After I Died, the Don Went Mad With Regret

Ten years ago, I died in a shootout. My men recovered my body. I left behind only one daughter. My husband, Colton Rinaldi, found our daughter selling cigars at the docks. Under the blazing sun, she was drenched in sweat. The wooden crates had rubbed her shoulders raw and bloody. Colton's face fell. He pulled her aside. Then he demanded, beside himself with rage, "Why are you doing hard labor here? Where is your mother? How could she dump you in a place like this? "She's so damn selfish!" Mia Rinaldi had never seen him before. She stared at him, bewildered. "Who are you? Do you want a cigar? They're cheap." Colton lifted the crate off her shoulders. The veins on the backs of his hands bulged. "Even if she's angry with me, she has no right to torment you like this. Come with me. As far as you're concerned, you don't have a mother anymore." With that, he grabbed her hand and tried to lead her away. Panicked, Mia bit his arm and glared up at him. "Don't talk about my mom like that! Who are you? Get away from me! "Let go of me!" Blood streamed down Colton's arm. Colton went livid. "What has Monica Bellini been teaching you? She's angry with me, so she taught you to be this rude? "I'm your father!" My spirit hovered beside Mia. I tried to wipe away her frightened tears. My hand passed straight through her. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. How could Colton not know? I wasn't sulking. I was dead. Chapter 1 Mia kept backing away, terrified. She tried to run, but Colton blocked her path. Colton’s expression darkened with anger. "I can't believe she raised you like this! How could she?" Her hair was tied with a fraying piece of cord, loose strands spilling over her ears. She didn't even have a decent hair tie. Colton's hands began to shake. "If I'd known, I never would have let you go with her! "She treats you like this and you're still defending her!" I lunged for Colton's arm, desperate to explain. But my hand passed through him again. My arm remained suspended in midair, limp and powerless. It wasn't that I hadn't wanted to give Mia a good life. There truly was no way. I wanted my daughter to have pretty clips in her hair too. Mia had cut her own hair with a pair of scissors. The cord tying it back had come from a burlap sack she'd unloaded at the docks. Dylan Russo, the dock foreman, had taken pity on her and tossed her a euro for a hair tie. But Mia couldn't bring herself to spend it. The euro was still tucked inside her bag. I screamed the truth until I had nothing left, but Colton couldn't hear me. He yanked the cord from Mia's hair and flung it aside, pain flickering in his eyes. "I'm your dad, Mia. "Look. I have a photo of you from when you were little." Colton pulled up a childhood photo of Mia on his phone. Mia's wariness slowly faded. After a moment, she threw herself into Colton's arms and sobbed even harder. After all, the father she'd never known had appeared out of nowhere. Shock and joy lit her face. "Does this mean I don't have to be alone anymore?" "Dad will take good care of you." Tears slid down Colton's face too. "Dad's taking you home." He took Mia by the hand and started to lead her away. Before he could, a man charged out and punched him in the face. Colton hit the ground. When Colton looked up, Dylan stood in front of Mia, shielding her and drawing back for another punch. Colton dodged. Dylan pointed at him. "You're trying to snatch a child in broad daylight? "She's just a little girl. How dare you?" Colton wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "She's my daughter!" "Your daughter?" Dylan gave a cold laugh. "So you're the bastard who cheated on his wife, then left her behind to save his own skin? "She's been selling cigars for me all this time, and you never came looking for her! She dug through the garbage for food, and you never showed up! "What right do you have to take Mia now?!" Colton's eyes darkened. His jaw clenched. "So that's what she's been telling people about me? "So you're her new man? No wonder she hasn't asked me for money all these years. She's been too busy neglecting our daughter. "Fine. Let her say what she wants. I'm taking Mia. She was fine when I left her with Monica. Now she doesn't even have enough to eat. Why shouldn't I take her? "Get out of my way, or I'll call my men." Colton reached for Mia again. Dylan clenched his fist, the veins in his hand standing out as he swung again. "I'm warning you, don't insult Monica! "You don't know anything!" Chapter 2 The second punch hit hard. Colton lay sprawled on the ground for several seconds before staggering up to fight back. "What am I supposed to know?! "Know how the two of you carried on? How you abandoned the child?!" Dylan was caught completely off guard by the punch. He reeled and looked up. Colton already had a pistol pointed at him. "I haven't even confronted her yet. What kind of woman lets her