Page 10 of Escaping the King (The Sovrano Crime Family #13)

“Maybe one day, honey. But we won't be back to Chickagee for a while.”

We were interrupted by Sheila's cheerful voice. “All right, folks. I have your drinks.” She placed my coffee in front of me. And handed a lidded cup with a straw to Dani.

“Juicy!” Dani squealed with excitement. Sheila and I laughed at Dani's excitement.

“I dare say I've never seen anyone that excited about apple juice before.”

I smiled at Dani and then looked at Sheila. “She doesn't get it very often. It's a novelty.”

Sheila nodded. “Good plan. My kids used to bounce off the walls whenever I gave them juice.”

And just to keep the conversation going—for some reason—I asked, “How many kids do you have?”

Sheila leaned one hand on the table. “Four, God help me. And three grandkids. They all drive me batty each and every day. I thought this was supposed to be an eighteen year deal. But my oldest called me an hour ago. She asked me when her last tetanus shot was.” She dropped her head back and laughed.

“Can you believe that? She's thirty-five years old. How in all holy Hannah am I supposed to remember something like that?”

I laughed along with her, but I also tried to remember when my last tetanus shot was.

Yikes.

It had been a while. I'd have to look that up.

“This job's for life, Momma.” She gazed down at me, and I nodded.

“I figured,” was all I said. I could tell her how motherhood hadn't been my idea. That it had been forced upon me.

Literally.

And how, the second after I found out I was pregnant—I knew—I just knew I had to find a way to escape.

Or die trying.

Because there was no way I would allow a child of mine to be brought up in that kind of hell.

I'd accepted it for myself. Figuring that Sergio would let me go when I wasn't able to give him the baby he so desperately wanted.

But then my body betrayed me and allowed him to plant his baby inside of me.

I did, for one brief second, wish I could reach through my stomach and rip out my womb.

A second after that—I knew I'd do anything and everything in the world to keep that little being safe.

Some kind of protective momma bear instinct came over me.

Thank goodness. Or I'd probably still be there—we'd still be there. Who knows, Sergio might even have gotten me pregnant again.

“You okay, Giselle?” I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

I shook myself out of the horrible fantasy.

“Yes, I'm sorry. Just tired,” I tried to explain away my mind drifting off.

She squeezed my shoulder and let go. “You know, there's a good motel right next to us. It's nothing fancy. But you might want to take a load off. Driving sleepy is never a good idea. Especially with such precious cargo.” Sheila nodded at Dani and gave me a caring, sad smile.

I nodded and said, “I'll think about it. Thank you.”

Right now, the thought of not having to drive all night was more than tempting. I was getting tired.

No.

I was beyond tired.

I looked down at my coffee and then added the cream and sugar I needed. I'd see how I was after I drank this. And maybe one more cup.

My frolicking with Carlo was beginning to catch up with me.

The stress of everything coming down on me at once didn't exactly help, either.

Watching Stefan fuck my nanny had hurt.

A lot.

If there was some way to bleach that memory out of my brain—I'd gladly do it.

And the fighting with him afterward hadn't been pretty.

Add in the secret packing and organizing I had to do in order to escape—and no wonder I was feeling more tired by the second.

I yawned and then took a healthy sip from my cup.

“Momma tir-nerd.” Dani pointed at me with her yellow crayon. She sat raised up on her knees.

“Yes, Momma's tired.” I stifled another yawn.

“Me no tir-nerd.” Dani shook her head gravely and it made me laugh.

“No, of course, you're not tired at three o'clock in the morning at a truck stop. That would be silly, right?”

She nodded and dropped the yellow crayon on the table. I helped as she reached for her cup. With the amount of sugar in this juice, she'd probably be up for hours.

She hummed a happy tune while taking long drags on her straw.

“Not too much or you won't eat.” As soon as I'd said it—I knew how stupid that sounded. Was I really concerned about her not being able to eat massive quantities of truck stop food?

Good grief.

Maybe I was too tired to drive.

“No worries, Momma. I told Jimmy in the back to put a rush on your order.” Sheila popped around the corner and slid our plates onto the table.

“Careful, now. The fries are red hot, Dani. Okay? Make sure you blow on them before you take a bite.” She spoke right to Dani and it made me get a little emotional.

