Who the fuck said that?" I curse between clenched teeth, refusing to believe the obvious. (What?!).

"Raffa, listen to me. I checked a second opinion and a third opinion, I've done everything needed to be sure before telling you," she fights me back, cupping one of my cheeks and planting a kiss on my forehead.

She has always been sweet and kind to me and the motherfucker never returned it.

I'm not the type of sugaring and pampering people or situations and sometimes I even wonder how the fuck some can be kind to me or even stand around me.

Because I'm anything but kind.

"Enough of this, Nonna. We're going to find a good doctor and that's it," I decide giving her no chance to speak back.

I decide to put an end to this tearing bad movie scene and I snap on my feet, helping Grandma to stand up in the process and fetching her bag while we make our way to the door.

"Andiamo, Nonna," I tell her caring little to not at all about her protests. (Let's go, Grandma).

"Where are we going?" she asks, giggling like a child as if she hasn't given me the worse fucking news which anyway, my brain refuses to process.

"To my mansion. I have a surprise for you," I reply walking her out of the club through the same door we've come in earlier and we both get into the car waiting for us outside.

She didn't ask anything else during the trip home. She just kept sitting on the back seat next to me, to the furthest point possible, glaring out through the window and patiently waiting to arrive at our destination while I kept checking on her from the corner of my eye hearing my own breath in my ears and thinking that the only mother figure I ever had in my life was about to leave me... for good.

She always knew her place, quiet, patient, waiting to be given but never asking for care, love, or attention although she gifted me all of that love whether I needed it or not, if I asked for it or not.

I slide closer and wrap her shoulders with my right arm pulling her closer while I plant a soft kiss on her left temple. She stirs with a sob as if pulled out from a sleep.

"Nonna, I'll ask Fabio to search for another doctor tomorrow," I whisper to her while she lets herself engulf to my chest and her aura of kindness and gratitude feels soothing although I'm not the one to deserve it. (Grandma).

"Caro, I've had a long life and survived almost everybody in my family. You're a man now and hardly need my care. I'm at peace with it, Raffa. I've lived long enough to see you where you are today and I'm so grateful I've had this chance. I'm okay, Raffa. Just let me be closer to you for this period I have left," she replies and I fucking hate this wisdom she spreads all the time. I despise it so much because it ravishes me l, making me feel small and reminding me of the cold-blood motherfucker that I am.

I choose not to reply. I'm not the man of many words and she'll have to do what I say eventually.

And I wouldn't know what to say anyway but I make a promise to myself that Nonna will not be alone even for a second of her life from now on.

We soon arrive at my mansion, surprisingly waiting for us with all lights on like it's a fucking Christmas tree and I immediately know something is going on.

I get out of the car, staring like an idiot as if this is the first time I see my house.

"What is going on here?" Grandma asks when the driver opens the door for her, having the same astonishment on her face.

"Well, Nonna, I'm afraid that this is your surprise," I mumble and smile, remembering Tiffany and being sure this is her doing.

As if my shock isn't strong enough, guess who's running out of my house acting like the gates of heaven have opened together with my coming home.

"Raffa, I swear to everything I have Holly, this little devil you've brought in the house is yours to keep and handle," Fabio speaks loud making his way towards me and I swear I have never seen him struck in despair as he is right now.

I laugh, a heathy laughter you don't hear from me very often and while I keep laughing, flexing my knees and pinning my hands on them, I realize that my life has been way too dull, way too dry and I've forced people around me to the same darkness I've felt comfortable in.

I hear Grandma giggle as well and damn, it feels good.

"Raffa, she keeps turning on the lights in the house and if you turn them off, she's walking like a ghost all around the house, turning them back on, one by one," Fabio complains and I swear, he winning, making me laugh even harder.

"You're still laughing. Well, next time answer your damn phone, and don't let others solve your shit!" he shouts and twists on his heels walking to his car and driving away with the strongest squeak of wheels I've ever seen.

"Fabio..." I try to stop him, knowing very well it's useless.

Now I know that what we've been missing in this house is someone who has a bit of life running through the veins and it seems this little girl I've found is exactly that, at a perfect moment.

"Cazzo..." I mumble wiping my tears and shaking my head. "Come, Nonna. Let me introduce to you the surprise I've been talking about," I say, trying to recover my heartbeats and breathing.

I grab her hand once she is next to me and we both walk into the house, eager to find out what has happened here and equally anxious because... You never know these teenagers.

"Don Capozzi, per favore scusaci se ti abbiamo chiamato troppe volte ma..." Donna Anna tries to explain almost shaking, carrying a red face and some popped-out eyes, hardly controlling her breath. (Don Capozzi, please excuse us for calling you so many times, but...).

She's as old as Nonna but still holding strong and taking care of us every day, but it seems that now, a teenager in the house is a bit more she can handle.

I wrap an arm around her shoulders and plant a kiss on the top of her head.

"Non preoccuparti, ora sono qui, me ne occuperò io," I reply taking the load off her shoulders and entering my house with a cocky walk. (Don't worry, I'm here now. I'll take care of it).

I lie you not, finally this house has life in it and even if I don't seem to enjoy it, deep down I feel finally human, still alive and not some ghostly demon rummaging on this earth filled only with danger, revenge, and death.

"Tiffany! Tiffany, dove sei?" I call her from the depth of my lungs once I reach the wide open space of the hallway which is the core of the mansion, shoving my hands in the pockets and shifting from one side to the other. Impossible she can't hear me from here. (Tiffany! Tiffany, where are you?).

A few moments later I see a blond-haired head peeking out from the living room area. Some huge blue eyes stare at me in fear but I decide to ignore her attitude. I'm pretty sure she's overwhelmed as well.

