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sorellina = little sister 

ti amo = I love you 

cara = dear / sweetheart 

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Lexy looks outside and walks over to the black van. She crouches down next to Dino and two tiny arms wrap around her neck. Ricardo comes running up and they all go inside together.

Scorpia walks into the conference room and takes a few calm breaths. Dino guides all the teen girls inside and they sit down quietly. Ricardo and Lexy come in too. The little girl cries in Lexy's arms and Lexy pats her back gently.

Scorpia's voice sounds gentle when she says: "Girls, you're safe. I promise. Do any of you have a home to go back to?"

"Y-yes miss, I would love to call my parents." Dino immediately hands his phone to the girl and she calls her mom in tears. Dino takes the phone from her to explain to the mother where she can pick her daughter up. The other girls can't go home for whatever reason and Scorpia doesn't ask for details.

"Can you tell me more about that little girl?"

The girl that wanted to go home says: "Her name is Mia. Her mom is dead and her dad... a customer... She is around a year old and we tried to take care of her but..."

The girl starts to cry and Scorpia says: "You've all done your best. And you're all strong, young women. I'm going to help you. And Mia. We have rooms ready for you here. You can take a shower and get some rest. We'll talk more tomorrow, okay?"

Dino gets up and takes the girls with him, leaving the girl that wanted to go home with Annette at reception.

Scorpia carefully points her eyes in Mia's direction and feels her heart break at the sight of the little girl. She is sitting on Lexy's lap, while Ricardo looks her over. Lexy places a kiss on the girl's blonde hair and the girl giggles softly, because Ricardo tickles her a little. Lexy tears up and Scorpia walks over to the window.

She feels the storm rush through her brain and tries to calm down. She rests her forehead against the cold glass and breathes in and out slowly.

She feels a warm hand on her shoulder and Ricardo says lovingly: "Call Logan, Scorpia. Mia's okay. I don't think she is that badly damaged. She spent most of her time with teen girls, who had no idea how to take care of her. I honestly think that love and attention is all she needs."

Ricardo walks over to Lexy and lifts Mia from her arms. Lexy walks over to Scorpia and hugs her tight. "Sweet sister, call Logan. Calm down. And let me take Mia with me. I know a little boy who's really good at kissing and one that gives the best hugs. And on top of that, I also know a very sweet nonna. Let me take care of that sweet girl."

Scorpia cries silently and Lexy grabs Scorpia's phone from the table and calls Logan. Logan picks up enthusiastically and says: "Bonnie! Are you missing me already?"

"Logan. It's Lexy. Scorpia saved five girls today and one of them is very young. Scorpia needs you."

Lexy hands the phone to Scorpia and walks over to Ricardo. Mia holds her arms out to Lexy already, who picks her up and kisses her cheek. She whispers to Ricardo: "Don't leave her alone." Ricardo nods and waves at Mia.

He looks at Scorpia, who listens to Logan while the tears stream down her face. He fills a glass with water and places it on the table behind her. He puts his hands on her shoulders and forces her to sit down. He sits down on the chair next to her and holds her hand.

She tries to focus on Logan's voice. "Bonnie? You saved those girls Bonnie. And it's okay to be sad about it. But things can only get better for them. You're a hero Bonnie. Ti amo. Is Ricardo with you?"

She sobs and says in a broken voice: "Yes, Ricardo is here."

"Has he seen the apartment yet? If not, go over there with him. Think of something else for a bit. And if that doesn't work, please come home to me."

"Okay. That's a good idea. We'll do that."

"Ti amo, Bonnie."

"I love you too Logan. Thank you."

She hangs up and takes a sip of water. She breathes out long and slow and closes her eyes for a second. She looks up at Ricardo, who squeezes her hand gently. He stares deep into her eyes to see how she's doing. He smiles carefully and says: "The storm has passed hasn't it?"

Scorpia nods and takes another sip of water. "When they're this little Ricardo... It breaks my heart. Matteo was already very hard to handle."

"Scorpia. It's not a weakness or something you should fight. It's a beautiful thing. Accept that you care so much about these kids, that it hurts you physically. And then take care of them in the best way you can. No one expects you to take them all home." He wraps his arms around her and she sighs. "Don't fight it Scorpia. That's what causes the storm."

She stays in Ricardo's arms for a while, before saying: "Now will you please stop questioning why I help you and your family?" She looks at him and he smiles shyly.

"And now it's time to show me your new car and to see your new apartment. Come on!" Ricardo grins and gets up.

They are about to walk out together when Ciro calls her. "Scorpia? Do you have a few minutes for me?" Ricardo walks out and Scorpia walks into the office.

Ciro pulls her in for a hug and she relaxes in his arms. He says: "As of today you're only allowed to come to work when Logan works too. That way you get to spend more time together. Turn the laptop and your phone on at home, but you don't have to be here all the time. I know exactly what you want and on the rare occasion that I don't, I will call you. I don't want you to crash and burn sorellina."

She kisses Ciro on his cheek and says: "Thank you. I really want to do it all myself, but you're right. If I keep going like this, I will be too much. I'm off to see Ricardo's car and the apartment now."