Her kind tone sounded like the way Anna and Marcello spoke to her.

Like grandparents.

She'd never have any.

She almost had two.

But Dani would never see them again.

“Thanks, Sheila. This smells wonderful.”

I mean, it did. As far as truck stop diners went.

I'd much rather sit down at Eve's table and eat her ravioli. Or cannelloni. Nick loved fresh, homemade pasta. And Eve was always eager to please her man.

“You're welcome. Just holler if you need anything else.”

I nodded, and she spun around and left us to eat.

“Ketch!” Dani gestured to the red bottle on the table like she was guiding it to port.

I picked it up and squeezed a sizeable puddle on her plate.

One second later, she slowly stuck the tip of her chubby index finger into the ketchup. And then she licked it off.

“How's your ketchup?”

All I got back from her was an “Mmm,” while she wiggled her behind.

This kid.

I picked up half of my club sandwich and took a bite. “Mmm, this is good,” I said with a full mouth. I hadn't eaten a club sandwich in ages. The thick slices of turkey nearly melted in my mouth. And it seemed like Jimmy in the back loved mayo as much as I did.

I chewed and swallowed it down. Next, I picked up a french fry. “Ouch,” I said and dropped it back onto the plate.

Dani laughed at me. “Hot, Momma.” Then she picked up a fry from her plate and blew on it.

I had a feeling that Sheila had let Dani's fries cool off a bit.

I reached over and took one off her plate. “Mmm, good.” I was right. Her fries were warm. Mine were scalding.

“Hey, no!” Dani covered her plate with her body, protecting it from her evil mother.

“Oh, I see how it is. I grow you in my belly for nine months. Nurse you forever. But you won't share one fry with me?” I teased my daughter.

“That's pretty much how it goes. Forever.” Sheila appeared out of nowhere back at our table.

“Just get used to it. Things never change. Like last week, for instance, our youngest son showed up at the door with five enormous garbage bags. He said, ‘Mom, my washing machine is broken. Can you do a few loads for me?’”

Sheila shook her head. “A few loads? It took me three days to finish everything he brought over.”

My eyes got all teary from her story. And the fact that she actually washed and dried and folded all those clothes for her kid.

“That was nice of you,” I said, feeling my eyes get wetter.

I wasn't sure why I was being so emotional. Maybe because I'd just left my lumberjack back at my house. And I'd never see him again.

“Aww, honey. Don't worry. I'm sure Dani won't do any of the stupid stuff my kids do.”

Gosh.

I loved Sheila.

I'd known her for all of ten minutes, but she seemed like the kind of woman I wished I'd had as a mother.

Instead of the poor excuse for a human being, I was given.

I blinked my tears away quickly. “Don't mind me. I'm just tired.” I smiled up at Sheila.

Her hand landed back on my shoulder. “You should stay the night at the motel. I'm worried what might happen if you don't.”

Oh.

Gosh.

Her kindness was tearing into me right now. My mind trailed off to my father. And how easily he'd gotten rid of me.

No.

Not gotten rid of me.

Sold me.

He'd freaking sold me.

To the highest bidder.

“Why don't I get you a nice hot chocolate? It'll warm you up and make you fall fast asleep,” Sheila broke me out of my memories again.

“Oh, that's okay. Don't worry about me,” I told her and set my sandwich down. I picked up a fry and took a bite. It had cooled off enough to eat.

“You let me decide who I'm going to worry about now, Giselle. I'll be right back.”

Off she went to get me a hot cocoa that I probably wouldn't drink.

Dani ate—mostly ketchup off her finger, and I had finished half my sandwich by the time Sheila came back over.

“Here you go. Another coffee.” Sheila winked and handed me a coffee cup. This one was a disposable one, though. It had a lid on it, but I could still smell the chocolate.

“I added some whipped c-r-e-a-m,” Sheila spelled out and winked at me. “In case Dani knows what that is. We moms deserve a treat sometimes, too, ya know.”

Oh.

Crap.

I was going to cry.

Right here in this truck stop diner.

Yep.

I was.

A few tears rolled down my cheeks. I set down my hot cocoa and wiped my cheeks with my hands. “Okay, I really am overtired. You're right. Thank you for the—” I sniffled and pointed at the cocoa she'd brought for me.

“Oh, my girl. You must be really going through it.”

