Claimed by the Don: A Dark Mafia Romance by Natasha L. Black

Author:Natasha L. Black [Black, Natasha L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

My mom’s progress is incredible the next few weeks. Even her physical therapist thinks so. She’s made major strides and walks with her cane most of the time, only using the walker when she’s tired.

“It’s because my daughter makes me do all the exercises even when I don’t want to,” she says, but it’s a humble brag and we both know it.

“Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. You’re going to be a graduate soon,” the therapist says.

Mom doesn’t say so out loud, but Liam is her motivation. She was determined to be able to take him outside to play in the yard and not have to wrestle the walker. After a couple of weeks of intensive practice, she managed it, and now she and Liam are outside practically all the time. She likes watching him, and she’s the one who offered to keep him a few nights so I can ‘reconnect with old friends. I think she knows what’s up with Benny and me, but she’s not asking questions. She’ll wait until I’m ready to talk about it, which is a change from when I was nineteen, and she grilled me about birth control and staying out too late.

I take Mom and Liam to the movies and out for burgers. It’s a fun night, and I’m grateful to be able to do it. I also miss Benny like crazy. On impulse, I message him after Liam’s asleep and ask if he’d like to pick me up for dinner tomorrow. I’m lying awake at night starting to wonder if I’m ready to tell the truth. To let Benny know Liam, and to let Liam know his thoughtful, loyal, protective father. I know it might cost me Benny for good, but they both deserve to know one another.

He says he’ll pick me up at six. I talk to my mom about it and she rolls her eyes like she wasn’t supposed to notice what I was up to all along. She’ll watch Liam, overnight if I want her to. I hug her.

“What are you doing, Daisy?” she asks, not unkindly. “You know this could very well blow up in your face?”

I nod. “Maybe it’s supposed to. I know what it might cost me, believe me. I just need a few more days, maybe a week. Something nice to remember in case he hates me for the rest of my life, I guess.”

“You’re putting off the inevitable.”

“I’m working on what I’ll say to him,” I say, knowing it sounds stupid.

“Just remember that Liam is the priority,” she says dubiously.

“He always has been, Mom. That’s how I got here in the first damn place.”

As I’m leaving work the next evening, Sasha calls after me.

“See you in half an hour, right?”

“What?”

“Kindergarten open house? It’s at five-thirty. We talked about it last week when the emails went out.”

“Shit,” I say, clap my hand over my mouth. “I’ve got to go get Liam from my mom. I’ll see you there.” I double check the email and see that it’s today, not next week like I put in my calendar.

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