"Do that. If there's something I need, I'll call you."

She walks out and finds Ricardo posing proudly next to a bright blue pick-up. He opens the door for her and she gets in. He runs over to the other side and sits down next to her. Scorpia sticks her hand between his hair and the roof and says: "Perfect."

He chuckles and says: "Yes. Perfect car for the Hulk." Scorpia laughs and Ricardo starts the car. They drive to the apartments and walk into the building as soon as they arrive. They stop in front of the door to the apartment and Ricardo pushes the key into the lock. He opens it and walks inside.

Scorpia looks around the clean and fresh space, with a few new pieces of furniture in it. She follows Ricardo, who is checking everything out in slow motion. What used to be Lucas' bedroom is now a study and Lexy's bedroom is set up for Ricardo.

Ricardo smiles wide and walks into the kitchen. He gets the coffee machine going and hums while he fills two mugs. Scorpia is sitting on the couch in the living room and Ricardo sits down next to her. He hands her a mug and says: "Cheers! To my own home. I can finally take a girl home with me."

Scorpia laughs and says: "Cheers! To taking a lot of girls home with you. But please practice safe sex, okay?" He almost chokes on his coffee, while Scorpia looks at him all innocently as she sips her coffee.

He stays silent for a while before he says: "Scorpia? Thank you! If you ever need me for anything, I'm here. Day and night."

"Thank you. You are one of the rare people I trust for the full hundred percent. En you are also one of the sweetest men I know. You deserve all that you're getting."

His eyes show how emotional her words have made him and he shyly drinks from his coffee.

She says in a gentle tone: "And this is when I can see you're younger than you seem. You are so calm and mature when it comes to other people's feelings, but if someone compliments you, the boy shines through."

She puts her hand on his cheek and says: "Let that boy come out every once in a while, okay? Because he is worth being seen too. You don't have to know it all. I don't either."

He nods and finishes his coffee. "Shall I take you back to the hotel?"

"Yes, please. I have some things to wrap up. Oh, what do you think of my nails?"

Ricardo is a bit surprised by that question and says: "Erm, pretty."

"Emilia did them."

Ricardo smiles wide and says: "Wow, I'm impressed. She's always so shy."

"She really did good Ricardo. She treated me like a real customer in the beauty salon."

Ricardo looks all proud and they walk out of the apartment together.

Ricardo drops her off in front of the entrance and she walks in. Annette smiles at her and Scorpia takes the time to engage in some small talk with her. She notices Bart in his office and walks over there to knock on the door. He looks up at her and smiles.

"How are you doing Bart?"

"Good." She can tell he's debating something in his head and sits down on his desk to wait.

"Miss.. erm Scorpia?"

She smiles and says: "Yes Bart. What is it?"

"Erm, maybe we should buy a van instead of renting it? A van is convenient to pick up supplies and drive a few people around in."

"That's a good idea, Bart. Walk with me and we'll discuss it with Ciro right away."

She gets up and walks over to the office that she shares with Ciro. Ciro looks up from his computer and Scorpia says: "Bart has a good idea." Bart gasps, but composes himself quickly and tells Ciro about his idea.

Ciro nods and says: "Yes, maybe even more than one. Or a two-seater van for supply runs and a bigger van to fit eight people. Do you feel like coming with me to the car-dealership tomorrow? You can help me pick them out."

Bart answers quickly: "I'd love to sir."

Scorpia says: "You are starting to get used to the unexpected things here already. Next time you have and idea, don't doubt it. Tell me or Ciro."

Bart walks out of the office with a wide smile on his face and Ciro says: "A good kid and a better shot than me and Dino combined." Scorpia looks at him wide-eyed and Ciro adds: "He's not just your driver my sweet sister. He is also your bodyguard. Dino trained him himself. He's flourishing now that he can use his training for good."

Scorpia says: "I don't think I will ever get used to all those young people being this grown-up already."

"But you respect them, sister. You don't treat them like children. They all love you." Ciro pulls a folder from his drawer and says: "Sit down sis. Because we have a ton of papers to sign and if we split them up we'll be done faster." Scorpia sits down and Ciro hands her half of the stack. They sign all of them in silence and she hands her half to Ciro when she's done.

"Scorpia? You have the day off tomorrow. I don't want to see you here." She wants to protest, but he gives her a very strict look. She nods. He says: "Everything is running pretty smoothly. Which is amazing since we just started."

"That's because you run this company Ciro."

Ciro shakes his head and says: "No, it's because everyone respects you. They are all willing to work hard for you because you gave them a chance at a better future. Cara, your heart is the engine of this company. I am just using your resources to make your wishes come true. And yes, I am good at the business side of it. But this company would never succeed without you."

She breathes out slowly and says softly: "I didn't think we'd be able to pull it all off. And definitely not this fast. I am thankful for you and Dino. Where is he by the way?"

"Dino's sleeping. He was exhausted from the rescue mission. And Mia hit him hard too."

Scorpia nods and asks: "Is there anything else I need to do? Oh, and where's Manon?"

