Read Online Monster: Made & Broken (A Mafia Bad Boy Romance) by Nora Ash - Free Book Online
Authors: Nora Ash
Tags: Bad Boy Mafia Romance
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childhood, even though it was so frail in my light grip now. “Yeah, maybe we can do that in a bit. I really just wanted to see you and chat for a while. I miss you.”
“ Oh. Okay.” A glimmer of what she’d been seemed to light up behind her pale green gaze, and she gave my hand on top of hers a pat. “Let’s chat a bit, dear.”
I talked to her about nothing at all, just basking in her presence and kind smile and the warmth of her hand in mine. We looked at the birds outside the window and laughed at two squirrels chasing each other up the tree trunk until the sky began to darken and I noticed Mum’s focus started to slip.
With a start I realized I’d been there for a few hours, and it was well past time I left if I wanted a chance to get out of London without risking another run-in with the city’s violent underworld.
“ Mum, I have to go now,” I said, doing my best to suppress the lump in my throat when I looked at her for what I knew would be the last time. Physically, she had aged with grace, and despite her white hair and lacking memory, she was still the same woman who had raised me on her own and given me everything she could. She was the only person I had left in the world—and I had to leave her.
“ And I’m not going to be able to come around much anymore. I have to go away for a while.”
She frowned at me. “You’re going?”
“ Yes. I don’t want you to worry, okay? I’m going to be all right.” With another glance at the dusky sky, I got up. Every part of my heart cried out to stay just a little bit longer, but I knew I had to go. I leaned over the table and gave her cheek a kiss, inhaling the scent of my mother one last time. Lavender and soap and something distinctly Mum . I wanted to remember it forever.
“ Goodbye, Mum.” I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood just to hold back the tears blurring my vision as I turned and made my way to the door.
“ Wait,” she called behind me.
My heart jolted and I turned back, a small ray of relief making its way through my depression. All I wanted was to say goodbye to her while she remembered who I was.
“ Agatha? Is that you?” Her lips spread in a surprised and delighted smile.
I smiled back and blew her a kiss before I walked out the door and closed it behind me.
It took a couple of minutes before I’d pulled myself together enough to walk away from my mum’s room and back down to the reception area.
Susie looked up when I rounded the corner, offering me a comforting smile. I took it my face reflected exactly how I felt.
“ She’ll have a good day the next time you come visit, or the time after that.”
I nodded and swallowed the stubborn lump in my throat. “Susie, I… I have to go away for a while, and I don’t know for how long but I think it might be… a very long time. I won’t be able to stop by to check on my mum. Will you please check in on her once in awhile? Just sit down and watch the birds with her? She likes that.”
“ Love, what’s going on?” Susie frowned at me, her eyes darting to my bruise again. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need me to call someone? The police?”
“ No, I’m... I’m fine. I just can’t come by anymore. Please, Susie. Please promise me you’ll look after her?” I fumbled in my purse and pulled out five thousand pounds from the stolen stack of fifties. “I’ll send more, for her stay. I just need to know that she’ll be looked after. She…” I bit my lip, stopping myself before I broke down in tears.
Susie slowly closed her hands around the money, and though her face was still drawn in a worried frown, she nodded. “You know I’ll look after her, Evelyn. But what do you want me to tell her, if she asks for you?”
I shook my head and looked down, breathing in through my nose to calm myself. “Just that I love her, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. And…” I steeled myself to look into the other woman’s eyes, willing her to
“ Oh. Okay.” A glimmer of what she’d been seemed to light up behind her pale green gaze, and she gave my hand on top of hers a pat. “Let’s chat a bit, dear.”
I talked to her about nothing at all, just basking in her presence and kind smile and the warmth of her hand in mine. We looked at the birds outside the window and laughed at two squirrels chasing each other up the tree trunk until the sky began to darken and I noticed Mum’s focus started to slip.
With a start I realized I’d been there for a few hours, and it was well past time I left if I wanted a chance to get out of London without risking another run-in with the city’s violent underworld.
“ Mum, I have to go now,” I said, doing my best to suppress the lump in my throat when I looked at her for what I knew would be the last time. Physically, she had aged with grace, and despite her white hair and lacking memory, she was still the same woman who had raised me on her own and given me everything she could. She was the only person I had left in the world—and I had to leave her.
“ And I’m not going to be able to come around much anymore. I have to go away for a while.”
She frowned at me. “You’re going?”
“ Yes. I don’t want you to worry, okay? I’m going to be all right.” With another glance at the dusky sky, I got up. Every part of my heart cried out to stay just a little bit longer, but I knew I had to go. I leaned over the table and gave her cheek a kiss, inhaling the scent of my mother one last time. Lavender and soap and something distinctly Mum . I wanted to remember it forever.
“ Goodbye, Mum.” I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood just to hold back the tears blurring my vision as I turned and made my way to the door.
“ Wait,” she called behind me.
My heart jolted and I turned back, a small ray of relief making its way through my depression. All I wanted was to say goodbye to her while she remembered who I was.
“ Agatha? Is that you?” Her lips spread in a surprised and delighted smile.
I smiled back and blew her a kiss before I walked out the door and closed it behind me.
It took a couple of minutes before I’d pulled myself together enough to walk away from my mum’s room and back down to the reception area.
Susie looked up when I rounded the corner, offering me a comforting smile. I took it my face reflected exactly how I felt.
“ She’ll have a good day the next time you come visit, or the time after that.”
I nodded and swallowed the stubborn lump in my throat. “Susie, I… I have to go away for a while, and I don’t know for how long but I think it might be… a very long time. I won’t be able to stop by to check on my mum. Will you please check in on her once in awhile? Just sit down and watch the birds with her? She likes that.”
“ Love, what’s going on?” Susie frowned at me, her eyes darting to my bruise again. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need me to call someone? The police?”
“ No, I’m... I’m fine. I just can’t come by anymore. Please, Susie. Please promise me you’ll look after her?” I fumbled in my purse and pulled out five thousand pounds from the stolen stack of fifties. “I’ll send more, for her stay. I just need to know that she’ll be looked after. She…” I bit my lip, stopping myself before I broke down in tears.
Susie slowly closed her hands around the money, and though her face was still drawn in a worried frown, she nodded. “You know I’ll look after her, Evelyn. But what do you want me to tell her, if she asks for you?”
I shook my head and looked down, breathing in through my nose to calm myself. “Just that I love her, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. And…” I steeled myself to look into the other woman’s eyes, willing her to
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