child end up like this? She doesn't deserve to be a mother! "I'm taking Mia. If Monica wants her, she can come get her herself!" Colton picked Mia up and turned to go. Dylan's voice roughened. "Monica didn't abandon Mia. "She's dead." The words had barely left Dylan's mouth when Colton spun around and shot him in the knee. Blood burst from the wound. "Don't try to scare me with that! "You think a pathetic lie like that excuses her for abandoning her own child? Tell her to come find me!" Colton turned and walked away. Dylan's throat closed up. Unable to speak, he clutched his bleeding knee. I saw the wound and frantically reached down to put pressure on it. But my hand passed through him and struck the ground. My throat tightened. How could I have forgotten? I couldn't help anyone anymore. Dylan had looked after Mia for me, but work kept him too busy to watch her constantly. She spent seven years drifting through the streets, surviving on the help he could give her now and then. He had already done more than enough. Perhaps it was better that Colton was taking Mia away. If only Colton's Donna didn't object. At least Mia wouldn't want for food or clothes. Mia followed Colton back to the estate. Her mouth fell open at the sight of it. She had never seen anywhere so grand. In ten years of life, she'd never seen a road this clean. She was used to shuttling between the docks and filthy alleys. The wonder on my daughter's face filled me with guilt. If only I'd left her with Colton back then. Then maybe she wouldn't have suffered so much. Holding Mia's hand, Colton slowed as they passed a bed of roses in the garden. He stopped to stare at them. I had once wanted to plant roses in that corner, but Colton had always objected. He wanted to turn it into an armory. Now I was gone. And the roses were here after all. Colton was still staring at them when a soft voice came from a little way off. "You're back. The roses are blooming. Samson was just begging me to come see them." Beth Rinaldi walked toward him, smiling gently. The name Samson sent a pang through me. During one of my prenatal checkups, the doctor had made a mistake. They told us it was a boy. So Colton picked the name Samson. When I gave birth to a girl, we decided to save the name for our next child. I never imagined he would one day give it to Beth's son. Beth's gaze landed on Mia. Her expression shifted, and her voice cooled. "You went out and came back with a child? "Who is this?" Beth studied Mia's face. Mia was my mirror image. Anyone could see who she was. Colton said, "She's Monica's daughter. I found her selling cigars on the street. I was furious to see what she had let happen to the child, so I brought her home. Don't be upset." Beth's eyes lifted; she quickly masked their chill. "Why would I be upset? Mia is adorable. Of course I like her. "But does Monica know? Mia is her whole world. If you simply bring her back, what if she..." Colton cut her off, scowling. "What right does she have to be angry? "If I hadn't brought her back, she could've been kidnapped and sold at any moment in a place as dangerous as the docks." At the sound of my name, Mia's cheeks puffed with anger. She pummeled Colton with her small fists. "Don't say that! My mom is the best person in the world!" The words dissolved into sobs. I wanted to put my arms around her and couldn't. Hot tears filled my eyes. I opened my mouth to call her name. Before I could, Mia collapsed, weak and vomiting, one hand still clutching Colton's shirt. Chapter 3 Mia's vomit spattered Colton's clothes. Beth recoiled, dragging her son back in disgust. Colton kept patting Mia's back. She vomited until her face went scarlet, her eyes rolled back, and her shoulders trembled. Colton remembered what Dylan had said earlier about Mia scavenging food from garbage cans. Realization hit him. "She must have eaten something rotten. Call the doctor." He carried Mia toward the house. Pinching her nose, Beth hurried after him. "It’s perfectly normal for a child to get an upset stomach from eating something bad. There's no need for a doctor. We still have some of Samson's medicine left." Colton hesitated. Then he nodded. "Thank goodness you're here." Beth's smile stiffened; her nails bit into her palms. "Of course. Mia is practically my daughter too. "But given how sick she is, shouldn't we tell Monica?" "What good would her knowing do?!" Colton erupted. "This is Monica's fault! She'd better be dead, because otherwise I swear I'll make her explain what she thought she was doing to Mia!" "Maybe she did it to get at me. She knows how much you love Mia..." Beth began to cry. She bowed her head and wiped her tears, looking utterly wronged. Colton's expression darkened further. Beth wanted to destroy what was left of my reputation and cast me as a cruel mother. I could see it. She didn't actually want Mia to stay here. But Colton was so insistent that she had no choice. So this