The Mafia's Maid

Chapter 15

Leah POV

It's been three weeks since Clarke got hurt.

Since then, she has needed help with getting around the place. She hasn't liked it, but Vlado demanded it.

Mainly Mary has been helping her around the place. They've gotten closer during the three weeks, and they spend a lot more time together.

I was currently in the kitchen, making dinner by myself because Amelia was setting up the table and Mary was looking after Clarke. 

I stirred the mince sauce around in the pot, then turned around to chop some more vegetables. I cut the carrots slowly, careful not to cut myself with the sharp knife. I eventually finished cutting the right amount and placed the carrot pieces in a separate pot with water. I set it on the stove and checked up on the mince again. 

"What are you making?" I looked over my shoulder at the familiar voice. Vlado walked through the doors of the kitchen, closing them behind him. "Smells delicious." He stood next to me and looked at the pot I was stirring. I felt my heart beat a little faster at the lack of space between us.

"Uh, shepherds pie," I said. I grabbed a spoon from the counter beside the stove and took a spoonful of the sauce.

"Need any help?" I added a pinch of salt. I looked at Vlado beside me.

I pointed to the chopping board behind me. "If you could start cutting the potatoes and put them in that pot." He looked to where I pointed and gave me a short smile before he headed over to the counter behind us. We worked in silence for a few minutes, the sound of chopping and bubbling of the food the only sounds in the room.

I felt nervous with Vlado standing right behind me. Every now and then, our legs brushed past each other as we moved around the counter. I felt a surge of sparks rush through my legs up to my back every time they grazed past each other, leaving me wanting more. 

What is going on with me? Why did Vlado have this effect on me? I don't remember ever feeling this in my life, especially not with Lucas. I didn't know what love was, but I thought that I did with him when he gave me the attention I wanted. How naïve I was.

"When did you get medical experience?" Vlado asked suddenly. I hesitated.

"I took some online courses," I said smoothly as I prepared the pastry for the pie. I had to make sure that I told Vlado the same thing I told Clarke.

"I'm not here to interrogate you." He said after some silence. "I'm here to thank you." I looked over my shoulder at Vlado. That definitely caught me by surprise.

"If it weren't for you," he continued, "Clarke wouldn't be here." There was a hand on my arm turning me around gently. I spun on the spot to face Vlado. I looked up at him.

His hands were still on my arm as he looked down at me. The look on his face was sincere, and his eyes held gratefulness, and I could tell that it wasn't being faked. 

"It was nothing. If I had known how she got hurt, I might've been able to help her more." I responded, trying not to give anything away. I knew that Vlado and everybody else-including Clarke- was hiding something about how she got hurt. 

Vlado looked at me with a straight face. "One day, we will tell you and Mary and Amelia what happened, but we can't. Not yet." We stood facing each other in silence for a moment or so. I was confused, but I didn't bother asking what he meant. He would just say something like 'it doesn't matter', or 'we'll tell you one day', so I just nodded and turned back to the mince.

The both of us kept working on the shepherds pie, exchanging stories and jokes to fill the void of silence.

* * * * * 

I sprayed the large dining room table. I wiped the table as Amelia removed everything from the table. Everybody had just finished dinner, so Amelia and I had to clean up as Mary went to clean the dishes in the kitchen.

"Thank you for dinner, you two." I looked over my shoulder and saw Theo and Clarke. Clarke leaned slightly against Theo's shoulder. She still wasn't one hundred percent, but she was getting better.

I gave them a smile. "It's no problem. did it taste good?"

"It tasted delicious." Clarke smiled. "So, do you guys need any-"

"Who are you guys talking to?" Everyone turned to the dining room doors. Three people I haven't seen before walked into the room. There was one man with light brown hair, and two women, one with long brown hair, and another with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. Are they some of the guests I was told about?

The three saw Clarke and Theo before they saw Amelia and me.

"Who are you two?" The girl with brown hair pointed at us. I panicked slightly at the sudden appearance of new people and didn't answer. 

"I'm Amelia, and this is Leah." Amelia introduced us.

"Leah?" The man looked at me pointedly. I felt myself shrink a little bit as he observed me. Theo looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you know her?" The man shook his head.

"No, my old friend knew a Leah, that's all." The man walked up to me as I stood motionless next to the dining table and extended a hand. "I'm Rowan." I hesitated for a second before I shook his hand.

"Leah." He gave me a smile that I returned before shaking Amelia's hand.

"I'm Scarlett." The woman with dirty blonde hair announced as she shook my hand. I gave her a quick smile before I was facing the other woman.

"Rosa." We shook hands and exchanged smiles. The seven of us stood in a circle facing each other.

"So, why are you guys here?" Rowan asked us, but it looked like he was talking to me.

"Umm, we work here. As maids." I said hesitantly, nervous to answer because Rowan was looking at me with a look I couldn't really describe, but it made me feel uncomfortable.

"How come I've never seen you around the house before then?" He countered.

Amelia shrugged. "We're always busy. And it's not just us two. Mary also works here. She's just working on something else right now." 

"Can I just interrupt and say that I love your hair?" Scarlett said immediately after Amelia spoke. "Both of yours." She looked at the two of us, and I felt my cheeks flare up at the sudden compliment.

"I, uh-thank you," I said, and I felt the corners of my mouth lift up. Amelia and I kept talking to the three new people we just met, getting to know one another. But I found myself feeling uneasy when I noticed the worried look Theo and Clarke exchanged as the rest of us laughed.