A/N: The day of Giuseppe's funeral will be broken into four chapters:

*The Mistress

*The Mother

*The Wife

*The Boss

That means this chapter will be spent with Katherine.

The blue eyed mobster ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair as the elevator climbed the floors to the penthouse level of the Rischard Hotel. He had gotten a haircut and a hot shave in preparation for Giuseppe's memorial. Rose had also ensured that his black suit fit him like a glove. The mob boss needed to look his best because the service was sure to attract the attention of the national media and gossip rags. America was oddly obsessed with the criminal underworld despite their alleged disdain for the violence. There had been a media feeding frenzy in the days leading up to Damon and Bonnie's wedding. Two of America's most infamous crime families uniting had been huge news. Giuseppe's memorial would attract similar attention because of the implications for the future.

Damon was on his way to pick up Nadia. His daughter had never met Giuseppe but the news of her existence had slowly leaked out to the public. Rose planned to release a statement about Nadia an hour before the memorial. They hoped the maelstrom around Giuseppe's death and memorial would dwarf the news about Nadia. However, Rose would have to handle any fallout because he would be occupied. Damon had to play the role of grieving son convincingly. No one outside his close-knit sphere of family and allies could learn just how acrimonious his relationship with Giuseppe had become. Damon did not need law enforcement looking into his father's conveniently timed demise. They had gone to great lengths to erase any evidence of foul play but he did not want the added scrutiny.

Damon hated Giuseppe with every fiber of his being. There had not been a moment when he had ever wavered in his decision to kill the old man. Moreover, he had taken enormous pleasure in torturing the son of a bitch even in his last moments. He was not like his uncles. Damon could not remember ever loving his father. Perhaps he had as a toddler when he did not know any better. However, his earliest memories of Giuseppe centered on being terrified of him. As he grew older, his fear turned into barely contained rage. His proudest moment was the day he stopped cowering in fear and started fighting back. He lost those early battles but it only further strengthened his resolve.

While he could not ever remember loving his father, he did feel a grudging sense of appreciation. Giuseppe was an abusive son of a bitch but he had shaped Damon into a sharpened scalpel capable of carving up his enemies with the skill of a surgeon. He knew how to inflict enough pain to make a man wish for death while denying him that mercy. He knew how to charm and disarm his allies with confident words and an easy smile. Damon could disguise his more monstrous qualities in the company of the civilized and the innocent. Only the whispers of his ruthlessness offered a glimpse into his true nature.

However, violence was not the only thing Damon's father taught him. Giuseppe had insisted on his son attending college. He wanted Damon to be able to walk into a boardroom and command the respect that Giuseppe had to earn the hard way. When his college age son appeared to struggle with substance and alcohol abuse, he forced Damon into rehab quietly. Despite having two brothers perfectly capable of taking over the family business, he had never wavered in his decision to make Damon his successor. Perhaps their only conflict was when that succession should have taken place. Damon should have expected the reluctance. It was never going to be easy for Giuseppe to relinquish the enormous power that came with being the boss. Bonnie had suffered for her husband's oversight.

The knowledge Giuseppe had imparted to his son was invaluable. Even the lessons accompanied by his fists served a purpose for Damon. He wore the scars left behind by his father's cruelty like a suit of armor. The scars were a daily reminder that he had walked through hell and came out the other side. If the man that gave him life could not kill him, he damn sure was not going to let anyone else do it. Damon would need to harness that determination in the coming months. His family's enemies would surely see Giuseppe's death as an opening. Damon would have to squash their hopes with the same ruthless efficiency that they had come to expect from his father and grandfather. Damon would not cede one single block of his family's hard won territory.

He took a deep breath when the elevator doors slid open. Damon was not in the right mind frame to deal with Katherine, but Rose was busy handling Lilly's situation. Getting the harpy out of the country was the higher priority today. Damon wholeheartedly believed that Zacharias would make good on his threat. He would not shed a tear if his uncle whacked Lilly. However, he was worried about Stefan. The younger Salvatore brother was still working through his emotional issues with Dr. Correa. Those issues would likely grow in the wake of Giuseppe's death. He planned to support his younger brother in any way he could. Damon owed him that much.