"Ah, eccoti qui. Sono felice che tu sia ancora sveglio," I continue, and grabbing my Nonna's hand I walk both of us into the living room, pulling Tiffany with us as well. (Ah, you are here. I'm happy you're still awake).

I make both of them sit on the sofa one next to the other and my heart swells. I really like the picture I have in front of me, even if with a tense and slightly angry Tiffany and an amazed Nonna.

"Tiffany, this is my grandmother, Olivia. Nonna, meet your new protégé, Tiffany," I quickly make the introductions standing victorious in front of them, pitched proud of my new idea.

"Piacere di conoscerti, Tiffany," Nonna says and I can already see a bright light shining in her eyes which makes me confident in this new task I've found for her. (Pleased to meet you, Tiffany).

I hope that having a young presence in her life and someone to spend time with is going to brighten her days... her last days... cazzo! (Fuck). My heart shatters again at the thought.

"I know who you are," Tiffany mumbles with a threat in her tone, spitting fire from her eyes and making me raise my eyebrows surprised by her attitude.

"Really?" I ask. "And who am I?"

"You're Don Capozzi, the mafia head," she replies bluntly.

"And that means..." I tried her.

"That means you kill people!" she rushes to accuse and damn... I was wrong. She's not the little shy and scared bunny I've thought she was. She's quite feisty, cazzo. (Fuck).

I frown my eyes and take a menacing vibe just to see how far her daring nature can go.

"And which people did I kill, little Tiffany?" I ask, bending closer to her face and staring right through her eyes, feeling her breath on the tip of my nose.

"Raffa..." I hear Nonna saying, trying to make me keep my anger at bay.

There's no anger, I swear. Actually, I mentally smirk to see her already protecting her little protégé.

"I... I don't know, but you..." Tiffany stutters and here we go. Her feisty self doesn't seem to be so... feisty.

"Well, that being settled, don't throw accusation again," I conclude and straighten my back, feeling victorious in front of a merely small threat.

"Do you have family, Tiffany?" Nonna asks curling her finger around the young girl's hands which lay numb on her lap and I turn around to fix myself a glass of whiskey, knowing very well it's the moment to let her take over.

"No... I mean I do. My father is still alive but... I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him for ten years," she replies.

"And who raised you?" Nonna continues.

"My aunt... my mother's side. She passed away last year and... her boss gave me a room to live in... and a job..." Tiffany mumbles and I decide to stop her torture of explaining her pitiful life.

"So, my proposal is simple, Tiffany. You don't have a place to live, at least a decent one, and we have plenty. Nonna lives alone in her home and you'll be moving in with her. Not for free, of course. You'll be around her, help her, spend time with her, and during this period, you'll go back to school and complete your studies. If you're good enough, you'll go to college and you'll work for me for a period of ten years, to pay your debt," I lay on the table the plan I have for her.

It's a good plan. She is one decent, smart young girl who can turn out into a very faithful employee and most of all, a very pleasant presence in Nonna's life from now on.

"So, what do think?" I ask.

"What will I do? What will I work?" she asks assessing her options, which I like.

"Killing people," I bluntly say in a joke and she frowns her eyes at me, throwing daggers.

"Raffa!" Nonna scolds me. "You can choose whatever you like to be. My grandson has many businesses, I'm pretty sure you will find something to like," she instantly changes the tone while explaining to Tiffany what actually I should have explained.

The young girl shifts her glare from Nonna to me and then to Nonna again, evidently weighing her options and once her decision looks clear, she proudly lifts her nose, locking her eyes with mine.

"I don't think I want to be part of your businesses, Mr. Capozzi," she says without stuttering.

"Don Capozzi," I impose. "And that's totally your decision. A stupid one, but it's your decision. You can go upstairs and change in the clothes you've come here with. I'll take you back to dump shit where we've met," I decide and finish the glass getting ready to leave back to my club after I drop her.

"Raffa, aspetta," Nonna rushes to intervene and turns around to face the girl. "Tiffany, you won't be living in here but in my house. And you won't have to work for my grandson if you don't want to. You are my protégé and my grandson will respect everything I decide, non e vero, Raffa?" she seeks my approval. (Raffa, wait). (Isn't it true, Raffa?).

I puff and pretend to disagree. Aren't I a motherfucker?

"Raffaello!" Grandma says anxious about my delay.

"Hm... not exactly what I had in mind, but..." I try my luck.

"Go and get dressed, Tiffany. We are leaving for my house tonight," Nonna rushes to decide a second only after my "but" and guess what? Feisty little vixen Tiffany jumps on her feet to rush upstairs and get ready while Nonna smiles, happy to see her protégé quite boosting with joy.

"Grazie, caro," she says standing up and lifting on her toes once she's next to me, planting a kiss on my cheek. "She's wonderful," she declares. (Thank you, dear).

"I'm glad you like my surprise," I reply and pay her back the kiss on the top of her head when suddenly my phone buzzes with a notification.

I pull it out from the inside pocket of my suit jacket and slide the message to the right, anxiety raising once I see a notification from my favorite writer, the second notification for this evening, and that's a first.

My lovely readers, I'm gonna have to let you know that I'll be taking a longer break from writing here. Final exams are coming plus a project I've been always dreaming about. Don't be too angry with me. I promise to get back here as soon as I can. Cheers! (Smily-fucking-face)

"Cazzo!" I curse once I read the news and let me tell you, my reaction is not only something to surprise me, but to worry me as well. (Fuck!).

When the fuck did I become so soft and stuck in this tear-jerking silly romance story written by the fuck knows who?

~~~~~
Dear Reader, thank you for being here. 🤗