was the only move she had left. But nothing she said mattered anymore. I was already dead and could do nothing. Colton put Mia in a guest room. The medicine had put her to sleep, but she was still pale. I stayed by the bed and didn't dare relax. Then the bedroom door flew open. Samson Rinaldi came in and headed straight for the bed. He stared down at Mia with contempt. The longer he stared, the more hatred filled his eyes. He picked up a second pillow and raised it over Mia's face. As it came down, I screamed, "No!" I threw myself at him and went through him again. Mia's eyes fluttered open. Sensing danger, she fought through her illness and clamped a hand around Samson's wrist. "What are you doing!" Samson pushed down harder. "You bastard. You came back to take my place as heir. "Dad said everything in this Family belongs to me. "You won't get a penny of it!" Still sick, Mia was no match for Samson. "I'm not a bastard. He's my dad too..." Before she could finish, he crushed the pillow over her face. "Let me go!" Her cry came out muffled. She thrashed and kicked at Samson. Samson scrambled onto the bed, his eyes bloodshot. He meant to kill Mia. I screamed and tried again and again to stop him, but my hands passed through everything. Years of roaming alleys and hauling cargo at the docks had made Mia quick on her feet. She kicked Samson off the bed. Samson tumbled to the floor. He sprang up in a rage, slapped Mia across the face, and ripped the ring and cord from her neck. That ring had been mine. The Bellini family crest was engraved on it. I never took it off. "You're a bastard, and your mother is a whore. You two came here to destroy my family and steal my dad! "Trash like you has no right to be in my house! I'll kill you!" Every word out of Samson's mouth was vicious. Mia's eyes burned red. Finally snapping, she pulled a small knife from her pocket and drove it toward him. The blade sank into Samson's shoulder. He screamed. I sobbed in panic, tears streaming down my face. I knew exactly what that single stab could cost Mia. And now that I was dead I couldn't even protect her. But Mia didn't understand. She drove the knife deeper into Samson's shoulder until he screamed himself hoarse. Their screams brought Colton running. Colton's shoulders locked at the sight. He rushed forward and shoved Mia away. "Who gave you the right to do that? "Samson is your brother! Did Monica teach you to kill? Is that why she made you carry a knife?" The knife jutted from Samson's shoulder. Pain shook his whole body; his lips had gone white. Colton shoved Mia so hard that the back of her head struck the corner of a table. It took her a long moment to come to. Eyes closed, she said weakly, "He was trying to kill me. "He took the only thing Mom left me. I only stabbed him because I thought he was going to kill me." Chapter 4 Years on the streets had taught Mia to carry that knife for protection. Dylan hadn't taught her to use a gun, so he'd given her the knife instead. She was only ten, but she'd already used it to kill someone who tried to assault her. At the sight of Samson's wound, Colton was frantic and furious. He ordered the private doctor to be at the estate within five minutes, then told the butler to stop Samson's bleeding. His hands trembling, Colton took the ring from Samson. He recognized it at once: it was mine. "Monica told you to say that, didn't she? If she were really dead, no one would be happier than I would. "Something this filthy has no place on the estate." He squeezed the ring in his fist, then hurled it out the window. Mia went white. She scrambled up and ran after it. "Don't throw away my mom's ring!" She was almost screaming. She reached for it, but the ring sailed past her fingers and dropped into the lake outside. Ripples spread across the water. Mia's lips trembled. All the color drained from her face. "Why did you do that? You're bad! My mom is dead, and that was the only thing she left me!" She cried until she couldn't speak. Something shifted in Colton's expression. Word of Samson's injury soon reached Beth. She stormed into the room, fighting the urge to strike out. Her face rigid, she demanded, "Why did you hurt my son? "Don't you realize he could have died? "Did Monica tell you to wait outside for your dad on purpose, so you could win his sympathy, come home, and kill my son?" Beth broke down sobbing and grabbed Colton's arm. "If Monica has a problem with me, she can come after me. She can hit me, curse me, whatever she wants. But why would she try to kill my son? "Why would she send Mia here to lie that she was dead?" Hatred filled Colton's eyes. He kicked a chair aside and roared, "What the hell does she want? Why can't she really be dead? "She lied to me ten years ago, and now she's still trying to fool me! She's disgusting. Why won't she just die?" Colton came apart completely. As he raged, I lowered my head and wept. He had hated me for ten full