CHAPTER ONE

SIX MONTHS EARLIER

The hospital doors slid open and Charles "Big Daddy" Sinatra hurried through. Rushing to the elevators, he had to press the button seemingly twenty times before the double doors finally opened and he hopped on. When the doors closed, he leaned against the wall and exhaled. She was alright. That was all that mattered. She was going to be just fine.

But as soon as the elevator reached the fifth floor and dinged, and the doors slid open, he was going hard again. All the way down the long corridor that led to her hospital room. And then he entered the room.

Mick Sinatra and his wife Roz were already there, sitting across from each other like they were strangers, and Hannibal "JoJo" Reese was fast asleep lying next to his mother on her bed. He was a growing young man now. A teenager who should be out and about doing teenage things. But he still loved his mother.

Charles hurried up to her bedside. She reached out her hand to him and he took it. "Are you certain you're okay, baby girl?"

"Positive, Charlie. I'm fine."

"Fine my ass. You don't look so good."

Amelia smiled, though it pained her to do so. "I'm in a hospital. I'm looking the best I can look."

Charles smiled too. But then his handsome face betrayed an inner torrent of anguish. "I am so sorry, kiddo. You didn't deserve this."

Amelia fought back tears as she nodded her head. "It's alright," she said with all the strength she could muster. Nothing ever got the best of her. Charles knew she wasn't going to let this lick her either.

Then he looked at Mick and Roz, with his voice unable to shield his displeasure. "Where the hell is he?" he asked them.

Roz looked to Mick to answer. But Mick, as usual, sat there, his legs crossed, and remained silent. But Roz spoke up. "I called him numerous times," she said, displeased too. "But you know how his busy ass don't be answering no phones."

Charles opened his stylish Armani suit coat and placed his hands on his hips. Then he looked over at Mick. But Mick was as exasperated with that so-called husband of Amelia's as he was.

They both looked at Amelia. She looked away, knowing their displeasure, as a singular tear escaped her ironclad confinement and traveled down the side of her beautiful, sad face.