Damon used his keycard to unlock the penthouse's door. He stepped inside and frowned when he heard loud Bulgarian music playing. The rest of the penthouse seemed suspiciously quiet. Damon followed the music to the bedroom he shared with Katherine.

Katherine was lying on the bed while wearing a eucalyptus facemask. She was dressed in a pair of boy shorts and a large Dodgers t-shirt. She hummed along with the seemingly depressing song. Her slender fingers were wrapped around a crystal tumbler filled with straight vodka.

Damon stood in the doorway and took a moment to drink in the scene. He could not remember a time when he had ever seen Katherine dressed so comfortably. Damon had seen her in every stage of undress but this was different. He reached over and lowered the music's volume to draw her attention.

Katherine sat up ready to berate her mother for the disturbance. Her eyes widened when she realized that Damon was the culprit. She climbed out of the bed feeling oddly naked without makeup or lingerie to entice him. Katherine pulled on a satin robe and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He was amused by how flustered Katherine appeared by his arrival. He watched as she dashed into the bathroom to wash off the facemask. He replied, "I am here to pick up Nadia for the memorial. I texted you last night with the time she should be ready."

Katherine took her time washing and drying her face. Then she took a moment to run a brush through her messy hair before joining Damon in the bedroom. She said, "I was under the impression that your Girl Friday would be picking up Nadia."

Damon suddenly understood why Katherine had been so relaxed. She was not expecting him. This was not exactly the time for introspection but this situation did bring up some curious questions for him. He pushed himself off the wall. "Something came up at the last minute. It was simpler for me to pick up Nadia."

"I am surprised that you are here. I was starting to think you were avoiding me. I haven't seen you since before Christmas," she complained.

He groaned and said, "I've been busy, Katherine."

She rolled her eyes at his bullshit answer. Katherine was not stupid. She knew that Damon was trying to reconcile with Bonnie. As she predicted, the young woman had underestimated Damon's affections for her. Katherine had known that Damon would not give up so easily. However, she had not expected for his efforts to leave her out in the cold. His neglect had been sobering.

She gave a non-committal hum and said, "I'm sure you have."

Damon shook his head. He was not interested in arguing with Katherine today. Frankly, he did enough arguing with his wife. His mistress was supposed to be the simpler of the two relationships. However, he had recently realized how delusional that was. Rose had been pointing out how Katherine had always been angling for more without saying as much. Last night, his conversation with Bonnie had driven home that point. Katherine had been trying to get rid of his wife from the outset. Objectively, Damon could not blame her because no one wanted to play second fiddle. Subjectively, he wanted to strangle Katherine for hurting Bonnie.

He cleared his throat and asked, "Where is my daughter?"

She sat down on the bed and crossed her legs primly. She explained, "Nadia wanted to buy a card for you. She figured that you were sad about the passing of your father. She is too young to know that you are practically dancing an Irish jig. My mother took her to a shop to find something suitable. They should return soon."

Damon was taken aback by his daughter's kind gesture. He smiled a little and then shook his head. "How the hell did the two of us create a kid so sweet?"

"Genetics has very little to do with it. My mother has raised Nadia to be kind and compassionate." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Besides, our daughter is incredibly fond of you already. I suppose I knew that she would be. You have always been good with children."

"You don't have to sound so happy about it," he quipped.

Katherine just glared at him.

"What is it now?" he asked.

Katherine sighed and said, "It is nothing."

"I am not in the mood to play twenty questions with you, Katherine. Not today. What is wrong with you?"

She snapped. "It isn't as if you care about me."

Damon sighed heavily and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling in frustration. "I do not have time for this, Katherine. What is your problem? Did I not give you enough money this month? Do you want a larger allowance?"

"Of course you would think this is about money," she replied with a small shake of her head. "I didn't sign up for this."

"What didn't you sign up for?" he asked puzzled.

Katherine fiddled with her bracelet. Damon had given her the ten-carat diamond tennis bracelet for her birthday. "I agreed to be your mistress. That relationship has evolved over the years and I have made due with the limited affection I receive. I never wanted Nadia to be part of this."

Damon walked over to the bed and sat beside her. "I will never neglect Nadia, Katherine."