"No sorellina. You've done enough for the day. And Manon should be back any minute. I sent her to Logan with her sister. To deliver your new shoes and clothes there. I paid her four times the amount she asked for. So she will have a nice amount of money to live off for a while."

Scorpia shoots him a grateful look and grabs her phone from her briefcase. There are unread messages from Lexy, mamma, and Logan. She opens Lexy's message first and finds a picture of Enzo and Mia, sleeping in one bed and Enzo is holding her hand. The tears stream down her face and she shows Ciro the picture.

Ciro smiles and says: "You should send it to Dino too." She nods and sends it to Dino and Ricardo.

She opens mamma's message and finds a video of Matteo. She plays the video and hears Matteo's voice. "Scorpia! I'm going to school tomorrow! Just for half a day. Mamma says it's to try it and see how it goes. My teacher's name is Thomas." He is beaming and Scorpia cries tears full of gratefulness.

Ciro rubs her back and says: "You're a hero Scorpia. Look at how happy those kids are."

There's a knock on the door and Ciro yells: "Come in!"

Manon walks in and Scorpia admires her curly hair. "Oh Manon! Your hair looks amazing!" The girl smiles shyly and Ciro asks if they got the job done.

Manon blushes and says: "Yes. All shoes and clothes were delivered and carried upstairs. Margot hung it all in the closet too and Logan gave us tea when we were done." She blushes a deeper shade of red and Scorpia looks her over with curiosity.

Manon clears her throat and says: "You have a really handsome boyfriend miss."

Scorpia laughs and says: "Oh, believe me, I know that all too well."

Manon carefully looks up at Scorpia and Scorpia says: "Thanks for everything today. I'm happy that you're my assistant. I can't wait to go home and look at the clothes and shoes. Go and do something fun and you'll have to answer to Ciro tomorrow. Because I have the day off."

Manon shoots Ciro a shy look and he nods at her. She walks out of the office and closes the door behind her.

Scorpia leans back in her chair and remembers there was a message from Logan too. She opens it and chuckles while reading it.

I hope you're home soon,
because I had to look at all those hot clothes and shoes.
And imagined how you would look in them of course.
And that leather skirt?
Oh hell.

Ciro shoots her a mocking look. "Go home to that damn Scot. I'll see you the day after tomorrow." He winks at her and she gets up fast.

She shoves the phone in her new briefcase and kisses Ciro on his cheek. "Don't work too late brother. Even you deserve time to relax." She walks out of the office and looks into Bart's office.

Bart gets up right away and comes over. "Home?"

"Please."

He walks besides her towards the Charger and opens the door for her. She gets in and he walks around the car. He gets behind the wheel and starts it. He drives to the cafe and stops in front of the door. Scorpia looks at him and says: "Thank you, Bart. For everything. I feel safe with you. I'll see you the day after tomorrow. I'll let you know at what time I need to be picked up."

"You're welcome Scorpia. Have a good day tomorrow." He smiles shyly and she smiles back at him.

She takes a few steps towards the entrance and looks at the sign above the door. She pushes the door open and walks in. A big group of dark hared men is seated at the big table and at least half of them are Gentiles by the looks of them. Marco is standing behind the bar with a wide smile on his face and she walks over to him.

She sits down on a stool and Marco asks her if she wants something to drink. She nods and says: "A glass of Amarone please."

Logan appears from the kitchen with plates full of snacks and stares at her for a beat, before delivering the snacks to the big table. He comes running back and stops behind her. His hands slide over her ass, as he kisses her neck. "Mmm Bonnie. Dangerously hot this skirt. Especially seated on a stool at my bar."

She leans into him and says: "Mmmm yes. The stool provides a little more tension on this leather." She turns around to him with a naughty look in her eyes. She kisses him slowly and plays with his hair.

"Mmm Bonnie. I feel like throwing everyone out of here."

She laughs and says: "Don't. I am going to drink my wine first and then I'm going to slip into something more comfortable to come back down here and hear how your day was." She kisses him again, before turning around again.

He fondles her ass and says: "Yes, put something else on. Because I can't focus on work this way." She smiles and takes a sip of her wine. She thinks about her day and has to admit to herself that she feels proud. She turns to watch the group of guys at the long table. They crack jokes with Logan, who is gathering all the empty glasses.

Logan walks up with a tray full of glasses, puts it on the bar and strokes her ass as he passes her, before quickly making the drinks with Marco.

She downs the last bit of wine and gets up. She lifts her foot up and takes the shoe off. She does the same to her other shoe and grabs her briefcase.

She walks through the door and towards the stairs with her briefcase and pumps in her hand. She hears footsteps behind her and knows it's Logan.

"Mmm Bonnie. I just have to witness you climbing those stairs."

Scorpia laughs and ascends them slowly.

Logan whispers: "Ohhhh hell."

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Made it! *flexes*
That was Chapter 45 for ya.

It was a very busy day today, so I didn't expect to get a chapter up.
But here it is against all odds.

Any hopes, thoughts, wishes, or complaints? 
Leave them here. 

Light up my night sky by clicking the star if you think I deserve it.
See you for a new chapter tomorrow. 

XO Hankie <3