"Ehhhh, those shorts are a little short, are they not, principessa?" Alfonzo asked Sophia as she casually strolled behind me. I glanced over my shoulder just so that I could see the look she gave him. Priceless. My tiny bambina was just as sassy as her lovely madre. "Your papa should have extra security put on you just to keep the little boys away."

"You're absolutely insane if you think she doesn't already have at least five body guards plus more just surveying her every single move," I stopped walking to say.

Now it was my turn to gain an evil look, "Even when I go potty?"

I shook my head and scoffed, "Of course not."

Had I told her the truth though, she never would have stepped a foot in the bathroom again because she was like Chloe in that sense. Actually, she was just like Chloe in every single way. It was almost scary and too much to handle at times.

She let go of my hand and stopped walking before crossing her arms over her chest, "I don't believe you. Mommy says you're weird and that's weird. I believe mommy."

"Well she lies."

She threw herself into my leg and looked up at me with those big pouty eyes, "Stooooop being weird."

"What did I do Sophia?"

She perked up and laughed, "I don't know."

"I think you're the weird one."

"Forgive me for interrupting," Alfonzo said, "But what the hell are we doing today?! Shit hasn't been getting done lately."

"'Cause there's nothing to do."

"Bull shit. There's always something we could do."

"Than do something! Jesus Christ!"

"Hey," Chloe came rushing down the stairs in the shortest rob she could find. The woman had some nerve sometimes. "If you're bored you could fix my shower. It's being weird."

Weird. There's that word again.

"I'll pass," Alfonzo walked away as Chloe reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I don't like his tone," I mumbled.

"Kill him daddy," Sophia narrowed her eyes in on Alfonzo as he walked away. Her little accent was enough to make me forget about the disrespect for a moment. Her kill sounded like keeeel. Chloe never failed to point out the words I struggled with, and I never understood why she found it so damn amusing until now.

"He's not keeeeling anybody while you're around," Chloe mocked while bending over to pick Sophia up and I all but had a massive heart attack that very well could have killed me on the spot.

"Chloe Jai!" I snapped, took my jacket off and tied it securely around her waist just to add some extra coverage. I never really understood middle names until Sophia came around, and now I used middle names left and right. Sophia Angelique this, Sophia Angelique that. I, however; never once in my life said Chloe Jai. I didn't even know that I knew her middle name until now.

"What the hell?!" She shot back.

"Exactly! What the hell?! Are you trying to kill me? Put some real clothes on."

She gave me a look before putting all of her attention on Soph, "Why are you up already? It's barely seven. And who dressed you?"

"I wanted to work out with daddy before he started working."

"Well, that explains the clothes I guess," she looked back at me, "Can't believe you let her walk around the house like this though, 'cause you're freaking out about me being in a robe."

"Yeah well, she doesn't flash everybody when she bends over. And I'd rather her walk around like this now so I could whack all the pedophiles before they really try something. Not on my bambina. No way."

"Who'd try anything on her?!" She whisper yelled as if Sophia couldn't hear her. "Everyone knows that you're crazy as hell and have a thousand people on both of us at all freaking times!"

"You're so right, criceta mia." Oh, I haven't used that in awhile.

"Hamster?" Sophia asked. "What?"

"Long story. Now go do what you gotta do so we can get other stuff done later," Chloe set Sophia back down and she immediately attached herself to my leg again.

_____

"You're kinda cute, ya know that?" I asked as Sophia repeatedly punched the pads on my hands. I don't know why that brought so much joy to her life, but it was entertaining to watch.

She shrugged and really punched one of the pads hard, causing my finger to bend backwards way more than it should have, "Ow! Good one, bambina," I took the pad off my hand just as she threw another punch, nailing my bent finger again, "Ow! Stop!"

"Who knew a three year old girl could hurt The Don more than a rival mob?" Enzo barked from the treadmill.

I pretended like I didn't hear that.

"So are you like the godfather?" Sophia asked while taking her small, pink gloves off. I never really cared for the color until I saw it everywhere. "From that movie?"

"When have you ever seen The Godfather?"