"That's not what I am worried about. She has barely known you for two weeks. Already she loves you, Damon. Nadia insisted that I pack an overnight bag for her. She wants to spend tonight at the Manor."

Damon was surprised that Nadia wanted to stay the night again. He was undeniably happy about that development but it was not a good time for him. Damon would be busy well into the early morning. There would be little time to spend with her. However, he was not going to tell Nadia that she could not sleep over. Damon was eager to build a relationship with his daughter.

"I am not sure that I understand the problem," he confessed.

"Of course you wouldn't understand the problem. You have not said as much but it is obvious that I am losing you. I am sure it is only a matter of time before you relegate me to the status of well-compensated 'Baby Mama'. Nadia is going to want to stay with you more often. There is no way I can compete with you. She thinks that fortress you live in is a castle. Nadia is excited about having such a big family now. I am going to be alone," she lamented softly.

The mobster stared at Katherine for several seconds because this was not what he expected. He wanted to believe that she was trying to manipulate him but her fears seemed genuine. Damon sighed and took her hand into his. "I am not going to take Nadia away from you, Katherine. We both know that my schedule doesn't permit me to be a full-time parent. I am not even demanding that sort of agreement from Bonnie."

Katherine looked at where their hands were joined. Then she looked into his eyes. "Really?"

"I love Nadia. I plan to be a very big part of her life, but that doesn't mean taking her away from you. You and your mother have raised her well up to this point. I am not trying to change that. I just want to give Nadia everything she deserves. If it makes you feel better, we can put it all in writing."

The brunette beauty's shoulders slumped in relief. She asked, "What about us?"

Damon licked his lips and said, "That is more complicated. I love you, Katherine. But my relationship with Bonnie has to take precedence. In a perfect world, I would get to have you both. You really shot yourself in the foot by antagonizing her all these years. Bonnie has been giving me little tidbits about how you went to great lengths to tell her about us. I have to say, introducing yourself to my wife while we were still newlyweds took some balls."

Katherine grew tenser as Damon spoke. She swallowed nervously because she didn't know what to expect from him. Ultimately, she decided that lying was pointless. "In hindsight, I realize how stupid it was of me. I was just jealous once I realized you had real feelings for her. I figured if Bonnie knew the truth that she would divorce you. I underestimated her resolve."

"You're not the only one," Damon replied with a shake of his head.

She said, "I know that you probably won't believe me, but you need to be careful around her, Damon. She's not the person that you think she is."

He studied her for a moment and said, "Oh, I have learned that lesson frequently as of late. My sweet little bunny is a simmering pot of rage and has been for quite some time. Under different circumstances, she would probably have me whacked. You would think that would make me love her less but it doesn't."

Katherine was surprised by his revelation. She had not expected Bonnie to end her charade so quickly. The girl had seemed determined to run the long con. It made her wonder what had happened between them. Enzo was being annoyingly tight-lipped about the situation. Katherine was unsure if he was withholding information or if he was simply out of the loop. Her only concern was upholding her end of the bargain she made with Bonnie.

She said, "Well, you aren't the only person that she wants dead."

Damon lifted an eyebrow and then frowned. "Did Bonnie threaten you?"

Katherine nodded.

He tensed visibly. Damon wondered if he had done something to provoke his wife. Her warning during their counseling session had been heard loud and clear. He asked, "When did this happen?"

"My partnership with Bonnie wasn't exactly voluntary. She laid down some stringent ground rules about what she expected going forward. Bonnie promised to make me disappear if I disobeyed those rules. I believe her."

This new information added new color and depth to what he already knew. Damon's thoughts went back to the day Bonnie confronted him in the conservatory with Katherine as the surprise guest. He asked, "What were those rules?"

"Most of the rules were fairly obvious. Bonnie wanted me to stop taunting her with messages and pictures. She also wanted me to show more discretion in regards to the affair. She didn't want anyone in the outside world knowing that we were together still. She also demanded that the threesomes with my friends end. I assumed it was a direct reference to what we got up to during your stop in Tenerife. She was pretty incensed about that particular tryst."