Then she did something so unexpected, it shocked me a little.

“Move over for a minute. You look like you need some Sheila time.”

For some unknown reason, I moved over and let her into the booth beside me. She could have sat across from us on the empty bench, but she chose here instead.

Her arm slipped around my back. “Now, I don't know what you're goin' through.

But you're a woman. And you're a mother.

So, it could be any one of a billion things.

But I can tell something's eating away at ya. You live long enough like me, and you get real good at spotting someone going through a hard time.”

She squeezed me and moved in closer to my side.

“What I do know, is that life can really suck sometimes. But it's during those times that we should ask for help. Do you have anyone who could help you out right now, Giselle? You look like a nice girl. You must have an army of people who love and care for you.”

That really freaking hit home. A sudden rush of people popped up in my mind.

Eve.

Nick.

Eve's siblings, Bea, Rachel, and Asher.

Even though I'd never ask him for anything ever again—I knew Stefan would come running if I called him right now.

And then, of course, there'd be Carlo.

Once he woke up, he'd probably wonder where we'd gone.

After a while, he'd get the hint—and then he'd lose his ever-loving mind.

He had our lives mapped out and planned—and it overwhelmed me to even think about it. If I let myself think about it.

Which I had to stop.

Soon.

Carlo.

My lumberjack.

My fiancé.

He would come and get us right now if I called.

He'd be pissed, and he'd yell, and the look of betrayal in his eyes would absolutely kill me.

But I knew—I just knew he'd forgive me, eventually.

But what he didn't know—what none of them knew—was how much danger I was putting them in.

Knowing me might cost them their lives.

And that was one thing I couldn't allow to happen. I loved all of those people. And if saving them meant that Dani and I had to leave—then so be it.

It would be worth it to keep them alive.

“I'll be okay, Sheila. We'll be okay. You're too kind. Thank you.”

She sighed and rubbed my back. “If there's one thing I've learned in my sixty-three years, it's that people are gonna do what people are gonna do. So, I'll leave you to your dilemma.”

Her behind made a squeaking sound as she pushed across the slick material of the bench seat.

She turned around and leaned with both hands on the table. “Consider staying at the hotel tonight. Please? I'd hate for something to happen to you ladies tonight because you were too tired to drive.” She stared straight down into my eyes and let that last sentence hang in the air for a moment.

“I'll think about it,” was all I promised her—all I could promise her for now.

She nodded and walked away. I felt her disappointment.

Then, for some reason, I wondered if Sheila's kids and grandkids ever felt her disappointment. I'd bet they did.

Sheila seemed like the kind of mother and grandmother who'd do anything to keep the people around her safe. And happy.

Then my mind rearranged my life, and I imagined growing up with a mom like Sheila.

Someone who'd care about me and look after me. Or die trying.

I thought about what kind of life I'd have right now if that were true.

“Momma, happy?” my little girl asked.

I gazed down at her and smiled. “Yes, baby. Momma's happy.” I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

“And do you know why Momma's happy?” I sniffed the baby smell from her head.

“Because I'm with you.” I tickled her belly with my finger, and she gave me the cutest giggle.

And my heart nearly burst with love.

A bright sparkle caught my eye, and I looked at the rings on my finger.

They really shined brightly in the light of the diner's lights.

Carlo would think that I stole these from him. When I'd just forgotten to take them off. I bet they cost him more than what my house was worth.

“You two take care now, okay?” Sheila popped up again. This time, she had a check in her hand. “And just in case you do go to that motel, here's a half-off coupon.” She pushed the two papers across the table to me. “Tell them Sheila sent ya. They'll treat you extra good, then. Trust me.”

I swallowed over the dry lump in my throat. “Thank you, Sheila. For everything.” I blinked back tears. “Especially for your kindness.”

I swear her eyes were getting wet, too. “You know, Giselle. There are some people in your life that you meet for only a brief time. But they make such an impact, you never forget them as long as you live.” She nodded at me.

“You and Daniella are that kind of people for me.

I'll remember y'all long after you leave.”

I sniffled and lost my battle with the burning tears behind my eyes. “Right back at ya, Sheila.”

After that, I finished my sandwich and fries.

And Dani finished her ketchup.

And then we drove straight to the motel Sheila had suggested.