"I saw Dom and Enzo and Roberto and Tony watching it, so I watched some of it too. It wasn't very good."

I was confused and I don't get confused easily.

The only time they should ever be watching a movie, is way past her waking hours, when everything is done. And how would she have seen it anyway because she sleeps in a different house with people guarding just to make sure she doesn't get out! I know they couldn't have been watching it in there because Tony wasn't allowed inside, because Chloe insisted he was some sort of evil. Someone, and I don't know who yet, broke the rules.

"And where exactly did you watch this movie, Sophia?"

"In the mafia house."

"Which one?"

"This one."

How?!

"Why do you kill people?" And there it was again, that hilarious keeeel. The kid was too cute for her own good.

"I'm not talking about this with you. You wouldn't understand."

Her big eyes turned into little slits in less than a second, and that usually meant that she had the most important thing to say, or so she thought. She got really close, "Do you do....drugs?" She whispered. It was so quiet, I almost missed it.

"Of course not! I don't know why you're even asking me. You should know the answer."

"I've seen people do them."

"Do not tell your mother that."

"Ok."

"So, I heard a rumor," I said while walking into Angelo's office and closing the door quietly behind me. I realized a little too late that he was on the phone with someone and speaking that god awful Italian language.

It wasn't bad. It was actually pretty great at times, sexy as hell too, but I hated it because I never really took the time to learn it. I don't know how Sophia picked up on it so fast. I've been here way longer than her and I could still only remember a select few words.

I walked around the desk, so that I was wedged in the small space between him and the desk and sat down in his lap. I wasn't expecting the reaction that I got, a flustered sigh. He didn't move me though so I figured he didn't care too much, or maybe he did that because of what the person on the other line said.

"Ti richiamerò." (I'll call you back)

He ended the phone call before I had a chance to hear the other person say anything, and believe me, I was listening. Angelo tossed his cell phone onto the desk, then wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned back in the chair after throwing his legs up onto the desk. "What's this rumor you hear?"

"I heard someone, and I'm not saying who, say that someone is planning an attack on the Rossi Family."

"And that worries you why?"

"Because I'm not a fan of certain people from that group."

He pulled me closer and kissed my cheek quickly, "My jealous little hamster."

"Why should I be jealous?!" I shot back, "Are you giving me a reason to and I just don't know it yet?"

"Of course not! Why would I do that? Why would you even think it? We both know I've risked my own life and other people's lives just to keep you alive, why would I throw you away like that?"

"I don't know."

"Don't say stupid stuff like that. Never again."

We sat in silence.

I didn't like silence where I had nothing to do but sit and wait it out, so I reached into the slightly opened desk drawer and pulled out the tablet just sitting there. The screen was turned on already and showing an image, a moving image. "Security camera?" I asked.

"Sì."

I wasn't surprised in the least, actually, I was glad to know this. It was reassuring. The camera was in the far corner of Sophia's room, making everything easy to see. I could see her sleeping soundly on her overpriced toddler bed, with her favorite fluffy white teddy bear, Orso (Italian word for bear) tucked under her arm.

Angelo took the tablet from my hands and set it on the desk, "I need your help, Clo," he said quietly.

"Uh oh," I said back even quieter. He never needed my help because he literally had a thousand other people to do stuff for him. Why did he need my help? "How much trouble are you in?"

"I'm not in trouble, but your family will be if you don't do something about them."

"What do you mean?"

"One of them is talking about the Family's whereabouts. I don't know who, but if it doesn't stop..."

"I don't wanna know what you're gonna do!" I snapped. Ignorance is bliss, am I right? "How do you know it's one of them? It could be anybody."

"Well, I'm not exactly on good terms with anyone in your family. They've been here no thanks to you, so they know where to tell the cops to go. I trust my people not to tell. I don't trust your family. Not one bit."

"And what do you want me to do about that exactly?"

"I want you to figure out what the cops know about the Family."

"And how do you propose I do that?" I turned slightly in the chair so that I could face him.

I saw the mischievous look on his face and started my major freak out.

-------------------------------