It was obvious to Damon that the Lockwood brothers had passed that information to Bonnie. Their spying was not limited to business matters. At least he could instruct Enzo to end his investigation of the employees at his favorite hotels. Mason and Brady were high enough in his organization to receive real time updates on Damon's position at all times. No one would have batted an eyelash at one of the brothers inquiring after his whereabouts. He had to give it to Bonnie for covering all her bases so effortlessly. He wanted to be angry with her for the manipulation. However, all he felt was an overwhelming sense of guilt. Damon knew now that Bonnie had an accurate account of his many extramarital relationships. He did not want to imagine how much it had her hurt. Damon had bedded dozens of women since marrying Bonnie. All the women had been unimportant to him but it was probably heartbreaking for her.

Damon cleared his throat and said, "I won't let anything happen to you, Katherine."

She looked at him with uncertainty. Damon had allowed a girl ten years his junior to pull the wool over his eyes for years. She did not have much faith in him where Bonnie was concerned.

He squeezed her hand. "I mean it. Nadia doesn't deserve to lose her mother because I'm an asshole."

It was not exactly a declaration of his undying love but it was better than indifference. "Thank you."

"You are the mother of my daughter. It means you are part of my family now. It is my job to protect you."

"Is that supposed to be a selling point?"

He huffed out a laugh and said, "There are some perks to being a Salvatore."

"What does this mean for us, Damon?" she asked again.

"If I am being honest, I am still trying to figure out some things. The relationship we have is going to have to change. I can't lose Bonnie. I know this isn't what you want to hear but my heart belongs to her. It always has."

Katherine rolled her eyes because that was an answer all in itself. However, she decided to test the waters. She asked, "Does this mean that I can start seeing other people?"

Damon didn't show any outward emotion. He asked, "Is that what you want to do?"

She bit back a mischievous smile. Damon's question would seem benign to those unfamiliar with him. However, Katherine was well versed in his little idiosyncrasies. She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe…"

He had spoken honestly to Bonnie last night about the complications with Katherine. It would have been much easier banishing the woman from his life four years ago. However, his feelings for her ran deeper than he liked to admit. Moreover, she was the mother of his oldest child. Katherine was not going anywhere, but he was unsure of her role in his life going forward. If push came to shove, he could lop her off like a gangrenous appendage. Damon had offered to kill Katherine out of desperation but Bonnie had turned him down. Nevertheless, his offer hand been genuine in the heat of the moment. Unfortunately, their problems were about much more than his long-time mistress. She was merely a symptom, not the disease. Bonnie knew that and Damon did, too.

"No," he said coldly. Damon stood from the bed and walked out of the room.

Katherine bit back a laugh and followed him into the living room. "You are being unreasonable, Damon. You won't spend time with me because you are trying win back your wife. Am I supposed to spend my life as a spinster? I have needs!"

"It's only been a few weeks get a fucking vibrator," he snapped.

"I have several but it isn't just your cock that I miss, Damon! I am not just some latex sex doll that you can put on the shelf until you need me again. I need love and affection like any other human being."

Damon advanced on Katherine so fast that she stumbled into a wall. He stared down at for several tense moments. He wrapped a hand around her throat. "You are trying to provoke me. You want me to be rough with you because you know where that always leads."

"Maybe but I am speaking the truth and you know it. You might be willing to live a lie and deny your true self but I am not. You love your precious Bunny but she has never done it for you in the bedroom. Are you going to ask little Miss-I-Never-Miss-Mass to deep throat you?" Katherine asked while cupping his crotch. Damon's hand around her throat was always foreplay.

He scowled at Katherine and tightened his hold on her throat. The last time Damon had sex was during the trip in Tenerife. He could not remember the last time he had gone that long without sex. Burying himself inside Katherine would be so satisfying right now.

She laughed melodically. "Do you think she is going to like being choked while you are balls deep inside of her? Do you think she enjoys being spanked the way that I do? You can definitely forget about threesomes. Are you ready to spend the rest of your life fucking the little missus in missionary position?"

Damon heard Nadia talking from the hallway. He released Katherine and moved over to the windows before the door opened.

Nadia's eyes lit up when she saw Damon. She dashed across the room and hugged him. "Hi. I'm sorry you are sad that your daddy died."