years, ever since I became pregnant with Mia. And it wasn't like that between us at the beginning. Colton and I met at a formal dinner. He fell in love with me at first sight, back when my family still had power. At the time, the Bellini family still held considerable standing among Sicily's Mafia families. After we married, I used the Bellini family's resources to support him and helped run the Rinaldi Family's most important affairs. Colton followed my lead in everything. When I refused to enter the drug trade, he wouldn't so much as meet with a drug lord. Together, we expanded the Rinaldi Family. He always said he was lucky to have me as his Donna. He brought me to every party, eager for everyone to see how happy we were. Until I fell pregnant with Mia. Overwork made the baby's heartbeat unstable. Colton immediately set everything aside to accompany me to every appointment and help me rest. I was the one who couldn't stop worrying about the Family. He promised he'd handle everything until the baby was born. Then I could take over again. After thinking it through, I agreed. To lighten his load, I reviewed the list of assistants I'd trained and chose Beth. The first time Beth met Colton, I saw a spark in her eyes that she couldn't hide. At first, I ignored it and assigned her to work as Colton's assistant. Every day, after finishing the Family's business, Colton came straight back to the estate to be with me. But at some point, that changed. He came home later and later, always claiming he was traveling with Beth. He also began moving into the businesses I'd forbidden. Chapter 5 I asked Colton several times. He always brushed me off, saying he only wanted to test the waters. He had even taken over some of Beth's work himself. A quiet unease settled over me. Then I saw an email from a drug lord detailing the first shipment. Holding back my anger, I asked him, "Why are you doing what Beth says? "I already told you we can't touch drugs. They're too dangerous. The Rinaldi Family needs to go legitimate. We cannot touch them." Colton watched me, swirling his drink. "So what? I have a lot of men to feed. "Everything you and I have came from dirty work. Who are you to act so righteous now?" A crushing weight settled on my chest. I snatched the glass from his hand and smashed it. We had a screaming match. When I grabbed the laptop to smash it too, a message from Beth lit up the screen. Email sent! Book our flights to Southeast Asia. Once we're there, leave the itinerary to me—we'll eat well and have some fun! I turned the screen toward him. "So now you're doing your assistant's work for her? "Is that what your business trips are? Eating, drinking, and partying together? Answer me!" Colton's expression changed. He snatched up the laptop and smashed it to pieces. "I told you! We're working! "She's the one you found for me! "You're crazy!" Colton slammed the door and didn't come back all night. I sat in the living room all night, my eyes swollen from crying and cramps twisting through my belly. At dawn, I went to the Family's headquarters to find him. But his men told me Colton had gone to Southeast Asia with Beth. I booked the next flight and had a private investigator check their hotel. There was only one room reservation. When I arrived, I knocked on their door. Beth opened it in a silk nightgown, radiant and flushed. Dark hickeys marked the cleavage exposed by its neckline. Behind her, Colton lay half naked on the bed. My hand shook as I slapped Beth hard, then charged inside and screamed at Colton. I trashed the room and screamed at him like a madwoman. I even thought about shooting him. Colton barely looked at me. "Are you done? "If you're done, go home." He was utterly indifferent, as if my pain meant nothing. I considered divorce, but I couldn't bear to take a father away from the baby inside me. By then, I was in the final weeks of pregnancy. The fight threatened the baby. Back in Sicily, I spent the rest of my pregnancy on bed rest at a private hospital. Meanwhile, Colton and Beth vacationed in Southeast Asia. Unable to reach Colton, the Family's underboss called me. A rival crew was preparing to seize the weapons at the docks. They were about to make their move. Heavily pregnant, I went to the docks myself. That night, amid blades and gunfire, a bullet struck me in the back. They rushed me to the hospital. The doctor said only one of us could be saved, the child or me. I held myself up and called Colton. The phone rang a long time and nobody answered, and after a while he sent me a text. Could you stop bothering me? If you still want to be the lady of the house, don't contact me until the baby's born. A moment later, Beth sent me a photo of Colton from behind in the bathroom. Everything you have will be mine. The photo shattered me. Some part of me still held on to the hope that he would come back. In despair, I gripped the doctor's hand and said, "Save my baby."