Rada closed the door and tutted at her granddaughter's lack of tact. Her dark eyes moved to her daughter and noticed that she seemed out of sorts. The older woman scowled deeply as she removed her coat. Rada was not a fan of Damon's line of work. She had warned her daughter not to get involved with him but Katherine had always been headstrong.

Rada's pleas for her daughter to end the affair fell on deaf ears. Katherine frequently reminded her that Damon paid for their extravagant lifestyle. Rada did not care for material things. However, she appreciated Katherine paying for her younger daughter to go to college. She also liked being retired. Her knees were shot from years of cleaning rich people's houses. Yet it was her time as a maid that had informed her opinion on people like Damon.

Rada only wished that Katherine could see the hopelessness of her situation. She had despised her father's controlling ways. Yet she gave Damon the same power over her without the benefit of marriage. Rada did not understand and Katherine rarely spoke openly and honestly. Sometimes Rada wished that she had not been so vocal about her disapproval. Perhaps Katherine would feel comfortable sharing with her now. Rada only knew that something major had changed in Katherine and Damon's relationship. It had left her daughter depressed, angry, and most worryingly afraid.

Damon was still shaken by his conversation with Katherine but he managed a smile for his daughter. Damon smoothed a hand over her pin straight brown hair and said, "Well, seeing you is making me feel much better."

"Really?" she asked happily.

"Yes," he promised.

Nadia held up a bag. "I bought a card for you and some flowers for your daddy."

Damon took the bag from Nadia and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you very much. That was a really thoughtful thing to do."

"You're welcome," she said.

He smiled. "Well, we are running a little late. We should get going."

Nadia nodded and then ran over to Katherine. She hugged her waist and said, "I'll see you later, Mommy."

Katherine hugged her daughter. "Be good for your father, Sunshine. And call me tonight before bedtime. Okay?"

"Okay." She ran across the room to Rada and hugged her. She reverted to French when speaking to her grandmother. "Au revoir, grand-mere."

Rada cradled the girl's smiling face in her hands and replied, "Au revoir, mon petit."

Katherine picked up Nadia's overnight bag and handed it to Damon. She whispered, "We should continue our conversation later. That is if you're not afraid of the answers."

Damon stiffened in response and walked by her. "Let's go, sweetheart. The car is waiting for us downstairs."

Nadia took left her grandmother's side and gave one last wave before leaving with Damon.

Rada stood in the doorway until Nadia and Damon disappeared into the elevator. Afterwards, she closed the door and turned to look at her daughter. "It looks as if you are feeling better."

Katherine walked into the bedroom to retrieve her glass of vodka. She sat on the bed and finished her drink.

Rada followed her daughter into the room. She implored, "Katerina…"

"You are right. I am in a better mood. Please, do not ruin it, Mama."

"I worry for you. You are tangled with very dangerous people. I do not want to see you hurt or worse. We should go home and leave this madness behind."

She sighed deeply. "I am never going back to Boston."

Rada shook her head. "I am not talking about Boston."

Katherine stared at her mother in disbelief. "I am not taking my daughter to Mizia. Besides, Damon is like a wild dog. If I run, he will give chase. Trust me, running away with our daughter will only make this situation worse."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet but it isn't for you to worry about. I started taking care of you when I was sixteen-years-old. Have I ever let you down? Have you ever wanted for anything in all this time?"

Rada stood up and said, "These things mean nothing to me, Katerina."

"Damon doesn't just provide this nice penthouse. How do you think I afford your health insurance? When you had pneumonia last year, he is the one that paid for your hospital stay. I can afford to send Veronika to school because he pays for that, too."

The older woman sat down once more. "Veronika is nearly done with school. I could start working again. We would get by."

"I am not interested in just getting by, Mama," Katherine snapped.

A horrible realization settled over the woman. "You told me that this relationship was a business arrangement but you love him."

"Dostatuchno, Mama!"

"No, it is not enough. You foolish girl. You have fallen in love with a man that will never leave his wife!"

Katherine said, "I don't need Damon to leave his wife. She's already left him. They don't even live in the same house any longer. I just have to find a way to make sure she doesn't take him back."

Rada gave her daughter a doubtful look. "How do you plan to do that?"

"I don't know yet…"